The significance of the game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Indiana Pacers has far surpassed that of an ordinary regular season game.
The game is scheduled for January 25th, and on the same day, the league only has two games, the other one being last season’s finals matchup between the Chicago Bulls and the Utah Jazz.
The reason for this scheduling by the league is the hope that both games can serve as heavyweight duels and compete for viewership against the NFL’s Super Bowl.
On that day, the NFL season had already entered its final stages, with the Denver Broncos and Green Bay Packers competing for the Super Bowl.
Nowadays, the Super Bowl is the most influential single sports event in America, humorously referred to as "America’s Spring Festival Gala," with no other event able to compete with it.
Even if the NBA schedules games on this day, they have to push the game times to the afternoon instead of evening, otherwise, the viewership would be severely affected.
When drafting the schedule at the beginning of the season, the league office’s idea was to arrange two heavyweight matchups. In the Western Conference, the Jazz and Trail Blazers, and in the Eastern Conference, the Bulls and Pacers are all top-tier teams.
The Bulls and Trail Blazers have viewership appeal, while the Jazz and Pacers, being strong teams, can cash in on their popularity.
By starting these two matchups on Super Bowl day, NBA games’ viewership wouldn’t be too dismal, saving some face.
The NBA never considered that the influence of two regular season games could be comparable to the Super Bowl; even the NBA Finals have to avoid that limelight.
But no one expected the Portland Trail Blazers to steamroll through all opponents nationwide, not losing a single game along the way.
By exactly the halfway point of the season, at game 41 on January 25th, they faced the Pacers, and everyone is eager to see if the Trail Blazers can achieve a 41-game win streak, creating a half-season undefeated legend.
It’s reported that even the two NFL Super Bowl teams were watching the Pacers versus Trail Blazers game before the Super Bowl officially started in the evening, to see if the Trail Blazers could continue their magic— as for the Jazz versus the Bulls? Whoever wants to watch can go ahead.
Before this game, the Trail Blazers had a 3-day rest period, giving the entire team ample time for adjustment.
No team playing an away game has such a generous amount of time for adjustment and rest, one could say that this season’s schedule-making group has been quite kind to them.
Bird went back to his hometown in Frenchlick, visited his old friends, laid a wreath at his mother’s grave, and spoke a few words to her.
"Mom, I’m on an incredible journey. I know it sounds exaggerated, but if you were here, you’d understand it’s not at all. I haven’t lost a game for nearly three months. It’s not summer; the season is ongoing. You were right, I would become a head coach, and shortly after you passed, I did. Back then, I argued with you, but... mothers always know their sons best, don’t they?"
Bird didn’t stay long in Frenchlick and soon returned to Indianapolis to prepare for the game on the afternoon of the 25th.
In fact, there’s not much to prepare for; the Trail Blazers are in a state where big adjustments aren’t necessary.
It’s always other teams trying to target and adapt to them, never them trying to study and target other teams.
The Pacers are an opponent to be taken seriously, and they certainly won’t "surrender upon hearing the wind."
On the contrary, with an unprecedented super prize for a 40-game win streak at stake, the Pacers are eager to end the Trail Blazers’ streak on their home court.
At 1:30 p.m. on the 25th, the entire Trail Blazers team arrived at the Indianapolis Market Square Arena.
This comprehensive sports venue, completed in 1974, can accommodate over 16,000 fans. Two hours before the game started, it was already packed to capacity.
Ticket prices for the game were hiked to five times their usual price—Pacers’ game tickets have never sold for so much, and this match significantly increased their revenue.
An ordinary regular season game became highly anticipated due to the Trail Blazers’ incredible win streak and the possibility of achieving a 41-game win streak.
The number of cameras and reporters on the sidelines has reached finals-level intensity, with the dense array of equipment adding to the tense atmosphere.
This season, the Pacers rank at the top in the Eastern Conference and can contend with the Chicago Bulls, proving their strength is not to be underestimated.
Under Rick Adelman and the former Trail Blazers coaching staff, the Pacers have achieved a balanced offense and defense, truly capturing the essence of the former Trail Blazers.
The biggest difference is that the Pacers don’t have a player like Gan Guoyang, but Reggie Miller is an indomitable leader and a relentless opponent.
Hoping to defeat Miller with a few words and making the Pacers succumb before the game even starts is impossible; they are fully prepared for resistance.
Last season, in Gan Guoyang’s comeback season, the Trail Blazers suffered a significant loss against the Pacers, so for this rematch, the entire team is on high alert.
At 3:30 p.m., the game will officially begin, and both teams are already on edge.
The home fans began cheering wildly, causing the Market Square Arena to instantly reach a fever pitch.
Before the tip-off, Gan Guoyang told his teammates, "Tonight’s game is the Super Bowl of the NBA, so don’t say you don’t care about winning or the win streak. Today we have to win; the opponent definitely wants us to lose. Forget about taking a break; someone has to win, so why not us!"