Amidst the general pessimism of most fans, He Xi Meng sank this unreasonable, ultra-long three-pointer!
With two consecutive three-pointers, He Xi Meng successfully helped the Lakers narrow the score difference to 2 points. The two sides were essentially back to the same starting line, and in terms of team morale, the home team Lakers held the advantage.
"See? I told you Xi Meng was just slacking off," Harris, by the sidelines, couldn't help but express his joy to the coaching staff after his taunting strategy proved effective.
The sideline assistant coaches responded with awkward smiles, as if saying, "As long as you're happy..."
In fact, He Xi Meng himself didn't expect to make both of these three-pointers. He was just following Head Coach Harris's instructions to show his aggression...
Due to He Xi Meng's sudden explosion, the Jazz did not dare to underestimate them! Stockton, before Head Coach Sloan could call a timeout, proactively made a tactical change, calling for Russell to help him with the double-team.
At this critical moment, Stockton's first thought was that he had to curb He Xi Meng's scorching hot hand, regardless of whether this would lead to Kobe going off. Stockton couldn't worry about that for the moment.
Treating the head when it hurts, and the foot when it aches. When there's no other choice, you have to pick the lesser of two evils.
Seeing that the Jazz had adjusted so quickly and that his shot difficulty had instantly multiplied, He Xi Meng decisively passed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe had been blocked by Russell for three quarters, and his shooting percentage was dismal. Now, with Russell shifting his defensive focus to He Xi Meng to assist Stockton in containing He Xi Meng's three-point shooting, Kobe's defensive intensity naturally decreased.
Kobe, who had been holding back for three quarters, immediately began to attack the Jazz's basket, scoring close-range points.
The Jazz had contained the Lakers for three quarters, but in this final quarter, they could no longer hold them back and began to be overwhelmed.
The Lakers, using He Xi Meng's three-pointers as a breakthrough, tore open a gap in the Jazz's defense and used this to activate Kobe, allowing the team's overall offense to start flowing.
Thus, amidst the cheers of the entire crowd, the Lakers, with Shaq's post-up offense as the foundation, combined with He Xi Meng's outside three-pointers or Kobe's drives to the basket, successfully staged a comeback in the fourth quarter! They not only erased the deficit dug in the previous three quarters but also took a 1-point lead over the Jazz at the last moment.
On the final possession, He Xi Meng passed the ball to Shaq, who drew a double-team with his post-up play and passed it back to Kobe, who was facilitating. Kobe was originally going to pass it back to Shaq, but he saw He Xi Meng quietly appearing in the corner, unguarded... Kobe decisively changed his mind and passed the ball to He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng caught the ball and shot, sinking a three-pointer that locked in the victory.
In the end, the home team Lakers, with their explosive fourth quarter, narrowly defeated the strong Jazz 95:91 by four points, defending their home honor.
He Xi Meng became the surprise player in this victory! Although he only had 20 points and 8 assists for the game, his stats were not particularly outstanding. However, of his 20 points, 13 were scored during the crucial comeback moments of the fourth quarter, making them extremely valuable.
Shaq once again had a team-high 31 points and 14 rebounds, the undisputed anchor of the Lakers.
Kobe's shooting touch was off today, but he still managed a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, showing exceptional effort and intensity!
In contrast, Eddie Jones, after being locked down by Pippen in the previous game, couldn't escape Hornacek's interference in this game either. He only made 1 of 10 shots, appearing to be sleepwalking throughout the game with a dismal stat line of 3 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Eddie Jones's performance made He Xi Meng recall the past struggles of Ceballos...
The Lakers' third game of the new season was a back-to-back match against the Spurs in San Antonio!
This season's Spurs are not to be trifled with. After a season of development, Duncan has become more mature, more stable, and more formidable.
Furthermore, the Spurs' roster this season is essentially the same as last season, very stable. Their only reinforcement was recruiting Kerr from the Bulls to address the lack of offensive firepower on the bench.
The starting lineup consisted of center David Robinson, power forward Duncan, small forward Elliott, shooting guard Jalen Jackson, and point guard Avery Johnson.
The Lakers arrived in San Antonio at noon on game day and were scheduled to play at 7 PM, leaving no opportunity for adaptive training.
Harris had the players rest in their hotel rooms in the afternoon and arrived at the arena an hour early in the evening for a warm-up session. There wasn't enough time to set up specific tactics beforehand; the coaching staff would make real-time adjustments based on the game's development.
The core offensive strategy of the Spurs was very similar to that of the Jazz.
The Spurs' three strongest points were their twin towers in the paint: Duncan and David Robinson, and their point guard, "The Little General" Johnson.
The players at shooting guard and small forward positions primarily focused on defense, with the addition of outside shooting.
Moreover, the Spurs' playing style was similar to the Jazz's, both emphasizing defense as their foundation and looking for counter-attack opportunities.
Before the game, Duncan approached the Lakers' side to greet his old friend He Xi Meng.
"I watched your World Championships, you won very luckily! Whether it was the semifinals against the US or the finals against Yugoslavia, you won very luckily!"
He Xi Meng rolled his eyes at the big man who was speaking from a position of privilege: "Our team's strength was originally not as good as those two teams you mentioned. Winning at all is good enough, and you're here talking to me about luck?"
"Hmm... I think your backup center, that 11th-ranked lanky guy, could play a bit tougher! He has a good touch and can take on more post-up responsibilities. If he did, you'd have more confidence in your game! Otherwise, I think your two wins were entirely dependent on your outside shooting percentage..."
"I know what you're saying! But players need time to grow, a process, and experience to develop! Do you think all players are as abnormal as you, peaking the moment they debut?"
"Thank you for the compliment! I can tell you're praising me! I know deep down you want to play with me... How about you come to the Spurs?"
"Brother! I'm a contracted player, I can't just come to the Spurs whenever I want. Do you think the Spurs are your backyard?"
"Hmm... that makes sense. Then, how about you get me to the Lakers?"