In another arena in the Western Conference semifinals, the Utah Jazz defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 4-2, advancing to the Western Conference finals for a successful meet with the Trail Blazers.
This is the fifth time in the last seven seasons that the Jazz have reached the Western Conference finals, making them a rather successful team in the 90s.
Although they lack some absolute talent, always blocked at the finals gate by the most gifted players, or not winning the championship.
Two contrasting teams delivered a very exciting round of semifinals for the fans, indeed more intense than the other round of Trail Blazers vs Lakers.
They met in the Western Conference finals in 1996, when the SuperSonics won a game seven against the Jazz to advance to the finals, with Patrick Ewing’s performance in the last moments of game seven on both offense and defense allowing him to win the battle against Karl Malone.
In just two seasons, both sides swapped roles in offense and defense. Although they are both aging, Utah’s Double Killers are aging slower than their contemporaries. This is a crucial factor for their late-90s surge—see who can endure better.
With the aging of players like Ewing and McMillan, the SuperSonics face their biggest issue: lack of energy.
The SuperSonics have always been a team that relies on vitality, whereas the Jazz, in contrast, are a "tortoise" style team—to be slower and more ordered is their strength.
In Utah’s two home games, the SuperSonics couldn’t win a single game, although returning to their home court, relying on momentum and home advantage, they managed to win two games in a row.
However, in game five in Salt Lake City, the SuperSonics still couldn’t find a way to win, defeated heavily.
By game six, the SuperSonics had lost their edge and sharpness, with their physical condition even worse, Ewing’s knees swollen, exhausted, and his influence on both offense and defense diminished.
Without physical stamina and athletic support, George Karl’s strategy could not show its power, even if they continued winning 60 games in the regular season, they seemed strong outside but weak inside in the high-intensity playoffs.
The sixth game between the two teams ended at Seattle’s KeyArena, with the Jazz winning 98-91, defeating the ambitious Seattle people and George Karl by 7 points.
After the game ended, the SuperSonics fans were reluctant to leave for a long time, not believing the season ended this way.
Without even facing the Portland Trail Blazers, the season seemed incomplete.
The score difference wasn’t large, but in reality, the Jazz led from start to finish, able to widen the gap with just a little effort.
The SuperSonics struggled to catch up, playing painfully, with Gary Payton as the team’s core Point Guard, becoming the top scorer for several games in a row.
A team centered around a Point Guard, if always needing the Point Guard to score, indicates the team already has significant issues.
Karl was stroking his beard non-stop before the game ended, seemingly growing a beard for a resolution isn’t always effective.
With the buzzer at the end of the game signaling the team’s elimination, George Karl realized the Seattle SuperSonics’ most glorious era had ended.
Twice reaching the finals without reaching the top, their championship window is gone.
It is foreseeable that in the summer of 1998, the SuperSonics will undergo a transformation, possibly keeping Payton and Ewing to maintain the team’s competitiveness.
But George Karl is likely not to be included in the SuperSonics’ future building plan.
Sure enough, shortly after the series ended, George Karl announced his resignation as head coach of the Seattle SuperSonics.
NBA coaches are like this, more like mercenaries than players, when a team has problems it is often the coach that changes first, the stars always stay.
Statistics show that as time progresses, with more NBA teams, coaches on a team have an average tenure of less than four seasons.
This aligns with Larry Bird’s "three-year theory," that a coach should not work for more than three years on a team, beyond three years likely declining, better to replace them early.
Of course, Bird, not worried about work or money, is typical of speaking without standing in one’s shoes, most NBA coaches rely on coaching to support their families, no one wants their job to be unstable, having to change places after three years.
So far, George Karl has worked with the Seattle SuperSonics for six and a half seasons, achieving over 65% regular season winning records, with more than 55 wins every regular season for six consecutive seasons, reaching the finals twice.
It should be said that George Karl’s career with the SuperSonics was very successful.
George Karl’s coaching philosophy and personal charisma matched very well with the SuperSonics as a team, along with the players’ styles.
It can be described as complementary, achieving each other, Karl’s wildness created the SuperSonics’ frenzy, they shook every night like a sonic boom.
George Karl chose to resign partly because his contract with the SuperSonics expired, with no progress in new renewal negotiations, which left Karl dissatisfied.
Furthermore, over the six seasons, George Karl received media criticism constantly, even leading the team to the best records, reaching the finals twice.
Because he couldn’t lead the SuperSonics to win a championship, especially in the two seasons after Gan Guoyang’s retirement, the SuperSonics didn’t seize the chance, losing to the Heat and Bulls.
Now Ah Gan has returned to the Western Conference, leaving Western Conference teams feeling puzzled.
George Karl himself said: "Western Conference teams won’t have a chance in the next three years, I might have to develop in the Eastern Conference."