The entire second quarter, especially the rotation time, saw the Lakers' offense flow better than the Bulls'. This was reflected in the score, with the Lakers leading the Bulls by 5 points at 48-43 to end the first half.
During halftime, Head Coach Harris was very satisfied with the Lakers' performance, praising their embodiment of the essence of team basketball. He urged them to maintain this rhythm in the second half, emphasizing that unity would ultimately lead to victory for the Lakers...
On the Bulls' side, "The Zen Master" was quite displeased with his players' performance.
"We need to show more aggression! Our defense needs to be more oppressive, and our offense needs to get closer to the basket! The more shots we miss, the more we need to attack the rim..."
Upon returning from the break, the "Basketball God" led the charge, scoring consecutively with his individual prowess. On defense, whenever the Lakers passed the ball to Shaq in the paint, the Bulls would double-team him, resorting to fouls if they couldn't stop him otherwise.
After Langly accumulated three fouls, he was benched, and Rodman came in to take over the defensive assignment...
Shaquille O'Neal's physical exertion from the wrestling-like battles against Langly and Rodman further diminished his already low free-throw percentage.
Through a series of offensive and defensive exchanges, the Bulls successfully erased the first-half deficit before the start of the fourth quarter, even taking a 1-point lead over the Lakers.
In the final quarter, Harris, fed up with O'Neal's unreliable free throws, instructed Heximon to shift the offensive focus to mid-range jumpers.
Eddie Jones and Kobe took on the scoring responsibilities, going head-to-head with Jordan and Pippen.
But honestly, the Lakers' mid-range game couldn't kill the Bulls. Throughout the entire league, the Bulls were the most efficient team at scoring from mid-range!
Coach Harris's strategy of shifting the offensive focus to mid-range jumpers due to O'Neal's poor free-throw shooting was, in Heximon's view, not a wise choice.
If it were up to Heximon to adjust, he would have substituted Campbell for Horry and continued to pound the ball inside! The goal would be to try and foul out the Bulls' two defensive anchors in the paint: Langly and Rodman, before the game ended!
The sooner they could wear down the Bulls' interior defense, the more advantageous it would be for the Lakers. Of course, if they couldn't break through, the Lakers risked being counterattacked by the Bulls. To minimize this risk, the best approach would be to attack the paint aggressively while also encouraging Heximon's three-point shooting from the perimeter!
Abandoning the mid-range battle with the Bulls was the optimal choice, rather than engaging them head-to-head in that area!
Heximon played the first three minutes of the fourth quarter. During his subsequent break, he voiced his concerns to Assistant Coach James Worthy, hoping to convey them to Head Coach Harris through Worthy to expedite a change in decision...
Why go through James Worthy instead of Heximon directly approaching the head coach?
Because Harris was constantly pacing the sidelines, and Heximon had no opportunity for a private conversation with him. Unless Heximon spoke up during a Lakers timeout when the team was gathered for tactical instructions... but Heximon knew very well that doing so would be a direct challenge to the head coach's authority, and even a valid point would be dismissed.
After listening to Heximon's analysis, Worthy advised him, "Just do your job, and try not to interfere with the head coach's decisions! In the NBA Finals, there are no absolutely correct tactics, nor are there absolutely wrong ones! The head coach will choose the strategy that is most beneficial to the team based on the flow of the game, even if it appears unconventional..."
Worthy rambled on at length, and Heximon understood the gist: "Until the game ends, no one knows if this tactical choice is right or wrong, good or bad. The head coach bears all the responsibility and pressure! Therefore, try not to question the head coach's arrangements during the game..."
Directly reversing Harris's decision was essentially impossible. The best course of action now was for Heximon to subtly alter Harris's instructions once he was back on the court, guiding the Lakers' tempo towards his desired rhythm. However, Harris, standing with his back to Heximon and Worthy, directing the game, seemed to have overheard Heximon's suggestion, as his and Worthy's voices had risen slightly...
Harris heard Heximon's suggestion, but remained unmoved. He also anticipated how Heximon might lead the team if he were to play. Consequently, for the next approximately six minutes, Harris deliberately kept Heximon on the bench, leaving the Lakers fans in the arena bewildered: "Has Simon been sidelined by the head coach?"
Sidelined was an exaggeration. However, Harris genuinely wanted to see if the Lakers, without Heximon orchestrating, could suppress the Bulls' lineup of Harper, Jordan, and Pippen with their own trio of guards in Van Exel, Kobe, and Eddie Jones.
The result of this experiment was that as the game entered the final three minutes, Jordan sank another mid-range jumper, and the Bulls extended their lead to 6 points at 84-78.
The situation on the court was highly unfavorable for the Lakers. The Atlantic Forum arena was almost silent, and the fans' emotions had plummeted to their lowest point.
Harris finally couldn't bear the pressure any longer and called a timeout to adjust the lineup. He replaced Van Exel and Horry with Heximon and Campbell, resulting in a Lakers lineup of two big men and three small players.
The two big men: O'Neal and Campbell.
The three small players: Eddie Jones, Kobe, and Heximon.
Harris attempted to shift the offensive focus back to interior dominance, but it was too late. On the Bulls' side, Langly now had four fouls, with two more to be ejected, and Rodman had only three, still needing three more before being disqualified. In the remaining three minutes, trying to overpower the Bulls' interior defense and break through their defensive line seemed impossible...
Facing an experienced Bulls team with the league's strongest scorer, trying to play a steady game and capitalize on opponent turnovers to reverse the tide had become an insurmountable task.
If the Lakers still wished to defend their home court, they had no choice but to take a gamble in these final three minutes: use the interior offense as a lure to create opportunities for perimeter shooting, a last-ditch effort!
Harris's decision to put Heximon on the court to orchestrate this final gamble, equipping him with the Lakers' two best rebounders and their two remaining scoring threats, was a hope that Heximon could turn the tide...
So, could Heximon indeed turn the tide?