Their three-point shot missed, and in return, they got hit by an opponent’s three-pointer. The Suns suffered a big loss this time.
Richard Dumass, after all, is young, a rookie, and his consecutive scoring on offense made him overheat.
On defense, he charged recklessly, resulting in an unnecessary foul, giving an extra point to the Trail Blazers.
Lewis made the free throw, Trail Blazers 17:12, and the point difference reached 5 points for the first time.
Paul Westphal wanted to call a timeout, but Charles Barkley asked the coach to stay calm and not rush.
Barkley called for the ball at the low post, using his side to hold off Sabonis, creating space for himself to cut in.
Sabonis is indeed a giant among giants, but the 198cm Barkley still held his ground, securing the space to receive the ball and cut to the basket.
Marley lobbed the ball to the low post, and Barkley caught it, rotated, and charged into the basket, facing Ah Gan’s defense head-on.
The two clashed in the air, and Gan Guoyang blocked Barkley’s layup, but the referee blew the whistle, calling a foul on Gan Guoyang.
Barkley didn’t dodge; if he had, it would have been a solid block with no room for negotiation.
Because he dared to confront, the two made physical contact, and the referee still gave Barkley a chance for free throws.
Gan Guoyang didn’t complain to the referee; he didn’t want to waste any emotion. Barkley made both free throws.
17:14, the gap was only 3 points, with the Trail Blazers leading.
If Barkley hadn’t made that shot, this turning point would have put the Suns in a worse position of falling behind.
But Barkley saw that the Trail Blazers were seizing the moment, so he had to step up and counter, allowing the Suns to catch their breath.
Sure enough, Gan Guoyang attracted the defense in the middle, passed to the flank, and Terry Porter hit a three-pointer!
With less responsibility for organizing, Porter’s stamina and leg injury relieved, his shooting touch returned.
20:14, the point difference reached 6 points, and at this moment, half of the first quarter had just passed, and both sides entered an official timeout.
The Suns’ offense was already sharp, but the Trail Blazers’ offensive efficiency was terrifying, scoring on every possession.
If they continued at this success rate, the Suns would surely fall behind significantly by halftime.
During the timeout, Paul Westphal encouraged the players, "Portland won’t stay this accurate continuously. We need to be patient and stick to our strategies and tactics. We’re doing well, but we need to be more careful defensively and control our fouls. Also, attack the Trail Blazers’ inside to make them commit more fouls!"
Westphal realized that two key Trail Blazers’ inside players both had fouls against them.
If either of them fouled again in the first quarter, they would have to rest, and in the second quarter, they would need to be extra cautious.
This was all thanks to Charles Barkley, whose attacks on the basket created trouble for the Trail Blazers.
This is the value of an MVP, and Charles Barkley’s Most Valuable Player title is well-deserved.
The first quarter continued after the timeout, and as soon as it resumed, Barkley caught the ball, rotated, and hit a jump shot!
20:16, the Suns continued to stick closely to the Trail Blazers, not allowing them to pull away.
And the Trail Blazers were not planning to end the Suns in one quarter; they were prepared for a long battle.
After the timeout, Beelman made changes, replacing Terry Porter with Dell Curry.
Beelman knew Porter’s calf injury wasn’t fully healed, needed to control his playing time, and maximize his effectiveness.
That three-pointer highlighted Porter’s significance.
The Trail Blazers chose to give the ball to Sabonis for a solo play.
With his back facing Mark West, Sabonis turned and hooked the shot in.
The Suns didn’t have a player whose height and physique could match Sabonis.
Starting this game, the Trail Blazers planned to utilize Sabonis more, putting pressure on the Suns’ inside.
But the Suns quickly counterattacked; Richard Dumass pushed to the frontcourt and directly took a stop-and-pop jump shot.
It went in!
"Richard, Dumass! Wow! Scores again!"
The Suns’ commentary at the Meixi Arena exclaimed in amazement at Dumass’s excellent form tonight.
If it were another team, it’s hard to imagine allowing a 46th pick rookie to take the ball in such an important game, without passing or breaking through, opting for a stop-and-pop jump shot.
On the Jazz team, Dumass would have been scolded by Jerry Sloan until he couldn’t lift his head and would end up benched for the rest of the game.
But on the Suns, Paul Westphal gave players this power, allowing them greater freedom in making offensive choices.
The Trail Blazers continued to leverage their height with a high-up approach, as Gan Guoyang passed to Sabonis in the paint.
The turnaround shot missed, but he immediately grabbed the offensive rebound and scored with a putback!
Charles Barkley slammed the ball hard on the floor with frustration.
They lost a defensive rebound and couldn’t block the opponent, revealing Barkley’s defensive Achilles’ heel.
When Richard Dumass got another chance to shoot from the outside, he shot without hesitation.
But this time, he didn’t make it; the ball went off, and Gan Guoyang steadily grabbed the defensive rebound, denying Barkley a second chance to attack.
This is the difference between a regular player and a star. Once a star gets into the rhythm, they can score continuously.
Regular players can score two or three in a row, but afterward, even without defensive pressure, they might still miss.
The Trail Blazers didn’t counterattack; Gan Guoyang caught the ball at the low post, back to the basket against Barkley—a head-to-head clash between two superstars.
Gan Guoyang used a very classic offensive move: after turning, he used a footwork step, followed by a Sky Hook!
It was clearly taking advantage of Barkley’s shorter stature, the ball arched high and accurately went in for 2 more points!
24:18, the point gap widened again to 6 points, and the Trail Blazers were in control of the game tonight.
They no longer followed the Suns’ lead, circling around the Suns’ multi-core offense.
In the end, with the Suns’ multiple scoring threats, the Trail Blazers’ porous defense couldn’t contain the Suns’ burst of brilliance.
In that case, the Trail Blazers also focused their energy on offense, using their Suns to outshine your Suns.