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On November 15th, the Lakers welcomed the Utah Jazz, with whom they had a deep rivalry, to their home court.
This game was broadcasted nationwide, attracting a lot of attention due to the grudge between Zhang Hao and Malone.
However, the course of the game was unexpected.
It was midway through the season when most teams were worn out, yet the Lakers, having gone through trades and with their legendary star back, were in excellent physical condition.
Doug Christie and Donyell Marshall stepped into form one after another, Doug Christie averaged 13.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.2 steals per game after joining the Lakers, and Donyell Marshall averaged 1.1 three-pointers and 0.9 blocks per game, grabbing 8.2 points on average.
The Magician was averaging 15.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.2 assists.
