The cheers at Madison Square Garden gradually faded.
The court lights slowly shifted from piercing white to a soft, warm yellow.
The players filed off the court, their sweat-soaked jerseys clinging tightly to their bodies.
The smoke of Game 2 of the Century Finals still hung over the entire arena.
112-109.
The final score froze on the electronic scoreboard, cold and real.
The Knicks won another game, taking a 2-0 series lead over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Both home games had been nail-biting wins for the Knicks.
Li Fei had carried them through a desperate comeback in Game 1, while they had won Game 2 through surgical tactical targeting.
They had not dominated either game, but they had claimed the two most crucial victories.
Competitive sports never cared about how dramatic the process was, only the final result.
Two narrow wins were enough to give this defending Dynasty absolute control of the series.
TNT's nationwide broadcast remained on the court as the commentators continued their postgame breakdown.
Kevin Harlan held his microphone, his tone full of regret and lament.
"The theme of this series can be summed up in just two words: what a pity."
"The Lakers played at a championship level in both games."
"Their tactics, hustle, and execution on both ends were beyond reproach."
"But in every game, they came up just short at the very end."
Marv Albert nodded in agreement, his eyes fixed on the hardwood.
"In Game 1, they lacked stamina and luck. In Game 2, they lacked consistency at the free-throw line."
"The Lakers were truly just one step away from turning it around and winning on the road."
As a veteran analyst and former legend, Bill Walton went straight to the heart of the issue.
"The flow of the entire game was completely