Lakers starters: Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, Devin George, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal.
Pacers starters: Su Xi, Reggie Miller, Artest, Little O'Neal, Foster.
"I'm going to walk all over you to win that championship."
Before the game, Karl Malone made a point of walking over to Su Xi. He said viciously, "And then I'll shove that 'championship curse' right in your face."
Malone didn't like Su Xi, and he especially hated how the media had recently branded him "championship poison," spreading rumors that he was cursed.
"Fucking idiot."
Su Xi replied to Karl Malone in Chinese.
The referee blew his whistle, and the game began.
Shaquille O'Neal and Foster faced off for the opening tip.
This was a high-stakes, pivotal game. If the Lakers won, they would tie the series 2-2, and the momentum would completely shift in their favor, giving them control.
If the Pacers secured this victory, they would reach match point, pushing the Lakers to the brink of elimination.
