The 15-minute halftime break was not enough to restore the Lakers ' energy.
At the start of the second half, the Lakers ' fatigue was evident throughout the game. The most direct manifestation of this was the widespread inaccuracy in the Lakers ' shooting.
In the fourth minute of the third quarter, Kidd drove and passed the ball to Sean Marion in the corner. Marion was open, but his jump height was noticeably lower, and his three-pointer hit the front of the rim. In the next possession, Odom's turnaround jumper from the free-throw line was also a little short.
Chris Paul Pierce grabbed the long rebound.
Compared to the Lakers players who were panting heavily, Pierce still maintained his stamina. He dribbled up the court himself, and facing the slow-retreating Marion, Pierce used two consecutive crossovers to accelerate into the paint and easily score a layup.
Midway through the third quarter, Rick Carlisle made a regular rotation, with Rasheed Wallace coming off the bench.
Facing a tiring Lamar Odom, Rasheed displayed his aggressiveness in the paint. In the eighth minute of the third quarter, Billups drove to the basket, drawing a double team and lobbing the ball towards the rim. Rasheed shook off Odom's sluggish defense, caught the ball in mid-air with both hands, and completed a powerful alley-oop dunk.
After landing, Rasheed patted his chest and quickly retreated to defend.
68 to 46.
The point difference has reached 22 points.
Phil Jackson called a timeout.
The Lakers players walked back to the bench in complete silence. O'Neal slumped heavily back into his folding chair, sweat dripping from his chin onto the floor. Kidd braced himself on his knees, staring at the ground without uttering a word.
Jackson stood in front of them with his clipboard, observing the players' exhausted body language, but ultimately didn't draw any plays.
There are 5 minutes and 20 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
89 to 61.
A 28-point difference effectively ended any suspense in the game.
Phil Jackson waved to the players at the end of the bench. O'Neal and Kidd were substituted off the court.
This is the most common way to surrender in competitive sports: withdrawing the main players and declaring defeat.
O'Neal draped a white towel over his face and sat quietly at the end of the bench.
In Boston, Rick Carlisle simultaneously substituted Pierce, Garnett, and Ben Wallace. As these three key players walked to the bench, the 20,000 fans in the New Garden rose to their feet, and the chant of "Beat LA" resounded throughout the dome.
In the latter half of the fourth quarter, the game turned into a long ritual.
The occasional dull thud of a basketball hitting the floor, accompanied by cheers that erupted from the stands, made time seem to slow down dramatically.
On the Lakers ' bench, everyone had their heads down, their faces covered with towels, entering a silent atmosphere of premature season-ending tension.
On the other side of the court, the Boston bench was already in an uproar. Ron Artest waved his towel excitedly, while Michael Redd and Brad Miller chatted and laughed on the sidelines.
This is a team united as one. Lin Qi's meticulous planning over the years has led to his current dominance.
There are three minutes left in the fourth quarter.
In the shadows of the players' tunnel, league vice president Stu Jackson directed security personnel to place the explosive case containing the O'Brien Trophy onto a trolley. Two security personnel stood on the sidelines, holding yellow caution tape.
There are 30 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
On the court, both teams' substitutes had stopped attacking and were simply passing the ball back and forth on the perimeter. Meanwhile, on Boston's bench, the equipment manager was distributing gray T-shirts and baseball caps with "NBA Champions" printed on them to each player.
Garnett pulled his hat over his head, covered his face with his hands, and his shoulders trembled. Big Ben Wallace raised his arms and let out a deep roar towards the stands.
5!
4!
3!
The entire audience of 20,000 people counted down in unison.
"2!"
"1!"
The final whistle blew, signaling the end of the game. The final score was 98-72.
The red lights around the backboard lit up. The giant net in the dome of the New Garden was untied, and green and white confetti poured down, flooding the court.
The yellow security ropes along the sidelines were pulled up. Media reporters, cameramen, and players' families rushed through the tunnels and surged towards the center of the field.
As the confetti rained down, turning the entire arena green, Garnett knelt down amidst the pile of confetti, covering his face with his hands, hot tears mingling with sweat as they streamed down his face.
For this player who grew up in Chicago and once faced the Chicago Bulls dynasty as an opponent, this is a significant achievement.
He knew better than anyone what a "three-peat" meant.
He had experienced the Chicago Bulls dynasty's dominance both as a fan watching on television and as an opponent.
For a long time, that mountain was insurmountable, and all those who tried to climb it eventually became mere background figures.
And now, he has also completed this journey.
Pierce walked over, bent down, and pulled him up from the floor.
Head coach Rick Carlisle struggled through the crowd to the scorer's table and gave a brief handshake to a dejected-looking Phil Jackson.
"Congratulations." Jackson's voice sounded hoarse amidst the noise.
"Thank you." Rick Carlisle nodded.
As David Stern walked toward the makeshift podium, the Boston players began to gather at the tunnel entrance.
Where is Lin Qi?
Pierce, clutching the game ball in one hand, turned and shouted amidst the chaos, "Where's Lin Qi? He needs to come lift the trophy with us!"
Garnett wiped the sweat from his face and searched among the management team on the sidelines, but he didn't see that familiar figure.
"Go find the boss," Big Ben said to the PR manager.
The PR manager listened into his headset for a few seconds, then looked up at the group of players in front of him.
"No need to look anymore." The PR manager pointed towards the second floor of the stadium. "He instructed us not to disturb him."
Rick Carlisle paused for a moment, then looked up at the VIP box on the second floor.
The private room that used to have a clear view has been replaced with one-way glass at some point.
Rick Carlisle looked away and gave a self-deprecating laugh.
For that man, his job was done the moment the opening whistle blew. He didn't need to touch the trophy to prove anything; instead, he gave the spotlight unreservedly to the players who were sweating on the field.
"Alright, guys," Rick Carlisle said, pointing to the podium in the center of the field, "Go and lift that trophy up."
Amidst the roar of the wind, the players turned and walked toward the spotlight.