When O'Neal exited the court and Kobe entered, the Lakers' offensive focus shifted to the frontcourt trio of Eddie Jones, Kobe, and He Ximeng!
Kobe charged forward, Eddie Jones shot from the perimeter, and He Ximeng orchestrated plays from the center.
This approach by the Lakers was slightly ahead of its time, but the long regular season had proven the offensive firepower of the three was enduring.
Facing Snow's tight defense, He Ximeng showed little desire to score himself. He left several opportunities for Kobe's one-on-one plays or Eddie Jones' long-range shots.
By the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had successfully established a nine-point lead.
In the early stages of the second quarter, the SuperSonics attempted to rally and erase the first-quarter deficit. However, during He Ximeng's controlled rotation time, the Lakers committed no significant errors, denying the SuperSonics any chance to close the gap.
"Mature beyond his years! The young Lakers guard's playstyle rivals that of a seasoned playoff veteran..."
The on-court announcer marveled at He Ximeng's organizational skills, accurately reflecting the game's reality.
This was precisely why Coach Harris habitually substituted Van Exel for He Ximeng when the Lakers showed signs of instability, entrusting He Ximeng to control the game. He Ximeng rarely disappointed his coach.
At the end of the half, the SuperSonics not only failed to close the gap but also saw the Lakers extend their lead to eleven points.
At the beginning of the third quarter, Coach Harris anticipated the SuperSonics would not give up and would mount a strong counterattack. Therefore, he proactively altered the starting lineup, bringing He Ximeng in to start and prevent Van Exel from making impulsive decisions and squandering the hard-won double-digit lead.
The game unfolded exactly as Coach Harris had predicted.
As the third quarter commenced, the SuperSonics immediately intensified their defensive intensity, leading to two failed interior attempts by the Lakers.
Fortunately, even though O'Neal missed his own shots, he prevented Kemp from scoring, resulting in several minutes of intense interior battles where neither side could gain an advantage.
In such a scenario, both teams shifted their focus to the perimeter.
For the SuperSonics, Payton's first thought turned to Hersey Hawkins.
Hersey Hawkins was a rookie drafted 6th overall in 1988, who gained fame with the Philadelphia 76ers before moving to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the SuperSonics last season.
Hersey Hawkins was a remarkably consistent three-point shooter, boasting a 40.3% success rate from beyond the arc this season, making him a more reliable option than Payton.
Therefore, when the SuperSonics' interior offense was repeatedly thwarted, Payton's initial consideration was Hersey Hawkins.
However, Eddie Jones' defense was not negligible. He tightly guarded Hersey Hawkins, denying him open looks. He even preferred to let Hawkins drive into the paint and attack the basket rather than concede space for his pull-up jump shots.
In any case, with O'Neal, Campbell, and Horry guarding the Lakers' interior, it wouldn't be easy for Hersey Hawkins to score by attacking the rim.
Hersey Hawkins managed a forced shot using off-ball screens and constant cutting, but the basket denied him, and the ball rimmed out.
Conversely, Hersey Hawkins also made things difficult for Eddie Jones. Several of He Ximeng's intended passes to Eddie Jones were either intercepted by Hersey Hawkins beforehand, preventing the pass, or disrupted by Hawkins, forcing the ball back to He Ximeng.
Both teams entered a scoring drought in the initial minutes of the third quarter.
Both point guards, Payton and He Ximeng, were striving to create scoring opportunities for their teammates, but due to the intensity of the opposing defense or the shooting struggles of their teammates, the ball stubbornly refused to find the net.
The pressure to score gradually shifted onto the shoulders of the point guards themselves.
Payton was the first to initiate his offensive mode. Using a pump fake, he forcibly disrupted He Ximeng's balance, dribbled with his left hand, and, despite He Ximeng's interference, aggressively drove into the paint. Before O'Neal could come over to block, he executed a floater.
This was a soft yet determined offensive move, showcasing Payton's considerable offensive skills.
The ball bounced on the rim once before ultimately dropping in. Payton finally scored for the SuperSonics, breaking the deadlock.
After making the floater, Payton pumped his fist in excitement.
If the SuperSonics could seize this opportunity, they might be able to capitalize on the Lakers' cold shooting, mount a scoring run, shrink the deficit, or even take the lead.
Payton's intentions were good, but He Ximeng had no intention of letting him realize them.
Since his teammates were struggling to score, He Ximeng had to attempt scoring himself.
He Ximeng's floaters actually had a decent success rate, but he wasn't inclined to use them. Under the current circumstances for the SuperSonics, first having to shake off Payton, then facing Kemp, and finally resorting to a floater—it consumed too much energy and carried a significant risk of a cheap shot.
Therefore, He Ximeng opted to use Horry's screen and then execute a step-back three-pointer.
It seemed like he was avoiding direct confrontation, lacking aggressiveness, but the effect was quite impressive.
With effortless grace, the three-pointer was made.
Payton had just scored a two-pointer, and He Ximeng immediately responded with a three-pointer, which greatly embarrassed Payton.
Turning around, Payton called for a high pick-and-roll. He Ximeng expected Payton to attempt another three-pointer, but instead, Payton faked a three-point shot and drove to the free-throw line, sinking a mid-range jumper.
He Ximeng misread the play, and Payton turned to glare ferociously at He Ximeng, shouting, "Kid, if you've got guts, shoot another three!"
Although Payton said this, his actions were honest. He strictly maintained his distance from He Ximeng, denying him any space for a direct shot.
Facing Horry's high screen, Payton immediately stepped up to contest He Ximeng's perimeter shot, preferring to let He Ximeng drive into the paint rather than give him an open shot.
He Ximeng, of course, wouldn't fall for such a ploy so easily. He played along, driving to the three-point line, appearing as if he would force a shot. Then, he executed a pull-up jumper in the mid-range, drawing Hersey Hawkins from the wing to collapse, and then skillfully passed the ball to Eddie Jones, who was waiting at the three-point line.
Eddie Jones caught the ball and shot, but it missed again.
However, the rebound bounced far, landing perfectly in the hands of He Ximeng, who had crashed the boards.
He Ximeng took a step with the ball, jump-stepped into the paint, and faced the lunging Kemp. He suddenly delivered a soft lob pass to the left of the basket. O'Neal, understanding the play, held off Perkins with his left hand, raised his right hand high, leaped, and executed a one-handed alley-oop, slamming it home with a powerful dunk.