Jordan couldn't beat the Trail Blazers one-on-one; Alan Houston was not a threat to the Trail Blazers at all.
Instead, it was Spreewell who was targeted by the Trail Blazers for defense, with Kobe, also number 8, keeping a close eye on Spreewell throughout.
This led to Spreewell shooting 2 for 9 in the first half, scoring only 6 points, while Kobe also kept missing shots.
In the second quarter, Kobe took charge of the team's offense, but since he was missing a lot, the Trail Blazers didn't score quickly, leading by only 7 points at halftime.
Fortunately, Porter's three-pointers and Little O'Neal's offensive rebound and second chance shots supported the scoring, otherwise Kobe's 2-for-8 would have been terrible.
"Can you make your shots more accurate? Pay attention to your breathing, your rhythm, that's crucial. Don't just stare at the hoop; staring at the hoop is useless."
During halftime in the locker room, Gan Guoyang didn't forget to lecture Kobe.
