In the second quarter, the Zen Master tried to give O'Neal a rest.
Instead of slowing down, the Celtics brought in a bench lineup of Billups, Bowen, Artest, Artest, Miller Rasheed, pushing their fast breaks to an even more terrifying climax.
In just three minutes, the Celtics went on a 12-4 run, widening the gap to 12 points!
The Zen Master, having reached his limit, had no choice but to bring O'Neal and Kidd back on the court after less than four minutes of rest.
The Celtics also gradually brought their starting lineups onto the court.
The real massacre began in the middle of the second quarter.
Kidd tried to stabilize the situation with a pass. He drove into the paint and made an extremely subtle behind-the-back pass. O'Neal caught the ball, pushed past Big Ben, and forcefully slammed the ball into the basket!
Just as the Staples fans were about to stand up and cheer, another breathtaking scene unfolded.
Big Ben picked up the ball and passed it directly to Garnett, Garnett a long pass forward.
Pierce received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right. Marion desperately closed in.
Pierce's screen wasn't even a screen. Facing Marion, he executed a clean crossover, using his size to push Marion's defensive center of gravity. Odom rushed in to help, resulting in a double-team!
But Pierce's rhythm was too good. He forced his way up through the gap, found an opening in the basket mid-air, and launched the ball with a folding backhand...
"Beep!"
The whistle blows, the ball goes in! 2+1!
Pierce stepped to the free-throw line and made the shot without any expression.
The next eight minutes became a personal scoring showcase for Chris Paul Pierce.
But he wasn't playing alone. It was the Celtics ' chemistry; when one player on the team was on fire, the Celtics displayed an incredibly formidable tactical execution... everyone was frantically setting him up.
No matter who grabs the rebound, no matter who pushes the ball up the court, everyone's eyes are always on number 34. As long as Pierce has even half a body length of open space, Gary Payton, Garnett, Rasheed, and others will not hesitate to pass the ball to him.
Pierce did not disappoint his teammates, repeatedly breaking through the Lakers ' defense in quick advances, leaving them no time to get into position.
A fast break three-pointer after receiving the ball in transition... swish!
A pull-up jumper off Garnett's handoff screen... swish!
Cut to the basket, receive a bounce pass from Gary Payton, and forcefully pull up for a layup over the recovering O'Neal... and it's in!
The 20,000 fans at Staples Center went from booing to gasping, and finally to deathly silence.
There is one minute left in the second quarter.
Kidd dribbled the ball up the court. Gary Payton stuck to him like glue. "Do you know why you can't beat me? Because all you do is pass, while I can score."
Gary Payton suddenly reached out and fiercely sliced through Kidd's ball! A steal!
Gary Payton made a fast break, with Kidd chasing behind. Just as Gary Payton was about to make a layup, he suddenly slammed the ball against the backboard.
Garnett followed up with a leap, caught the rebounding basketball in mid-air, and slammed it down with both hands!
In the Lakers ' final possession, Kidd tried to find O'Neal, but Big Ben and Garnett immediately began a relentless fronting and double-teaming of O'Neal from half-court.
24-second violation!
The buzzer sounded to signal the end of the first half.
The scoreboard reads: 65-53. The Celtics lead by 12 points.
The entire Staples Center was silent. Jack Nicholson, standing on the sidelines, took off his sunglasses and stared incredulously at the screen above the arena.
The broadcast cameras focused on Chris Paul Pierce's stats: 9-for-14 from the field, 4-for-6 from three-point range, and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line. 26 points in the first half!
" Ernie! Did you see that?!" In the TNT studio, Barkley's massive frame sprang up from his broadcast chair. He clutched his shiny bald head, made an exaggerated, ghost-seeing expression at the camera, and roared.
"Listen up, fans across United States! I just said before the game that Boston would get crushed in the paint by Shaq, but I'm going to take that back now in front of the whole United States! Chris Paul Pierce was absolutely on fire tonight! 26 points in the first half! He carried Odom, he blew past Marion, and even put the ball in the basket right in front of that 325-pound guy! What's even more outrageous is that a large portion of those points came from running all over the court! Good heavens, even I couldn't run like that back in my prime in Phoenix. How many gallons of Red Bull did this kid drink before the game?!"
Kenny Smith, standing nearby, excitedly slammed his hand on the data statistics sheet on the table, taking over the conversation like a machine gun.
" Charles, you've completely missed the point! The point isn't how fast Pierce can run, it's that this Boston team is insane! Before the game, we were questioning whether they had an unreasonable superstar? Open your eyes and see what they did tonight! Coach Rick Carlisle made them play like the Detroit ' Bad Boys ' on defense, and once they got a rebound, they immediately turned into a track and field team that never stops! This is different from the Celtics we remember, but they still played highly efficient basketball. They can come up with different strategies against different teams, it's terrifying."
Kenny took a deep breath and pointed at O'Neal, who was panting heavily as he walked toward the players' tunnel on the big screen.
"65 points in the first half, Charles! Rick Carlisle is a tactical maniac; he turned the game into a marathon! He didn't want to play half a game against the Lakers tonight; he wanted to run Shaq's legs off!"
The camera focused on O'Neal leaving the court. He was covered in sweat and his steps were heavy. Although he scored 21 points in the first half, he only made 3 of 9 free throws.
The atmosphere in the Lakers' locker room was somber.
The players sat in their chairs, only heavy breathing could be heard. Kidd had 9 assists in the first half, but also 4 turnovers. More importantly, he was exhausted both physically and mentally by Gary Payton's trash talk and tough physical play on the defensive end.
The Zen Master stood in the center of the changing room, clapped his hands, and reminded everyone to listen to him.
"They don't want to fight a half-court battle with us." The Zen Master's voice wasn't loud, but it carried absolute authority. "Because they know that once they fall into positional warfare, they can't win. So, in the second half, we need to proactively slow down the pace."
The Zen Master turned to the defenders, his eyes hardening. " Odom, Marion, your defense in the first half was too clean! You let that number 34 score 26 points in the first half? Listen, in the second half, if Boston gets a rebound, don't immediately retreat. Delay them! Use your bodies to bump them, foul if necessary! I want you to break up the game's tempo, drag it into a half-court set, and never give Boston any chance to accelerate!"
After arranging the defense, the Zen Master turned around, his gaze sweeping over everyone and landing directly on Shaquille O'Neal O'Neal at the back of the locker room.
"As for the offense..." The Zen Master tapped the circle on the whiteboard with his knuckles, "After crossing half-court, every offensive play must go through Shaq's hands. We must make full use of Shaq's drawing power on offense."
The Zen Master looked at O'Neal, who was still panting heavily, and asked without a doubt, " Shaq, is there a problem?"
O'Neal pushed the ice pack off his knee and stood up.
He recalled the scene from the first half of the game where Boston's chubby number 34 fearlessly charged at him on a fast break, battled, and scored.
"That number 34..." O'Neal took a deep breath, his voice a little hoarse, "... is definitely a tough nut to crack."
This somewhat abrupt statement stunned everyone for a moment. But then, O'Neal slammed his fist into the metal locker next to him, creating a deafening bang.
"But this is Los Angeles! This is our territory!" O'Neal's eyes were bloodshot, and the anger he had suppressed for half the game was finally released. He stared at the head coach and spoke fiercely.
" Phil, in the second half, have Kidd lob the ball in. I'm going to force all the Celtics ' interior players to foul out. I'm going to completely destroy them in the paint!"
And the Celtics' locker room is just a wall away.
Pierce's jersey was completely soaked. He sat quietly in the corner as Garnett handed him a bottle of Gatorade.
"26 points, man," Garnett grinned. "If you score another 20 in the second half, you'll be in front of the whole nation."
"This is only the first half." Pierce unscrewed the cap, took a big gulp, and remained calm. "This is Staples. They'll definitely increase the physicality in the second half, maybe even commit fouls specifically designed to target players."
"That's right." Lin Qi walked in from outside the locker room, his voice extremely calm.
He looked at Big Ben, who was panting heavily, and then at Gary Payton, who was wiping away sweat, before finally fixing his gaze on Pierce.
" The Lakers' locker room must be trying to slow things down right now. They'll use delays or even tactical fouls to break up the game and try to drag the pace into their best half-court offense." Lin Qi tapped the whiteboard heavily with his tactical pen.
"But what they don't know is that we've practiced this level of physical contact, and even the disadvantage in officiating, countless times in our training facility in Boston."
Upon hearing this, several low, cold laughs echoed in the locker room. Everyone recalled the "hellish intra-squad confrontations" of the past three weeks, where Artest, Bowen, and their group of defensive stalwarts on the bench had dragged and pulled them, even tearing their jerseys, yet the referees hadn't called the whistle.
" Chris Paul, they'll definitely double-team you relentlessly in the second half, and even foul you hard." Lin Qi looked at Pierce, his tone unwavering. "You know how to play when the officiating is against you. Don't complain about the calls. Just do it like you do in practice, and you can do it."
Lin Qi looked around, his gaze sweeping over each of the starting players.
" Big Ben, KG, even if O'Neal knocks you down in the low post, get up immediately and sprint up the court. Maintain our rhythm and drag those Los Angeles guys into a rhythm they're least comfortable with! Don't be stingy with your energy, and don't forget we have our second unit."
"Bring out the results of these three weeks of intensive training, and completely crush them, both tactically and mentally."
Gary Payton stood up, chewing gum, stretched his shoulders, and let out a cold laugh.
"Let's go, guys. Let's teach them a lesson."
Outside, the DJ's voice came through the walls.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the second half is about to begin...!"