After a brief struggle, the Pistons' offense started to become more efficient.
In contrast, the Pacers were relying on Artest's forced isolation plays. Unsurprisingly, Jermaine O'Neal was once again ineffective; he just couldn't play tough against the Wallace Brothers.
The eight-point lead was slowly chipped away, and the atmosphere in the Auburn Hills Palace grew increasingly frenzied.
Finally, three minutes into the second quarter, things reached a climax.
Billups hit a three-pointer, putting them ahead by two.
The tables had turned.
LeBron James, watching on TV, was happier than if he were in the lead himself. He absolutely loved to see the Pistons thrashing the Pacers.
The camera cut to Su Xi. He was sitting calmly on the bench, regulating his breathing.
His stamina was recovering quickly.
But he was still a ways off from being ready to go back in.
The game continued.
