The fiery atmosphere of the Rose Garden Arena and the overwhelming fervor put the entire Celtics team under immense pressure.
Ilgauskas jumped early during the tip-off at the center circle and was called for a violation, giving possession to the Portland Trail Blazers.
On the first offensive play for the Trail Blazers, Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle, faced Tim Duncan's defense, and directly made a mid-range jump shot, scoring!
A simple, unadorned mid-range shot claimed the first point of the game, yet the cheers at the venue seemed to tear the roof off, as if a game-winner had been scored.
For the young Celtics players, they need to adapt quickly to such fervor.
Clearly, they were not adapting well at the start. Steve Nash found Pierce on the wing, who attempted a mid-range jump shot against Kobe but missed.
Under the basket, Ilgauskas and Tim Duncan both fought for an offensive rebound, Duncan seized the ball, but his floater was blocked by Little O'neal.
