The third section begins.
The massive 19-point deficit created a somewhat oppressive atmosphere at Staples Center. But when Kobe Brian stepped onto the court, there was no frustration in his eyes, only an almost obsessive offensive drive.
He wants to fill this huge hole in his own way.
On the Lakers ' first possession, Kobe received the ball at the top of the key. Facing Eddie Jones ' defense, he used two consecutive crossovers and accelerated, stopping abruptly and shooting a fadeaway jumper over Garnett, who was collapsing from the wing, without completely shaking off his defender.
"Whoosh!"
A two-pointer that was extremely difficult and went straight into the net.
Kobe landed and pounded his chest. This basket ignited the hopes of Staples fans, but it also sowed the seeds of a fatal flaw for the Lakers' subsequent offense.
The difficult shot further solidified Kobe's determination to go it alone.
In the following five minutes, Kobe practically monopolized all of the Lakers ' ball possession. He pulled up for jumpers over Jones ' tight defense and drove past Gary Payton's interference. With his excellent shooting touch, he went 3-for-5 at the start of the third quarter, scoring 8 points in a row and narrowing the gap to 13 points at one point.
However, on the basketball court, extreme individualism often means the stagnation of the system.
As Kobe dribbled between his legs repeatedly beyond the three-point line, Shaquille O'Neal was engaged in a high-intensity physical battle with Dikembe Mutombo in the paint. Several times, O'Neal had already secured possession deep inside, raising his hand and loudly signaling for a pass, but Kobe's eyes remained fixed solely on the defender in front of him.
In the 7th minute of the third quarter, the most typical play occurred.
Kobe has the ball on the right wing.
Deep in the paint, O'Neal, in an extremely intense physical battle, managed to secure a very deep position, firmly trapping Mutombo behind him. Although the defender was one of the league's top defensive centers, at that depth, as long as the ball could be successfully lobbed into Big Shark's hands, even Mutombo couldn't stop him from destroying the rim.
"Pass the ball!"
Phil Jackson unusually raised his voice on the sidelines.
Kobe glanced at the paint. He did see Big Shark successfully establish position, but on the wing of the passing lane, he also caught Garnett's subtle movement... The tall power forward had already lowered his center of gravity and moved half a step in advance towards the passing lane.
As the defensive anchor, Garnett was waiting on the route Kobe would lob the ball into the paint.
Faced with the choice between passing the ball at the risk of being intercepted and forcing a finish, Kobe chose the latter without hesitation.
He withdrew his gaze, and facing Gary Payton's extremely aggressive defense, he stubbornly executed a difficult step-back and pulled up for a three-pointer.
"Bang!"
The basketball bounced off the rim. Having failed to prepare for the rebound, O'Neal could only stand there, watching Garnett easily grab the rebound before silently turning and retreating on defense.
As Kobe's physical condition gradually declined, the accuracy of his difficult shots began to plummet. Meanwhile, the Celtics, relying on Pierce's consistent isolation plays and Garnett's playmaking, calmly maintained the point difference.
At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics still held a 16-point lead, 71-55.
Throughout the third quarter, Kobe took a whopping nine shots, but aside from a few spectacular baskets at the start, he missed many shots in the latter part of the quarter. Meanwhile, O'Neal, the core of the team's interior defense, only managed two shot attempts in the quarter.
The Celtics' bench before the start of the fourth quarter.
Lin Qi glanced at the stats, then turned his gaze to Ron Artest, who was sitting at the very end of the bench.
" Ron, come on." Lin Qi's instruction was concise and clear.
Artest ripped off his warm-up suit, cracked his neck, and his eyes revealed a pure, destructive desire for defense.
The fourth quarter begins.
When Kobe received the ball beyond the three-point line, he immediately sensed a difference. He was no longer being guarded by the agile Jones or the seasoned Gary Payton, but by a muscular wall whose weight and strength surpassed his own.
Artest rarely pressed the ball today, only engaging in extreme physical confrontations. He lowered his center of gravity, using his broad shoulders and chest to block Kobe's path to the basket.
Kobe attempted to use his speed to overpower Artest, but his first step was met with Artest's extremely tough resistance. His driving rhythm was disrupted, and Kobe was forced to stop and turn his back to the basket. Artest did not back down, continuing to exert intense pressure with his knees and core.
With only 4 seconds left on the shot clock, Kobe, without losing any defensive pressure, forced a turnaround jump shot.
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the backboard and went wide.
"Keep shooting, man." Artest trash-talked without expression as he retreated on defense. "You're unbelievably soft. You know perfectly well that your pathetic strength can't even budge an inch from me."
Kobe didn't respond, but in the next few possessions, facing Artest's relentless physical battles, his offensive efficiency plummeted.
His drive was blocked, and his sudden stop was disrupted. In the first five minutes of the fourth quarter, Kobe faced Artest and missed all four of his shots.
Meanwhile, on the other end of the court, the Lakers ' interior defense finally erupted.
In the 6th minute of the fourth quarter, the Lakers are on offense.
Kobe had the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left side, and he seemed to be struggling against Artest's aggressive defense.
At the same time, O'Neal, in the paint, used an extremely fierce spin move to completely block Mutombo from behind. This was an absolutely open opening where a pass would immediately result in a powerful dunk.
"Give me the ball!" O'Neal spread his arms wide in the paint, his voice clearly audible throughout the arena.
Kobe saw the opening in the paint. But he also saw Artest in front of him. The rookie had just shut him down four times in a row. For Kobe, not scoring a basket to redeem himself would be more painful than losing.
Kobe didn't pass the ball. He ignored O'Neal, who was unguarded under the basket, and forced a pull-up jumper over Artest's fingertip defense.
"Bang!"
The basketball didn't even touch the front edge of the rim; it was an airball.
For a moment, the air in the Staples Center seemed to freeze.
The broadcast cameras precisely captured O'Neal's movement. The super center, weighing over 300 pounds, lowered his hands, which had been raised in mid-air.
He stood still.
Watching Pierce grab the rebound, watching Gary Payton quickly advance the ball.
As four Celtics players surged toward the Lakers' half of the court, Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal, the team's highest-paid and most dominant core player, remained standing in the Celtics ' paint, arms down, refusing to retreat on defense.
The frontcourt became a foregone conclusion with a 5-on-4 advantage. Pierce received the ball and easily made a layup.
"Shh!!!"
A chorus of boos erupted from Staples Center. It was unclear whether the boos were directed at Kobe's poor shot selection or at O'Neal's passive attitude.
The referee blew the whistle, Phil Jackson called a timeout.
The Lakers players walked toward the bench. Kobe was panting heavily, his forehead covered in sweat. O'Neal walked slowly back to the bench, sat down directly, and covered his head with a towel. The two walked one after the other, without exchanging a single glance.
Jackson, holding the clipboard, watched the two stars playing their own game, without drawing any tactical runs, simply sighed and tossed the clipboard aside.
When the core members of a team refuse to fight for each other, any tactic is just a piece of paper.
The game then became garbage time. Kobe went 0-for-8 in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers ' offense completely collapsed.
The final buzzer sounded.
95-81.
The Boston Celtics dominated Game 5 on the road, winning by 14 points and taking a 3-2 lead in the series.
The entire data statistics were frozen on the big screen, appearing extremely glaring.
Kobe Brian: Played 42 minutes, shot 8-for-24, scored 22 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist.
Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal: Played 36 minutes, shot 7-for-9, scored 16 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and dished out 0 assists. He only attempted 3 shots in the entire second half.
Pierce scored a game-high 32 points, while Garnett contributed 20 points and 14 rebounds. Although Artest only scored 2 points, his defensive performance that kept Kobe scoreless in the fourth quarter made him the unsung hero who decided the outcome of the game.
Post-match press conference.
The atmosphere in the Lakers' locker room plummeted to rock bottom.
Kobe sat in front of the microphone, his expression stern.
" Kobe, you took 24 shots today, but only had one assist. In that fourth quarter play, Shaq was wide open, why did you choose to force the shot?" The ESPN reporter's question was extremely pointed.
Kobe's eyes didn't flinch.
"Their defense was very physical," Kobe said curtly. "I was just trying to find my shooting rhythm. When I felt I was ready to shoot, I shot. It's that simple."
The reporter pressed further, "So what's your take on Shaq's subsequent refusal to retreat on defense?"
"You should ask him." Kobe stood up abruptly, ending the interview.
At the other end of the locker room, O'Neal didn't even head to the press conference room. Facing the reporters who flooded into the locker room, he turned his back to everyone and tidied his locker.
" Shaq, you only had three shot attempts in the second half today. What do you think went wrong with the team's tactical execution?"
O'Neal stopped what he was doing, turned his head, and his eyes revealed undisguised disgust.
"The tactics are fine," O'Neal said coldly. "The problem lies with that arrogant guy who thinks he can put the ball in the basket even with three defenders on him."
He slung his backpack over his shoulder and walked straight out of the locker room, leaving the media with only an angry silhouette.
The nights in Los Angeles remain vibrant, but the Lakers ' locker room is now a ruin.
On the away team bus.
Lin Qi flipped through the newspaper he had just bought: "The Breakup of the OK Duo ".
"Lin," Doc Rivers said, turning his head from the front row, "We've got the match point. Next game back in Boston, and in their current form, they can't possibly beat us. Shall we get some champagne ready?"
"Don't underestimate talent under duress." Lin Qi turned off his phone screen, looked out at the Los Angeles night view, and remained absolutely calm. "However, when a team loses even the most basic trust, their talent becomes their own poison."
Lin Qi leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes.
"Back in Boston, no champagne at halftime."