Mario Ely passed the ball to Gan Guoyang in the low post, Gan Guoyang turned but was double-teamed, and he passed the ball to Lewis at the corner.
Lewis caught the ball and took a mid-range jump shot, scoring! It’s the first basket he’s made tonight.
Bobby Berman breathed a sigh of relief, it seemed Lewis was getting his rhythm back.
However, just a few seconds later, Lewis, sprinting back on defense, suddenly stumbled, fell to one knee, and collapsed face-first onto the floor, utterly powerless.
His right fist hit the shiny wooden floor with a thud, and everyone thought Lewis had just slipped or tripped and waited for him to get up.
This moment was expected to become a famous blooper in the Finals, part of the NBA’s comical highlights.
But no, Lewis didn’t get up. He lay rigidly still on the floor, not moving at all.
Drexler was driving into the lane with the ball and saw Ah Gan rushing toward him, so he made a move to dodge.
"This easy?" Drexler couldn’t believe how easily he got past Ah Gan.
Immediately he realized Ah Gan wasn’t there to defend him but was shouting as he rushed to the sidelines.
"Doctor! Doctor, hurry! Reggie, Reggie!"
Gan Guoyang was the first on the court to react, something buried deep in his memory emerged like a venomous snake and bit him hard.
The basketball court, the night, the dazzling lights, suddenly collapsing...he instantly realized what might have happened.
"Quick, a stretcher, a stretcher! And a defibrillator! Get him to the hospital! Hospital!"
The team doctor hadn’t yet figured out what was going on, but Gan Guoyang was already shouting loudly, and chaos ensued at the scene.
Lewis lay stiffly on the ground, not moving at all, as if frozen. His wife Donna rushed over, frantic and at a loss.
Everyone was caught unprepared by the sudden incident; the Heat players stood there, their previously determined looks turned to confusion.
Even the usually stern Pat Riley let his expression relax, showing some signs of unease.
Under Gan Guoyang’s direction, the team doctor brought the defibrillator to the spot to provide treatment, but there seemed to be no response.
"To the hospital, get him to the hospital quickly!"
Gan Guoyang tried to calm himself down, get Donna to calm down, and get Lewis to the hospital as soon as possible.
Veterans Bernard King and Wayne Cooper lifted Lewis onto the stretcher together.
The Rose Garden Arena descended into chaos, previously enthusiastic Bill Schonely was at a loss for words.
"Reggie, Lewis... suddenly collapsed, he’s being sent to the hospital. We don’t know what the situation is, we can only pray for him, pray for him...my friends...Reggie..."
He sensed that a tragedy might have suddenly unfolded, very suddenly, without any warning, he became incoherent, unable to control his emotions.
The Trail Blazers players who had just seen Lewis’s collapse up close had the same premonition; his fall was terrifying.
Stiff and straight, with no protective actions, like a felled tree, losing its life and crashing down.
Some began to cry, tears streaming uncontrollably, the once loud Rose Garden Arena became silent and empty, people’s spirits were no longer there.
Subsequently, the technical table and referee group communicated for a long time, David Stern came to the front stage to speak with both teams and ultimately decided to cancel the game until news about Lewis came out.
The score and time were locked; when the game restarts, it would continue with the current score and time.
The Trail Blazers players clearly couldn’t continue playing, Bobby Berman sat on the bench, his eyes red.
He clenched his fists tightly, trying not to slap himself, regretting how he acted towards Lewis earlier.
When he returned to the locker room, Berman locked himself in the shower and cried, the cold water drenching him thoroughly.
A stifling and sorrowful atmosphere loomed over the Trail Blazers’ locker room, nobody spoke, they just sat there stunned.
Gan Guoyang seemed the most normal, he was constantly holding a mobile phone, keeping in touch with Donna.
At this moment, Donna was extremely anxious and fragile; in May, she had just become pregnant with their third child.
She desperately needed support, and Gan Guoyang also needed to know Lewis’s condition; perhaps he would survive.
All the way there, the emergency personnel were performing CPR on him, while Donna was beside him, asking questions, crying, and staying in contact.
Gradually, all the Trail Blazers players gathered around Gan Guoyang, everyone praying, praying for Reggie to wake up.
Time ticked away, the game had been canceled, yet the fans were reluctant to leave, they all wanted to know about Reggie’s condition.
Gan Guoyang and his teammates kept vigil by the phone, staying in the locker room for more than two hours, waiting anxiously.
Bobby Berman emerged from the shower, soaked and looking like a drenched puppy, more disheveled than ever.
"Sonny, how’s Reggie?" Berman asked, his voice filled with exhaustion and uncertainty.
Gan Guoyang didn’t answer, as he heard the receiver filled with piercing, uncontrollable cries.
He suddenly realized something, put down the phone, and said, "What the hell are we doing here? We should be at the hospital, at the hospital!"
Everyone was so shocked by the sudden event that they forgot to rush to the hospital where Lewis was being treated.