Durant, in his limited minutes today, shot 7 of 10 from the field, including 3 of 6 from three-point range and a perfect 4 of 4 from the free-throw line, for an efficient 21 points. He completely ignored who Wade was, scoring at will, which greatly displeased Wade!
Wade launched a few counterattacks, wanting to give this rookie in the No. 35 jersey a taste of his own medicine. However, this rookie, with his drives and pull-up jumpers, simply didn't seem to regard the Heat's bench players at all.
Ultimately, for his own physical well-being, Wade decided to swallow his pride for the time being.
The SuperSonics easily defeated the Heat, and He Xi Meng continued to cruise along happily. With Kobe, the workaholic, around, He Xi Meng didn't need to do much, just manage the team's overall rhythm.
The current situation in the SuperSonics' locker room was that Kobe was responsible for criticizing others, and He Xi Meng was responsible for self-criticism. One played the bad cop, and the other played the good cop.
Several veteran players acted as spiritual mentors, helping Kobe and He Xi Meng pump up the younger guys.
Old Curry was relaxed on and off the court, responsible for winning by simply showing up.
Only Francis and Grant Hill were a bit unhappy.
"I feel like I came to Seattle to be a fish out of water!" Francis complained.
"Tell me about it," Hill couldn't help but chime in, "I feel like I could just stand there and the team would still win..."
Unlike Mutombo, Hardaway, and Webber, Francis and Grant Hill's hopes of returning to their peak had not yet been completely extinguished, so they somewhat yearned for the team to encounter difficulties so they could contribute.
As a result, the starting lineup, with the combination of Kobe and the Gasol brothers, could basically take down 70% of the league's teams.
If Durant off the bench was added, then basically 90% of the league's teams were no match for the SuperSonics.
The only teams that could truly go toe-to-toe with the SuperSonics were a handful of strong contenders.
But if one were to consider He Xi Meng getting serious...
Then, even the so-called strong teams didn't seem so strong anymore.
Where were the dire moments for the SuperSonics now that required Francis and Hill to turn the tide?
Therefore, when the third game of the new season arrived, and the two veterans learned that the team would be flying to Los Angeles to challenge the rebuilt Lakers, they immediately got ready to put on a good show!
The Lakers were one of the few teams this season that could pose a threat to the SuperSonics.
Before the game, the league spared no effort in promoting it, hyping up the matchup considerably.
After all, this game had many storylines, far beyond just a clash between two top teams in the Western Conference.
Kobe returning to Los Angeles to face his former team, the Lakers!
Ray Allen gracing his new home court to face his former team, the SuperSonics!
Pierce, suppressed by He Xi Meng for three years, finally assembled a competitive supporting cast. Could he finally exact his revenge?
Garnett, rejected by Kobe, did he harbor any unresolvable anger?
...
All these interwoven grievances and emotions created the most sensational game of the season so far!
From the opening tip, the home team Lakers came out ferocious!
Garnett used his quick movement to score repeatedly against Pau Gasol.
Pierce followed suit, interspersing a few isolated possessions, with Ray Allen coming off a wing screen for an open jumper.
Combined with the tough defense of the Big Three, the Lakers successfully built a 12:4 lead to start the game!
Old Curry quickly called a timeout, giving He Xi Meng an opportunity to adjust off the court.
The SuperSonics' low scoring efficiency in the opening stages was mainly due to Kobe's poor shooting percentage.
Why was Kobe's shooting percentage low? Because the Lakers fans in attendance gave Kobe the loudest boos!
As soon as Kobe got the ball, the boos from the crowd were incessant.
And with the continuous boos from the crowd, Kobe became even more determined to force the ball into the Lakers' basket...
This gave the Lakers an opportunity to double-team Kobe!
With Pierce's man-to-man defense and Garnett's help defense, Kobe's first few possessions all ended in failure.
But the more shots he missed, the more Kobe's offensive desire was ignited.
Old Curry didn't know how to remind Kobe of this, so he called a timeout and handed the glorious and arduous task to He Xi Meng.
The veterans on the bench cast curious glances, wanting to see how He Xi Meng would solve this thorny problem.
As a result, after He Xi Meng came down, he didn't persuade Kobe to stop shooting, but instead encouraged Kobe to keep attacking!
"Mark, Paul, try to hustle for offensive rebounds!
Hill, you're responsible for trailing, be mindful of the Lakers' fast breaks!
Kobe, you keep attacking! But reduce your ball-handling, give the ball to me, and I'll pass it to you! You'll be an off-ball scorer!"
Kobe was angry, but he hadn't completely lost his mind. He knew his on-ball offensive efficiency hadn't been high recently, and handing it over to He Xi Meng was indeed the best option. Moreover, He Xi Meng had only taken back his ball-handling duties, not his shooting opportunities! As long as he could shoot and score, whether he had the ball or not, Kobe didn't care!
Most importantly, Kobe trusted He Xi Meng!
If He Xi Meng said he would pass the ball back to Kobe, then the ball would definitely be passed back!
Old Curry's timeout adjustment became the stroke of genius in the first quarter!
After the timeout, Kobe stopped forcing shots, and He Xi Meng returned to his role as the primary playmaker!
With screens from Hill and Pau Gasol, He Xi Meng used several drive-and-kick opportunities to create chances for Kobe on the wing!
Kobe and He Xi Meng's chemistry had been forged ten years ago, requiring no further communication.
Set plays could actually be a constraint; adapting on the fly, reading the game, and appearing in the most suitable position based on the shifting positions of teammates and opponents on the court was the highest realm of two-man cooperation!
He Xi Meng and Kobe's offensive combination was undoubtedly at the highest level!
As Kobe emerged from the pressure of the entire crowd's boos and hit several off-ball shots, satisfying his scoring desire, Kobe also began to pass the ball from He Xi Meng to teammates in better positions!
For example: the Gasol brothers near the paint!
As Kobe started passing, the SuperSonics' overall offensive and defensive rhythm began to fall into place, and the score gradually caught up.
As the first quarter was about to end, the Lakers attempted to keep Pierce on the court to hold down the fort and find opportunities during the rotation to widen the score again.
As a result, Pierce faced a strong challenge from Durant!