The competition between the two sides reached the fifth game, and from a broader perspective, it had become a battle of tempo, with only minor details left.
Gan Guoyang's exceedingly high shooting percentage in the post and his substantial ball-handling responsibility were the foundations that allowed the Trail Blazers to play at a slow pace.
Otherwise, what's the use of playing slowly if you can't score? The lower the shooting percentage, the faster you die if you play slowly.
And the Celtics needed to push for speed, otherwise they wouldn't be able to harness their full offensive potential.
At the start of the third quarter, McHale called for the ball in the low post, Bird passed it to him, and McHale immediately initiated the attack upon receiving it.
In this respect, he was just like Ah Gan. Neither would dillydally with the ball; they attacked right away.
After turning around, his hook shot was on target. McHale was getting better and better as the night went on.