In the final minute of the third quarter, Kobe first used a post-up against Charlie Ward, scoring with a fadeaway jumper. He then stole the ball from Allan Houston and completed a fast break layup.
With four consecutive points, Kobe helped the Lakers extend their lead to five.
Although Coach Van Gundy was disappointed that his team couldn't erase the deficit before the start of the fourth quarter, he rallied his players, encouraging them to stick to their strategy from the first three quarters: "Hold the paint, and victory will eventually be ours…"
As soon as he finished speaking, the fourth quarter began.
He Xi Meng, coming off the bench, hit a pull-up three-pointer over Allan Houston without any warning!
The key was how unexpected the shot was. Allan Houston didn't even have time to react as He Xi Meng completed his release, leaving Houston to watch the ball fly into the basket.
The entire Lakers crowd erupted, with some fans already chanting "Simon is MVP."
He Xi Meng himself pumped his fist and waved, hyping himself up. This was a confidence-building shot; hitting it meant he was in the zone and could keep shooting…
On the second possession, Allan Houston guarded He Xi Meng tightly to prevent a repeat of the previous play. He Xi Meng called for a screen from Kobe, switching onto Charlie Ward and then passing the ball to Kobe, seemingly setting him up for a one-on-one.
But He Xi Meng wasn't done. He cut towards the basket, using Nate's off-ball screen, and emerged from under the rim to the three-point line on Kobe's side just before Kobe attempted his post-up.
Kobe, originally preparing to shoot himself, was slightly surprised to see He Xi Meng moving so quickly.
However, having played together for nearly three seasons, Kobe immediately understood He Xi Meng's intention. Seeing that He Xi Meng had just made a three-pointer and was feeling hot, Kobe didn't rush his shot. Instead, he waited for He Xi Meng to get into position and then passed him the ball.
Perfect timing, perfect execution! He Xi Meng received Kobe's excellent pass, turned, and took an uncontested fadeaway three-pointer.
In this moment, He Xi Meng was channeling his inner "G6 Thompson," sinking his second three-pointer of the fourth quarter, while Kobe effortlessly recorded an assist.
After connecting on a pull-up three and a catch-and-shoot three after a cut, He Xi Meng's offensive aggression was fully unleashed.
Within the next minute, He Xi Meng hit another three-pointer from two steps beyond the arc, using a dribble change and a step-back jumper!
In just over two minutes, He Xi Meng, under the defense of Allan Houston, drained three three-pointers, completely shattering the confidence of the "Mid-range King." In these same possessions, Allan Houston only made one shot, a two-pointer.
Led by He Xi Meng, the Lakers went on a 9-2 scoring run, extending their lead to twelve points! This run cemented the Lakers' victory in this game.
With a final score of 94-87, the Lakers, without Shaquille O'Neal, successfully won the first game of the NBA Finals.
This brought relief to the worried Lakers fans before the game and left the Knicks fans, who had been clamoring for a sweep, stunned.
He Xi Meng led all scorers with 27 points and 11 assists. Kobe had 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists. Glen Rice contributed 19 points and 6 rebounds, while Derek Fisher added 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists.
"Fluid perimeter offense, precise passing and ball-handling, very low turnover rate… And unparalleled unity, trust, and chemistry allowed us to play our best game despite being at a disadvantage in terms of roster. Today, every player performed to their fullest potential, and I am proud of them…" Coach Harris said with a smile at the post-game press conference.
With O'Neal out, He Xi Meng, scoring the most points, naturally represented the Lakers alongside head coach Harris at the press conference.
He Xi Meng didn't particularly enjoy attending press conferences, perhaps due to the sheer volume of them in the past, dealing with reporters daily had become tiresome. After a few seasons of relative quiet, he was now feeling swamped again. Fortunately, He Xi Meng had developed some strategies for dealing with the media.
His approach was roughly two parts truth, seven parts falsehood, and one part enigmatic, deliberately vague statements that obscured the truth.
When asked by reporters about the secret to the Lakers' victory in this game, He Xi Meng unhesitatingly replied, "It was because we were united and trusted each other! Shaq's unexpected injury initially made us very down. But we didn't give up. We knew that being dejected wouldn't help us win. But unity and trust could. We fought until the very end and secured the victory, which is a credit to all the players…"
As he spoke, He Xi Meng realized his style had gone off-track and quickly stopped, handing the floor back to head coach Harris.
Meanwhile, Van Gundy, who had expected the Lakers without O'Neal to be like a toothless tiger at the mercy of the Knicks, concluded his press conference with a grim expression.
To most of the reporters' questions, Van Gundy had nothing to say. Only to open-ended questions, such as "Please discuss why the Knicks lost this game," would he offer brief remarks.
"Well… we weren't good enough defensively. We gave our opponents too many open looks from the perimeter. In the next game, we won't make the same mistakes…"
In Game 2 of the Finals, Van Gundy indeed kept his promise, further intensifying the Knicks' defensive pressure. He stationed Patrick Ewing alone in the paint and had the other four players spread out, pushing the defensive intensity to the three-point line.
Van Gundy demanded both interior and perimeter defense.
Such a requirement couldn't be faulted. However, Van Gundy failed to consider the Knicks' actual situation. Ewing was not 27 years old, but 37. A 37-year-old veteran tasked with defending the entire paint would face immense defensive pressure.
And Ewing, known as a tough competitor in the league, wouldn't allow himself to say "I can't." Thus, facing the onslaught from He Xi Meng, Kobe, and Glen Rice of the Lakers, Ewing scrambled, doused fires, and rotated to cover. The result was that the Knicks indeed won Game 2 of the Finals, but Ewing was injured and left the game before its conclusion. Post-game examinations revealed that Ewing had torn ligaments, ending his season and his Finals journey.
Ewing, ultimately, could not escape his fate as a tragic hero.