During this period, Campbell, O'Neal, Eddie Jones, and Ceballos took turns, but the control of the game remained in the hands of rookie He Ximeng!
Utilizing his ball-handling, He Ximeng either shot or passed. In just over six minutes, he made 4 out of 6 shots, scoring a team-high 11 points, along with 2 assists and 1 steal! Without a doubt, he became the player with the highest score and most assists during this stretch!
Although Coach Harris emphasized at the end of the third quarter that the team should focus their offense around Campbell, and at the beginning of the fourth quarter, he stressed that the team should center their offense around O'Neal... the Lakers' offense always, almost imperceptibly, shifted to revolve around He Ximeng...
The key was that He Ximeng played this way, and several of the team's veterans, especially O'Neal and Eddie Jones, raised no objections. Instead, they played with surprising ease and enjoyment!
What is talent? This is talent.
On the sidelines, Harris was both astonished and delighted.
He was astonished that this young man, He Ximeng, could subtly alter his tactics right under his nose, and do so with such fluidity and seamless perfection... Even Harris, the head coach, was slow to realize, only understanding after seeing He Ximeng's personal statistics.
He was delighted that He Ximeng was not purely a playmaker with no offensive threat. When he needed to step up and score, He Ximeng's performance was no less than that of a typical offensive point guard...
If there was any drawback, it was his preference for outside shooting... He could dunk, but he seemed to shy away from physical contact in the paint...
Because He Ximeng set such a good pace, the Lakers' offensive rhythm and momentum were ignited. Even after he left the court, Van Exel managed to maintain this surge, focusing the offense around O'Neal and Eddie Jones, successfully holding onto their slim lead...
91:85, the Lakers smoothly defeated the visiting Timberwolves, achieving their second consecutive win of the new season.
Kobe's career debut saw him play 6 minutes, scoring 4 points, with 1 rebound and 1 block!
Compared to his original historical debut, where Kobe went 0-for-1 from the field, scored no points, and had only 1 rebound, 1 block, 1 turnover, and 1 foul, this was a slight improvement!
He Ximeng's statistics for this game concluded with him playing 16 minutes, shooting 4-for-6 from the field, 3-for-5 from three-point range, and recording 11 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals!
While his individual stats were not as dazzling as in the first game, his impact was even greater.
If not for He Ximeng igniting this momentum at the end of the third quarter, it was uncertain whether the Lakers could have achieved a comeback in the fourth quarter...
But substitute players remained substitute players. In the crucial final moments, Coach Harris still did not choose to use He Ximeng, nor did he opt for Kobe...
At the post-game press conference, Coach Harris singled out O'Neal for praise! O'Neal delivered a super all-around performance of 35 points, 19 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, once again dominating the paint.
In comparison, Van Exel's 13 points and 7 assists, and Eddie Jones's 11 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists, were less impressive.
Ceballos was in a slump this game, lacking even basic offensive drive. He played only 28 minutes, scoring 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists before the game ended prematurely, clearly playing with emotion.
It was estimated that Head Coach Harris would need to have a private conversation with Ceballos after the game.
Competing for O'Neal's shot attempts was unacceptable.
Slacking off and deliberately showing discontent with the team was even more so.
After the game, Kobe, still energized, pulled He Ximeng to the gym for extra practice.
Though called extra practice, most of the time Kobe was on offense and He Ximeng was on defense.
As a point guard, without teammate coordination, He Ximeng couldn't really handle Kobe.
Kobe, with a look of disdain, urged He Ximeng to improve his post-up game...
He Ximeng chuckled and said, "I'm a point guard. If I started posting up like you, I'm pretty sure Coach Harris would go crazy..."
Playing for 15 minutes had not significantly drained He Ximeng's stamina.
A 30-minute one-on-one with Kobe was more tiring than playing a game.
Back at the apartment, upon learning that He Ximeng had won again, Kayla excitedly insisted on giving him a "reward"...
Alas, young people, both male and female, are the same. Once they taste forbidden fruit, they find it difficult to be restrained... One had to admit, youth was indeed wonderful...
The next day, He Ximeng woke up early. As soon as he opened his eyes, he saw Kayla staring at him with bright, eager eyes, her gaze full of amorous anticipation.
Sensing trouble, He Ximeng nervously asked Kayla, "Didn't we already pay our dues last night?"
Kayla smiled dotingly, "Aren't you guys starting a three-game road trip today?"
"Yes!"
"When do you come home?"
"About a week later..."
"Then what are we waiting for! Come on..."
With that, Kayla proactively burrowed into the covers and launched her attack on He Ximeng...
After another bout of exertion, Kayla leisurely left for school around noon, while He Ximeng haphazardly stuffed his toiletries into his gym bag and drove to the club...
If he didn't hurry, he'd miss the team bus to the airport.
Missing an away game without cause after playing only two games with the team? He Ximeng estimated that if he missed it, Harris would bench him for at least a month as a warning...
Fortunately, He Ximeng, an experienced driver, managed to reach the club before the team bus departed, relying on his knowledge of Los Angeles and without speeding.
"Hey! Buddy, we only practiced one-on-one for about half an hour last night, right? Your stamina isn't great... You should practice more on your own..."
Being scorned by Kobe again, He Ximeng didn't dare to retort or explain. There was no way to explain this matter...
The Lakers were about to embark on a three-game road trip, facing the Knicks, Hornets, and Raptors!
This summer, the Knicks signed Allan Houston from the Pistons and Larry Johnson from the Hornets. They formed a starting lineup of Ewing at center, Oakley at power forward, Larry Johnson at small forward, Allan Houston at shooting guard, and Charlie Ward at point guard, clearly aiming to contend with Michael Jordan's Bulls in the Eastern Conference. Their strength was not to be underestimated.
However, the strength of the Knicks' starting lineup seemed not to be particularly significant for He Ximeng and Kobe.
This was because both of them played during the rotation and primarily matched up against the Knicks' bench players...