Lenny Wilkens clenched his fist, "Make the shot, kid!"
The basketball bounced off the rim, and the Hawks fans in front of the TV covered their heads. Shaq had just leaped after blocking Big Ben, ready to grab the rebound.
But just as he was about to touch the basketball, O'Neal pulled his hand back.
Because the basketball hadn't yet left the rim's vicinity, according to NBA rules, touching it would be goaltending.
The next second, the basketball fell into the net, and Michael Reed, an obscure second-round pick from last summer, became the first player of the 2000 draft class to score in the finals!
"Michael Reed puts the Hawks ahead by 2, this time he made it, he didn't disappoint Lenny's trust, he took the mantle of championship shooter from Jeff!" Magic shouted, cheering for the spectacular game.
Reed gritted his teeth and then punched the air hard!
