O'Neal didn't even have time to jump for a second block; the kid Duncan had already snatched the two points.
O'Neal, stunned and with a hint of helplessness, turned to start his own offense. The Lakers wanted to continue feeding O'Neal for a post-up, but this time Duncan moved quickly, immediately getting into position to contest O'Neal's turnaround shot. O'Neal was forced to pass to AC Green on the other side!
AC Green dribbled once, looking to finish the possession with a dunk. But that dribble was his undoing, giving Duncan time to recover. By the time AC Green leaped for the dunk, Duncan was already back in position, meeting AC Green head-on in the air and swatting the dunk away!
The Lakers fans in the arena let out a collective groan, sympathizing with AC Green's misfortune and expressing surprise at Duncan's sudden ferocity.
Fortunately, the ball remained with the Lakers. Duncan had blocked it out of bounds.
The Lakers inbounded again, and Kobe received the ball at the three-point line. Facing Mario Elie, he opted for a drive, pull-up jumper combo!
The ball swished through the net. Kobe had found his rhythm.
On the Spurs' second possession, He Xi Meng didn't want to risk David Robinson again. Instead, he calmly called for a high-post screen from Duncan, creating a mismatch against AC Green. AC Green seemed to still be reeling from Duncan's block on the previous play, showing a slight hesitation during the switch. Or perhaps AC Green anticipated He Xi Meng would pass back to Duncan, positioning himself closer to Duncan, looking for a steal?
He Xi Meng immediately read AC Green's anticipation. He faked a pass, drawing AC Green in, then drove all the way to the basket, scoring a layup before O'Neal could rotate over to help.
While He Xi Meng was known throughout the league for his three-point shooting, that didn't mean he wasn't adept at driving to the basket.
Attacking the rim for a score was the most fundamental scoring ability for any player. AC Green had been careless on this play.
O'Neal didn't say anything. Everyone has their off moments, especially against a point guard of He Xi Meng's caliber. O'Neal actually felt AC Green had gotten the short end of the stick, and it was perfectly normal.
Kobe, on the other hand, reacted more strongly. His brows furrowed, and he asked AC Green with a puzzled expression, "How could you give He Xi Meng such an easy scoring opportunity?"
AC Green was left speechless by Kobe's question, only managing to promise it wouldn't happen again.
On the Lakers' third possession, the ball again went to O'Neal in the low post. Facing a double-team from David Robinson and Duncan, O'Neal forced up a high-arcing shot!
Well… on this shot, O'Neal seemed to have overestimated himself, putting too much faith in his shooting touch.
The ball caromed off the rim. David Robinson secured the defensive rebound and passed it to He Xi Meng to bring it upcourt.
He Xi Meng pushed the ball past half-court and, in a one-on-one with Harper, attempted a step-back three-pointer…
*Clang!* The ball bounced off the rim. He Xi Meng's first three-point attempt of the game ended in a miss.
Despite the miss, He Xi Meng didn't give up, looking to crash the boards for a put-back.
However, Kobe on the other side secured the rebound before He Xi Meng could, snatching it into his hands.
With the ball, Kobe immediately went into transition, driving forward with He Xi Meng trailing him.
He Xi Meng dared not foul. He had played Kobe one-on-one countless times and knew that if he committed, Kobe would simply change direction, blow past him, and likely finish with a one-handed dunk. As long as he didn't foul, Kobe couldn't directly attack the basket, and the outcome would be either a pass or his favored fadeaway jumper from mid-range.
As expected, on this possession, Kobe chose the fadeaway jumper and, despite He Xi Meng's defense, successfully made the shot!
After making the basket, Kobe didn't forget to give He Xi Meng a provocative glance, as if to say, "Come on, let's go one-on-one…"
On this possession, Kobe voluntarily switched with Harper, creating a mismatch against He Xi Meng and giving him an opportunity to retaliate.
But He Xi Meng ignored Kobe, dribbled past half-court, and attempted a bounce pass to Duncan, who was coming out to receive it at the high post… but He Xi Meng committed a turnover!
Kobe had anticipated that He Xi Meng wouldn't engage in a direct scoring duel until he was truly provoked. Therefore, Kobe's focus was on He Xi Meng's passes! Passes could be lobs, chest passes, or bounce passes…
Kobe waved his arms, seemingly to disrupt a lob pass, but in reality, he was subtly guiding He Xi Meng towards a bounce pass. Caught off guard, He Xi Meng's pass was intercepted by Kobe!
"Damn it! Careless!"
He Xi Meng, having just been stripped by Kobe, immediately tried to recover the ball, but Kobe, having tasted blood, wasn't about to give it back.
Kobe protected the ball and accelerated into transition, attempting to repeat his previous move and hit He Xi Meng with another fadeaway jumper!
He Xi Meng didn't have many good options against this move from Kobe. He could either risk a strip as Kobe was gathering for the shot or try to use his "eye-closing" skill, with success depending on luck, as Kobe was familiar with this tactic.
On this possession, He Xi Meng, who had just been stripped by Kobe, got a bit lucky. Kobe's jump shot clanged off the rim.
He Xi Meng turned and grabbed the defensive rebound, bringing the ball up himself. Kobe continued to pressure He Xi Meng, hoping to force another turnover, but He Xi Meng, having just made a mistake, wasn't about to repeat it.
On this play, He Xi Meng faked a drive, shook Kobe, and forcefully penetrated the Lakers' paint. Just as Kobe expected He Xi Meng to go up for a layup, He Xi Meng, facing a double-team from Kobe and O'Neal, pulled back and, weaving through the defenders, slipped the ball behind O'Neal to David Robinson!
David Robinson, of course, seized the opportunity for an easy score. Ignoring his aging body, he rose up and completed a two-handed dunk before O'Neal could recover! It wasn't spectacular, but for David Robinson at this stage, it was a full-effort play.
In the early stages of the game, the Lakers had both O'Neal and Kobe firing on all cylinders, their offense potent. Their third option, Glen Rice, hadn't had many opportunities to shine yet.
For the Spurs, Duncan was scoring heavily, David Robinson was also chipping in with He Xi Meng's assistance, and He Xi Meng himself was scoring when he could, though his specialty, the three-pointer, hadn't yet dropped.
Both teams had their two core players in gear, with one core player in reserve for each. The scores were trading back and forth; neither team could gain a decisive advantage.