Magic Johnson speaks eloquently, and he indeed has the right to do so.
Moreover, from his expression and demeanor, one can tell Johnson is quite excited.
Because he once stood on this court battling with Gan Guoyang, his blood flows with a competitive gene.
After playing the Olympics, Johnson considered making a comeback; that summer, he trained again and participated in several preseason games.
However, before the regular season started, his comeback was opposed by some active players who were concerned about the transmissibility of AIDS.
Johnson could only announce that he would not return and began to live the life of a retired player.
Writing books, shooting commercials, engaging in social activities, and working as a guest commentator on television.
Now standing on the heated stage of the Western Conference Finals, facing the Portland Trail Blazers, his old rivals and friends, how could he not be excited and expectant?
Unfortunately, this court no longer belongs to him.
After the thrilling opening ceremony ended, the Trail Blazers, clad in white jerseys, stood on the court.
Another despairing fact is that since their championship season in 1990, the Trail Blazers have only lost one game at home.
That was last season when they unexpectedly lost the first game of the semifinals to the Seattle SuperSonics; otherwise, Western teams found it difficult to conquer the Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Garden Arena.
The fans here possess an overwhelming confidence; before the match begins, their screams and cheers seem so elegant and composed, unlike the madness in other cities.
Gan Guoyang again secured ball possession during the tip-off, and the Trail Blazers initiated their first offense of the game.
Lewis perhaps got too relaxed, receiving and shooting a mid-range airball.
And Barkley’s three-point shot attempt missed as well; the scenario was different from Game Five indeed.
In Game Five, Barkley and the Suns hit their shots from the first quarter, becoming increasingly smooth thereafter.
Gan Guoyang also attempted a jump shot but missed similarly, while Barkley seized the rebound and pushed the ball past half-court to launch an attack.
Backing Sabonis down into the post, Lewis came to double-team, and Barkley stepped back to pass the ball.
Richard Dumass received the ball in the middle, immediately passing it to Mark West under the basket.
West dunked the ball, and the Suns scored the first point of the match.
The Trail Blazers started with some caution, you could even say they were slightly constrained.
Whenever a series reaches its final step, it’s inevitable to exercise some caution.
After three unsuccessful offensive attempts, finally, Terry Porter received a long pass from Lewis at the left corner.
Porter caught the ball and quickly shot a three-pointer, scoring! The Trail Blazers broke the deadlock.
On the Suns’ side, Dan Majerle also drove in for a layup and drew a foul on Sabonis.
In the first quarter, the Suns adopted a notable strategic change: Paul Westphal basically abandoned Kevin Johnson on offense.
Instead of not letting Kevin Johnson handle the ball, they used him as a traditional point guard to dribble, pass, and organize.
Then the responsibility of driving the attack from the perimeter was given to Dan Majerle and Richard Dumass.
Because Westphal realized that using Kevin Johnson as an attacker only served as a block party for Gan Guoyang.
In such cases, the more Kevin Johnson attacked, the greater the harm to the team, as his efficiency was too low.
Logically, with Porter not performing well, Johnson could shine, but the inside was too tightly controlled, leaving him to rely on his inconsistent jumper.
Without sharp drives, the power of the once-purple lightning significantly waned, as Kevin has not shaken off the shadows since high school.
Once Kevin Johnson turned into an organizer and passer, it meant that Paul Westphal’s offensive transformation of the Suns throughout the entire season hadn’t worked.
This looked not much different from the Suns before, the so-called multi-core offense had become an empty promise, already dissipating by Game Six.
In the first quarter, Majerle, Barkley, and Richard Dumass consecutively attacked inside, achieving good results.
Tonight, Gan Guoyang did not host a block party; not every night can he get 10 blocks in a single game.
The Suns’ defense was also quite effective, strictly guarding against Gan Guoyang receiving the ball, hoping to cut off the Trail Blazers’ most efficient scoring point at the source.
28:24, the Suns had a good start, making their Game Six look not so bad.
And for the Trail Blazers, as the game progressed, they played more and more patiently, especially Gan Guoyang, who was patient, continuously creating opportunities for his teammates.
His aim was not only victory but also to engage his teammates before the finals began.
Porter scored 8 points in the first quarter, becoming the team’s highest scorer; after resting, he felt quite good.
In the second quarter, the contention between both sides intensified, with actions growing more aggressive, leading to physical confrontations.
The Suns deliberately stirred the waters, hoping to create some incidents in Game Six, expecting to bring about some unexpected situations.
This was a strategy devised by Paul Westphal before the game, as he believed that at this point, some means were necessary.
But Gan Guoyang showed immense restraint; he did not hit anyone.
He twice pointed at Dan Majerle’s nose, scolding, and pushed Mark West away twice.
Charles Barkley, on the other hand, remained calm, coming over several times to advise and stop Ah Gan from getting angry.
Barkley knew Ah Gan very well; if things got physical, no one on the Suns would be a match for him.