Jeff Van Gundy shook his head at the sidelines, hoping to play a borderline defense, but the referee saw through it.
The first violation was a warning without any penalty, but if it happened again, it would result in free throws.
In the deep circles under Van Gundy’s eyes, a deeper worry flashed. If the Knicks can’t make a play on defense, the finals are destined to be tough.
Sure enough, the Trail Blazers reorganized their offense, and the Knicks switched to a one-on-one defense. Gan Guoyang easily shook off Kemp’s entanglement and received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the wing.
Facing Kemp, Gan Guoyang took a very easy mid-range shot. Kemp couldn’t interfere at all, scoring the first points in the finals.
The crowd erupted into cheers. For Trail Blazers fans, the finals seemed like a festival.
For over a decade, many Junes were spent in this festival for them, and for many fans, it had become a habit.
Especially for many young fans who were kids in 1986, celebrating with their parents on their father’s shoulders as the Trail Blazers won the championship.
In the blink of an eye, more than ten years have passed. They’ve grown up, some with kids of their own, and they continue to bring them to watch Ah Gan in the finals.
When Gan Guoyang could score at the start, it indicated that his performance tonight wouldn’t be too bad.
Alan Houston quickly responded with a mid-range shot from the baseline.
As the other gun in the backcourt duo, his offense was mainly shooting-based.
His standard and beautiful shooting motion was regarded as a textbook for mid-range shooting.
Mu Lin was responsible for defending Houston, but it was evident that Mu Lin’s footwork was somewhat lacking. However, Mu Lin quickly responded with offense.
The Trail Blazers quickly pushed for a counterattack, and after continuous screens and passing on the perimeter, Mu Lin hit a three-pointer from beyond the arc!
The Trail Blazers remained the most decisive and aggressive three-point shooting team in the league.
Although Mu Lin’s performance had significantly declined this season, his three-point shooting percentage and attempts remained high.
He deteriorated from an important organizing forward in position three last season, a transit point, to being an excellent three-point shooter—good enough for the Trail Blazers.
A considerable part of his role was given to Kobe, who took on more outside responsibilities.
During the Knicks’ offensive play, Shawn Kemp tried to challenge Ah Gan in the low post, but after consecutive dribbles, breakthroughs, and spins, he couldn’t find any openings, so he passed the ball to the cutting Mourning.
However, Mourning’s dunk was disrupted by Robinson and missed, and the ball went out of bounds, still the Knicks’ ball.
"This is a dilemma the Knicks have to solve in this series, how their interior will face Portland’s Twin Towers, which will be a big issue."
The Knicks’ interior is strong but lacks height.
Additionally, Mourning and Kemp are straightforward and lack flexibility and tricks—hard-nosed interior players.
Whether in offense or defense, they are good at brute force.
In a high-stakes matchup, relying solely on brute force without shrewdness and cleverness will cause significant losses.
Especially when facing the intelligent and high-basketball-IQ Trail Blazers Twin Towers, the Knicks’ interior is prone to suffer.
This is why, despite having two All-Star interior players, Spreewell is the core engine for the Knicks.
The Knicks reorganized their offense. Spreewell used a pick and roll, stopping abruptly for a jump shot, scoring two points, with the Knicks closely chasing.
Subsequently, on defense, the Knicks used tight basket defense to prevent Sabonis’ low-post play, and then counterattacked.
Spreewell caught the ball again, took a three-pointer after an outside screen, but missed.
The long rebound was grabbed by Gan Guoyang, and the Trail Blazers sped up their counterattack. Kobe charged in, drawing a foul from Kemp and going to the free-throw line.
Both sides opened with high intensity, fast pace, and frantic rhythm.
The Knicks did not open with a grinding tempo like they did against the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
This was the strategy set by the Knicks’ coaching staff. Van Gundy believed that relying on a grinding offense wouldn’t defeat the Trail Blazers.
Think about it, no matter how good your defense is, can it be better than the Bulls?
No matter how strong Spreewell’s playmaking is, can it surpass Michael Jordan?
The Knicks must leverage their advantage, which is their interior.
Utilizing the interior doesn’t mean grinding the game; Mourning and Kemp are straightforward, low-position big men.
Letting them grind against Portland’s Twin Towers is a losing battle.
They must use their youth and speed to accelerate the pace and play vigorously.
Van Gundy’s idea was correct, and his preparation was indeed comprehensive.
The Trail Blazers are the fastest team in the league, but they also have one of the oldest core lineups.
The Knicks are younger and must show vitality on defense and a strong offensive impact to wrestle with the cunning Trail Blazers.
Kobe made one of two free throws, Mourning grabbed the rebound, the Knicks quickly advanced, and Alan Houston, receiving a pass from Spreewell, hit another mid-range shot!
Houston’s mid-range shooting was reliable, not only looking good but also very stable.
Facing the Knicks’ full-throttle offensive pace, the Trail Blazers slowed down, initiating from the low post.
Gan Guoyang finally received the ball in the low post for a strong attack, with the Knicks unhesitatingly triple-teaming; double-teaming wasn’t enough.