In the fourth quarter, the Lakers tried to mount a comeback.
Kobe hit two difficult three-pointers in a row, cutting the deficit to seven.
But the Spurs responded swiftly and ruthlessly—Avery Johnson calmly knocked down a mid-range jumper, Robinson converted a putback under the basket, and Duncan went two for two from the free-throw line.
The final buzzer sounded. The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Lakers 96–88, making the series score 2–3.
The stat sheet read: Duncan with 31 points, 14 rebounds, and 5 blocks; Robinson with 18 points and 12 rebounds; Elliott with 16 points.
For the Lakers, O'Neal had 28 points and 12 rebounds, while Kobe put up 24 points and 6 assists, but the two combined for 11 turnovers.
"The Spurs erupted with unprecedented energy when backed into a corner," Harlan said in his wrap-up. "They were supposed to be eliminated tonight, but they said no. That's why the playoffs are a best-of-seven series—because sometimes, it takes all seven games to kill a team with real dignity."
Black Faces and Declarations
After the game, the Lakers' locker room was filled with an almost frozen heaviness.
Phil Jackson leaned against the wall with his arms folded, his expression like he had just bitten into an incredibly sour lemon. Half an unfinished play diagram remained on his coaching board, alongside analysis notes scribbled by the assistant coaches—but none of it meant anything now.
O'Neal sat before his locker, his size-fourteen feet tapping the floor irritably. His face showed no emotion, but the fury in his eyes was nearly spilling over.
"We should've finished it," he said to the reporters gathering around him, his voice so low it seemed squeezed from his chest. "We were up by twelve, and then... then they went on a run against us." He shook