The second semifinal match continued in Seattle.
Peyton, having learned from his defeat in the first game, reflected that he had defended Van Exel too strictly, overwhelming the "Mad Van" before replacing him with the more troublesome Hexi Mon. Therefore, he decided to ease up on Van Exel's defense just enough to keep him within a manageable range, while also limiting Hexi Mon's playing time.
This was akin to deliberately going easy on Van Exel.
The Lakers' coaching staff didn't notice at first. Coach Harris thought Van Exel was playing well today and gave the veteran quite a bit of playing time.
Van Exel was a streaky player, but he had talent. His best position wasn't as a starting point guard, but rather as a sixth man off the bench.
When allowed to play his own game, Van Exel could still contribute. However, when it came to orchestrating the offense for two teams in a match, Van Exel's abilities fell somewhat short. He was a good sixth man, but by no means a great commander.
As a result, at the start of Game 2, with Van Exel's "excellent" play, the Lakers seemed to keep pace. In reality, the Lakers' overall offense had failed to get going, with no synergy between the inside and outside players. The game's rhythm was firmly in the control of the SuperSonics.
In the second half, by the time Coach Harris realized his mistake and wanted to substitute Hexi Mon for Van Exel, the game's tempo had already been set. It wasn't going to be easy for the Lakers to make a comeback.
101:106, the Lakers failed to mount a comeback, and the SuperSonics evened the series.
The Lakers returned to Los Angeles with the series tied at 1-1. The overall situation was still favorable for the Lakers.
Upon returning home, Harris decided to move Hexi Mon into the starting lineup and shift Van Exel to the reserve rotation.
With this adjustment, the Lakers' starting lineup immediately elevated their level of play.
Under Hexi Mon's facilitation, O'Neal and Eddie Jones found their rhythm from the opening tip. Working together inside and out, they helped the Lakers establish a lead.
The reserve combination of Kobe and Van Exel, while not as in sync as Kobe and Hexi Mon, compensated with their individual scoring abilities. During the rotation minutes, they consistently attacked the SuperSonics' basket with their individual skills, holding their own.
In the third quarter, the SuperSonics launched a scoring run, nearly tying the game.
At a crucial moment, after failing to connect with O'Neal and Eddie Jones, Hexi Mon decisively hit a trailing three-pointer to stabilize the Lakers, his composure astonishing all the Lakers fans in attendance.
Of course, the loudest cheers came from Kayla in the VIP box, along with Jill and Scarlett.
Jill had already completed the script for "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" and was in the final revision stage, hoping for Hexi Mon's input. However, Hexi Mon was busy with the playoffs and couldn't spare the time or energy to help Jill.
So, Jill put aside her script and accompanied Kayla to cheer for Hexi Mon.
Scarlett, on the other hand, was simply there to join the fun. With no current projects, she had nothing else to do and decided to watch the game, conveniently garnering some media attention.
The three women, each with their own motivations, witnessed Hexi Mon's clutch performance at the Great Western Forum.
In fact, across the ocean, in the opulent villa of the Zhang family, Zhang Tian Ai and Zhang Zhen Peng were also watching the live broadcast of the game on a new television.
However, when the camera panned to Kayla, Zhang Zhen Peng could clearly sense Zhang Tian Ai's rising anger.
But the new, giant screen TV in the living room had only been in the house for less than three months...
"Don't do anything rash! Mom warned you last time..."
To prevent further damage to the television, Zhang Zhen Peng reminded his sister with a hint of nervousness.
Ultimately, thanks to Hexi Mon's clutch performance, the Lakers narrowly held on to their lead at home, defeating their opponents 97:93 and taking a 2-1 series lead.
In Game 4, Coach Harris, having seen the benefits, continued to start Hexi Mon.
Hexi Mon's performance in this game wasn't as stellar as in Games 3 and 2. However, he excelled at facilitating, maximizing O'Neal's effectiveness. He helped O'Neal achieve a super double-double of 42 points and 18 rebounds. With O'Neal's outstanding play and Kobe's brief surge during the rotation minutes, the Lakers won again, 110:106, extending their series lead to 3-1.
In Game 5, the SuperSonics, back on their home court, finally woke up. While Kemp had issues with management, he had no issues with winning. Previously, in an effort to accumulate more statistics for a lucrative offseason contract, Kemp would sometimes disregard the coach's game plan and go for isolation plays. Consequently, the SuperSonics' team cohesion this season was not as strong as the previous year.
Last season, Kemp and Payton truly worked together, with no significant off-court distractions.
Now, with the team facing elimination and no further opportunities to pad his stats, Kemp finally settled down and formed a strong partnership with Payton.
Kemp scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, while Payton contributed 23 points and 11 assists. With both star players achieving double-doubles, the SuperSonics finally managed to win at home, 100:94, pulling one game back.
In Game 6, the SuperSonics faced another do-or-die situation. Jose Hawkins exploded in the first quarter, hitting all three of his three-point attempts, helping the SuperSonics take control and establish a nearly 10-point lead.
For the remaining three quarters, the Lakers struggled to close the deficit created in the first quarter.
However, with just a minute left in the game, Hexi Mon hit a three-pointer from the wing, successfully tying the score.
In recent games, as Hexi Mon was promoted to the starting lineup, the SuperSonics began to specifically study his play style and habits. Hexi Mon faced increased defensive pressure, leading to a drop in his three-point shooting percentage, making it less effortless than when he was coming off the bench.
This was an unavoidable situation.
Not everyone could handle a starting role.
For example, streaky players like Van Exel were more suited to coming off the bench. This was because the overall defensive intensity of the second unit was lower than that of the starters, and the offensive plays and shot selection were not as demanding as those of the starting unit.
After a season of adjustments, Hexi Mon had fully adapted to the league's pace. With his superior court vision, mental fortitude, and ball-handling skills, Hexi Mon could easily excel during the rotation minutes, holding his own against any reserve point guard in the league.
However, the starting lineup consisted of the elite players from each position on every team. Both their individual defense and the team's overall defense were top-notch compared to the reserve units.
When Hexi Mon was first moved into the Lakers' starting lineup, the SuperSonics were not yet familiar with his style of play and rhythm, hence their initial defensive efficiency was not high. However, as the series progressed and the SuperSonics delved deeper into studying Hexi Mon, he began to encounter significant challenges.
In the league, this phenomenon is also referred to as the "rookie wall."