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2004 Western Conference First Round Game 1, April 17, 2004 | A fun yet very bizarre contest between the Lakers and Rockets to open up the 2004 playoffs. Shaq had a strong first half with 16 points and Kobe ended his half with just 5 points on one shot while collecting 5 assists. In the second half, both players came with a totally different approach. Kobe, after a 1-1 shooting first half, turned his attention towards scoring, and it wasn't very successful. KB would go a dismal 3-18 from the floor in the second half to finish with a final stat line of 16 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals. On the other hand, Shaquille had an extremely quiet 2nd half, putting just 4 points on the board. However, two of those points were far from quiet. With the Lakers down 1 and the clock running down, Kobe was forced into a tough, fading perimeter jumper by the defense of Cuttino Mobley. The shot would draw air, but luckily for the Lakers, big Shaq would be right under the rim for a rebound and dunk over Yao Ming while getting fouled. Shaq missed the free throw, but great Laker defense on the other end sealed a 72-71 victory for the home team. Shaq finished with 20 points and 17 boards.
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