The roar of cheers at Staples Center came in waves.
The Lakers ' recent comeback has reignited the excitement in the arena.
Rick Carlisle walked to the scorer's table and, taking advantage of the gap during Billups' baseline inbounds pass, blew a loud whistle towards the court. He then made a tactical gesture of pushing outwards with both hands in front of his chest and finally pointed at Kevin Garnett.
On the court, Garnett immediately understood and punched his chest to indicate that he understood.
Wade dribbled the ball up half-court. Facing Fisher had just blocked his shooting lane, and Marion, who was lurking, a hint of wariness flashed in Wade's eyes. Lakers assistant coach Cleamons adjusted quickly, using a combination of post-up delays and post-up positioning, a defensive formation specifically designed to stifle his drives and quick stops.
Wade stopped the ball at the top of the key and called for Garnett's screen again.
The same tactical setup. Garnett up, using his broad shoulders to block Fisher. As Wade used the screen to break through, Marion, just like in the previous play, aggressively took a big step, spreading his long arms and using his body to delay Wade's acceleration.
This time, however, Wade didn't force his way in. At the same instant Marion lunged at him, Wade flicked his wrist and bounced the ball off Marion's armpit.
The ball was accurately passed to Garnett was cutting down the court.
This is Rick Carlisle's solution: using Garnett's "short pick-and-roll" to break the Lakers ' double-team at the top of the court. When Marion moves up to delay Wade, he will inevitably leave Garnett, whom he is guarding, unguarded.
Garnett received the ball at the free-throw line and turned to face the basket. At that moment, Marion was still behind him, while only O'Neal was crouching in the paint.
A perfect local 4v3.
Garnett stood at the free-throw line, ball at his waist. In this position, he was one of the most lethal power forwards in the league. O'Neal was on the edge of the Crash area, caught in a difficult dilemma: if he rushed out to defend Garnett, Big Ben would have an open shot for a dunk. If he stayed in the paint, Garnett's mid-range jumper would be equally lethal.
O'Neal hesitated for half a second, then shifted his weight slightly forward, trying to use his massive frame to distract Garnett from his view.
But that half-step distance was enough for Garnett. He took off, unleashing his signature straight-arm jump shot, his wrist gently flicking the ball away.
"Whoosh."
A sure hit.
In the next possession, Boston repeated the same tactic. Marion again delayed Wade, Wade quickly passed the ball to Garnett in the same spot.
This time, O'Neal learned his lesson. To prevent Garnett from taking consecutive shots, he gritted his teeth, took a big step forward with his massive body, and tried to force Garnett out of his shooting comfort zone.
Just as O'Neal lunged out, Garnett didn't even look at the basket. He held the ball with both hands and shoved it behind O'Neal.
Ben Wallace silently cut along the baseline and received the ball from Garnett, who passed it under O'Neal's arm. Facing an empty basket, Big Ben jumped and slammed the ball into the hoop with both hands!
"Boom!"
The basket shook violently, Big Ben let out a long-suppressed roar.
Boston scored four straight points, completely dismantling the Lakers ' defensive formation. Garnett's pivotal role at the free-throw line left Lakers assistant coach Cleamons shaking his head in exasperation on the sidelines. This is the strategic value of having a power forward with top-tier court vision and a mid-range jump shot; any mechanical double-teaming or delaying tactics will be punished by him with passes or shots.
The score changed hands again.
But the Lakers didn't panic. Because at this moment, as long as they gave the ball to the man wearing the number 23 jersey, all their tactical disadvantages could be wiped out.
The ball returned to Michael Jordan in the low post on the right side.
Ron Artest, who was guarding him, was sweating profusely, his chest heaving. His defense was textbook perfect; no mispositioning, no fouls, and every physical contact was just before the referee blew the whistle. Big Ben's warning in the locker room acted like a tight band, suppressing his temper that could explode at any moment.
Jordan leaned against Artest with his back to him. He could feel the young man's muscles taut like a rock from his intense focus.
Jordan stopped using feints to test the waters. Against an opponent who had completely abandoned emotion and was left only with defensive instincts, the most effective way was to overwhelm them with sheer technical skill.
Jordan dribbled towards the baseline and then, using his left foot as a pivot, flipped himself extremely quickly toward the middle.
Artest's lateral movement was extremely fast, instantly closing in on Jordan's face-up trajectory. As Jordan turned, he pulled the ball back sharply, followed by a backspin towards the baseline.
Two consecutive turns without slowing down caused even a top-tier defensive monster like Artest to inevitably experience a slight shift in his center of gravity.
Using that fleeting half-body space, Jordan leaped into the air. His hang time remained steady, and he even paused for a fraction of a second in the air before Artest's desperate block attempt, before finally releasing the ball.
The basketball grazed the backboard and fell precisely into the net.
This goal was purely built on footwork, rhythm, and touch; there was no tactical element involved, it was simply the ultimate display of a superstar's individual ability.
After landing, Artest took a deep breath. He stared at Jordan's retreating back, the muscles at the corners of his eyes twitching slightly with extreme resentment.
Before halftime, the game had become extremely intense.
Boston tenaciously kept the score close, utilizing Garnett's playmaking and Wade's mid-range shots. The Lakers, on the other hand, maintained a slight lead thanks to Jordan's almost unstoppable isolation plays and O'Neal's immense presence in the paint.
When the buzzer sounded for halftime, the score was 48-46, with the Lakers leading by only two points.
Everyone's steps were unusually heavy as they walked towards the players' tunnel.
The intensity of this match was even more brutal than the first one.