The Lakers continued with their previous starting lineup in this game. Del Harris had no intention of changing a lineup that had brought them so many wins.
The Phoenix Suns started Rex Chapman at PG, Wesley Person at SG, Robert Horry at SF, Danny Manning at PF, and A.C. Green at C.
After Kevin Johnson was injured in training at the start of the season, they moved Rex Chapman up to point guard and promoted Wesley Person from the bench into the starting lineup.
That was undoubtedly making a bad situation worse.
This lineup could only be described as utterly mediocre. Every position seemed filled by a quality role player, but they had no offensive focal point and no defensive anchor.
This Suns team needed a brain—or rather, a star—to bring the team together. Then they would have considerable fighting strength.
The team's dreadful record had led to frequent conflicts between the players and coaching staff. Losing was the fastest way to tear a team apart. This team, which had still been a playoff powerhouse last year, was now facing the threat of collapse. Several players had already been put on the trade block, and the coach could be fired at any time.
The game began, and O'Neal overwhelmed A.C. Green to win the tip. At the moment, O'Neal's vertical leap and explosiveness were both astonishing.
Kobe brought the ball up, and Wesley Person pressed up on him.
"Kid, don't think you'll get anything out of me." Wesley Person had faced Kobe in the preseason, and Kobe had been thoroughly contained by him in that game.
At twenty-five, he possessed the prototypical shooting guard build at 1.98 meters and 88 kilograms. Strongly built, he was capable on both ends of the floor. This season, he was averaging 2.1 three-pointers per