The second half began with both sides going all out!
Both head coaches demanded their players fight hard on defense. Even He Ximeng, a point guard who typically played on the perimeter, was told by Coach Harris: "Go charge forward bravely..."
Alright! In critical moments, both veteran head coaches indeed believed that defense was the ultimate password to winning!
The consequence was a barrage of whistles on the court and constant turnovers. The competition was fierce, but the scoring was low.
The intense battle between the two teams continued until the final minute of the game. Stockton drove past He Ximeng and hit a mid-range pull-up jumper, helping the Jazz take the lead 94-93.
When it came down to true grit and determination, Stockton was indeed relentless!
Regarding this, He Ximeng felt he truly needed to learn from Stockton!
After all, before entering the league, He Ximeng's developmental template was Stockton!
Throughout this series, media reporters frequently compared He Ximeng and Stockton.
Both were adept at organizing play and both were skilled at scoring from the perimeter!
Stockton's physique appeared even leaner than He Ximeng's, yet in actual defensive situations, Stockton's defensive aggression was stronger than He Ximeng's, with quicker hands and more decisiveness!
Conversely, He Ximeng's defense was too "clean"! Most of his steals didn't come from aggressive swipes, but from exceptionally sharp anticipations, followed by excellent leaps and quick reflexes to intercept passes.
Turning around, it was the Lakers' turn to attack. He Ximeng still wanted to find Shaq in the paint, but the Jazz defense was incredibly fierce, truly denying the Lakers any opportunities.
The ball circulated among Horry, Eddie Jones, and Kobe, but no one could find an opening to shoot.
With the 24-second clock winding down, Kobe took a gamble, forcing a drive against Russell. After a pull-up, fadeaway jumper, unfortunately, this Kobe was not the present-day Jordan, nor the future Black Mamba. The ball bounced off the rim. Kobe charged in, aiming for a put-back. Russell, who was guarding him closely, was not about to give Kobe that chance. The moment Kobe was about to grab the rebound, Russell forcefully swatted the ball away from Kobe's hands towards the perimeter...
He Ximeng and Stockton simultaneously vied for the loose ball. Stockton shoved hard, and He Ximeng met him head-on, refusing to yield. In the tussle, He Ximeng managed to gain half a step, securing the ball with his left hand, and with his right hand, he broke free from Stockton's grasp, took one dribble, and drove straight into the paint!
Inside the paint, Kobe bravely engaged Russell's help defense to create space for He Ximeng to take flight. On the left side, Malone shoved Horry aside and lunged ferociously, adopting a posture as if to block He Ximeng and the ball into the ground. His intention was to intimidate He Ximeng, forcing him into a mistake...
Although He Ximeng was technically a second-year rookie, his mind was already that of a seasoned veteran. This kind of intimidating defense might work on rookies fresh into the league, but to scare He Ximeng? Malone had clearly miscalculated!
He Ximeng's original plan was to extend his left hand to block Malone's advance, hold the ball with his right hand, and directly dunk it into the hoop!
This move was feasible against ordinary defenders.
However, He Ximeng had overlooked a crucial detail: Malone was not an ordinary player!
Peak Shaquille O'Neal's bench press was 198 kg, peak LeBron James's was 190 kg, peak Dwight Howard's was 160 kg... while peak Karl Malone's bench press was a staggering 230 kg!
He Ximeng thought his left hand could momentarily delay Malone, allowing him to complete the dunk. However, after contact with the charging Malone, He Ximeng felt an overwhelming force transfer from his left side. He could no longer maintain his forward momentum. The impact from Malone sent his entire body veering off diagonally to the right. If he forced the dunk, firstly, it might fail, and secondly, he might run into Malone's monstrous hand...
In a flash, He Ximeng didn't lose his composure. He decisively abandoned the dunk, retrieved the ball, and, following the direction he was thrown, transitioned into an extreme mid-air floater...
This move had been executed by Allen Iverson!
His entire body tilted, leaned back, and lay horizontally in mid-air... and just before reaching a near-horizontal position, he powerfully launched the ball!
The referee, not forgetting this was the Lakers' home court, immediately blew his whistle after Malone sent He Ximeng flying. He didn't believe He Ximeng could still make the shot in this situation.
Even the fans in the arena, seeing He Ximeng's spectacular dunk disrupted by Malone, let out sighs of regret. They hadn't realized He Ximeng wasn't giving up yet. What followed, a shot that looked purely like a follow-through of the attempted dunk, actually went in!
The ball traced a bizarre arc through the air... Yes, a bizarre arc! Because it was acted upon by two forces simultaneously, one forward, and one in the direction He Ximeng was thrown... This wasn't a simple parabolic trajectory, but the ball ended up swishing through the net cleanly, without even touching the backboard!
On this shot, He Ximeng's touch was as if Allen Iverson had possessed him...
He Ximeng contorted his body in mid-air, watching the ball descend along with his own body... Except, the ball landed in the hoop, while He Ximeng landed on the floor...
"Bang!" A heavy thud echoed. He Ximeng, prepared for the impact, didn't foolishly resist the floor. Instead, the moment he landed, he braced himself with his arms, then rolled and absorbed the force...
The maneuver looked somewhat tragic, as he tumbled on the floor for two full revolutions before stopping the momentum, lying there panting.
However, He Ximeng's action did startle his teammates.
Kobe and Shaq, the closest, immediately rushed over to check on He Ximeng.
Kobe: "Hey, bro, you okay?"
Shaquille O'Neal: "Hey, bro, you ain't dead, are ya?"
A slight difference in wording reflected their contrasting mindsets.
Kobe, ever precise, while Shaq, even at this moment, hadn't forgotten to inject a bit of humor...
He Ximeng moved his limbs, checked himself for any injuries, then rolled over to face his teammates, gasping for air and feigning weakness: "Just barely, Shaq! Just barely, and Karl would have killed me!"
Seeing He Ximeng's demeanor, Shaq knew he was fine. He couldn't help but break into a radiant smile and said to He Ximeng on the floor: "Don't worry, Ximeng! If Karl had killed you, we would have made him pay with his blood..."
Kobe rolled his eyes at Shaq, then at He Ximeng, with an expression of disdain!
"What time is it? This is a do-or-die Game 7! I'm worried sick, and you two are still in the mood for banter? Can you be a little more serious? Can't we save the jokes until after the game?"