Phil Jackson had carefully assembled a starting lineup that balanced height, toughness, and outside firepower, with clear tactical purpose.
Allan Houston brought the ball steadily across half court, habitually watching his teammates' movements as he prepared to organize the half-court offense.
In past matchups against Eastern Conference teams, the Knicks had always been able to establish an early advantage on both ends with ease.
But at this moment, Houston clearly sensed an entirely different level of physicality.
The Lakers' defensive positioning was extraordinarily compact, their rotations astonishingly fast, without the slightest hint of slackness.
Ron Harper applied suffocating on-ball pressure, completely sealing off passing lanes and giving no room at all.
Glen Rice shifted laterally with speed, perfectly cutting off the Knicks' off-ball movement along the perimeter.
Unlike teams they had faced before, the Lakers were not suppressed from the opening tip by the Knicks' Dynasty aura.
On the contrary, they carried the iron-blooded resilience of the Western Conference Finals, making every defensive possession brutally physical.
The Knicks' first offensive set stretched the floor, yet failed to tear open the Lakers' airtight defense.
Li Fei caught the ball at the high post and immediately used his back to brace against Horry, who had stepped up to help.
O'Neal instantly dropped into the paint, ready at any moment to protect the rim with help defense and cut off Li Fei's driving lane.
The entire defensive system operated smoothly, perfectly carrying out Phil Jackson's pregame plans.
Li Fei instantly saw through the defensive setup and chose not to force a low-post attack.
He dribbled sideways and subtly adjusted his rhythm before suddenly picking up the ball at the free-throw line.
He rose for his signature mid-range pull-up, clean and decisive, releasing the ball from an extremely high point.
The basketball traced a