For example, Gan Guoyang made a beautiful jump shot, but the referee called a charging foul on Little O'Neal, nullifying the basket.
Tracy McGrady fiercely defended Kobe under the basket, but the referee didn't call a foul and instead called Kobe for a charge.
Jide missed a three-pointer, but the referee called a three-point foul on Porter. Jide made two of three free throws, closing the score.
The Lakers remained resilient despite playing at home, enduring a very tough stretch and ending the first half trailing by 8 points, 57-49, before heading to the locker room for adjustments.
Jackson could finally breathe a sigh of relief; an 8-point deficit was still playable, giving them a chance, provided they could defend Ah Gan.
Back in the locker room, Jackson felt frustrated. Ah Gan was really good at pretending, playing through the entire regular season and six playoff games.
