Narrow G1 Loss

"The Hornets came out incredibly aggressive!!! Their hunger for the championship let them complete a coast-to-coast defensive counterattack right at the start of the game!" Collins said excitedly. That Josh connection had sent him into raptures!

"They need to settle down. The Lakers have to stabilize on their next possession. The Bulls led by the Zen Master in the early years were always a team built around Jordan and Pippen's defensive counterattacks, but these Hornets are even more ferocious in transition than that 72-win Bulls team!"

"The Lakers need to be careful!!! So many strong teams have been swept away by the Hornets' kind of onslaught! They have to steady themselves and cannot let the Hornets keep completing defensive counterattacks."

Kobe brought the ball up!

There was no question about it!

The difficulty of this game was unquestionably hellish!

Every possession mattered!

"Double Fist!" Kobe signaled with his hand.

To break down the Hornets' defense, Kobe instantly identified several solid options.

First, keep feeding O'Neal in the post, gamble that Jordan's defense would not be in position, and drain Jordan's stamina.

Second, attack Grant Hill one-on-one with the ball and break Hill down.

Third, run pick-and-rolls! Get the entire team involved in the offense.

In the end, Kobe chose the double screen!

Kobe's thinking was crystal clear in this game!

One man could not win it alone!

Even if he could break Hill down, would he still have enough left to break Jordan down afterward?

Once they missed several shots in a row, the Hornets would seize the chance and bury the Lakers in one surge!

Getting O'Neal moving, instead of having him passively wait for double teams in the low post, was the better solution!

"Horry and O'Neal have come up! A double screen!"

"This is one of the