Perhaps the mid-game chicken soup from the coach had a slight effect.
After the second half began, Odom suddenly went on a rampage, continuously driving at Diop and attacking the basket, catching the Celtics off guard.
In his prime, Odom was known for his all-around game. He could dribble, drive, and shoot from the perimeter. Like Diop, he was said to be able to play all five positions on the court, earning him the nickname "Left-Handed Magician."
However, compared to Diop's low-key style, Odom was more flamboyant and wild. Shortly after entering the league, he was suspended for marijuana use, leading to inconsistent performance. When he was good, he was an All-Star caliber player; when he was off, he was just an average role player.
In the first half, Odom had done nothing under Diop's defense, watching Kobe single-handedly take on the entire Celtics team.
As the third quarter began, Odom seemed to awaken, his offensive desire soaring. Diop couldn't stop him no matter how he positioned himself, and even when Yao Ming tried to help, Odom didn't give him a chance.
With Odom's assistance, Cole managed to tie the game for the Lakers for the second time.
"Who said I don't have help?"
After the Celtics called a timeout, Kobe smugly yelled at He Xi Meng as he walked by.
He Xi Meng raised his eyebrows and nodded, "Saw it, saw it! Next, it's my turn to show my skills. Get your teammates ready..."
Faced with He Xi Meng's naked threat, Kobe's smug face instantly turned grim.
"Shit! How could I forget about this? Xi Meng hasn't really exerted himself in this game yet!"
Back on the Lakers' bench, Kobe immediately warned his teammates, "In the next part of the game, pay attention to He Xi Meng's counterattack..."
Kobe specifically instructed the Lakers' starting point guard, Smush Parker, "Stay tight on him, lock down Xi Meng, and absolutely don't let He Xi Meng get an easy shot! It's better to let him drive than to give him space for an easy shot... Don't be afraid if he gets past you, I'll be there to help you with the double team... Did you hear me clearly?"
Facing his team leader's solemn instruction, Smush Parker dared not take it lightly and quickly nodded in agreement.
Smush Parker was an undrafted player in 2002. He played for four teams in four seasons, drifting from the Cavaliers to the Pistons, from the Pistons to the Suns, and from the Suns to the Lakers!
In his first three seasons, Parker averaged less than 3 points and less than 10 minutes per game. He had started only a dozen or so games in his career and was on the verge of being unemployed in the NBA. This season, he was playing the starting point guard role for the Lakers... This showed how desperate the Lakers were for players this season.
However, for Smush Parker himself, he cherished this unexpected opportunity and wanted to make a career in this league.
But the NBA was destined not to be Parker's lucky place.
The unknown Smush Parker would eventually carve out a fearsome reputation as "Death God" in a league across the ocean, hailed as the strongest foreign player of his generation.
Of course, this would happen many years later.
For now, Smush Parker was still by Kobe's side, working hard to prove that he deserved the starting position for the Purple and Gold Lakers.
After the timeout, He Xi Meng faced the inexperienced "Death God" and did not force a shot. Instead, he faked a shot and passed, taking advantage of the Lakers' attention being focused on him. He made a sudden direct pass to Yao Ming in the paint.
In the first half, Yao Ming had mostly played as the facilitator at the center of the offense. Upon receiving the ball, he would first observe his teammates' positions to see if there was an opportunity to pass. But for this play, Yao Ming didn't hesitate. He received the ball and went to work! A post-up drive and a dream shake, smooth as silk, giving Chris Mihm no chance to react. He tricked Mihm into the air before finishing with a soft layup off the glass!
It turned out that during the previous timeout, He Xi Meng had exchanged harsh words with Kobe, and then immediately went to the Celtics' bench to tell Yao Ming, "Big Yao, it's your turn to step up and help Vince a bit!"
Yao Ming nodded expressionlessly and replied, "No problem! I can attack anytime!"
In this game, due to the absence of Andrew Bynum due to injury, the Lakers' starting center was Chris Mihm.
Chris Mihm was the 7th pick in the first round of the 2000 draft. He had failed to live up to his potential with the Cavaliers and then moved to the Lakers.
As a player with over five years of experience, Mihm's stats had consistently been around 7 points and 5 rebounds, making him a qualified backup center, but not a qualified starter.
The Lakers were so short-handed this season that they had pushed Mihm into the starting center role.
In this game, if it weren't for creating scoring opportunities for Carter, the Celtics' best option would have been to play through Yao Ming in the paint!
Without a doubt, Yao Ming, playing at home, would have dominated Mihm.
Even with Odom helping on defense, the Lakers wouldn't have been able to stop Yao Ming from asserting himself in the paint...
Seeing that He Xi Meng wasn't scoring as he had predicted, Kobe couldn't help but curse, "Shit! Are you going to play or not?"
He Xi Meng refused to answer Kobe directly, instead responding with a smug look, "Guess!"
Kobe couldn't figure out whether He Xi Meng had changed tactics on the fly or if the Celtics' next focus was indeed on the interior.
This unpredictable situation made Kobe extremely uncomfortable. He suppressed the urge to give He Xi Meng the middle finger, turned around, and called for a screen from Smush Parker beyond the three-point line, intending to switch and attack He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng and Kobe had been rivals for nearly a decade, and their tactics were intimately familiar to each other.
While He Xi Meng couldn't completely lock down Kobe, it wasn't easy for Kobe to bully him either.
To deal with Kobe, He Xi Meng's strategy was threefold: first, increase the physical intensity to prevent Kobe from easily driving; second, be resolute in not biting on any pump fakes and denying Kobe easy shooting space; third, focus on disrupting shots rather than blocking or stealing, seeking only to contest.
Under this defensive framework, Kobe found it difficult to get past He Xi Meng or shake him off, leaving him with essentially two choices...