Unfortunately, The Shark's touch at the foul line was ice-cold that night, and plenty of his free throws clanged off the rim.
At halftime, the Spurs held a slim three-point lead, 61–58.
The players from both teams headed back to their locker rooms, drenched in sweat.
Every one of them bore scrapes from the physical battle.
When the teams switched ends for the second half, the battle reached fever pitch.
O'Neal unleashed his full strength.
He caught the ball inside, powered through a double-team from two Spurs players, and hammered home a dunk over them.
After landing, O'Neal roared toward the stands, releasing the fury in his chest.
But Duncan was not remotely intimidated.
On the next possession, Duncan rose high against O'Neal's help defense and answered with a thunderous putback dunk.
The two interior superstars traded blows, neither giving an inch.
The heavy thuds of colliding bodies came one after another.
The foul count climbed rapidly, leaving the big men on both sides in foul trouble.
Late in the third quarter, Kobe suddenly erupted.
He drove into the paint on three straight possessions, drawing fouls and getting to the line.
Then he rose over a defender on the perimeter and swished a pull-up three-pointer.
He scored eleven straight points himself, putting the Lakers back in front.
But the Spurs' resilience was astonishing.
Robinson patrolled the paint, delivering vicious blocks in succession.
Duncan facilitated and distributed the ball, bringing the team's perimeter shooters to life.
The Spurs tied the score again.
After three quarters, the Lakers led 87–86, a margin of just one point.
As the decisive fourth quarter began, every spectator in the arena rose to their feet.
Nobody dared sit down. Every possession had everyone's heart in a vise.
The Spurs struck first, with Duncan scoring six straight