He Ximeng lay sprawled on the floor, resting for half a minute. After the main referee confirmed that He Ximeng had no "concussion" or other issues, he allowed Kobe and O'Neal to help him up from the floor, one on each side.
The Lakers fans in the arena had all stood up after He Ximeng fell, staring at the big screen with anxious concern for his condition. At this critical juncture, the Lakers could not afford any more injuries.
Finally, when they saw He Ximeng stand up again with the help of Kobe and O'Neal, the arena erupted in the most enthusiastic applause!
Many fans were shouting He Ximeng's name, and some even shouted...
Ultimately, Stockton's steal attempt failed, and He Ximeng, in the chaos, dribbled past Stockton and drove into the Jazz's paint!
Facing a double-team from Malone and Foster in the paint, He Ximeng jumped three steps, dodged in mid-air, and finally opted for a layup, throwing the ball under Foster to O'Neal behind him.
O'Neal caught the ball and soared, completing a powerful two-handed dunk over the heads of Foster and Malone!
He Ximeng, caught between Foster and Malone, couldn't escape and was almost accidentally injured by O'Neal.
98:95!
O'Neal's dunk successfully helped the Lakers extend their lead to 3 points!
With only 8 seconds left in the game, the Lakers were at least in an invincible position, and the situation was very favorable for them!
The Jazz were forced to attempt a three-point strategy. Between Stockton and Hornacek, Coach Sloan finally chose the former.
Stockton used Malone's screen to create space and shot a fadeaway jumper over He Ximeng.
He Ximeng, while trying his best not to foul, lunged forward to contest the shot.
The ball arced through the air, looking like a promising shot. He Ximeng even had a premonition that the ball might go in, but it brushed the rim and bounced out.
A scramble ensued under the basket, and Horry secured the rebound amidst the chaos. The final buzzer sounded, and the Atlan Forum Arena erupted in deafening cheers and applause: the Lakers had advanced to the NBA Finals!
98:95, the Lakers narrowly defeated the Jazz by three points in the decisive Game 7, becoming the Western Conference champions!
The moment the buzzer sounded, an excited Kobe ran straight towards him, wanting to do a chest bump with He Ximeng.
O'Neal, who was closer to He Ximeng, immediately hugged him and, without waiting for He Ximeng's consent, started spinning him around.
"Uh... guys, did you misunderstand the last play? Actually, I didn't block Stockton's shot, it was just that Stockton was unlucky and the ball missed."
But the Lakers players couldn't be bothered with such details. In any case, Stockton's shot had gone wide under He Ximeng's defensive pressure, so the credit was attributed to He Ximeng. Well, as long as they were happy.