The day after the third game ended, the Trail Blazers remained in Houston.
In the morning, they held a shooting practice at the Houston University Gymnasium near their hotel.
The NCAA season had ended, and the college basketball teams were in their offseason, so the gym could be used.
Midway through practice, Bird gave a speech, announcing to everyone the lineup changes for the next game.
The situation was unfavorable for the Trail Blazers, and they needed to make some changes.
Van Exel, Riddle, and AC Green were all replaced from the starting lineup, with veterans Terry Porter, Alon Magee, and Kobe Bryant taking their places.
Trailing in the series 1-2, it was time for a change.
During the regular season, this starting lineup for the Trail Blazers was not bad. Although there were various issues, they could still win games.
In the playoffs, the first round continued to have many issues, but they could still win games. Bird mainly considered the thoughts of the main players and veterans.
Now, after losing two straight games, the team’s backcourt was terrible both offensively and defensively, giving Bird sufficient reason to adjust the starting lineup.
AC Green had no objections to leaving the starting lineup; he was only a makeshift starter, too slow as a small forward.
He preferred returning to the bench, as a backup power forward, providing support inside for Ah Gan.
Riddle had no objections to leaving the starting lineup either. This was his first time playing in the playoffs, and he truly felt the intensity of it.
His strength and post-up techniques seemed powerless in the playoffs, and as a shooting guard, his scoring efficiency was too low.
Shooting percentage was under forty percent, with a three-point percentage of only twenty-five percent. Despite plenty of space on the perimeter, he wasted many opportunities.
Due to his lack of height, he got blocked numerous times by the Rockets’ tall forwards when posting up, and as a shooting guard, his technical style resembled that of a small forward, one of those classical small forwards almost phased out by Time. When not backing down, he couldn’t dribble.
When holding the ball facing the basket, he was as clumsy as a bear, only able to end attacks with inefficient jump shots, with predictable efficiency.
He was even less skilled in ball-handling offense than rookie Kobe.
Bird had him return to the bench for the second unit, where he could instead utilize his post-up advantage to grab some points in certain rounds, as the Rockets’ bench wasn’t as tall.
As for Riddle’s defense, Bird no longer counted on it.
Entering the playoffs, the Trail Blazers had consecutively scored over 100 points with opponents, more frequently than in the regular season.
The Trail Blazers were unleashing an offensive onslaught without any defense, but in the playoffs, such reckless offense without defense was very dangerous.
After all, offense is easily affected by form and state, while defense doesn’t lie to you.
Green and Riddle gladly accepted their roles as substitutes. Playing as a reserve might be a loss of face, but it also meant bearing less responsibility.
If the Trail Blazers lost the fourth game, it would mean the problem wasn’t with the starters, but with the coach, or perhaps Ah Gan.
Anyway, if the sky fell, Ah Gan would hold it up.
Among the three, the only one dissatisfied was Nick Van Exel.
After practice, he approached Bird and said, "Coach, why did you take me out of the starting lineup? My shooting touch will come back, you need to have faith in me. Plus, Porter might not be in a better state than I am."
Bird didn’t explain to Van Exel, responding directly, "This is the decision of the coaching staff, and moreover, it’s my decision. Please comply with the coach’s decision, Nick."
For most players, facing a coach like Bird, they would comply, as significant lineup changes in the playoffs are quite normal.
But Nick Van Exel was not submissive, at the beginning of the season he played as a substitute, and Porter performed average, leaving the Trail Blazers with unstable results.
So, Bird elevated Van Exel to the starting lineup, where Van Exel fully showcased his offensive characteristics, playing a decisive role in some important games.
Since then, the Trail Blazers’ performance became more stable.
In the game against the Bulls, Van Exel’s three-pointers were crucial.
In Van Exel’s eyes, he was already the Trail Blazers’ second most important figure, the core of their perimeter ball-handling.
Even though they lead 1-2, changing two starters might be acceptable, but how could you replace me, the perimeter core?
Would Pippen and Stockton be benched in the next game if the Bulls or Jazz lost?
From Van Exel’s perspective, the coaching staff was throwing him under the bus, underestimating him at first by making him a substitute.
Once the team’s performance became unstable, they relied on him to save the situation, and after playing as a starter throughout the entire season, he was now being replaced in the critical playoffs.
"I disagree with your decision. I shouldn’t be benched; I need time to adjust," Van Exel insisted.
"But the team doesn’t have the luxury of waiting for you to adjust!" Bird retorted sternly. From his perspective, he had already given Van Exel many opportunities.
In the regular season, Van Exel performed exceptionally well, but the playoffs were simply different from the regular season. The intensity of the playoffs caused a significant drop in Van Exel’s shooting percentage, and without offensive output, Van Exel turned into a liability on defense.
Moreover, his overly reckless playstyle could easily harm the team more in the playoffs, which Bird could not tolerate.
The two continued exchanging words for quite a while, what started as a discussion turned into an argument, and eventually escalated to a verbal spat.
Ultimately, Van Exel stormed out, leaving the practice facility alone without returning to the hotel with his teammates.