But when these two teamed up on the inside, it was basically a playground for O'Neal...
With 3 minutes and 44 seconds left in the second quarter, the Lakers were leading 44 to 33, leveraging O'Neal's cut and layup after a three-minute rest to widen the gap to 11 points.
But during this layup, O'Neal fell and twisted his ankle...
Having played 10 minutes in the first quarter and over 30 seconds in the second, O'Neal had scored 17 points, grabbed 4 rebounds, dished out 1 assist, and blocked 1 shot, with the Lakers' game focused around him that night.
O'Neal suddenly left the game due to injury, heading back to the locker room for a detailed checkup, which threw the Lakers' tactics into chaos. Initially, Zhang Hao and Kenny Anderson were creating opportunities for O'Neal through cuts, positioning, and breakthroughs; O'Neal would decide whether to take the shot himself or pass after drawing defense, and they couldn't adjust in time.
