The Spurs swept the Mavericks, shocking the league!
Especially when the other Western Conference semi-final was locked in a fierce battle, the Spurs' dominance seemed even more remarkable!
The Lakers were met with strong resistance from the Kings!
During the regular season, the Kings only played 54 games because Webber suffered a knee injury. By all rights, the Kings shouldn't have had a good record.
But was this a blessing in disguise?
In reality, the Kings played their most fluid and dazzling offense in recent seasons!
Without Webber, the Kings lacked an absolute core. To ensure the smooth operation of his Princeton offense, Adelman placed some of the playmaking responsibilities on Divac's shoulders, which allowed Divac to showcase his talents in organizing the offense!
As a pivot, Divac's individual assist numbers weren't high, but almost all of the Kings' offense flowed through him, from one player to the next...
Over the course of the season, an astonishing seven Kings players averaged double-digit points!
A torrent of offense!
These were the most fitting four words to describe the Kings' 2001-2002 season!
And another benefit of Divac playing as a point center was that it further ignited his compatriot: Peja!
As fellow Yugoslavians, Divac and Peja already had the highest chemistry within the Kings.
Now, with Divac at the center of the system, whether intentionally or unintentionally, Peja was the biggest beneficiary!
Consequently, Peja had one of the best seasons of his career this year, averaging 21 points for the Kings!
Unfortunately, Peja sprained his ankle in the previous series against the Jazz and was unable to return.
This significantly impacted the Kings' offensive firepower.
In Game 1, Pecheru, who started at small forward for the Kings in place of Peja, went 0-for-8 from the field and scored zero points, severely affecting the morale of the Kings' starting lineup.
Although Webber played valiantly, recording 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 6 assists, he was still no match for the OK combination.
Kobe scored a game-high 30 points, and O'Neal had 26 points. The Lakers broke the Kings' home-court advantage, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
In Game 2, Kobe suffered a bout of diarrhea before the game, affecting his mental state. The focus of the Lakers' offense fell entirely on O'Neal.
O'Neal lived up to expectations in the first half, single-handedly challenging Divac and Webber in the paint, scoring 23 points in the game and carrying half of the Lakers' offense!
At the start of the second half, Adelman had Divac adjust his defensive strategy, switching from trapping behind to fronting.
With the trap, Divac was struggling to contain the heavier O'Neal.
With the front, Divac could disrupt O'Neal's catches. However, a direct confrontation wouldn't work; some finesse was needed.
Divac's trick was to lean his back against O'Neal, and at the moment O'Neal powered forward, he would suddenly pull away, feigning a stumble and fall as if pushed by O'Neal...
Because of this adjustment, O'Neal was called for three offensive fouls shortly after the second half began!
When the Shaq was called for his third offensive foul, even the usually unflappable Phil Jackson couldn't stay seated. He jumped up from the bench and roared at the referees on the court: "Flopping! Divac is faking..."
Whether Divac flopped or not, the referees didn't change their calls, but Jackson's defiance and on-court outburst were undeniable evidence. A technical foul was immediately assessed!
A frustrated Phil Jackson, pulled back by his assistant coach, reluctantly returned to the bench.
In the second half, hampered by foul trouble, the Big Shaq played cautiously, scoring only 12 points, half of what he scored in the first half.
Through the use of foul tactics, the Kings successfully contained O'Neal, and with Kobe out of sorts, the Kings successfully defended their home court, tying the series at 1-1.
In Game 3, O'Neal reminded his teammates before the game: "Don't give me the ball too early; I need to gauge the referees' officiating..."
Actually, this was O'Neal worrying unnecessarily. After all, this was Los Angeles, and no matter how much the referees targeted him, it wouldn't be as severe as in Sacramento.
However, Divac's goal was achieved, and Adelman's goal was also achieved. They had successfully made the Big Shaq wary of Divac's fronting defense.
And while Shaq was cautious, the Kings seized the opportunity, launching a 32-15 run at the start of the game!
At the start of the second quarter, O'Neal reacted and began to aggressively chase the deficit, but the Kings weren't about to let the Shaq have his way. Why would they easily give up the lead they had managed to steal?
Therefore, in this game, Divac didn't perform too many theatrics. Instead, Bibby, Christie, Webber, and every single Kings player focused on attacking O'Neal!
Even if they didn't score, they would attack O'Neal to draw fouls and put him in foul trouble!
O'Neal dodged and weaved, but he still couldn't escape the embarrassment of 5 fouls, scoring only 19 points in the game!
After this game, an exasperated O'Neal threw a tantrum at the press conference, accusing the Kings of being shameless.
"There's only one way to beat us: cheat! I have no talent for such petty and underhanded tactics... but today, I've truly witnessed it..."
The Lakers, who led 1-0, had their lead erased by the Kings winning two consecutive games, putting them down 1-2 in the series!
This was something that no fan had anticipated before the series began.
Neither Lakers fans nor Kings fans had expected the Kings to be able to push the Lakers so hard, especially without Peja.
Game 4 was the Lakers' second home game, and a must-win. If they lost this game, the Kings would take a commanding 3-1 lead, and it would be extremely unlikely for the Lakers to mount a comeback.
All Los Angeles fans were hoping for a decisive victory from the Lakers to reverse their unfavorable situation.
However, the Lakers' performance at the start of the game plunged the fans into despair!
The first quarter was a repeat of Game 3's first quarter, with the Kings outscoring the Lakers 40-20!
At the end of the first quarter, the Kings held a 20-point lead!
In a regular-season game, this lead would typically signal the start of garbage time.
But this was the playoffs, a Western Conference semi-final, and a crucial game that would affect the Lakers' advancement. The Lakers players had no choice but to fight on!