In the previous 6 games that had concluded, O'Neal averaged 31 points and 10 rebounds, even more dominant than Malone's 30 points and 10 rebounds!
For the final game, O'Neal was definitely prepared to fight with all his might! As for the others...
"If you're my brother, fight with me!"
At critical moments, O'Neal displayed great leadership. No need for more talk; the game would be the true test! I'll charge forward first, and you follow me...
Honestly, in his past life, when coaching, He Ximeng inevitably had to deal with, or rather, engage in a battle of wits with the star players.
Every star player had their own characteristics: Iverson's arrogance, Yao Ming's humility, McGrady's laziness, Kobe's stubbornness, Duncan's low-key demeanor, Curry's calmness, LeBron's dominance...
Having coached so many top stars, in He Ximeng's opinion, O'Neal, as a star player, possessed significant personal charm!
Kobe was too demanding, both of himself and his teammates, holding them to incredibly high standards! So high that many teammates with average talent and ability found it difficult to tolerate.
McGrady was too laid-back, being overly friendly to himself and his teammates! As a teammate, there was no pressure when interacting with McGrady. However, in games, McGrady always gave his teammates a detached attitude; winning was fine, and losing didn't matter much either. As the star player, McGrady's attitude directly affected how invested his teammates were in the game.
"Since Big Brother doesn't care, why should I try my hardest..."
O'Neal, on the other hand, combined McGrady's friendliness with Kobe's passion!
During practice, O'Neal never demanded anything specific from his teammates because O'Neal himself disliked practicing, adopting a "schoolkid" attitude of slacking off whenever possible.
Kobe, having matured, couldn't stand O'Neal's sporadic training habits, believing such an attitude would corrupt his teammates and set a bad example for the team...
Kobe's words seemed not wrong, as not every professional player possessed O'Neal's talent, capable of maintaining league-leading dominance while fooling around.
But as professional players, they were all adults, playing for their own earnings. If I also slacked off because O'Neal didn't practice well... then such players wouldn't achieve much, even if Kobe whipped them from behind...
Regardless, on the official game court, as long as O'Neal was healthy, he could still lead from the front, charging ahead and fulfilling the duties of a team leader! Facing winnable games, O'Neal never held back. When it was time to use his bulk, he used it decisively, taking down one opponent at a time...
Overall, he was a dedicated player. Such a team leader was essentially qualified.
Meanwhile, the Jazz's twin stars were also ready! Malone's iron elbow was itching...
As the game was about to start, the Lakers' starting lineup remained unchanged: O'Neal, Horry, Fox, Eddie Jones, He Ximeng.
The Lakers were generally quite fortunate this season. Apart from O'Neal facing some injury troubles midway through the season and missing 22 games, most other players were nearly fully available.
He Ximeng played all 82 games, Fox played all 82 games, Eddie Jones played 80 games, Kobe played 79 games, and Horry played 72 games...
A healthy team roster ensured continuity in tactical execution and allowed every player in this lineup to clearly understand their role and responsibilities!
Of course, the Jazz had a similar situation.
Their starting lineup was center Greg Foster, power forward Malone, small forward Bryon Russell, shooting guard Hornacek, and point guard Stockton.
Russell played all 82 games, Malone 81, Hornacek 80, and Foster 78. The only player with a significant number of missed games was point guard Stockton, who was injured for 18 games this season!
If Stockton had been healthier this season, the Lakers might not have secured the top spot in the regular season.
Without the foundation of a regular season championship, if this Game 7 were played on the Utah Jazz's home court... the outcome would likely have been a repeat of last year.
At least, this Game 7 played in Los Angeles gave the Lakers an advantage in officiating due to home-court benefit!
The game began with O'Neal winning the tip-off against Foster, giving the Lakers the opportunity for the first possession.
He Ximeng brought the ball past half-court, called for a high-post screen from Horry, drawing Malone out, and then lobbed the ball to O'Neal in the paint... This was the Lakers' most common strategy in recent games.
Initially, the Jazz's response was for Malone not to follow out, continuing to roam in the low post.
He Ximeng unhesitatingly passed back to Horry, allowing him to shoot directly from the high post... Horry's shooting ability was considered excellent among big men!
If Horry's shot was hot, the Jazz couldn't handle it!
There was no other option; Malone had to follow out. Coach Sloan had Russell, who was guarding Fox on the weak side, rotate back to help Foster defend O'Neal. It had some effect, but it was limited. Otherwise, O'Neal wouldn't have averaged 31 points in the previous games.
More often, the Jazz tried to wear down O'Neal through constant pressure.
But to the Jazz's surprise, O'Neal was quite disciplined now, and his physical reserves were not as depleted as they appeared. Having been worn down by the Jazz for six consecutive games, O'Neal in this game was still ferociously strong!
On the first possession, O'Neal received the ball and shot. Before Russell's double-team could arrive, he muscled past Foster and drove into the paint, turning for a powerful dunk!
This play was partly due to O'Neal's powerful turn, which directly pushed aside Foster's resistance. On the other hand, He Ximeng's pass was perfectly timed, requiring minimal adjustment from O'Neal before he could attack the basket.
Turning around, Stockton and Malone executed a classic pick-and-roll at the right elbow. Stockton drove and passed, and Malone, near the free-throw line, completely ignored He Ximeng's close-out defense, caught the ball, and rose for a shot...
Malone, at 2.06 meters tall and skilled in jump shots, leaped high, leaving the pursuing He Ximeng with nothing but to watch.
Malone calmly sank the mid-range shot, giving the Jazz their first points.
On the Lakers' second possession, He Ximeng still wanted to find O'Neal, but this time, Foster chose to front the post, refusing to give O'Neal an easy catch.
On the other side, Russell abandoned Fox and quickly rotated back, wary of He Ximeng lobbing the ball behind Foster.
Seeing this, He Ximeng decisively passed the ball to Eddie Jones at the top of the arc, shouting, "Keep passing!"
Eddie Jones immediately understood, catching and passing without dribbling, immediately sending the ball to Fox on the left low post.
Through rapid ball movement, the Lakers shifted the ball from the right to the left, forcing Russell to return to defend Fox. If Russell didn't, Fox would have shot without hesitation if he found himself open.
Upon seeing the ball's trajectory, O'Neal immediately realized that his position offered a great opportunity!
So, he turned around, firmly pinning Foster, who had been in front of him, behind his back!
When Fox saw an opening in the paint, he didn't rush his shot. Instead, he waited for Russell to close in and then delivered a bounce pass to O'Neal in the paint!
O'Neal caught the ball, turned, and executed a hook shot, scoring two more points!