The Lakers didn't regain their composure during halftime.
When the third quarter began, the roar of the New Garden was enough to lift the roof off. Boston fans were ready to welcome their 18th NBA championship trophy.
If the first half was a failure of the Lakers' tactical system, then the second half was a complete collapse of the mental defenses of this Los Angeles powerhouse.
At the start of the third quarter, the Lakers had possession. Fisher dribbled the ball across half-court, and Kobe called for the ball at the top of the arc. His eyes were almost frantic. Without waiting for any teammates to set a screen, he lowered his center of gravity and forced his way through Artest's defense.
Artest didn't back down, and the two collided in a high-speed contest. Artest used his thick chest to block Kobe's path to the basket. Kobe, losing his balance, forced a shot. "Bang!" The basketball slammed onto the backboard. O'Neal, standing in the paint, watched all this, his last glimmer of desire for the game completely extinguished.
Big Shark no longer battles for position in the paint, no longer engages in the physically demanding battles with Mutombo. When Kobe dribbles on the perimeter, the league's most dominant center stands near the free-throw line with his hands on his knees, becoming a mere spectator.
In the third quarter, with three minutes remaining, Kobe, facing a block from Artest, made a very difficult fadeaway shot, but the ball missed again.
O'Neal didn't rush for the long rebound that was just a step away from him. He watched Garnett grab the rebound, then turned around and trudged heavily and listlessly back to the backcourt.
The Lakers ' offensive and defensive systems completely collapsed at this moment. This was no longer a team aiming for the championship, but a disorganized mess.
The Celtics ' starting lineup enjoyed their most exciting quarter yet.
With his defense completely unleashed, Gary Payton displayed an extremely diverse offensive arsenal. Facing the relatively slow-footed Fisher, Gary Payton even began to post up, using his signature back-to-the-basket moves to hit consecutive turnaround jumpers.
Chris Paul Pierce was on fire. He displayed a kaleidoscope of skills on offense, hitting three consecutive pull-up three-pointers after a jab step against Peja's defense. When Kobe angrily switched onto him, Pierce used Garnett's screen to drive straight into the paint and finished with an extremely brutal one-handed dunk over the recovering O'Neal Jr..
Kevin Garnett became an omnipresent monster on the court. On the defensive end, he cut off all of the Lakers' passing lanes. On the offensive end, he facilitated from the high post, finished at the basket, and even hit three-pointers from the outside. Under Garnett's complete dominance, O'Neal Jr. looked like a bewildered child.
With 8 minutes remaining in the third quarter, Pierce stole Kobe's pass again and completed a fast break dunk, bringing the score to 88-56. The point difference broke the 30-point mark! Reaching a breathtaking 32 points!
Phil Jackson sat on the bench, his face ashen. He didn't call a timeout. As a championship-winning coach, he knew better than anyone that when two key players were hurting each other in this way, any adjustments on the whiteboard were futile. This team was ending what was once a promising season in a suicidal manner.
But Kobe still didn't stop shooting.
Even when the point difference had become too large to be overcome, and even when his teammates had given up running, Kobe was still calling for the ball in the backcourt and still forcing shots in the frontcourt. He was like a drowning man, trying to grasp at the lifeline called "personal scoring" to fight back against the doubts from the outside world and the humiliation from Lin Qi.
However, under Artest's relentless pressure and Boston's ruthless one-on-one defense, every forced shot he took resulted in a dull thud.
End of third quarter. 96-60.
Trailing by 36 points after three quarters is an unprecedented disgrace in NBA NBA Finals history.
By the fourth quarter, the game had completely become garbage time.
Phil Jackson substituted all the starters, O'Neal walked silently to the bench, took a large towel handed to him by a staff member, covered his head, and refused to look at the court again.
But Kobe refused to leave the court. He pushed away Brian Shaw, who was trying to replace him, and stubbornly stayed on. Phil Jackson watched Kobe's stubborn back, sighed, and did not force him to leave the game.
For the Celtics, Lin Qi and Doc Rivers replaced the entire starting lineup, fielding a rotation of Billups, Rashard Lewis, Bruce Bowen, Rasheed Wallace, and Wang Zhizhi.
This was originally a chance for the Lakers' bench to regain some face. But Kobe, who stayed on the court, did not change his playing style against Boston's second unit.
The Celtics executed their defensive strategy with extreme determination. Bruce Bowen, one of the league's top wing defenders, took over the baton from Artest. He stuck to Kobe like glue, giving him no easy space to shoot.
In the second minute of the fourth quarter, Kobe, facing Bowen's tight defense, forced his way through and pulled up for a jump shot, but the ball bounced off the rim.
Wang Zhizhi accurately judged the landing point, outmaneuvered Lakers' backup center Travis Knight to secure the rebound, and then quickly passed the ball to Billups.
Boston's bench also displayed fluid teamwork.
Billups advanced to the frontcourt, where Rasheed Wallace provided a high screen. Billups broke through and passed the ball to Lewis in the left corner. Lewis received the ball and, without hesitation, immediately passed it to Wang Zhizhi, who was following up at the top of the arc.
Wang Zhizhi received the ball, faced the defender who was helping him, and calmly made a shooting fake before driving into the paint and scoring with a delicate layup.
This is the Boston basketball philosophy. Even when facing an opposing superstar who is desperate to score, even when the game has entered garbage time, the five players on the court still selflessly share possession of the ball.
In the sixth minute of the fourth quarter, Kobe attempted a three-pointer over Bowen, but missed again.
Billups grabbed the long rebound and immediately made a long pass to the frontcourt. Rasheed Wallace received the ball on a fast break, and facing an empty basket, completed a powerful two-handed back dunk.
108-68. The point difference has reached a full 40 points.
The entire fourth quarter became a showcase for the Boston bench players. Brad Miller's high-post passing, Lewis's accurate three-pointers, and even Ron Harper's seasoned drives relentlessly tore apart the Lakers ' fragile defense.
Kobe, however, stubbornly kept shooting. He stopped looking at the scoreboard and stopped caring about the outcome of the game. He just mechanically received the ball, dribbled, and forced shots against Bowen's defense.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
The sound of the rim rejecting the ball became the death knell that slowly shattered Staples's pride.
With two minutes left in the game, Lin Qi stood on the sidelines, watching Kobe continue his frantic shooting spree, his eyes calm.
The moment the red light finally came on and the timer reset to zero, signaling the end of the game.
"Boom--!!!"
A deafening roar erupted from the New Garden. A torrential downpour of green and white ribbons poured from the dome.
The score on the big screen finally settled on a number that sent chills down the spines of the entire basketball world.
114-70.
A terrifying 44-point margin!
The Celtics, in what is considered the most brutal and lopsided single-game score in NBA NBA Finals history, defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-2 in the series to lift their 18th O'Brien Trophy!
The cameras, broadcast live across the United States, precisely switched to the on-court statistics.
The Boston Celtics had an extremely balanced scoring distribution and delivered an astonishing 32 assists.
Chris Paul Pierce: Played 31 minutes, efficiently scoring 31 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
Kevin Garnett: Played 32 minutes, recording a near triple-double with 20 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Gary Payton: 15 points, 12 assists.
On the bench, Rasheed Wallace scored 12 points, Billups 10 points, and Lewis 9 points.
Artest, who focused on defense, only scored 6 points, but he perfectly executed the tactical task of guarding Kobe one-on-one and was the unsung hero behind this epic massacre.
On the other side of the screen is Kobe Brian's extremely poor stats.
Throughout the game, Kobe refused to leave the court, playing a full 45 minutes. He took a staggering 32 shots, making only 8 – a whopping 24 misses! He made only 1 of 9 three-point attempts. His assists were zero. His total score was capped at 21 points. Every forced shot he took objectively disrupted the team's tactical flow, turning the Celtics into springboards for their fast breaks as they extended their lead.
Amidst a flurry of confetti, the Celtics players embraced wildly in the center of the court. Pierce tossed the basketball high into the air, Garnett knelt on the floor and roared to the sky, while Gary Payton and Artest celebrated with a chest bump. Players from the bench rushed onto the court, and the entire New Garden was engulfed in a sea of green joy.
On the sidelines, Lin Qi stood amidst the roaring crowd, adjusting his suit cuffs. He didn't join the players' wild celebrations, but instead turned to look at the other end of the court. Amidst the falling confetti, Kobe Brian, head bowed, walked silently towards the players' tunnel alone. His back looked incredibly lonely, even a little desolate. Ahead of him lay the empty bench left by Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal, who had left before the game ended.
Lin Qi withdrew his gaze, a relieved smile finally appearing on his lips.
He won. Not only did he win the championship, but he also proved his team-building philosophy...
On this stage, the team's will always prevail over individual vanity.
"It's over." Doc Rivers walked up to Lin Qi and shouted, his voice trembling with excitement.
"No, Doc." Lin Qi looked at the championship podium slowly descending from the arena's dome, his eyes deep.
"The era of Boston has only just begun."