The game moved into the second quarter. Compared with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Boston Celtics' rotation lineup was exceptionally strong.
They sent out Paul Pierce and The Diesel, Shaquille O'Neal, to lead a group of reserves against four Oklahoma City Thunder backups led by James Harden.
Because Head Coach Scott Brooks had promoted James Harden to the starting lineup, the team's bench strength had been severely weakened. This meant he had no choice but to over-rely on the Thunder Big Three and keep them on the court longer.
During these playoffs, the Thunder Big Three had each averaged fewer than 40 minutes per game, but on the crucial stage of the Finals, Coach Brooks planned to have each of them play at least 45 minutes a game.
Going all out against the Boston Celtics might have been their only chance.
However, even with James Harden leading four reserve players onto the court, they still struggled to compete with the Boston Celtics' bench unit.
Especially The Diesel, O'Neal, who was nearing the end of his career. He was determined to burn through the last of his fire in these final playoffs and shine brilliantly.
Over the next three minutes, The Diesel O'Neal dominated the paint, proving that he still had plenty left in the tank.
He made 3 of 4 shots and went 2-for-4 from the free-throw line, efficiently putting up 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Three of those rebounds were offensive boards, making him a crucial guarantee of the team's scoring.
Led by him, the Boston Celtics went on a 12-8 run, instantly stretching the margin to double digits.
"Timeout!" Coach Scott Brooks immediately called a timeout from the sideline.
The Diesel O'Neal's sudden eruption had caught the Oklahoma City Thunder completely off guard. They had no