The Timberwolves finally responded with a mid-range stop-and-pop jumper from James Robinson to the Lakers, but as soon as they turned around, He Ximeng pushed the ball past half-court and delivered a brilliant assist to the cutting Ceballos!
Ceballos played very low-key today, basically not fighting for the ball, diligently running off-ball and defending on the wing, as if showing signs of submission.
In the early second quarter, He Ximeng played for more than three minutes, dishing out an assist and getting a steal, still without taking a shot or scoring any points.
But at least, he ensured that the Lakers' score kept pace with the Timberwolves, rising in alternating fashion.
After the rotation ended, Coach Harris brought back Van Exel, O'Neal, and Corie Blount, subbing out He Ximeng, Kobe, and Campbell.
Suddenly, the Lakers fell into a scoring drought.
This time, it really wasn't Van Exel's fault!
Van Exel tried to pass the ball to O'Neal in the paint, but O'Neal missed both of his layup attempts and then missed both free throws.
With no other option, Van Exel passed the ball to Ceballos beyond the three-point line. Ceballos had low offensive desire today, and his three-point attempt was also off the mark.
In desperation, Van Exel had to drive to the basket himself, but the ball rolled around the rim and then slipped out...
The Lakers missed five consecutive possessions without scoring.
The Timberwolves seized the opportunity and went on an 8-0 scoring run!
Finally, it was O'Neal who broke the scoring drought with a two-handed dunk in the paint, but the Timberwolves, relying on their solid shooting touch, extended their lead to 11 points by halftime!
This situation was completely unexpected by the Lakers fans in attendance!
Because according to the pre-game strength analysis, the Lakers were clearly stronger than this Timberwolves team. Even if they didn't lead by a large margin, they should have been evenly matched, which would have reflected the Lakers' strength... But the reality was that the Lakers were almost broken by the Timberwolves in the latter half of the second quarter...
At the start of the third quarter, Coach Harris still fielded the pure starting lineup. Van Exel was quite unselfish in this game, but his turnovers were a bit high! He was handing out assists with one hand and turnovers with the other... Seeing this, Head Coach Harris on the sidelines was on pins and needles, hesitating to make a substitution.
Ceballos was truly listless in this game! He had no offensive desire and low offensive efficiency. The Lakers relied solely on O'Neal to score, and the deficit could not be narrowed.
As the third quarter was nearing its end, Harris couldn't stand it anymore. He substituted Van Exel for He Ximeng, O'Neal for Campbell, and Ceballos out, but instead of subbing in Kobe, he brought in Scott!
Frankly, Kobe had performed well in the first half! He played 6 minutes, scoring 4 points, grabbing 2 rebounds, and blocking 1 shot, with no turnovers. If Scott wasn't there, Kobe should have been on the court at this time. But due to Scott's presence, Kobe had to share rotation time with him...
From this perspective, He Ximeng was lucky. Firstly, the Lakers didn't have a strong second point guard, so He Ximeng's rotation time was relatively stable. Secondly, the Lakers' starting point guard, Van Exel, had inconsistent performance, which provided He Ximeng with space to showcase his skills.
The current lineup on the court was Campbell, Corie Blount, Eddie Jones, Scott, and He Ximeng.
Harris's instructions to He Ximeng were to pass the ball to Campbell in the paint as much as possible. If he couldn't pass it inside, he should give it to Eddie Jones or Scott and let them score with their individual skills.
This was a standard inside-outside combination offense. It wasn't particularly brilliant, but it was stable!
If He Ximeng had a good rapport with these players, this strategy wouldn't be an issue. While it might not be spectacular, it wouldn't lead to mistakes.
The problem was, He Ximeng really didn't want to create opportunities for Scott. Eddie Jones and Campbell were passable, but Corie Blount was the player He Ximeng most wanted to pass to. However, Blount was currently being guarded by the future "Wolf King," Garnett!
Although Garnett was still a bit raw now, judging from his fierce gaze, He Ximeng knew that Corie Blount might not necessarily gain an advantage against a second-year Garnett... To prevent Blount from humiliating himself, He Ximeng decided to pass to him less, so as not to put him in an awkward position...
He Ximeng quickly analyzed the on-court situation and decided to try to create opportunities for Campbell and Eddie Jones first. If they couldn't deliver, then he might have to take some shots himself... To avoid being labeled "He Bu Tou" (He Ximeng Doesn't Shoot) in the future... and to establish his presence on the court...
After crossing half-court, Sterling immediately extended his hand to He Ximeng, asking for the ball. He Ximeng ignored the veteran, his eyes fixed on Campbell in the paint!
He Ximeng called for Corie Blount to set a high pick-and-roll. He used the screen to shake off his defender and drove into the paint. He didn't pass to the rolling Blount because Blount was covered by Garnett...
He Ximeng twisted his body and passed the ball to Eddie Jones, who was waiting at the right wing.
Eddie Jones caught the ball and shot, but unfortunately, this good pass didn't result in a made basket!
Campbell grabbed the offensive rebound, faked in the paint, drew out the Timberwolves' backup center Dean, then took a step and prepared to finish with a two-handed dunk!
During this process, He Ximeng saw Garnett moving quickly from the wing and knew that Campbell was about to make a mistake.
He Ximeng anticipated Garnett's block and moved ahead of time, successfully grabbing the ball blocked by Garnett before James Robinson could reach it!
After getting the ball, He Ximeng returned to the three-point line, seemingly to reorganize the offense and wait for his teammates to make their cuts, but in reality, he took advantage of James Robinson's momentary lapse in defense to pull up for a three-pointer and shoot!
James Robinson was unable to close out in time and watched helplessly as He Ximeng, over his head, made the three-pointer!
This was He Ximeng's first shot of the game, and the basket was kind enough to let it go in.
Turning around, an unconvinced James Robinson, ignoring Garnett's request for the ball on the wing, insisted on a one-on-one against He Ximeng!
He Ximeng actually didn't like gamble defense, because gamble defense carried significant risk. If the steal attempt failed, it would easily lead to a defensive breakdown.
In contrast, He Ximeng preferred to use anticipation to cut off opponents' movements, disrupt their rhythm, and prevent them from passing or driving comfortably.
Delaying, interfering, and disrupting the opponent's offensive rhythm, forcing them to abandon their intended plays, this kind of defensive threat was no less significant than stealing the ball.
However, James Robinson in this possession was too flashy! In his attempt to "avenge" himself, he repeatedly dribbled in front of He Ximeng. Was he mistaking himself for Iverson?