However, the head coach of the 76ers, John Lucas, still substituted Starkhouse to return to the locker room for a thorough check-up.
Right at the start of the game, an unexpected event occurred. Many fans at the venue wanted to see the showdown between Zhang Hao and Starkhouse. They wanted to see their home team's rookie overpower the rookie from the same draft, but just seconds after the game began, Starkhouse was taken out...
...
The 76ers were already weak, and without a player who averaged 20 points per game, they became even weaker. In the first quarter, the Lakers' performance was average, mainly their defense was mediocre. It was a back-to-back game, and their opponent was the last in the East, so they had no motivation for defense, yet their offense was decent. The Lakers led the 76ers by 9 points, 28 to 19, in the first quarter.
