Because if the Knicks still hadn't built a sufficient lead by the time the Fourth Quarter Game began—or, in other words, if the gap hadn't reached the safe range Head Coach Thibodeau had expected—then Thibodeau was highly likely to "relapse" and play his core players for the full stretch.
And when Chen's playing time in the Fourth Quarter was maxed out, it meant the boss was about to enter the second phase...
Amid the intense atmosphere in the arena, the Third Quarter soon got underway.
Both teams brought their starters back onto the court and began another round of combat.
The Celtics still trotted out their unchanging five-core lineup.
As for the Knicks, they merely chose to replace Hart, whose outside shooting had been mediocre tonight, with Strus in the core lineup.
Overall, there was little difference between the two starting lineups and those from the First Quarter Game.
The Knicks had possession for the first attack of the Third Quarter.
Chen Xi received the inbound pass in the backcourt, turned, and pushed forward.
After crossing half court and reaching the Top of the Key, he signaled for Hartenstein to come up for an On-ball Screen. He dribbled as if he were stepping right to use the screen and drive, but suddenly followed up with a behind-the-back dribble, reversed direction, and circled back to the left. Then he gathered the ball in stride, jumped, and pulled up for a Three-Point Shot.
The sudden choice to shoot caught Porzingis, who was responsible for the hedge, off guard for half a second.
Unable to adjust to Chen Xi's rhythm in time, he could only watch helplessly as his opponent got the shot off right over his head.
The next second, the ball Swished Through the Net.
77–76. The Knicks had taken the