He had started training on free throws very early and had changed many postures, although in the end, none proved to be highly effective, his overall free-throw level was improving.
While those two successful free throws just now were partly due to luck, luck is also part of one's strength.
And never underestimate those two free throws; they directly changed the Celtics' defensive strategy.
The next round, when O'Neal again took a low position, the Celtics had already abandoned the hack-a-Shaq tactic.
They, of course, didn't know what was happening with O'Neal, but the astute Rivers had already deduced that O'Neal had a hot hand tonight, and sending him to the free-throw line wasn't a wise choice.
Thibodeau, standing by, appeared somewhat speechless, but like Malone, he was ultimately just an assistant coach. To have his own voice in decisions, he still needed to be the head coach.
O'Neal was dominating in the paint, and it also created a virtuous cycle.
