This play saw Jalen Rose exhibit remarkable composure and polished scoring skills.
Kobe attempted to counter with a three-pointer, but unfortunately, the ball rimmed out. Miller grabbed the rebound and drove aggressively to the basket, drawing an intentional foul from Eddie Jones.
Amidst the cacophony of the Lakers' home crowd, Miller displayed his "killer" instinct, sinking both free throws to extend the lead to four points.
With only eight seconds remaining, the Lakers' chances of overcoming a four-point deficit were virtually nonexistent.
Miller's free throws had laid the foundation for the Pacers' victory, effectively sealing the fate of the game.
Although the Lakers hadn't given up, Coach Harris devised a play for He Xi Meng to attempt a quick three-pointer.
However, the Pacers anticipated the Lakers' strategy and double-teamed He Xi Meng, denying him even a long-range shot attempt. He Xi Meng decisively passed the ball to his second option, Kobe.
Kobe caught the ball, faced Jalen Rose, and sank a contested wing three-pointer, narrowing the Lakers' deficit to one point!
The Lakers' fans erupted in cheers. This offensive sequence had taken the Lakers only four seconds, and with four seconds still on the clock, a comeback was theoretically still possible.
The Pacers took the final offensive possession, again looking for Miller.
The Lakers had no choice but to foul immediately, sending Miller to the free-throw line once more.
Miller once again rose to the occasion, not blinking an eye as he calmly sank both shots. Shaq, watching from the paint, shook his head in disbelief, lamenting the vast differences between individuals.
At 101-98, Miller secured a three-point lead for the Pacers, putting them in an unassailable position.
Three seconds remained for the Lakers' final offensive attempt. Harris instructed Horry to inbound the ball from the sideline, with He Xi Meng, Kobe, and Eddie Jones as the designated receivers for the last play.
Despite Kobe's 1-of-2 shooting from three-point range in the preceding minute, Coach Harris still opted for He Xi Meng as the primary target.
Unfortunately, the strategy from "Big Bird" Bird's side mirrored Harris's. The last thing Bird wanted was a three-pointer from He Xi Meng.
Therefore, in their defensive setup, He Xi Meng was the Pacers' top priority, with Eddie Jones as their second. He Xi Meng was heavily guarded due to his highest three-point percentage, especially from beyond the arc, making him a difficult threat to contain.
Eddie Jones was also tightly guarded because "Big Bird" Bird believed that he was more experienced than Kobe, and externally, Eddie Jones was still considered the Lakers' secondary star.
Consequently, Kobe, somewhat overlooked, found himself with numerous opportunities to shoot in the final quarter.
On this particular play, it was Kobe again who utilized an off-ball cut to find himself open for a shot in the left corner.
Horry, settling for the next best option, passed the ball to Kobe!
The moment Kobe received the ball, Eddie Jones had also managed to shake off Miller's tight defense at the high post, creating an opportunity for himself. He loudly called out to Kobe, wanting the pass.
Their situations were similar, both having opportunities, though it was unclear whose was better. In such circumstances, how could Kobe possibly pass?
Kobe faked, drawing Jalen Rose out of position, and ignored Eddie Jones's calls, taking one step to his left before rising to shoot!
The entire Lakers crowd rose to their feet, hands clasped, praying for Kobe's shot.
The ball had a good arc, but lacked the final push, hitting the front rim and bouncing out.
Kobe's buzzer-beater missed, squandering a golden opportunity to tie the game. The Lakers suffered a narrow three-point defeat, marking their first loss of the new season.
Kobe stared wistfully at the replay on the big screen, trying to identify the issue with his final shot.
Eddie Jones, with a grim expression, headed back to the locker room without looking back.
In the locker room, Eddie Jones and Kobe had their first direct confrontation. The reason was simple: Eddie Jones was unhappy that Kobe had "taken over" the Lakers' offensive possessions in the final minute, believing he wasn't qualified.
Kobe retorted fiercely, "I was just trying to win the game! Look at your shooting percentage! Even with that last-second shot, my shooting percentage was 10 percentage points higher than yours! What, did you want the last shot to be yours to miss?"
Shaq chimed in with a chuckle, playing peacemaker, "It's just a regular-season game, no big deal, not worth getting upset over! You know, the most important thing in basketball is to have fun..."
He Xi Meng was undoubtedly on Kobe's side. But given the current situation, with Kobe having the upper hand, there was no need for He Xi Meng to kick Eddie Jones when he was down. After all, according to He Xi Meng's memory, Eddie Jones wouldn't be with the Lakers for much longer.
After this loss, the Lakers faced the Philadelphia 76ers the very next day in a back-to-back game.
In the 1998 NBA draft, the 76ers selected the future "Mid-Range King," Larry Hughes, with the eighth overall pick! The 76ers' management had decent drafting capabilities, but their player development was lacking, making it difficult to retain talent.
Of course, in this particular game, Larry Hughes was still a bench player, serving as Allen Iverson's backup, playing less than 10 minutes.
The 76ers' starting lineup for the season was Iverson, Snow, George Lynch, Traore, and Matt Geiger.
Their bench included Tyronn Hill and the developing Aaron McKie.
In the post-Chicago Bulls dynasty era, the Philadelphia 76ers were also one of the rapidly rising powerhouses in the league. The primary reason for their ascent was the superstar shooting guard, Allen Iverson.
Standing under 6 feet tall, Iverson could penetrate any single defense in the league, and his scoring ability was unique among the "Big Four" shooting guards.
Against Iverson, one should never attempt to engage in a one-on-one scoring duel; it's ineffective and can easily lead to ankle injuries.
He Xi Meng's strategy against Iverson was to rely heavily on his teammates' support to exploit the Lakers' advantage in the paint.
However, on this particular night, Iverson's shooting touch was exceptional!
He took a staggering 36 shots throughout the game, accounting for nearly half of the 76ers' attempts. He made 17 shots, shooting nearly 50%, and scored 41 points, while also dishing out 10 assists and grabbing 5 rebounds. He essentially dominated He Xi Meng.
He Xi Meng's only point of pride was not allowing Iverson to steal the ball. Iverson only had 2 steals that night, and none of them were against He Xi Meng. Iverson's stealing ability this season had already been a major headache for many point guards in the league.