The Lakers had controlled the game from the opening tip.
O'Neal was unstoppable in the paint, throwing down dunk after dunk over Olajuwon. Every slam shook the rim, and every tremor silenced the Compaq Center crowd a little more.
Kobe displayed every weapon in his offensive arsenal against Pippen—post-up backdowns, face-up drives, pull-up jumpers, fadeaways, even an unbelievable baseline spin into a two-handed dunk.
In front of him, Pippen looked like a machine being dismantled, every component crying out in protest.
By halftime, the score was 58-42, with the Lakers leading by 16. In the third quarter, the Houston Rockets tried to mount a comeback. Barkley scored six straight points, Olajuwon hit two hook shots from the low post, and Pippen knocked down a three from outside.
But the Lakers responded even faster—O'Neal scored three straight times under the basket, Kobe hit two consecutive mid-range jumpers from the perimeter, and Fisher buried a three from the top of the arc. The gap did not shrink; it only grew wider.
When the final buzzer sounded, the score stood at 98-85. The Lakers took Game 3 on the road and led the series 2-1.
On the stat sheet, Shaquille O'Neal posted 32 points, 15 rebounds, and 4 blocks. His domination in the paint had completely shattered the Houston Rockets' defensive system.
Kobe Bryant contributed 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, shooting 55 percent despite Pippen's defense. Fisher had 12 points, while Horry scored 9.
For the Houston Rockets, Charles Barkley had 20 points and 12 rebounds, the best numbers on the team. But he scored only 6 points in the second half, because his legs could no longer carry him.
Hakeem Olajuwon had 16 points and 8 rebounds. His knee began swelling after the second quarter, and he was substituted out