And this wasn’t even a story that numbers could tell. At least, not in totality. Because the true essence of the tale was the method that its protagonist employed. From the opening jump, Simmons was on the attack, identifying leverage points in the defense and winning his spot with a predator’s zeal. With the ball in his hand, he played like some mythical creature, part bull, part cheetah, part shark, but with opposable thumbs and an ability to defy gravity’s supposed constraints. Late in the first quarter, he dribbled into the lane, came to a strong jump stop, and attacked the rim despite the presence of two Celtics defenders. His initial shot bounced high off the back of the rim, but Simmons grabbed the ball on its way back down and flushed it through with a two-handed dunk. The next possession, he earned a trip to the line with an aggressive drive and sank both free throws.