Shaquille O'Neal had 18 points and 8 rebounds by halftime, bulldozing through the Hakeem Olajuwon-Kevin Willis frontcourt duo like a steamroller in the paint.
On one possession before the end of the second quarter, he took Kobe Bryant's pass in the low post, backed into Olajuwon, dribbled once, then suddenly spun and drove along the baseline. Rising through a double-team by Olajuwon and Charles Barkley, he threw down a one-handed slam.
The instant the ball was smashed through the hoop, the basket stanchion shook violently, and the roof of Staples Center nearly came off.
Olajuwon stood where he was, hands on his hips, watching O'Neal's back with something indescribable in his eyes—not anger, but helplessness.
Five years ago, he had been able to make the young O'Neal look completely lost in the Finals.
Five years later, he could only stand there and watch O'Neal dunk over his head.
Kobe had 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists by halftime. His numbers were not as explosive as O'Neal's, but his plus-minus of +28 was the highest in the game. That meant the Lakers had outscored the Houston Rockets by 28 points while he was on the floor.
His defense held Scottie Pippen to just 4 points in the first half, on 1-of-3 shooting, along with 3 turnovers. His offense completely shattered the Houston Rockets' defensive scheme—every time they doubled him, he found the open teammate; every time they guarded him one-on-one, he scored over Pippen.
"This is the most terrifying thing Kobe did in this game,"
Harlan said during the halftime recap. "He didn't need 30 or 40 points to prove himself. He only needed to do one thing—make the Houston Rockets' defensive system fail. When he gets the ball in the low post, Pippen can't guard him alone, so the