The second quarter started quickly, and Yao Ming came off the court to rest.
Yao Ming's stamina had always been an issue, so the Lakers were cautious in how they used him, never pushing him too hard. They weren't like the Houston Rockets; they didn't have a habit of running their star players into the ground for short-term gain.
Kwame Brown moved to the center position.
Kobe Bryant immediately issued a strategic challenge upon entering the game, going one-on-one against Su Xi. But he missed his first shot.
Su Xi remained calm and unhurried. He returned to his side of the court and continued his off-ball movement.
Milicic and Kwame Brown staged a battle of the busts.
Milicic sent Kwame Brown flying with a beautiful crossover, faking him out completely. Milicic was playing with more and more finesse; that move even had a hint of Olajuwon to it.
After Brown was left in the dust, Milicic made an easy layup.
Kobe started talking trash to Su Xi: "One-on-one me! Soft!"
