The Purple and Gold faithful saw that the Black Mamba refused to surrender.
The rotations continued through the second half of the second quarter.
Stephen Jackson stayed on the floor, tasked with tracking the Lakers' shooters as they moved around the perimeter.
He played them physically, his hands darting in to disrupt the Lakers' passing.
Kukoc caught the ball on the wing for the Lakers and, after a jab step, took a long two.
Jackson's contest threw him off, and the shot clanged off the rim.
The clock kept ticking. Two minutes remained in the second quarter.
Both teams' offenses were still struggling, just as they had in the first.
There was no scoring run, no surge that opened a gap.
Every point had to be pried from the other team's hands.
The referee's whistle ended the second quarter.
The halftime score stood at 27–24, with the Knicks still holding a narrow lead.
The teams had combined for just 24 points in the entire second quarter.
Missed shots rang out all quarter, and every shot selection was cautious.
The players headed down the tunnel, a thin sheen of sweat on every face.
O'Neal trudged along, breathing hard. Two straight quarters of wrestling in the post had taken a heavy toll.
Kobe wiped his forehead with his sleeve. His eyes remained sharp, without a trace of discouragement.
On the Knicks' side, Li Fei walked near the back of the group.
As he walked, he spoke quietly with Jordan about how to handle the Lakers' pick-and-roll.
"They'll keep feeding Shaq. We need to bring the help a little sooner," Li Fei said calmly.
Jordan gave a slight nod.
"Kobe's moving more without the ball. We can't bite on his fakes."
In their locker rooms, both coaches made the most of halftime.
Phil