The second half continued at an almost brutal pace.
During halftime, Van Gundy made a decision no one had expected—Sabonis never returned to the court for the rest of the game.
The Lithuanian giant sat on the bench throughout the second half, wearing his warmups and clutching a towel, watching the situation on the court without expression. There was no dissatisfaction in his eyes, only the clear understanding of a veteran.
He understood that, on this night, speed mattered more than height.
The Knicks' starting lineup in the second half was Sprewell, Houston, Jackson, Marshall, and Li Fei. The average height of this lineup dropped to 2.01 meters, but its average speed rose to the very top tier of the league. All five could run, all five could switch on defense, and all five could finish in transition.
The Chicago Bulls' transition defense completely collapsed in the third quarter.
Ewing's knee grew increasingly stiff after that collision in the second quarter. He played only three minutes in the third before being forced to head to the bench. Kukoc moved as though he were running through a swamp, half a beat slow on every turn.
Even Jordan began losing his man on defense—not because of his effort, but because of his stamina. A 37-year-old veteran being dragged into a full-court sprint by a 23-year-old monster on the Eastern Conference Finals stage—no one could withstand that kind of exhaustion.
Only Malone kept going.
He played all twelve minutes of the third quarter without resting for even a second.
He battled Li Fei in the post, contested Li Fei's mid-range shots near the free-throw line, and gave everything he had chasing back in transition.
His breathing rumbled like an old engine, every gasp carrying the raspy scrape of metal against metal. But his