As the Heat's de facto "pseudo-starter" center, he numbly walked to the center circle, confusedly jumping for the ball to start the game, formulaically pulling to a high position for Wade's pick-and-roll.
Although his pick-and-roll quality and timing on the roll were even better than the first game.
But with seven minutes left in the first quarter, when Riley replaced him with Moning, his stats showed only 3 rebounds.
The Warriors' deadlock strategy on the restricted area made this aging king, who had officially lost his crown, appear extremely powerless.
And more fatally...
Dick Bavetta, the official refereeing this game, did not care at all about Qin Yue's high-intensity confrontation with O'Neal on defense.
Since there was no crown, O'Neal was no longer a star player that the referees needed to protect.
"They threw me like a rag into a neglected corner," O'Neal sadly thought in his heart at this moment.
