Chapter Summaries

The Lakers took the lead in the third quarter, but Paul Pierce delivered two crucial baskets late to carry Boston to an 89-86 home win. The Celtics cut the series deficit to 1-2.

• Phil Jackson adjusted the Lakers' defense, while Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal powered their offense to put Los Angeles ahead.
• With Boston trailing 82-84 late in the fourth quarter, Rick Carlisle called a play for Pierce, who scored over Jason Kidd to tie the game at 84-84.
• Jordan missed a contested turnaround jumper, and Kevin Garnett secured the rebound with forty-five seconds left.
• Pierce beat Jordan with a step-back three-pointer to give Boston an 87-84 lead.
• Richardson missed a contested corner three, and Ben Wallace grabbed the defensive rebound as Boston won 89-86 and cut the series score to 1-2.

Ron Artest and Michael Jordan’s tense confrontation escalated when Charles Oakley struck Artest in midair and was ejected. Paul Pierce stopped Artest from retaliating, and Artest left for the locker room while Boston prepared to face the consequences of the foul.

• Ron Artest fouled Michael Jordan repeatedly, and the two shoved and exchanged insults after Artest pulled Jordan down on a fast break, earning technical fouls.
• Phil Jackson sent Charles Oakley into the game, and Oakley later struck Artest across the neck and collarbone as Artest went up for a dunk.
• Ben Wallace and players from both teams rushed into a brawl, while Paul Pierce held Artest down and warned that fighting would get him suspended for Game 5.
• The referees reviewed the play, assessed Oakley a flagrant 2, and ejected him as Jordan patted him on the shoulder.
• Paul Pierce and Ben Wallace helped Artest off the court, and he headed to the locker room for further examination.

The Lakers overcame an eight-point deficit to beat the Celtics 93-89 after Ron Artest’s injury left Paul Pierce exhausted from guarding Michael Jordan and carrying Boston’s offense. The Lakers took a 3-1 series lead, leaving Boston on the brink of elimination.

• Pierce took over after Artest left, scoring through contact and setting up Dwyane Wade’s dunk as Boston led by eight after three quarters.
• Phil Jackson sent out a spacing-heavy lineup, and Jordan exploited Pierce’s fatigue to cut into Boston’s lead.
• The Lakers rallied behind Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as Pierce’s shots fell short and O’Neal drew Ben Wallace’s fifth foul.
• With the score tied 89-89, Wade missed a late layup, and Jordan hit a fadeaway to give the Lakers the lead.
• Pierce missed a contested three, Kidd made two free throws, and the Lakers won 93-89 to take a 3-1 series lead.
• Jordan patted Pierce on the back after the game and told him, “You almost won.”

After Ron Artest was ruled out of Game 5, Lin Qi struggled with the Celtics’ lack of a suitable replacement while barred from helping the team. Beth Finneran then shared that their Puma acquisition was close to succeeding, and family life helped ease Lin Qi’s agitation.

• The Celtics’ doctor announced that Ron Artest had a concussion and extensive bruising, ruling him out of the do-or-die Game 5.
• Lin Qi considered Gerald Wallace, Tayshaun Prince, Raja Bell, and Dwyane Wade as possible defenders for Michael Jordan, but found none could replace Artest.
• Beth Finneran told Lin Qi that Lin Qi Capital had acquired 41.5 percent of Puma and that the acquisition team estimated an offer had over an eighty-five percent chance of success.
• Lin Qi explained that he wanted Puma to sponsor European basketball through the EBA while Converse established a foothold in the NBA.
• Beth told Lin Qi about Dabao and Xiaobao’s destructive antics, and Lin Qi promised to spend two weeks with the family after the Finals; watching Beth head to the nursery, he felt his agitation settle.

The Celtics and Lakers fought through a tense, physical Game 5, with Kevin Garnett’s defense and taunts igniting Boston before Michael Jordan answered with a spectacular two-handed block on Paul Pierce. Boston went into halftime trailing the Lakers 42–45.

• Rick Carlisle started rookie Tayshaun Prince, and Kevin Garnett took over guarding Michael Jordan, forcing the Lakers into a shot-clock violation.
• Garnett scored and taunted Charles Barkley, then Barkley retaliated by knocking Prince into the courtside scorer’s table, sparking a confrontation and earning technical fouls for himself and Garnett.
• Prince refused to leave the game after the collision and walked to the free-throw line with help from the team doctor.
• Dwyane Wade attacked Derek Fisher during the second-quarter rotations, while Shaquille O’Neal scored three straight baskets against Tyson Chandler to keep the Lakers ahead.
• Paul Pierce stole the ball from Jordan and ran for a fast break, but Jordan chased him down and pinned Pierce’s layup against the backboard with both hands before passing to Jason Kidd.
• The first half ended with Boston trailing 42–45, as Ben Wallace patted Pierce on the back and Jordan spoke with O’Neal near the tunnel.

Boston rallied in the third quarter as Rasheed Wallace joined Kevin Garnett to strengthen the defense and help the Celtics take the lead. Rasheed drew a technical foul after protesting a call, but his missed free throw and defiant shout energized the crowd, and Boston entered the fourth quarter ahead by five.

• Prince deflected Kidd's alley-oop attempt, and Garnett fed Wade for a fast-break dunk that lifted Boston's morale.
• O'Neal scored through Garnett's double-team and drew Big Ben's fourth foul, forcing Rick Carlisle to replace him with Rasheed Wallace.
• Rasheed scored a fadeaway jumper and then hit a three-pointer off Wade's pass to give Boston a 49-47 lead.
• Barkley drew a foul on Rasheed, who protested and received a technical; after Barkley missed the technical free throw, Rasheed shouted, "Ball don't lie!"
• Rasheed and Garnett helped shut down the Lakers' inside-out offense, and Boston ended the third quarter leading 71-66.

The Boston Celtics built a late lead through Dwyane Wade and Kevin Garnett’s pick-and-roll, but the Lakers fought back to tie the game. With Boston trailing in the final minute, Paul Pierce’s three-pointer and Garnett’s last-second steal secured a home win and forced another NBA Finals game.

• Wade and Garnett connected on an alley-oop, then Wade passed out of a three-player trap for Pierce to hit a three-pointer and give Boston a five-point lead.
• Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal led the Lakers’ response, tying the score at 76-76 midway through the fourth quarter.
• With Boston trailing 85-84 and 1:12 left, Wade passed to Pierce, who faked out Shawn Marion and made a three-pointer to put Boston ahead.
• Jordan drove toward the basket with 42 seconds remaining, but Garnett anticipated his move, stole the ball, and pinned it down as the final whistle sounded.

Lin Qi planned Puma’s EBA partnership and a personal takeover of Monster after regulators questioned Lin Qi Capital’s trading, while Artest prepared to return for Boston in Game 6. The chapter ended as the decisive game was about to begin in Los Angeles.

• Lin Qi told David Cohen to offer Jochen Zeitz a long-term partnership, executive control, and EBA equipment revenue to secure Puma as the league’s exclusive equipment partner.
• David Cohen reported that the Securities and Exchange Commission had requested Lin Qi Capital’s trading records, prompting Lin Qi to shift away from frequent public-market trades.
• Lin Qi decided to use his personal funds to quietly buy shares in Monster and eventually take the company private.
• Lin Qi read that Ron Artest had passed his medical evaluations and would return to defend Michael Jordan in Game 6.
• Lin Qi watched Artest follow Boston toward the court as the do-or-die game approached in Los Angeles.

With Game 6 approaching, Rick Carlisle considered changing the Celtics' defense to protect Ben Wallace's injured shoulder, but Ben and Chauncey Billups urged him to keep Shaquille O'Neal in single coverage and focus on the Lakers' perimeter threats. Carlisle accepted their plan and assigned Ron Artest to pressure Michael Jordan from the opening tip.

• As the Celtics prepared for Game 6, a therapist treated Ben Wallace's swollen shoulder after he had guarded Shaquille O'Neal alone in recent games.
• Rick Carlisle proposed rotating Rasheed Wallace and Tyson Chandler onto O'Neal and doubling him from the weak side, then closing out on the Lakers' shooters.
• Ben Wallace rejected the double-team plan and insisted that he would guard O'Neal one-on-one while his teammates covered the perimeter.
• Chauncey Billups backed Ben's approach, arguing that the Celtics should cut off the Lakers' perimeter passing and pressure Michael Jordan into taking over the offense.
• Carlisle instructed Ron Artest to pick Jordan up full court, deny him the ball, and stay physical whenever he was on the court.
• Ron Artest stood and said he could not wait to guard Jordan.

Boston used Ben Wallace’s post defense, Ron Artest’s pressure on Michael Jordan, and Rasheed Wallace’s floor spacing to control Game 6 against the Lakers. At the end of the third quarter, the Celtics led 78-69 and had pushed the Lakers to the brink.

• Ben Wallace fronted Shaquille O’Neal, then switched behind him to deny the Lakers’ entry passes, and Jordan missed a pressured fadeaway as the shot clock expired.
• Paul Pierce drove past Shawn Marion and passed to Kevin Garnett, who dunked to give Boston a 2-0 lead.
• Rick Carlisle’s defense slowed the Lakers’ offense, while Artest’s physical coverage wore down Jordan and Wallace repeatedly made O’Neal battle for position.
• Rick Carlisle brought in Rasheed Wallace, whose corner three punished the Lakers after Charles Barkley had to leave the paint to guard him.
• Boston’s offense and defense carried the Celtics to a 78-69 lead at the end of the third quarter.

The Lakers cut Boston’s lead to one as O'Neal turned Jordan’s missed shots into points, but Paul Pierce’s clutch three and Rasheed Wallace’s final block secured a 90-84 Celtics win. Boston tied the NBA Finals series at 3-3.

• O'Neal scored on a high pick-and-roll with Kidd, then powered through Garnett and Big Ben for a putback and a free throw after Jordan missed.
• O'Neal tipped in another Jordan miss to bring the Lakers within one, while Big Ben continued playing despite his injured shoulder.
• Paul Pierce hit a step-back three over Shawn Marion to give Boston an 88-84 lead with fifty-four seconds remaining.
• Jordan passed to Shawn Marion after Kevin Garnett cut off his turnaround jumper, but Rasheed Wallace blocked Marion’s attempt at the rim.
• Billups made both free throws after the Lakers fouled, and Boston won 90-84 to tie the series at 3-3.

After the Lakers’ coach and veterans publicly criticized Boston’s physical defense, Lin Qi considered a media counterattack but held back to avoid risking his suspension. In Los Angeles, the Celtics’ players drew courage from recalling Lin Qi’s fearless approach, and Rick Carlisle urged them to fight for the championship in Game 7.

• Phil Jackson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Michael Jordan criticized Boston’s defense and the officiating after the Lakers lost Game 6.
• The Los Angeles Times and television commentators amplified the Lakers’ complaints in an apparent effort to pressure officials before Game 7.
• Lin Qi planned a media counterattack but put away his phone because he feared David Stern might extend his suspension.
• Rick Carlisle warned the injured Celtics that the Lakers’ pressure campaign could bring stricter officiating in Game 7.
• Paul Pierce and other Celtics joked about how Lin Qi would counter the Lakers’ media tactics, easing the team’s tension.
• Rick Carlisle told the Celtics to ignore the noise, give everything they had, and pursue the championship.

The Lakers took an early lead as the Game 7 officials called Boston’s defenders tightly while overlooking contact against the Celtics. After Rick Carlisle urged Boston to stay physical and attack the rim, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce drew fouls to help cut the score to 18-16 midway through the first quarter.

• Shaquille O'Neal drew an early pushing foul on Ben Wallace, and Michael Jordan scored while drawing another foul on Ron Artest to give the Lakers a 4-0 lead.
• The Lakers extended their advantage to 12-4 as Boston’s defenders grew cautious, prompting Rick Carlisle to call a timeout.
• Rick Carlisle told Boston to keep playing tough, and he urged Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to attack the basket and draw fouls.
• Kevin Garnett scored through contact and drew a blocking foul on O'Neal, then Paul Pierce made a driving basket while drawing a foul on Shawn Marion.
• Boston answered the Lakers’ physical play, and the score stood at 18-16 past the halfway mark of the first quarter.

The Lakers' veteran stars used physical play and covert dirty tricks to slow Boston and exploit its defense, while Boston answered with youth, strength, and disciplined offense. The first half ended tied 44-44, with both teams battered and the second half still to come.

• Kidd disrupted Billups's attempts to speed up the game, and Barkley scratched and fooled Garnett into giving up a layup before taunting him.
• Rasheed Wallace answered with a corner three, then Oakley entered and covertly struck Pierce during a collision that sent the ball out of bounds.
• Ewing screened Artest, secretly tugged his shorts, and scored a jumper off Jordan's pass.
• Wallace tipped in a rebound over Oakley, Garnett dunked on Barkley, and Billups found Pierce and Rasheed as the Lakers' rotations slowed.
• Jordan and the other veterans kept Boston in a physical half-court battle, and the first half ended 44-44 with both teams carrying injuries and scratches.

The Lakers and Celtics fought through a grueling third quarter as Boston tried different defenders against Shaquille O'Neal and Artest relentlessly pressured Jordan. The chapter ended with Jordan missing a contested jumper and visibly tiring.

• Kidd passed to Shaquille O'Neal, whose pass out of Boston's double-team set up Quentin Richardson for a three-pointer.
• Rick Carlisle ended the double-teams and replaced Ben Wallace with Rasheed Wallace to defend O'Neal in the post.
• Rasheed resisted O'Neal's first attack and forced a miss, but the repeated physical battles left him exhausted.
• Ben Wallace returned and fouled O'Neal hard as he tried to score, then told him he would have to step over him to dunk.
• O'Neal missed both free throws while Artest's physical defense wore Jordan down, and Jordan missed a contested jumper.

Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers battled through a tense fourth quarter after Boston took a six-point lead, but neither team could score a winner in regulation. With the game tied 86-86, Game 7 of the NBA Finals went to overtime.

• With the Lakers tiring late in the third quarter, Paul Pierce hit a three-pointer and Kevin Garnett dunked in transition as Boston built a 71-65 lead.
• Phil Jackson opened the fourth quarter with Derek Fisher and Marion in the lineup, and the Lakers answered with a 7-0 run to take a 72-71 lead.
• Paul Pierce scored a floater to put Boston back in front, and Jordan kept the Lakers alive with midrange shots and free throws as the teams traded baskets.
• With 39 seconds left and the score tied 86-86, Garnett missed a long two-pointer, and O'Neal grabbed the rebound for the Lakers.
• Jordan missed a fadeaway with six seconds remaining, but O'Neal secured the offensive rebound before Ben Wallace chopped the ball from his hands.
• As the final buzzer sounded, the score remained 86-86, sending Game 7 of the NBA Finals into overtime.

The Lakers defeated the Celtics 106-105 in double overtime after Dwyane Wade missed a potential game-winning shot, and the teams met at center court after the grueling Game 7. Watching the Lakers celebrate, Lin Qi anticipated the end of his suspension and vowed to return next season.

• Artest fouled out early in overtime, and Jordan led the Lakers' offense while Wade became Boston's main option.
• The teams traded baskets and intentional fouls, but the score remained tied at 101 and forced a second overtime.
• With Boston trailing 106-105, Wade took the final shot over O'Neal, but the ball bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.
• Garnett and Pierce comforted Wade, and the exhausted players from both teams gathered at center court to exchange congratulations.
• Jordan encouraged Wade, and Boston left the court as the Lakers began their championship celebration.
• Lin Qi turned off the television at home and said he would return next season when his suspension ended.

After the Lakers won the 2003 Finals, Shaquille O'Neal received the FMVP despite controversy over Michael Jordan's decisive performance in Game 7. Jordan accepted the result graciously, announced that his era had ended, and Phil Jackson later explained how both players had mattered to the Lakers' victory.

• David Stern announced that Shaquille O'Neal had won the 2003 Finals FMVP, prompting boos and confusion among fans who believed Michael Jordan deserved it.
• Doug Collins argued that Jordan had saved the Lakers in Game 7's fourth quarter and overtimes, while Mike Breen reported that O'Neal had won the vote six ballots to five.
• O'Neal praised Jordan's clutch scoring and said half the trophy belonged to him, while Jordan said he had only wanted a championship ring to close his career.
• Jordan praised O'Neal and the next generation of players, then declared that he could leave the game in good hands and go home in peace.
• At the press conference, Phil Jackson called O'Neal the star of the Lakers' system and Jordan the comet who had rescued them when their plays failed.

Margaret completed a review of the Boston Celtics’ 2002-2003 season, when they finished first in the East and reached the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in seven games. The report ended by looking ahead to Lin Qi’s return from suspension in August and an eventful summer for Boston.

• Margaret placed the season review report on Lin Qi’s desk while he was away from the office.
• The report summarized the Celtics’ 62-win season and highlighted the performances of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ben Wallace, and the rest of the roster.
• Boston swept the Miami Heat, defeated the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, then lost the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3.
• The report listed the season’s awards, including Tim Duncan as MVP and Ben Wallace as Defensive Player of the Year.
• Margaret closed the report and noted that Lin Qi would return in August, when interesting things would happen during the summer.

The Lakers struggled against Panathinaikos under FIBA rules and lost the opening game of their best-of-three series in Athens. Watching from Boston, Lin Qi saw the event’s worldwide broadcast and sponsorship revenue, and its boost to EBA’s standing, as a major victory regardless of the series outcome.

• Jordan, O'Neal, and Kidd arrived in Athens and found Panathinaikos’s arena decked out in green shamrocks.
• The Lakers struggled with FIBA rules, including the crowded paint, aggressive defense, and legal rim protection.
• Panathinaikos used three-point shooting and zone defense to beat the Lakers in the opening game.
• Lin Qi watched the replay from Boston and revealed that he owned Panathinaikos as well as the Celtics.
• Lin Qi calculated that EBA’s broadcast and sponsorship deals had already earned far more than the Lakers’ appearance fee.
• Jordan and O'Neal fought harder in Game 2, while Lin Qi concluded that either series outcome would strengthen EBA and expand his European business.