While the Timberwolves focused most of their attention on O'Neal and Kobe, He Xi Meng suddenly rose to prominence. With limited ball possession, he delivered his strongest performance, leaving the Timberwolves in a defensive quandary. Were they truly going to abandon Kobe, or cease double-teaming O'Neal, to instead double-team He Xi Meng?
Though Timberwolves head coach Saunders' coaching experience didn't quite match that of Phil Jackson or others, he was still considered a notable coach in the league. After deep contemplation, Saunders, despite facing immense scrutiny, decided to stick to the defensive strategy from the previous two games. He refused to believe that after two explosive performances, He Xi Meng could deliver a third!
As a result, the red-hot He Xi Meng brought the stubborn Saunders to his knees!
In Game 3 of the first round, playing on the road, He Xi Meng, in front of tens of thousands of Timberwolves fans, scored 40 points on just 20 attempts! He shot 8 of 14 from three-point range, 5 of 6 on layups, and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line! Had the home-court whistle not been so strict, He Xi Meng would have drawn far more than 6 free-throw attempts...
This game saw He Xi Meng's final stat line fixed at 40 points, 8 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2 blocks!
His first game was 38 points and 12 assists, the second was 21 points and 20 assists, and the third was 40 points and 8 assists!
He Xi Meng had exploded for three consecutive games, leaving the Timberwolves completely stunned and the Los Angeles fans in a frenzy!
No one had expected that He Xi Meng, whose regular-season average was a mere 14.5 points and 10.2 assists, would unleash such a monstrous scoring ability in the first round of the playoffs!
Even Kobe, the Lakers' other star and He Xi Meng's good friend, began to complain: "Crazy! It's truly insane! Simon's current form is driving everyone to despair! Not just the opponents, but as a teammate, I feel despair too! Because every time I see him shoot, before the ball even gets close to the rim, you know it's going in! This feeling of despair makes me lose the urge to ask for the ball... Damn it, I don't like this feeling of winning without effort! Yes, I crave the fight, I crave using my effort to help the team win! But you all see it, the Lakers don't need me right now! As long as Simon is here, we are invincible..."
While Kobe's comments were a mix of praise and complaint, leaving one to wonder if he was genuinely jealous or playfully so, O'Neal was far more magnanimous!
O'Neal directly stated: "I love Simon, I love winning effortlessly, I love this feeling of winning without exerting much effort! I can almost smell the finish on the O'Brien Cup. I know we are on the right path, and the championship is not far away..."
He Xi Meng's scorching performance in the first round of the playoffs not only shocked the Timberwolves and the Lakers, but also drew comments from other stars who were following the series.
For instance, the ever-busy golfing legend Michael Jordan couldn't help but offer words of high praise to He Xi Meng during an interview with China's "Basketball World."
"He Xi Meng is the most interesting Chinese player I've ever seen!" (Subtext: As far as Chinese players are concerned, I've only seen He Xi Meng play in the NBA... I can't name a second Chinese player off the top of my head...)
"Like most Chinese people, he is humble, polite, and not very confrontational!" (Subtext: I've provoked him several times, wanting to ignite his competitive spirit and then seize the opportunity to dismantle him, making him grovel at my feet. But damn it, he just wouldn't take the bait... I'm retired, and he still won't bite... It's just ridiculous...)
"He has great talent, he's already an All-Star, and his future is limitless!" (Subtext: I'm retired, and I can't control it anymore. Is there anyone in the league who can step up and manage him? Put him in his place. If no one steps up, he might just inherit my legacy...)
As for the Chinese fans back home, there's no need to even mention them! Even when He Xi Meng was playing in a subdued manner during the regular season, Chinese fans never doubted his abilities. They remained steadfast in their support, hoping that He Xi Meng would quickly shake off his slump and return to his peak... Yes, Chinese fans considered He Xi Meng's subdued play as a slump. Just a normal slump. Even greats like Michael Jordan have off days, and He Xi Meng would surely return like a king one day...
And now, with the playoffs here, the king has indeed returned!
While He Xi Meng was going on a rampage, leading the Lakers to a 3-0 sweep of the Timberwolves, the results of other series around the league were also coming in.
The Western Conference's second seed, the Spurs, defeated the Suns 3-1!
This season, the Suns recruited LeClerq from the Bulls and Gugliotta from the Timberwolves. It was evident that the management was striving to improve the team's roster, aiming to build a playoff-contending lineup around Kidd. However, head coach Ainge didn't seem to achieve the desired results from the management's perspective, failing to bring out the full potential of this assembled squad, and was easily defeated by the Spurs, exiting the playoffs.
The Western Conference's third seed, the Jazz, faced the newly emerging Kings this season!
The Kings had assembled a star-studded lineup this season with Webber, Divac, Stojaković, and Jason Williams, poised for a rapid ascent.
If they hadn't encountered the seasoned Jazz and had instead faced the younger Trail Blazers, this Kings team might have achieved a remarkable feat.
Even against the seasoned Jazz, the Kings managed to push their opponents to a decisive Game 5, but ultimately lost by 7 points, a narrow defeat.
The Western Conference's fourth seed, the Trail Blazers, were up against the Rockets!
Based on preseason ranking predictions, the Rockets were far superior to the Trail Blazers. After all, the Rockets boasted three legendary veterans: Hakeem Olajuwon, Charles Barkley, and Scottie Pippen. Even with their age, they were still legends!
What did the Trail Blazers have? The Trail Blazers had nothing, only a bunch of rookies.
Rasheed Wallace, drafted 4th overall in 1995; Damon Stoudamire, drafted 7th overall in 1995; Brian Grant, drafted 8th overall in 1994; Isaiah Rider, drafted 5th overall in 1993... On the bench, there was also Zydrunas Ilgauskas, drafted 17th overall in 1996...
The only slightly older player was the European sharpshooter Arvydas Sabonis...
Could these rookies, with their limited experience, possibly contend against the Rockets' "Big Three"?