Transition offense and defense, New York Knicks ball.
Chales pushed the ball up at a controlled pace into the frontcourt, flirting with an 8‑second violation.
This slow tempo instantly put huge psychological pressure on the Lakers. In today's league, only three teams can really impose a tempo slowdown on the Lakers, and that list does not include the Bulls or the SuperSonics. One is the Cavaliers, one is the Heat, and the last one is the Knicks right in front of them.
The Knicks' offensive pace was deliberate. Alan Houston used a screen from Larry Johnson, took the pass from Charles Oakley who had popped up to the top of the arc to facilitate, and on the right baseline rose for a mid-range shot over the switching Doug Christie… no good!
O'Neal sealed inside, Zhang Hao secured the defensive rebound. On the Knicks' side, only Larry Johnson, that Barkley‑type forward, crashed the offensive glass; the other three immediately sprinted back on defense.
