The arena instantly erupted in cheers. Fans waved flags and shouted, "Way to go, Houston!" as they cheered him on.
The Lakers refused to be outdone and launched another attack. Kobe drove with the ball, with Sprewell glued tightly to him while Marshall came over at just the right moment to help, forming a double-team.
Kobe's eyes sharpened as he quickly passed the ball to O'Neal under the basket. After receiving it, O'Neal finally seized his chance, powering up to shove Li Fei aside before soaring for a one-handed dunk.
With a thunderous BANG—, the basketball slammed brutally through the hoop. O'Neal had finally broken his scoring drought, and the Lakers tied it at 10-10.
Lakers fans in the arena erupted into thunderous applause. After landing, O'Neal clenched both fists, threw back his head, and roared. A domineering grin returned to his face as he finally regained a bit of his form.
But he did not get complacent. Instead, he quickly retreated on defense, focusing on that end of the floor and hoping to ignite the team's offense through defense.
Over the next several possessions, O'Neal was exceptionally active defensively. He repeatedly boxed out, grabbed rebounds, and protected the rim, successfully stopping several Knicks attacks.
With his size and strength, he built an impenetrable wall beneath the basket, making the Knicks' interior offense considerably more difficult.
At the TNT commentary desk, Kevin Harlan watched O'Neal's performance and said, "O'Neal has finally found some of his form. His offense is still somewhat laborious, but he has been outstanding on the defensive end."
"He followed Phil Jackson's advice—start with defense and slowly find his rhythm again. That's good news for the Lakers."
Marv Albert nodded. "That's right. O'Neal's defense has always been among the league's best. As long as he stays focused