Game Two of the 2000 NBA Finals — The NBA Finals Revivals

Los Angeles Lakers vs. Indiana Pacers - Game 2

Location: The Staples Center, Los Angeles
Date: June 9, 2000

Starting line-ups:
Indiana Pacers
Reggie Miller
Jalen Rose
Mark Jackson
Dale Davis
Rik Smits
Head Coach — Larry Bird

LA Lakers
Shaquille O’Neal
Kobe Bryant
Glen Rice
A.C. Green
Ron Harper
Head Coach — Phil Jackson

And we’re back for Game Two. As hinted in the Game One Finals Revival (which, if you haven’t put peepers upon, peep here), the Pacers were back with more woes than Black Rob (a little 2000 Rap City reffie for ya). This time, a fire alarm went off in the Pacers hotel in the early AM, much to the team’s chagrin. Apparently, Larry Bird was up for three hours before it went off. What were you up to at 3 in the AM, L.B.?

Anyway, how will this affect Indiana over the next four quarters? Let’s find out.

Well, Reggie got off to a great start. He already matched Game 1’s FG total in the first minute (meaning, he scored one). Although, I’m not digging how the commentary is building the Miller Legend throughout this broadcast. The commentator says a hush went over the arena when he made the jumper. Wow, the bar is low tonight. But seriously, I don’t think they do him any favors when they swoon over simple things like making a mid-range jumper.

But, we can already tell that this is a different Pacers team. Only minutes in, and Reggie is all over Kobe, all the way up the floor. Kobe was doing this in Game One to Mark Jackson. It’s nice to see their intensity up.

And it’s a good start for Smits as well, as he hits his first turnaround (He missed the first 3 in Game One). So far, it looks like an alarm went off for the Pacers, and they showed up to play. Wait a minute… An alarm did go off! And Bird was awake for 3-hours! 🤔

Larry, you crafty bastard! Is this an old French Lick tactic?

Quarter one remains even throughout. Ron Harper and Jalen Rose both get hot early on. Hack-A-Shaq may be starting to rear its ugly head. And Reggie crashes hard into Cameraman Dave after a layup. Then gets hit with his second foul. Reggie’s Benched!

THEN! With only minutes left in Q1, Kobe goes down with an ankle injury. Looks like Jalen Rose’s leg was underneath him as he was landing from his jump shot. A little online sleuthing, and I see that in 2012, Rose admits that he did this intentionally (Son of a!). Kobe is out for the rest of the game. Ron Harper and Glenn Rice need to step up (spoiler → They do).

Right before Q2, they cut to Amad Rashad. I love this guy, but what is the deal with sideline reporters anyway? I see they still are a thing in modern games as well. I mean, do they really add anything? Just bothering coaches and players with questions, we already know the answer to. I have a feeling that if they never cut to them, nobody would miss it. I think we either remove them completely or use them to try and get talent to cut wrestling promos on the other team.

Let’s track the questions that SL reporters ask in this game: Jim Gray’s halftime questions to Miller:

“Now that Kobe is out for the game, does that improve your chances?”

“You got into foul trouble early on. Did that inhibit you in the first half?” 🤨

Amad interviews Magic Johnson at the end of the third:

“Kobe is injured. What’s the thought process?”

Magic — “Keep him out.”

Riveting stuff, guys.

Around Game One, Larry Bird said they weren’t going to stoop to Hack-a-Shaq tactics. And they didn’t. Shaq only took six free throws in the first game. Well, how far we have fallen.

Game Two becomes the ultimate tribute show for this insane, inane strategy. You don’t believe me? Shaq sets a Finals free throw attempt record, shooting 39 from the line! At first, it looks like this might be helping the Pacers. But after a dozen or so warm-up shots, Shaq starts sinking them. He ends up with 18 points from free throws alone. It is not a pretty sight. And it absolutely tanks the entertainment factor of the game. Oh, and this foul tactic (gettit) ends up biting them in the ass near the end (more on that later).

On the positive side for the Pacers, Croshere has been pretty damn consistent in both of these games so far. Joshua Jackson would be proud.

We pause the hack-a-thon briefly so that Costas can hype a brand new NBC sensation. Touted as “the season’s number one new comedy, premiering after Game Three of the finals: Michael Chiklis’ Daddio.

Whatcha think? Will it live up to the Costa Hype?

Now, back to the game itself: remember last time when I noted how the modern game kinda goes overboard with stats. Well, in the second quarter, this stat came up: The Pacers have outscored the Lakers 18–14 since Bryant’s injury.

18 to 14? Thats… Not… Really… A… Thing… Of… Note.

The game remains close throughout the second half. Although, Glenn Rice is crushing it on the three-point line. 5-or-6 from downtown (Even compared to the modern era, it’s impressive).

And with three minutes left in the fourth quarter, it gets neck and neck, with Croshere hitting 12 points in Q4. Reggie, on the other hand, is channeling Game One vibes again with zero FGs in the fourth (see, building him up so much on commentary doesn’t do him any favors).

That’s when H-A-S goes into hyperspace. The whole game crawls, as the Pacers dedicate their professional basketball strategy to hitting the biggest man on the court, every time the Lakers have the ball. U.G.L.Y. You ain’t got no alibi!

I mean, what is this:

There is one incredible move with a minute left where Shaq gets the ball and the Poohbear Pacers don’t treat him like a pot of honey. Funny enough, this actually backfires, as O’Neal dishes an amazing pass to Robert Horry for an awesome moving layup (all layups are moving. Not sure what I meant by that). AND the foul. 3-point play!

Larry may be rethinking this strategy for Game Three… And for the love of MJ, please rethink it!

Then comes the ass biting part of the H-A-S strategy. There is a rule, spoken of ominously by commentary as The Rule. And it is a critical component of the ‘Hit The Big Man’ playbook.

The Pacers can foul O’Neal all they want if he has the ball or doesn’t. And he will go to the line. That is, up until the 2-minute mark. That’s when the ‘Off-The-Ball Foul’ Rule kicks in: if an off-the-ball foul occurs in the final two minutes of a game, the fouled team is awarded free throws and retains possession afterward.

Basically, Sam Perkins f’d up. He didn’t know The Rule, and he fouled Shaq, off the ball with under a minute to go. This gives the Horry a free free throw (which he hits), and the Lakers still have possession.

And boy, does Costas & co let Perkins have it: “When you’re going to be 39 in a week, and you’ve been in the league for 16 years, how do you not know the rule?!” (Jeez Louise from overseas, ease up, Bob! BTW, Happy B-day, Perks!).

This is the proverbial nail in the proverbial coffin for the proverbial Pacers.

The Lakers take Game Twoof the 2000 Finals with a final score of 111–104. Shaq walks away with 40-points. Rice and Harper both clock 21. Jalen had 30. Reggie had 21.

And your teaser for Game 3: no, Larry B isn’t going to steal all of the Pacers’ shoes the night before the game. It looks like they get a normal night’s sleep and arrive at the stadium in time. No, this time around, it’s the Lakes with the problems. For Game Three of the NBA Finals 2000, Kobe is out of action. How will that affect the outcome? Find out next time on The NBA Finals Revivals (Or just Google it, I mean, the game is over two decades old).

Thanks for reading.

The track I listened to while writing this piece was Lorne Balfe’s Change of Plan from the Mission Impossible: Fallout soundtrack.

For a more stat-based breakdown of the game, click here to peep the Basket-Reference.