Antoine's return stopped the lead from growing any further, but it took a heavy toll on his stamina.
By the end of the third quarter, Antoine's timely return had stemmed the team's slide and kept the deficit from growing.
But during the two minutes he spent resting, King Arthur and Little Rivers hit three-pointers back to back, leading the Lakers to stretch the lead to 20 points.
At last, Antoine returned to the game, once again stemming the team's slide.
They even began to claw their way back, little by little.
But when the fourth quarter reached the four-minute mark, Wang Yi entered the game, and the situation changed in an instant.
Wang Yi opened with two three-pointers, immediately restoring the lead to 20 points.
Then, on defense, he quickly stole the ball from Antoine and raced downcourt to throw down a dunk.
Over the next few possessions, Wang Yi didn't score again, but he delivered two surgical assists, setting up King Arthur and Aiton for points.
By then, the Pistons could no longer halt their slide. The lead kept growing, growing, and growing.
With four minutes left in the game, it had reached 30 points.
At that point, Phil Jackson waved his hand and called Five Up Five Down, pulling all the starters.
The Pistons had no choice but to surrender.
And so, the Lakers got off to a winning start in the Finals.
The Lakers' fans were jubilant, and Movie Emperor Nicholson broke into a long-missed smile.
Movie Emperor Nicholson could be called the Lakers' good-luck charm. What his smile meant went without saying.
The Lakers' fans could almost see the championship Trophy beckoning to them.
It had been 38 full years since they won the title in 2020. They hadn't touched the championship Trophy or even caught