The starting lineup for the second half was different from the beginning. The massive O'Neal, who played 19 minutes in the first half, was exhausted and didn't return to the court immediately. Replacing him as the team's starting Center was Samaki Walker.
Meanwhile, the team's Power Forward spot was taken by Robert Horry, who stood at 2.06 meters and weighed 104 kg.
On the defensive end, the Los Angeles Lakers made almost no changes, sticking with Kobe to man-mark Link and Devin George to match up against Michael Jordan.
As for the Washington Wizards, they fielded a 'new lineup' of one big and four smalls. The lineup on the floor consisted of: Link, Hubert Davis, Hamilton, Jordan, and Laettner.
When this new lineup appeared, it caught many commentators by surprise.
"OMG!"
"Is Washington crazy? If they do this, who's going to defend the Los Angeles Lakers' Power Forward? Surely they can't expect the 39-year-old Michael to do it?"
"Could it be..."
In the TNT Broadcast Booth, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith stared at the screen with wide eyes like two curious toddlers.
The first possession of the second half was handled by the Wizards. Link and Laettner ran a two-man game. By cutting inside, Link not only kept Kobe glued to him but also drew Robert Horry's attention, creating a perfect 'iso environment' for Michael Jordan on the weak side.
Michael Jordan hadn't been in great form during the first half; otherwise, it would have been Kobe Bryant guarding him instead of Devin George.
Michael Jordan was currently 4-of-11 from the field and 1-of-2 from the free-throw line, with only 9 points.
But as the second half began, Michael Jordan's rhythm returned. He caught the ball, gave a shoulder fake, drove off his right foot, and turned for a fadeaway.
Devin George, a beat slow on the jump, could only watch helplessly as Michael Jordan sank the shot.
Next was the Los Angeles Lakers' offensive possession. Fans in front of their TVs held their breath, eager to see who would defend the Los Angeles Lakers' Power Forward—Robert Horry.
"What? rookie, are you crazy? Coach Doug Collins actually sent you to guard me?" The muscular Horry showed a hint of disdain when he saw the Washington Wizards had Link guarding him.
"Shut up! If you've got the guts, come scrap in the low post like a man," Link replied, his tone equally filled with contempt.
"Buddy, get to the basket," ordered 'Old Fish' Derek Fisher, who was holding the ball at the top of the key while being guarded by the Masked Man.
Robert Horry nodded and quickly moved to establish position under the basket, but he clearly underestimated Link's strength. With a Strength attribute as high as 88, Link could definitely hold his own against a Power Forward. Furthermore, Link's physical profile was actually superior to Robert Horry's.
At 2.05 meters tall, he was only 1 cm shorter than Robert Horry.
His 222 cm wingspan exceeded Horry's by 8 cm.
At 104 kg, their weights were identical.
While he might be at a slight disadvantage in raw power, it was almost negligible.
Moreover... what surprised Robert Horry and the entire Los Angeles Lakers the most was that Link's interior defense was excellent.
Having established position in the mid-to-low post, Horry called for the ball. The moment Fisher made the Passing, Link felt the pressure from Horry's back weaken—he was adjusting his Center of gravity to catch the ball. Link took the opportunity to play a semi-fronting defense. This allowed him to disrupt the entry pass while maintaining defensive positioning; even if the opponent caught the ball, they wouldn't have a clear path to the rim.
With a'Smack!'...
Link successfully anticipated the play and completed the Steal, immediately pushing the ball for a fast break. This time, he was matched up against Derek Fisher. The muscular Old Fish tried to use body contact to slow down Link's Speed.
"Bang!" The moment Old Fish initiated contact, he was shocked to find that Link's Center of gravity was as steady as a rock... incredibly stable.
Instead, the physical clash caused Old Fish to lose his footing. Link seized the chance to accelerate into the paint. Noticing Kobe coming for the help defense, he took one more dribble toward the hoop before making a no-look pass behind his head to Hubert Davis. The latter caught the ball and—'Swish!'—the Three-Point Shot was pure.
Two minutes into the second half, the Washington Wizards had gone on a 7-0 run, stretching the lead to 8 points.
At 59 to 50, the Washington Wizards led by 9 points.
The Zen Master wanted to call a timeout. He had no choice; he hadn't expected that Robert Horry wouldn't be able to do anything against Link. Link's semi-fronting defense had already forced one turnover. In the other two offensive possessions, Link simply played straight-up post defense. Despite looking like a muscular beast of an interior player, Robert Horry's playstyle was actually quite perimeter-oriented...
Three-Point Shots and fast breaks were his primary offensive weapons. When it came to isolation plays with the ball, he really wasn't up to the task.
Uh...
Link was perfectly capable of withstanding Horry's post-ups, leaving Horry with no options.
However, Kobe spoke up to stop the timeout, shouting to The Zen Master on the sidelines: "I can handle this!"
(TN: Do yall mind Phil Jackson being called "The Zen Master"?)
The Zen Master smiled faintly and said nothing.
However, Shaquille O'Neal on the bench let out a playful grin. According to The Zen Master's game plan, O'Neal would rest for 6 minutes in the third quarter before returning to dominate the court again.
On the Los Angeles Lakers' possession, Kobe faced Michael Jordan's defense. After using a screen, he drove hard to the rim. Kobe, as strong as a young bull, leaned into Michael Jordan as he entered the paint. Had it been Michael Jordan in his prime, his footwork would have definitely kept up, but now he could only barely stay with him. Since Horry had a Three-Point Shot, Link technically shouldn't have left him to help, as he wouldn't be able to recover in time if Kobe passed.
But he gambled that Kobe wouldn't pass this time. The result came quickly: Kobe indeed didn't pass. While Link won that gamble, he also lost... Facing the double-team of Link and Michael Jordan, Kobe performed an up-and-under in mid-air, baiting both into a block attempt before contorting his body for a slam dunk, drawing a foul for an 'and-one'!
Instantly, the fans at the Los Angeles Lakers' home, the Staples Center, erupted in cheers.
"Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!"
Some even began shouting "MVP!" "MVP!"...
Clearly, this touched a nerve with a certain shark. He said to The Zen Master, "Mr. Phil, I've rested enough. Put me in."
"Shaq, don't be in such a hurry," The Zen Master smiled.
With Kobe's rhythm heating up, there was no reason to call a timeout now.
The Los Angeles Lakers' subsequent possessions were all about finding Kobe. Kobe, who had no dead zones in the half-court, used Off-Ball Movement to lose Michael Jordan for catch-and-shoot jumpers or drives to the rim.
His offensive onslaught was relentless; even with help defense, no one could stop him.
Kobe was putting on a scoring clinic, but he couldn't effectively close the gap because the Washington Wizards were playing total basketball, with contributions coming from everyone.
The two-man game between Laettner and Link served as the offensive catalyst, supplemented by Michael Jordan's isolation plays and Hubert Davis's Off-Ball Movement for three-point looks. The terrifying power of team basketball was being fully displayed by the Wizards.
With 6:01 remaining in the third quarter, as Kobe scored his 12th point of the period, The Zen Master called a timeout.
72 to 62!
That's right.
Despite Kobe's incredible scoring performance that had the Los Angeles Lakers' home crowd roaring like a tidal wave, the Washington Wizards still led the Los Angeles Lakers by 10 points.
After the timeout, O'Neal returned, and his Power Forward partner was switched to Robert Horry to optimize the Los Angeles Lakers' offensive spacing.
The Wizards, meanwhile, sent Buffalo Jarred Vanderbilt onto the court to bang with The Big Shark—the 2.06-meter, 125 kg Buffalo. Uh... as for Brendan Haywood, he had already picked up 4 defensive fouls in the first half, 3 of which came from O'Neal.
As soon as he stepped on the court, O'Neal continued his interior bullying. With fresh Stamina, O'Neal pulled off a smooth spin to the right, blowing past the straining Buffalo Vanderbilt for a dunk. O'Neal wasn't a clumsy brute like Dwight Howard; his hook shot was also elite, and the 2.06-meter Buffalo Vanderbilt had no way to defend it.
With his Stamina dropping, Link stopped being the primary attacker and focused more on Passing to his teammates. Michael Jordan once again showed his GOAT pedigree, matching O'Neal's interior carnage with a steady stream of baskets.
At the 9:11 mark of the third quarter, Link was subbed out.
By the time he returned, there was 5:11 left in the fourth quarter. Thanks to the heroic Michael Jordan and a hot-shooting supporting cast, the Wizards still held a 4-point lead.
But just as Link checked in, Kobe executed a curl cut, shook off his matchup against Link, caught a pass from O'Neal, and finished a thunderous dunk on the other side.
"Beep!" The referee's whistle blew again. This was Link's 3rd foul of the night...
"Damn, this guy is a real Stamina freak..." Link thought to himself as he watched Kobe sink the free throw to complete the three-point play.
However, Link soon perked up. Michael Jordan had successfully used his hot hand to force Kobe into a defensive matchup with him, which meant Devin George was naturally left to guard Link.
"Haha..."
"Damn!"
"Buddy, I've finally been waiting for you."
Looking at Devin George in front of him, Link couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.