Gold-Standard Assistant Coach?

At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had started slowly before rallying to finish the quarter ahead, 33-27.

Although the Lakers' Triangle Offense had failed to find success in the game, the seamless pick-and-roll chemistry between Sun Hao and Yao Ming had left the Bulls defenseless.

O'Neal's earlier remark that "Yao Ming has lost weight" was also confirmed in that quarter.

Whether he rolled to the basket after setting a screen or popped out to the perimeter, Yao Ming looked far more agile than he had at the start of the season.

O'Neal's feelings after the first quarter must have been complicated.

As a fellow Super Center, he desperately wanted Yao Ming to restore the reputation of centers.

At the same time, as another heavyweight center, he admired Yao Ming's determination even more. To him, losing weight was practically the same as being killed.

Of course, a little daydreaming was unavoidable.

After all, if he had possessed Yao Ming's determination, perhaps he would still be playing alongside Sun Hao now!

Sun Hao and Yao Ming had both played heavy minutes in the first quarter, so they were resting on the bench when the second quarter began.

This quarter was mainly a battle between the reserves.

But during this stretch, the Bulls played a little dirty.

They seemed dirty because Bosh was on the court leading their second unit.

That was the Bulls' special advantage. They had two All-Star-caliber big men and could stagger their minutes to lead the bench units.

Although Milsap was also on the floor for the Lakers during this stretch, he was nowhere near capable of matching those two at this stage.

During this bench stretch, the Bulls held an overwhelming advantage inside.

Yet, surprisingly, the Lakers managed to hold onto their lead.

Because someone