And so, Antoine Walker, full of anticipation, missed an uncontested dunk, a truly awkward moment.
Having stolen the ball, Duncan then promptly flung it forward, passing it to He Xi Meng, who was driving towards the basket!
The West team's transition defense was incredibly swift on this play; the East team couldn't mount any effective resistance. He Xi Meng drove all the way, saw no players chasing him from behind, slowed down, leaped, performed a 360-degree spin, and then slammed the ball home with a two-handed dunk!
He Xi Meng had performed this very move on the All-Star stage before! It was rejected by the rim, earning him the moniker "Carter of San Antonio"!
For this year's All-Star Game, He Xi Meng had long planned to "avenge his past humiliation." He hadn't expected the opportunity to arise so soon, with Duncan creating such a good chance for him right at the start!
He Xi Meng, of course, didn't hesitate and followed through with this standing two-handed dunk!
This dunk served as a small compensation to the fans for He Xi Meng not participating in the dunk contest!
He Xi Meng wasn't incapable of dunking; rather, he was thrifty with his dunks. When he first entered the league, He Xi Meng didn't want to be labeled a dunker. Now, He Xi Meng more often than not wanted to avoid increasing his risk of injury.
He Xi Meng's standing dunk with a minimal run-up and a 360-degree spin was no less spectacular than Kobe's earlier one-handed posterizing alley-oop!
With Carter unable to play in this year's All-Star Game due to injury, the fans on-site had worried they might not see many spectacular dunks. Unexpectedly, Kobe and He Xi Meng, the former Lakers' twin stars, delivered two stunning dunks consecutively right at the start, one after another, instantly igniting the atmosphere!
When it was the East team's turn to counter-attack, Mutombo and Antoine Walker in the paint seemed unlikely to break through the West team's defense directly. As for the guards, whether it was Kidd, Iverson, or the current "Jordan," none of them seemed particularly adept at direct dunks...
So, Kidd and "Jordan" connected, with Kidd breaking through the West's defense. "Jordan" followed behind, gathered all his strength, caught the ball, and flew up, aiming to give the West a dunk in return, but… he missed!
Yes, the once invincible god of the basketball world, the league's strongest dunker, had missed!
The ball hit the far side of the rim and bounced out, a rarity in "Jordan's" career!
The crowd's cheers, half-uttered, abruptly stopped with the high-flying basketball.
Even Duncan, who grabbed the rebound, was stunned, unsure whether to pass for a counter-attack.
It felt as if a pause button had been pressed on the arena; everyone was unsure how to react to the situation, whether to laugh or feel disappointed.
As the player involved, "Jordan" was the first to laugh at himself. It was precisely with "Jordan's" self-deprecating opening that the fans' laughter became less awkward.
After the game, when asked about the play, "Jordan" still smiled and explained: "As you get older, you don't have the same confidence. I drove, prepared to dunk, but it didn't happen… It's funny. I even wanted to laugh at myself…"
Finally, "Jordan" added: "If I can't laugh at myself, I can't laugh at anyone else!"
After "Jordan's" failed dunk attempt, the East team temporarily abandoned the idea of counter-attacking with dunks and instead relied on their stronger outside shooting.
Whether it was "Jordan's" fadeaway jumper or Iverson's pull-up jumper, they were more reliable than driving to the basket.
However, the momentum on the court was clearly suppressed by the West team.
Moreover, Iverson seemed to be nursing an injury today.
Why did He Xi Meng have this suspicion?
Because Iverson's attitude towards the game was similar to Kobe's: when on the court, he wanted to win. If he didn't, it wasn't because he truly didn't want to, but because he couldn't. This meant Iverson had a physical issue today! And it was hindering his performance. Otherwise, seeing Kobe and He Xi Meng so energetic on the opposing side, Iverson would not have remained passive.
It wasn't until Iverson left the court and McGrady came on as a substitute that the East team's situation improved!
Upon entering the game, McGrady ignited the crowd's passion with a self-alley-oop off the backboard followed by a spinning reverse dunk!
This dunk was hailed as one of the most classic dunks in All-Star history!
With McGrady leading the charge, the East team finally began to gain momentum, even outplaying the West All-Stars' bench unit.
Kobe saw that "this won't do." He had no intention of giving Scott's East team any chance to rally in this game, so he approached "the Zen Master" and requested to re-enter the game!
"The Zen Master" was currently coaching the Lakers, so he wouldn't stop Kobe from playing.
However, before Kobe entered, he also requested that He Xi Meng be brought back onto the court!
Although "the Zen Master" didn't quite understand why Kobe insisted on bringing He Xi Meng back in with him, he couldn't be bothered to investigate.
Both Kobe and He Xi Meng had now grown into the most dominant generation of active NBA stars, with considerable influence among fans. Even a veteran like "the Zen Master" wouldn't want to have an unpleasant interaction with them unless absolutely necessary.
Therefore, since Kobe insisted, "the Zen Master" agreed.
After all, it was just a performance-oriented game; as long as the fans were happy.
"You can play if you want, but why are you calling me?" He Xi Meng was just about to rest and enjoy watching the battle between McGrady and Kobe when he was unexpectedly dragged onto the court by Kobe.
"That won't do! If my playing time far exceeds yours, and we win, it wouldn't be a fair victory!"
Today, Kobe not only wanted to embarrass Scott but also wanted to defeat He Xi Meng head-on. Kobe wanted to achieve both goals!
Since Kobe was so insistent, He Xi Meng had no reason to slack off!
Once on the court, the two displayed great chemistry, essentially taking turns with one shot opportunity each.
The West teammates also noticed that Kobe and He Xi Meng seemed to be competing against each other, so they proactively ceded possession for this period to the two of them.
Kobe primarily employed mid-range fadeaway jumpers and drives to the basket, adopting a flashy style, paying homage to the Wizards' number 23, "Jordan," on the opposing team.
After his opening dunk, He Xi Meng returned to his strongest area: three-point shooting, continuously challenging the three-point line, retreating step by step from the baseline to near the center court logo.
Although He Xi Meng's overall shooting percentage was not as high as Kobe's, three-pointers inherently offer more points; two two-point shots are equivalent to only two three-point shots…
As the first half drew to a close, the West team led the East team by 17 points, with a score of 72-55.
Kobe had scored 19 points, needing 2 more to reach their agreed-upon 21 points.
He Xi Meng had scored 18 points, needing 3 more to reach their agreed-upon 21 points.
Who would reach 21 points first?