Under the Knicks' tight defense, it was difficult for either of them to lead the connecting lineups. Whenever one of them was off the court, it meant that the Magic Team only had one threatening offensive point on the floor.
So, the Knicks fiercely took on Roger and Shaq in a muscle contest.
Under the scrutiny of the tight defense and the test of physical stamina, Roger and O'Neal started to struggle with a high volume of shooting rights by the fourth quarter.
The muscle contest eroded Roger's shooting touch, and O'Neal also had a tough time moving under the Knicks' fierce multi-player defense.
They were forced to distribute the shooting rights to those role players who were left open.
As a result, the entire fourth quarter saw the Magic Team held to just 15 points, and the Knicks took this grueling battle with a score of 94 to 88.
2 to 2, New Yorkers evened the series score at home, as Pat Riley turned decay into magic,