Sabonis's sudden three-pointer gave the Trail Blazers the lead back.
On the next possession, Heximeng intentionally looked for Eddie Jones outside the three-point line, hoping to return the favor with a three-pointer. But Jones's shot hit the rim and bounced out. Fortunately, Kobe was very aggressive, grabbing the offensive rebound immediately, then driving to the basket amidst the chaos and making a layup!
Following this, the Trail Blazers also made adjustments.
Sabonis and Ryder were substituted out for Chris Dudley and Gary Trent.
Jermaine O'Neal, who was in the same draft class as Heximeng and Kobe, remained on the Trail Blazers' bench.
Due to the Trail Blazers' abundance of interior players, O'Neal had been unable to get playing time and had spent most of the season as a spectator, a rather bleak situation.
After Sabonis left the court, the Trail Blazers' core player was reduced to Rasheed Wallace alone!
The Lakers' rotation lineup began to feel less pressure.
Heximeng seized the opportunity and led the Lakers to three consecutive baskets!
The first basket involved him using Horry's screen to drive in, seemingly preparing to pass.
Rasheed Wallace shifted his defensive focus to Horry, who was moving towards the middle. Gary Trent, who had initially contracted to cover the paint, was drawn to Eddie Jones in the right corner, and his recovery was slow. The Trail Blazers' defense had a serious lapse, allowing Heximeng to drive all the way to the basket for an easy layup.
The second basket saw Heximeng anticipate a pass between Kenyon Martin and Rasheed Wallace. With his explosive athleticism, he stole the ball!
Having stolen the ball, Heximeng used his left hand to push away Martin's embrace while controlling the basketball with his right. He used the contact with Martin to gain a little space to his right, creating room to bring the ball up the court!
As Heximeng struggled to break free from the entanglement, Kobe, confident in Heximeng's ability to score, had already put his head down and started sprinting!
Eddie Jones had intended to provide support from the weak side, but Kobe beat him to it, watching as Kobe sprinted down the court, received a long pass from Heximeng near the three-point line, took three steps, and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
The Lakers fans in attendance erupted in cheers!
At the beginning of the season, Lakers fans had nicknamed Heximeng and Kobe as the "Lakers' Binary Star."
By the end of the season, "Lakers' Binary Star" had evolved into "Lakers' Brutal Stars," signifying the ferocity of their play!
The word "brutal" reflected the significant impact the two young players had had on the league's bench players this season; otherwise, such a moniker wouldn't have been fitting.
Although "brutal" itself carried negative connotations, being brutal to opponents was akin to being merciful to oneself. The Lakers fans used this nickname to express their affection for the two rising stars on the Lakers' bench.
In contrast, Chinese fans were still debating whether to call them the "T-Meng Combination" or the "Meng-Bi Combination," the former implying cuteness and the latter, randomness.
For the third basket, Rasheed Wallace posted up Horry, but his fadeaway jumper missed. Campbell grabbed the rebound and passed it to Heximeng to advance the ball.
Seeing that the first quarter was nearing its end, Heximeng, enduring Kenyon Martin's defense, quickly crossed half-court, then executed a sharp stop at the logo area, forcing up a three-pointer...
This shot was taken under time pressure, with Heximeng unable to shake off Martin's interference, making it a forced shot that wasn't ideal.
After Heximeng released the ball, it was still in the air when the countdown clock lit up, signaling the end of the first quarter.
The ball, however, bounced off the rim and went in after the buzzer!
It was a lucky shot!
Although the logo area was within Heximeng's shooting range, such a shot typically required proper preparation and no defensive pressure.
Heximeng had stormed across half-court, with Kenyon Martin in hot pursuit, unwilling to give Heximeng any space to shoot. Yet, Heximeng, before the buzzer sounded, surprisingly launched a shot from such a distance, and it miraculously went in!
After making this lucky shot, Heximeng smiled and waved to the roaring crowd as he left the court.
Showing off, who couldn't do that?
In the first three minutes of the first quarter, Heximeng scored 5 points and dished out 2 assists, leading the Lakers on an 11-3 run to build an almost eight-point lead.
At the start of the second quarter, Harris subbed out Campbell, Horry, and Eddie Jones, who had played the entire first quarter, for Shaquille O'Neal, Cory Blount, and Scottie Pippen. Heximeng and Kobe remained on the court.
With O'Neal in the game, Heximeng shifted his focus from perimeter play to the interior.
When paired with Van Exel, O'Neal was accustomed to powering through defenders when he received the ball, without needing to overthink.
When playing with Heximeng, O'Neal had to be more strategic, as Heximeng liked to run plays centered around him, and O'Neal, in turn, enjoyed the feeling of being a "point center."
For the first play, Heximeng tossed the ball to O'Neal in the post. O'Neal posted up Dudley, drawing a double-team from Rasheed Wallace. Heximeng then seized the opportunity to use Corey Blount's off-ball screen, shaking off Rubel Robinson...
Robinson had been Heximeng's teammate earlier in the season, the Lakers' third point guard.
In the January trade involving Ceballos and Horry, Robinson was sent from the Lakers to the Suns, who then traded him to the Trail Blazers.
With the Trail Blazers' crowded frontcourt and lack of guards, Robinson, by misfortune, became the second-string point guard in Rip City.
When he was with the Lakers, Robinson had challenged Heximeng for the backup point guard spot but failed.
Now, facing each other again, Robinson intended to seek revenge and prove his worth, but Heximeng clearly wasn't going to give him the chance.
Shaking off Robinson and cutting into the paint, Heximeng shouted at O'Neal.
O'Neal reacted quickly, passing the ball to Heximeng, who drove straight to the basket, drawing Rasheed Wallace to double-team!
O'Neal didn't rest after passing the ball! After a season of chemistry building, O'Neal had learned Heximeng's habits: if he can pass, he won't shoot!
As expected, Heximeng faked a powerful dunk, and Rasheed Wallace, not expecting a trick, lunged defensively. In mid-air, Heximeng skillfully passed the ball low to O'Neal, who had cut to the basket. O'Neal established position against Dudley and, before Rasheed Wallace could recover, completed a powerful two-handed slam!
After the dunk, O'Neal triumphantly shook his hips at Rasheed Wallace...