3+1

The brief halftime break ended, and both teams returned to the court.

"Let's go, Los Angeles Lakers!" "Let's go, Los Angeles Lakers!" "Let's go, Los Angeles Lakers!"... Amidst the cheers of the home fans, the second half of the game continued.

As soon as the game started, Paul Pierce used a screen to drive inside and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot.

"Swish." The ball dropped steadily into the embrace of the rim, scoring.

Ten seconds later, Kobe Bryant immediately returned the favor, hitting a fadeaway jumper with Paul Pierce draped all over him.

"Swish." The ball hit the net in response, scoring.

Shaquille O'Neal: "..."

My rebound!

Left with nothing to do after preparing for the rebound, Shaquille O'Neal had to turn back to his own half, feeling frustrated.

The Boston Celtics inbounded the ball again, passing it to Mike James. Mike James dribbled across half-court, and as soon as he crossed, he immediately looked for Goodwin, but Goodwin couldn't shake off Gary Payton despite his off-ball movement.

Seeing this, Mike James wanted to pass the ball to Paul Pierce on the other side.

But the next second, Kobe Bryant blocked Paul Pierce's passing lane.

Mike James quickly stopped his passing motion and looked toward Mark Blount in the paint.

The two shared a silent understanding; in an instant, Mark Blount realized what Mike James wanted and ran out to build a wall for him.

Mike James used the screen to shake off his defender and drove inside, accelerating into the paint, jumping up for a layup.

"Watch out, Mike!" Vin Baker warned.

But it was too late; a massive figure lunged from the side, looming over Mike James.

Smack.

The ball, just released from Mike James's hands, flew directly out of bounds.

"Kid, this is a no-fly zone."

Landing on both feet, Shaquille O'Neal glared fiercely at Mike James.

Mike James's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, then he took a step back, putting some distance between himself and Shaquille O'Neal.

Seeing Mike James's reaction, the corners of Shaquille O'Neal's mouth curled up slightly; this was exactly the effect he wanted!

"It's alright, Mike!" Vin Baker shouted from not far away.

Hearing Vin Baker's voice, Mike James finally snapped back to reality.

The Boston Celtics inbounded the ball again, passing it to Paul Pierce. Upon receiving the ball, Paul Pierce pushed off hard with his left foot and drove his right shoulder into Kobe Bryant, determined to force his way inside.

Kobe Bryant was very clever; he didn't choose to go head-to-head with Paul Pierce, but instead retreated while defending, keeping himself squarely in front of Paul Pierce the entire time.

Just as Paul Pierce reached the free-throw line and gathered the ball.

Opportunity!

Kobe Bryant was quick-witted and sharp-eyed, his hand moving like a surgeon's scalpel to swipe at the ball.

Smack.

He knocked the ball directly out of Paul Pierce's hands.

Both players reacted instantly, diving toward the ball on the floor.

Mine! Kobe Bryant touched it first, but the next second, Paul Pierce stepped in.

He grabbed the ball with one hand.

Don't even think about taking it, Kobe Bryant protected the ball with his other hand, and Paul Pierce reached over with his other hand as well.

All four hands were now covering the ball.

They both exerted force, fighting for possession.

One second, two seconds, three seconds... "Beep." The referee's whistle blew, signaling a jump ball.

The two walked to the free-throw line and stood on opposite sides as the referee tossed the ball into the air.

They reacted almost simultaneously, leaping upward.

Smack. Kobe Bryant touched the ball first, tapping it back behind him.

Shaquille O'Neal caught the ball steadily, and the Los Angeles Lakers successfully regained possession.

Shaquille O'Neal passed the ball to Gary Payton, who didn't push the pace, but instead dribbled across half-court at a leisurely tempo.

Once across half-court, Gary Payton passed the ball to Kobe Bryant on the wing.

Kobe Bryant held the ball with both hands, motionless, his eyes locked on Shaquille O'Neal in the low post.

Shaquille O'Neal spread his arms wide, backing his massive backside into Mark Blount, pinning him firmly behind him.

Kobe Bryant lobbed the ball inside to Shaquille O'Neal, and the moment he caught it, he slammed his weight into Mark Blount behind him.

Thud.

Mark Blount felt as if his chest were about to shatter; even though he gritted his teeth, he couldn't withstand Shaquille O'Neal's impact and was forced to take half a step back.

Before Mark Blount could even dissipate the force, Shaquille O'Neal's second and third charges followed in quick succession.

Screech... The sound of Mark Blount's shoes grinding violently against the floor echoed through the arena.

In an instant, Shaquille O'Neal reached the deep interior, quickly turning and leaping for the shot.

Mark Blount could only watch helplessly as Shaquille O'Neal threw down a thunderous dunk.

He gripped the ball with both hands and slammed it viciously into the rim.

BOOM.

Shaquille O'Neal had brutalized the rim once again.

On the sidelines, Doc Rivers couldn't help but shake his head.

Shaquille O'Neal was clearly much more active in the second half than the first, especially on the offensive end, where he was firing on all cylinders.

Facing Shaquille O'Neal's relentless bombardment, the defense of the Boston Celtics looked incredibly fragile.

The point gap widened bit by bit, rapidly approaching the 20-point mark.

Watching the situation unfold, Doc Rivers felt utterly helpless; were they really about to suffer a four-game losing streak?

Just then, the veteran Vin Baker stepped up, hitting consecutive mid-range jumpers to prevent the Los Angeles Lakers from extending the lead any further.

"Great job, Vin Baker!" Paul Pierce praised, and soon after, Paul Pierce refused to be outdone, scoring repeatedly by driving inside and shooting from the outside.

Kobe Bryant: "..."

Kobe Bryant immediately responded.

The two sides temporarily reached a "stalemate," with the 17-point gap holding steady for over five minutes until the final minute of the third quarter, with the Boston Celtics in possession.

Goodwin slammed on the brakes, cut back, and arrived at the left 45-degree three-point line. He glanced over and saw that Gary Payton had actually failed to keep up.

I finally shook him off!

Goodwin's face was filled with wild joy as he shouted loudly: "Mike, ball!"

Mike James hesitated for a split second before passing the ball to Goodwin.

"Don't even think about shooting." Gary Payton lunged at Goodwin, using every last ounce of strength in his body.

Goodwin didn't hesitate for a second; he jumped, hung in the air, and released the shot.

Bang! The moment Goodwin released the ball, he was knocked to the ground by Gary Payton.

Beep! The referee's whistle blew.

Swish. The ball found the bottom of the net.

3+1!

Lying on the floor, Goodwin roared at the top of his lungs: "Ahhhhhh..." All the sweat he had shed hadn't been in vain; Mom, I scored again!

What?

Gary Payton looked on in disbelief; he had actually been hit for a 3+1—this couldn't be real!

But the roar of Goodwin ringing in his ears seemed to remind him that it was indeed real.

Suddenly, a few words surfaced in Gary Payton's mind: I really am getting old.

Just seconds ago, while chasing Goodwin, Gary Payton's legs had gone weak, allowing Goodwin to shake him off completely—and not only that, but he had also been burned for a 3+1.

"Great shot, Goodwin."

"You're truly amazing, Goodwin."

"Well done, Goodwin."

His teammates ran over one after another to offer their praise.

With the help of his teammates, Goodwin stood up from the floor.

Goodwin then walked to the free-throw line, took the ball from the referee, aimed, and released.

Swish. The free throw went in, completing the four-point play.

In an instant, the point gap narrowed to 13.