O'Neal was the Lakers' only true core player. His limitations meant the Lakers lost their most crucial offensive point.
Eddie Jones' nickname, "Stable Eddie," clearly reflects his style. Stability isn't a bad thing, but it often means a lack of explosive scoring.
Jones consistently contributes 15 to 20 points per night. Any more and he'd be in trouble, beyond his capabilities.
Frank Van is even less reliable. He's capable when he's going wild, but he only does it three or four times a season. Most of the time, he's more like Blind Van, missing shots like crazy.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, Lakers coach Anthony Harris called a timeout. He subbed out starting small forward Chris Kearse for the young Kobe Bryant, moving the swingman Jones to the three and Kobe to the two.
Lin Yu, of course, didn't care about this arrangement. Could the Silver Foxes really be counting on Kobe, who had just turned 18, to turn the tide on the court?
If such a player were truly ready for action, the Lakers wouldn't have gotten him. The Philadelphia 76ers would have already drafted him first overall.
"Bang!"
Kobe had just entered the game, and with the unflinching spirit of a newborn calf, he launched a pull-up three-pointer against Jalen Rose, which went in wide.
On the next possession, Kobe drove the ball from the perimeter, almost fading in mid-air, and even drew a foul from Jalen Rose, making it a 2+1!
That wasn't the end of the matter. With seven seconds left in the first quarter, Kobe Bryant intercepted a driving pass to Jalen Rose, then slammed it down the court and dunked right in front of Jalen Rose.
After the first quarter, Lin Yu was stunned, looking at Jalen Rose with a strange look. This guy was truly a bit weird!
"Sorry, my bad. That guy was just too lucky."
The game was originally going well, but Kobe's move cost the Lakers their three-point lead. Jalen Rose apologized to his teammates with a face full of regret.
If Lin Yu hadn't known that Kobe had outscored Jalen Rose by 81 points, he might have thought it was just Kobe's luck.
"This kid is competent. He even had this kind of luck against you, Jinx. He's practically a child of destiny," Howard said in a sardonic tone.
Ever since Jalen Rose arrived, he hadn't been very friendly with Jalen Rose.
"Coach, this was all an accident. We've found a way to limit Shaq. We're going to win this game!"
"Let Jaylen play a little longer. I'm sure he can find a way to deal with that kid."
Webber stepped forward to plead for his good friend, his tone much gentler than when he'd pleaded for Cheniere last time.
Lin Yu nodded, skeptical, thinking it might simply be Kobe's touch.
After all, Kobe had plenty of efficient games as a reserve during his rookie season. For example, in this year's game against the Warriors, he scored 24 points on 11 shots.
Lin Yu rested Jalen Rose for a few minutes at the start of the second quarter and didn't return until midway through the quarter.
Kobe stayed on the court the entire time, matching up against his Uncle Tim for the whole of the quarter. His offensive efficiency was only dismal, far less impressive than the final minutes of the first quarter.
Once Jalen Rose entered the game, Kobe immediately unleashed a tidal wave of activity, battling Jalen Rose relentlessly, driving through him with a barrage of shots, and scoring like crazy.
Before the second quarter was even over, Lin Yu was speechless as he watched his team trail by 11 points.
You have to admit, some things are unbelievable. Jalen Rose was truly a chosen unlucky bastard. Even Leon could only manage a little bit of control against the young Kobe, yet he was completely outplayed.
"No, this is not right!"
"That kid scored 22 points on me in the first half?!"
Jalen Rose was going crazy. This was his Bullets debut, and to be outplayed like that by an 18-year-old, he felt like he wouldn't feel wronged even if he were sent down to the D-League overnight.
"Aijun, you flew all night last night, so, normally, you're not in top form."
"Rest well in the second half. As long as Ben and I can contain Shaq, we still have a chance to win this game."
Even Webber was embarrassed to let his good friend play again.
Lin Yu sighed inwardly that Webber was a truly worthy choice. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Jalen Rose had been thoroughly outplayed, yet Webber was still lying to make excuses for his brother.
At the start of the second half, with Jalen Rose relegated to the bench, Kobe's form faded.
Harvey, exhausted, went back to his unstoppable form in the second half. Unfortunately, with Shaquille O'Neal and Campbell, two of his defensive strengths, at the rim, he couldn't get to the basket too often. And with no three-point shooting, he had to rely on mid-range jumpers.
The Bullets struggled to catch up, but with only one minute left in the fourth quarter, they were still trailing by three points, and the Lakers still had the ball. It looked like the end was nigh.
Lin Yu didn't give up. This victory was crucial for the Bullets.
Two-thirds of the regular season has passed. If the Bullets only finish eighth in the Eastern Conference, it's practically the same as not making the playoffs at all, as they'll face the Chicago Bulls in the first round!
So, winning every possible game and climbing the Eastern Conference standings as high as possible will make Lin Yu's promise a reality, and that means a meeting with the Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Besides, defeating a powerhouse like the Lakers will also boost team morale.
Lin Yu still has timeouts: one long and one short. He used the brief to call the players to his side.
"Chris, it's the Lakers' turn next. It's time to test your acting skills."
"Get them the ball to Shaq, but don't be too pushy. Make them realize it's a trap."
Lin Yu whispered to Webber.
Webber understood Lin Yu's meaning. This meant they were going to use the foul tactic at the last minute.
In the last two minutes of the game, fouls cannot be committed against players without the ball; otherwise, the opposing team will receive two free throws plus possession, effectively a two-for-one advantage.
Fouling other Lakers players would cost them their free-throw percentages, and if they made both, the foul tactic would be worth the effort.
Fouling Shaq, who was incredibly bad at free throws, was undoubtedly the most cost-effective strategy.
"Ben, the moment Shaq receives the ball, send him to the free-throw line immediately. Don't give him a chance to shoot, or he'll get a 2+1!"
Lin Yu yelled at Ben again.
Ben was the key. If he didn't seize the opportunity and let O'Neal score a 2+1, the game would be over for the Bullets. After the timeout, both teams returned to the court.
Fan Crazy held the ball on the perimeter, killing time. The Lakers, having the advantage, weren't in a rush to attack.
When the offensive possession had lasted nearly 20 seconds, the Lakers' second, third, and fourth players began to sprint without the ball.
Webber's face froze. After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and chased Campbell.
Crazy Fan's face lit up with joy. This was his chance. He'd been wary of Webber's cutting, so he hadn't been feeding O'Neal much this game. Now, finally, his chance had arrived.
He threw a long, powerful pass to O'Neal.
O'Neal was secretly delighted. How could Big Ben defend him in a one-on-one situation?
His smile faltered for a second. Big Ben immediately threw his arms around him. The referee's whistle blew, and O'Neal was sent to the free-throw line.
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Two consecutive missed free throws shocked the Silver Foxes, causing them to drop to a state of shock. The ball was now the Bullets'. Would they make a three-pointer? That would tie the game.
Lin Yu breathed a sigh of relief. The foul tactic had worked. The Bullets still had a chance.
After missing two free throws, the Bullets began to attack. At Lin Yu's urging, he passed the ball downfield to Harvey, who made a mid-range shot for two points.
Although the Bullets had tied the game, Harris's expression relaxed considerably. It wasn't a three-pointer; a two-pointer wouldn't be fatal.
The score was only one point behind them, but the Lakers had the ball, and with only 29 seconds left on the clock, the Bullets would run out of time if the Lakers continued to stall.
Crazy Fan still controlled the ball in the frontcourt, slowly killing time. After 20 seconds had passed, he dribbled the ball, changed direction, and darted to the left of the sprinting car, then took a step forward and launched a mid-range shot.
"Bang!"
The ball missed, but Shaquille O'Neal had already secured the rebound under the basket.
Seeing that O'Neal had grabbed the rebound and was about to dunk, Ben Wallace decisively attacked, wrapping his arms around O'Neal and sending him to the free throw line.
"Bang!"
"Swish!"
O'Neal's free-throw percentage this season is 49.1%, and he performed normally, making one of two free throws.
"Remember this free throw; it killed your bullet!"
After making the free throw, O'Neal taunted Ben Wallace.
Theoretically, his free throw had a great chance of killing the Bullets, because Big Ben had already committed six fouls after the previous foul. Even if the Bullets scored two points in the next three seconds and dragged the Game into overtime, with Big Ben unable to continue playing, O'Neal could still win the Game alone.
Of course, if the Bullets could have hit a three-pointer next, the situation would have been entirely different.
Unfortunately, three-pointers aren't valued these days, and with a team only two points away from overtime, no head coach would be so crazy as to go for a three-pointer. The uncertainty of three-pointers is too great.
So Shaq was already sure he would win this game.
Lin Yu quickly used his last timeout. His only remaining hope now was the "Fusion" aura.