It really is the Lakers' home court!
Even the backboard and the hoop showed Shaq so much respect.
After the putback, O'Neal was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but be happy.
As the Spurs called a timeout, O'Neal directly started a hip-shaking dance under the basket, celebrating a little before returning to the Lakers' bench.
With only 30 seconds left in the game, Kobe's free throw + O'Neal's putback was equivalent to a 2+1 for the Lakers, successfully taking the lead at 97:96! Losing the defensive rebound and allowing the opponent to score three consecutive points made Popovich very unhappy.
The purpose of calling this timeout was twofold: first, to remind the interior big men not to be careless, and not to assume O'Neal's dominance under the basket would decline just because he was tired; second, Popovich devised a safe offensive tactic, instructing He Xi Meng to pass the ball to Duncan for what was likely the Spurs' final attack.
Yes, on the current Spurs team, Popovich's most trusted scoring option was not David Robinson, nor He Xi Meng, but Duncan!
The Admiral was getting old, and he had no advantage when matched up against O'Neal; He Xi Meng was young, but he was a perimeter shooter whose touch had been inconsistent this year, posing a greater risk. In contrast, Duncan was closer to the basket, and his shot was more stable than He Xi Meng's. Therefore, if He Xi Meng were in Popovich's position, managing this Spurs team, He Xi Meng would likely have also entrusted this offense to Duncan.
After all, Duncan had been shooting remarkably well today, scoring a team-high 27 points so far. He Xi Meng only had 20 points, and David Robinson had only scored 15...
After the timeout, He Xi Meng controlled the ball on the perimeter, Duncan set a high screen. He Xi Meng drove and passed back to Duncan, who feigned a shot, tapping Horry, who was closing in...
Yes, in the final stage of the game, Harris had benched AC Green, who had been playing poorly today, opting for Horry, who was more agile both mentally and physically.
Horry dared not jump, fearing being knocked over by Duncan. However, Duncan's first step back after collecting the dribble was incredibly quick. Horry couldn't recover in time, and Duncan blew past him. O'Neal, low on the block, quickly shuffled over to guard Duncan. As a result, Duncan passed on the move, an inside-to-inside pass, a bounce pass to David Robinson, who was behind O'Neal!
O'Neal thought he had been tricked, yelling "Shit!" as he spun around and lunged, trying to block David Robinson's shot! However, David Robinson didn't shoot; he sidestepped the lunging O'Neal and then made a hand-off pass back to the driving Duncan. Duncan caught the ball and exploded, ignoring Horry's block, and slammed the ball into the Lakers' basket with both hands...
On this play, O'Neal, at the low post, was toyed with by the Spurs' twin towers. Not only that, but Duncan's surprise attack succeeded, regaining the lead for the Spurs at 98:97!
With only 8 seconds left in the game, it was now the Lakers' turn to call a timeout and set up their final offensive play.
O'Neal, who had just been dancing and celebrating, was now looking dejected. However, he still needed to gather himself, as the first scoring option for the Lakers' final play, as designed by Harris, was him!
However, Harris also knew that Popovich would likely anticipate his choice and heavily defend O'Neal. Therefore, he didn't make the strategy rigid, giving Kobe, the second scoring option, considerable discretion.
As expected, after the timeout, Kobe ran to the three-point line, took the ball from Harper, and used Horry's high pick-and-roll to get a mismatch against Elliott!
During this process, Kobe kept an eye on O'Neal in the low post, looking for an opportunity to pass him the ball. However, the Spurs' twin towers double-teamed O'Neal with all their might, giving him no chance to receive the ball in the post.
With no passing options, Kobe, in the final moments, chose to take on Elliott one-on-one and, with his signature fadeaway jumper, put the outcome of this game for the Lakers on the line! 138 Reading Net
As the scoreboard lit up, the final buzzer sounded...
With a crisp and pleasant swish, Kobe's buzzer-beating game-winner found its mark!
99:98!
The entire stadium erupted in cheers, and Kobe, excitedly tearing his jersey, was mobbed by his teammates in a sea of celebration.
Kobe won his gamble on the final play! With his signature fadeaway jumper, he buzzer-beater to defeat the Spurs, helping the Lakers narrowly win at home by one point!
"It went in?" Duncan, looking at the jubilant Lakers, asked He Xi Meng next to him with disbelief, pointing at the scoreboard.
He Xi Meng patted Duncan on the back, consoling him, "Don't doubt it! It went in, the two points count!"
"Shit! We were so close to defending that play..."
"Close doesn't count! Just accept this loss with grace..."
"It's not that I can't accept the loss, it just feels like... a little bit of a shame..."
"It's just one game, the series is still long! Let's pack up and head back to the hotel... The coaching staff will probably give us an analysis report tomorrow. It seems we didn't defend well enough today..."
"Indeed! We let O'Neal and Kobe score too many points!"
"O'Neal had 30 points, Kobe had 26 points!"
"Hmm? That doesn't seem like a lot, does it?"
"It depends on the context. The key is that besides the O'Neal-Kobe combination, we didn't limit the other Lakers players very well. This wasn't our best defensive performance, we could have defended better!"
"Yeah, that makes sense."
...
As Duncan and He Xi Meng walked back to the bench, they analyzed some of the core issues of the game.
Kobe, after the celebration, had intended to find He Xi Meng to catch up and brag about the game-winning buzzer-beater. However, He Xi Meng didn't give him the chance, leaving the court with Duncan and returning to the locker room.
At the post-game press conference, both Coach Harris and Coach Popovich praised Kobe's performance in the game. Especially the game-winning shot, which perfectly showcased Kobe's clutch mentality.
Kobe, at the press conference, basked in the media's adulation, managing to contain his inner joy and humbly stating, "I just want to bring more wins to Los Angeles..."
Yes, Kobe was still quite humble and cautious at this time.
The next day, Kobe's statement, as expected, became the lead headline for all of Los Angeles' sports media. Kobe's popularity and prestige among the Los Angeles fanbase had once again risen a notch...