At the start of the second quarter, Shaquille O'Neal went to the bench, leaving David Robinson—who had played only half of the first quarter—and Kobe to form the Lakers' inside-outside core.
Phil Jackson had advised Kobe to attack the rim more, but with the bench lineup lacking scoring punch, Jackson didn't cut Kobe's shot attempts. Instead, he told him to shoot more, which made Kobe grin.
However, Jackson stressed one thing: "Attack the basket. Don't just settle for jumpers. Make them pay."
Defensively, Jackson adjusted his strategy—if Zhao Dong continued to fire away from mid-range and deep, the Lakers would trap him aggressively on the perimeter.
Given Zhao Dong's monstrous first quarter, double-teaming him was unavoidable. His jumper was more efficient than most players' shots at the rim, and the Lakers didn't have a single defender who could stop him one-on-one.
Kobe was giving everything he had, but in reality, he was still undersized against Zhao Dong. His 60% shooting in the first quarter kept things even, but normally he shot just over 40%. If his percentage dipped, Zhao Dong would torch them.
---
The second quarter quickly turned into a personal duel.
Zhao Dong relied on his size and wingspan to shut Kobe down more effectively than Kobe could defend him. His mobility and footwork were no worse than Kobe's, and his height gave him an edge on both ends.
And when it came to attacking the rim? Zhao Dong was in a different league.
Driving past Robinson twice with sheer force, Zhao Dong forced the Admiral into foul trouble, knocking him backward more than once. Robinson was soon replaced by O'Neal to protect the paint.
By halftime, the Trail Blazers had blown the game open—72–56, up by 16.
---
Zhao Dong's relentless attacks were the reason. He earned 10 free throws in the second quarter, sinking 9, and scored 23 points in the period alone.
Kobe pushed hard, getting into the paint more, but he only drew 5 free throws and scored 17 points.
Phil Jackson sat on the bench, his face grim. He had seen the difference clearly—Zhao Dong's inside dominance was killing them.
The Blazers rotated David Robinson and O'Neal to anchor their interior defense, but the real difference-maker wasn't them.
It was Zhao Dong.
"Damn…" Jackson exhaled, glancing at Zhao Dong as the halftime buzzer sounded. As he followed his team into the tunnel, a bitter thought flashed through his mind. Once upon a time, I almost had the chance to coach him. But Jordan ruined that…
---
Halftime Commentary – CCTV
Zhang Heli's voice was nearly trembling with excitement.
"Zhao Dong scored 28 points in the first quarter, then dropped 23 in the second! Seven-for-12 from the field, nine-for-10 from the line—51 points at halftime! His firepower is unbelievable!"
"Too strong," Su Qun said, shaking his head. "There's nothing else to say."
Zhang Heli smiled. "Kobe isn't bad either—6-for-13 in the second quarter, 5-for-5 on free throws, another 17 points. 34 points at the half. That's an incredible performance, but Zhao Dong is on another level."
Su Qun laughed. "And both of them went full attack mode—almost no outside shots. Isn't this extreme? Phil told Kobe to cut back on jumpers, and he went all-in on drives. Zhao Dong followed suit."
---
Third Quarter
After halftime, both teams returned to their starting lineups.
Zhao Dong, having played the entire first half, cut back his shot attempts in the third quarter, conserving energy for the final stretch. The Blazers began running their offense through Eddie Jones, but his outside shooting was far less reliable.
The Lakers' twin towers finally took control.
O'Neal and Robinson dominated the paint, overwhelming the Blazers' big men. The Lakers poured in 34 points in the quarter, nearly erasing the deficit.
By the end of the third quarter, it was 92–90, Blazers barely ahead.
Zhao Dong, now focusing on playmaking, still scored 12 points on 4-for-6 shooting and 4-for-4 at the line. His total climbed to 63 points, already surpassing his previous regular-season career high.
---
Fourth Quarter
After a short two-minute break, the final quarter began.
For Portland, Marion replaced Fordson, who couldn't handle O'Neal inside. The Lakers kept their main lineup intact.
"This game's been wild! 182 points in three quarters! Both sides firing nonstop!" Barkley exclaimed on TNT.
He paused, frowning. "Feels like I'm forgetting something though…"
---
Kobe came out aggressive. Ignoring Phil Jackson's earlier instructions, he decided to run the game his way.
We followed his plan and still lost the second quarter. I'm doing this my way now.
He had no fear of Phil. The Lakers had been swept in the Finals months ago, and Phil had lost repeatedly to the Knicks back with the Bulls. His authority meant nothing to L.A.'s Big Three.
Kobe caught the ball curling off a screen. As Zhao Dong stepped up, Kobe sold a hard drive, then suddenly pulled up from three—fluid, decisive.
Splash!
The first three of the fourth quarter went in, igniting Staples Center.
"Yeah!" The crowd erupted.
Barkley laughed. "Kobe's still hot! His rhythm's deadly!"
"Are we about to see another three-point shootout?" Smith grinned.
---
As if on cue, Zhao Dong answered on the very next possession. He used the exact same fake drive and pulled up over Kobe.
Splash!
"The three-point contest is back!" Zhang Heli shouted as millions of fans cheered from their screens.
Backpedaling on defense, Zhao Dong grinned. "Kobe, make another one. If you hit it, I'll publicly bless you and Vanessa!"
---
Kobe's heartbeat quickened, eyes blazing with determination. I have to hit this one.
He caught the ball on the right wing, spun out of a backdown, then launched into his signature fadeaway jumper.
Zhao Dong leaped with an outstretched arm, not trying to block the ball but shading Kobe's eyes—the same trick Shane Battier used to bother him years later.
"Damn it!" Kobe cursed midair as his vision was suddenly blocked by Zhao Dong's palm.
He gritted his teeth, fully committing to the shot.
"You're not stopping me!"
Kobe landed hard, sliding backward two full meters, eyes locked on the spinning ball as it arced toward the rim…
Bang!
The basketball clanged off the rim and bounced away.
A collective sigh swept through Staples Center.
"Damn it!" Kobe snarled, eyes bloodshot with frustration.
---
Zhao Dong sprinted past him in a blur, streaking into the frontcourt. Shaquille O'Neal grabbed the rebound and quickly fired an outlet pass. Zhao Dong caught it in stride, crossing half-court with nothing but open hardwood ahead.
Bang!
Taking off just past the free-throw line, Zhao Dong spun a full 360 degrees in midair, switched the ball from his right to his left hand as he descended, and hammered down a vicious windmill dunk.
"Ohhh!"
Staples Center erupted. Fans were on their feet, roaring even though it was the visiting star who had just humiliated their team.
"Beautiful! What a dunk! The God of Basketball is putting on a show here in Staples Center!" The Lakers' arena announcer couldn't help but cheer.
---
Jogging back on defense, Zhao Dong smirked.
"Kobe, I gave you a chance, and you blew it!" he taunted.
Kobe's eyes turned an even deeper shade of red. He grabbed the ball and attacked immediately, ignoring Phil Jackson's instructions.
Once again, Zhao Dong used his eye-blocking defense, throwing his hand in front of Kobe's eyes at the release point.
Bang!
The ball bounced off the rim again.
But this time, O'Neal and David Robinson crashed the glass together. Robinson tipped it to O'Neal, who finished with a thunderous dunk of his own.
On the sideline, Phil Jackson rubbed his temple. Kobe was out of control, but he couldn't bench him—no one else could fill his scoring role, and the fans would never forgive it.
---
The first half of the fourth quarter mirrored the first quarter: Kobe and Zhao Dong trading jumpers.
But Zhao Dong's defense suffocated Kobe. The eye-sealing technique disrupted his rhythm, while Zhao Dong himself continued to score efficiently from outside.
Swish!
Breaking past Kobe, Zhao Dong shook off Rick Fox's help defense and drained another pull-up jumper.
Midway through the quarter, the Blazers extended the lead again—108–100, up by eight.
---
The Lakers called timeout. O'Neal stomped to the bench, clearly irritated.
"Some of these guys need to change," he said, shooting Kobe a glare.
Phil Jackson glanced at Kobe, who sat stone-faced, sweat dripping, refusing to speak.
Jackson crouched beside him, voice firm but measured.
"Kobe, Zhao Dong baited you into this duel, and you fell for it. His jumper is more efficient than yours. You can't shake him off the dribble. We need to feed the post. Pass inside."
Kobe simply nodded, eyes cold, saying nothing.
Turning away, Jackson gave instructions to Ron Harper instead.
"Ron, start with Shaq. Everything goes inside first."
"Got it," Harper replied.
A flash of anger crossed Kobe's face. Take the ball out of my hands? Without my threat outside, they'll just double-team Shaq. You'll see…
---
CCTV Live Commentary
At the commentary booth, Zhang Heli was frantically tallying stats.
"63 points through three quarters… 6-for-9 shooting in the first six minutes of the fourth, including 2-for-3 from deep, plus 2-for-2 free throws—16 points this quarter, 79 total!"
His voice suddenly shot up, cracking with excitement.
"My God! He's broken his own single-game record of 70 from last year's Finals! This is now the second-highest single-game scoring performance in league history, passing Chamberlain's 78! Only Wilt's 100-point game is higher!"
Su Qun slammed the desk. "What a shame we slowed down in the third! Otherwise, maybe 100 was possible!"
Zhang laughed. "Impossible. The defense now is way tougher than Wilt's era. A hundred points today? Forget it."
Su Qun, still hyped, rattled off the shooting line.
"28-for-42 from the field, 66.6%! Five-of-eight from three, 62.5%! Eighteen-of-19 free throws, 94.7%! That's insane efficiency."
Zhang nodded. "And it's because Kobe kept going one-on-one with him. The Lakers barely double-teamed him all night."
"Why didn't they?" Su Qun asked.
Zhang explained, "Because after the second quarter, Zhao Dong mostly stayed outside. Shaq and Robinson can't guard him out there, and Eddie Jones kept their perimeter defense stretched. They didn't have the personnel to trap him."
---
On the big screen inside Staples, Zhao Dong's updated stat line flashed—79 points. The crowd buzzed.
"My God, he passed Wilt's 78! Can he hit 80?"
"Even if he does, 100's impossible. Only six minutes left."
---
Zhao Dong sat on the Blazers' bench, glancing at the screen.
"Seventy-nine points… six minutes left… can I get 22 more?" he thought, narrowing his eyes.
The timeout ended.
---
The Lakers inbounded. Kobe called for the ball, but Harper ignored him, feeding Shaq instead.
The Blazers switched into a 2-1-2 zone, Zhao Dong at the center. He immediately read the play.
As Harper lobbed the entry pass, Zhao Dong exploded toward the paint, leaping in front of O'Neal.
Shaq, caught off-guard, mistimed his jump. Zhao Dong snatched the ball cleanly.
"Damn it!" Kobe muttered under his breath. This is what happens when you don't give me the ball. Without my threat, he can double-team freely.
But even as he cursed, Kobe hustled back on defense.
---
Zhao Dong fired an outlet pass, then bolted downcourt. Eddie Jones returned the ball to him in stride before the Lakers' big men could recover.
Only Kobe stood between him and the basket.
Zhao Dong charged forward like a freight train, power radiating with every step. Kobe instinctively braced, but as Zhao Dong closed in, a primal fear flashed through him.
His body hesitated—self-preservation kicking in—and he instinctively slowed his stride.
The next moment, Zhao Dong soared past him.
Bang!
A two-handed dunk shook the rim violently, the backboard trembling as his body swung upward.
Whoosh!
Kobe felt a rush of air whip past his face. Watching Zhao Dong's figure fly by, he felt his chest tighten, momentarily unable to breathe.
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