After weathering the initial refereeing controversy, the game inevitably descended into a quagmire of half-court positional play.
Boston tried to speed up the pace, but Kidd keenly sensed this intention. When making runs, Kidd would intentionally or unintentionally step on the edge of Billups ' toes. This subtle step wouldn't be easily called a foul, but it could slow down the defender's start for several possessions. Instead of rushing to push for a transition, he kept the ball firmly in his hands, waiting until the last ten seconds of each offensive possession to initiate.
The Lakers need to drag the game into their preferred rhythm. After all, this is a "retirement home" team with an average age of nearly 35, including their starters and key rotation players. But when those names are Jordan, Barkley, Patrick Ewing, and Charles Oakley, experience, instinct, and those underhanded tactics that skirt the rules become the most lethal weapons on the court.
Charles Barkley got into position on the right low post. He was defended by Garnett, who is quick on his feet and has a good jumping ability.
Barkley was long past his jumping ability; he even had a roll of fat around his stomach. But with his back to Garnett, he stuck out his world-famous big butt, arched his back sharply, and carved out an absolute territory for himself at the edge of the paint.
Garnett tried to steal the ball with his long arms, but Barkley shielded it with his chest, pivoted on his left foot, and took a half-step forward with his right. In that instant of physical contact, Barkley subtly feinted a punch at Garnett's stomach. Garnett was startled and instinctively flinched, instantly disrupting his defensive rhythm.
Taking advantage of the slight opening, Barkley extended his left hand. He had trimmed his nails before the game, leaving rough, serrated edges. His hand slashed hard across Garnett's forearm, leaving two bloody red marks. Garnett cried out in pain, his defensive balance completely shifted, and Barkley slipped under Garnett's armpit, making a precise but unsightly layup off the backboard.
After making that basket, Barkley didn't even bother to retreat on defense. Standing under the basket, he deliberately flicked the fine beads of sweat from his bald head onto Garnett's shoulder and spat at him. "Can't handle this? Eat a few more slices of pizza, you skinny stick! I'm afraid I'll break you."
Boston immediately responded. Rasheed Wallace received the ball in the corner, and despite Marion's block, swished a three-pointer that swished through the net.
Towards the end of the first quarter, both teams began making substitutions. When the Staples Center DJ announced the Lakers ' substitutions, the entire arena erupted.
Charles Oakley and Patrick Ewing took off their practice uniforms and stepped onto the court, replacing Barkley and O'Neal. On the Boston side, Rick Carlisle looked at the opposing team's frontcourt duo, whose combined age was seventy-eight, and his brow furrowed even more deeply.
As soon as he stepped onto the court, Charles Oakley taught everyone a lesson.
Pierce used a screen to break through, and just as he got past Marion, he ran into a wall of flesh. Charles Oakley had blocked Pierce's path half a second in advance and then used his broad chest to absorb all of Pierce's impact.
With a muffled thud, Pierce was knocked back, the ball flying out of his hand and out of bounds.
In fact, at the instant the two bodies collided, Charles Oakley's right arm, hanging by his side, exerted force with lightning speed. In the referee's blind spot, he used the hardest part of his body, his elbow, to strike Pierce's ribcage hard, while simultaneously raising his knee to subtly strike the side of Pierce's thigh. This was a subtle trick he had honed over a decade in the paint, specifically designed to find his opponent's weaknesses and strike proactively, leaving no trace yet inflicting excruciating pain.
Charles Oakley remained motionless, staring expressionlessly at Pierce was in so much pain he couldn't straighten up.
In the next Lakers offensive possession, Jordan had the ball at the top of the key.
Artest continued to exert relentless pressure, but this time Jordan didn't choose to force the attack. He dribbled to the right side and gave Patrick Ewing a meaningful look.
Patrick Ewing, his knees stiff, rose to the high post. In the instant he screened, Patrick Ewing's left hand grabbed the edge of Artest's shorts. Artest was jolted by this unexpected force, slowing his start by half a beat. Jordan used Patrick Ewing's solid screen to get rid of Artest, and then delivered a bounce pass, accurately finding Patrick Ewing had bounced away after the screen.
Patrick Ewing received the ball at the free-throw line. His jump height was probably less than five centimeters, and his shooting motion was somewhat stiff due to his knee injury, but this bunny hop shot, which he had made countless times with the Knicks, still drew a standard arc in the air.
"Whoosh."
Hollow core into the net.
After scoring, Patrick Ewing showed no expression; he simply dragged his limping leg and silently ran back to his own half.
That's what makes this Lakers so terrifying. They're old, they can't run fast or jump high anymore, but they have a wealth of playoff and even NBA Finals experience.
Jordan roamed the half-court constantly, using the solid screens from his veteran teammates to punish the Boston defense's tiny weaknesses time and again with his mid-range jumpers.
But the group in Boston did not back down in the slightest.
Midway through the second quarter, Big Ben returned to the court. Facing Charles Oakley's tough positioning, in a rebound scramble, Big Ben used his superior jumping ability to get over Charles Oakley's shoulder and put the ball into the basket with one hand, also knocking the notorious bad boy out of bounds in the process.
After being provoked by Barkley's trash talk, Garnett immediately positioned himself in the low post on the next possession. He used a series of dazzling footwork to make Barkley spin around in place, and finally finished with a powerful one-handed dunk.
Chauncey Billups Billups calmly orchestrated the offense from the perimeter. He always managed to deliver the ball accurately to Pierce or Rasheed at the moment when the Lakers ' veterans' stamina waned and their defensive rotations slowed down, translating into tangible points.
The Lakers ' veterans used fouls, physical battles, and superb basketball IQ and off-court tactics to try and drag Boston into a quagmire. Meanwhile, Boston's players used youthful tenacity, relentless rebounding, and absolute tactical execution to battle these Hall of Fame legends in the mire.
The whistle blew to end the first half.
The score is 44 to 44. The numbers on the scoreboard are evenly matched.
When Jordan walked off the court, his jersey was so wet it could be wrung out, Patrick Ewing immediately had thick ice packs wrapped around his knees.
In Boston, Pierce had a small cut near his eye. Big Ben and Garnett had shocking scratches all over their shoulders and forearms.
These Lakers veterans knew all too well how to inflict persistent physical pain in the referee's blind spot using the most primal and ruthless methods. Boston's medical staff could only roughly wipe the bleeding cuts with alcohol swabs, making Ben Big Ben grimace in pain.
The real battle has only just begun.