Kobe quickly found his offensive rhythm in the first quarter, feeling unstoppable tonight.
It was a unique and wonderful feeling, focused and feeling omnipotent.
This year is Kobe’s third time in the playoffs; his first time in the 1996-1997 season was less than satisfactory.
Especially in the Western Conference Finals, he had the courage to admit responsibility but lacked the ability to bear it.
In the high-intensity playoff confrontations, his slender physique was inadequate, with one airball after another.
By the 1998 season, Kobe had become a qualified substitute who could immediately make an impact during certain periods of the game.
The coach required him to perform for 15-20 minutes, contributing offensive power during the transitional phases of both halves.
Kobe did well, and the Trail Blazers were too strong in the 1997-1998 season, rarely playing from behind.
Kobe’s progress and brilliance were overshadowed by Gan Guoyang and the team’s overall glory, or perhaps he became part of that glory, appearing less dazzling.
This season, Kobe’s third, he became more mature, the team’s second-leading scorer, successfully securing a starting role and playing an increasingly important role in the team.
In the playoffs against the Spurs and the Lakers, Kobe played an important role, especially offensively.
In some games, he was already able to shoulder the load, standing out as an offensive and defensive guarantee on the perimeter when Mu Lin and Riddle’s forms declined.
In the first three games of the Finals, Kobe’s performance mainly manifested on the defensive end, where his primary task was to contain Sprewell, the Knicks’ top offensive initiator on the outside.
Kobe showed no fear of the madman, only to be caught off guard by Chais, who landed two punches on him, turning him into the laughingstock of The Big Apple.
Filled with anger, Kobe shot 10 of 6 in the first quarter, scoring 12 points, and dished out two assists, helping the Trail Blazers take the lead, 26:20, ahead by 6 points at the end.
Kobe took the offensive flag, allowing Gan Guoyang to focus more on defense.
Without Little O’Neal and Ben Wallace tonight, the inside rotation was tight, and Gan Guoyang had to give more on defense.
Offensively, Kobe was able to shoulder the load, energizing the team’s offense and avoiding the pressure of piecemeal scoring, preventing Gan Guoyang from exerting himself too early and potentially lacking firepower later.
At the start of the second quarter, AC Green replaced the suspended Little O’Neal, and the Trail Blazers’ overall offense and defense seemed stretched thin, with Riddle and Porter’s backcourt combination struggling against the tough Knicks defense.
After maintaining high levels in the 97 and 98 seasons, Riddle’s shooting percentage and scoring efficiency saw a significant decline this season.
His average score dropped from 17 to 12 points, and his shooting percentage fell from 46% to 41%, making his move to the bench quite normal.
Meanwhile, in the previous two seasons, Riddle managed to avoid being late or mostly punctual, maintaining normal training and games, which was his limit.
After earning the Championship Ring in the 98 season, Riddle believed he had accomplished everything, earning a spot in the documentary "77" as part of the greatest team.
Ah Gan fulfilled his promise, giving Riddle the capital to retire, leading to a more relaxed lifestyle, enjoying life.
However, with Gan Guoyang around, Riddle dared not randomly be late or leave early. Instead, he devised another way, finding excuses to take leave.
One day he was sick, the next it was his grandma’s sister’s uncle’s wife’s son-in-law’s mother passed away, or he got involved in some petty illegal activity and was taken to the police station for a packed meal.
In any case, in the 1998-1999 season, Riddle missed a third of the games due to various incidents, missed a lot of training and road trips, so his form was predictable.
Mid-season, the Trail Blazers tried to trade him, but couldn’t find good partner teams or chips, and since the team’s overall momentum was good, Riddle didn’t attend but didn’t cause trouble in the locker room, he remained, as he was a hero of the 98 championship team.
In the playoffs, Riddle’s performance improved, as his talent and foundation were still there.
However, reaching the Finals, due to a whole season’s lack of training and games, Riddle’s performance deteriorated severely, completely suppressed on both offense and defense against Houston and Sprewell.
In the fourth game of the series, the Knicks saw through Riddle’s weakness. Once on the court, the Knicks would target and attack him ruthlessly.
The Knicks’ sixth man, Charlie Ward, in consecutive offenses, mismatched against Riddle, using his breakthrough and organizational skills to exploit this point, disrupting the Trail Blazers’ defensive formation and assisting his teammates in scoring.
Kurt Thomas’s mid-range shots and Alonzo Mourning’s hooks gradually closed the score gap for the Knicks.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers hit a scoring drought, with Riddle’s two low-post attacks missing, leading to the Trail Blazers being counterattacked and losing points again.
Bird called a timeout, subbing out Riddle, bringing Kobe back.
Bird said nothing, but had quietly added Riddle to his blacklist in his heart.
After this game, Riddle would fall out of the rotation in the subsequent matches.
To ensure victory in the Finals, the Trail Blazers were sure to open a short rotation, playing 7-8 player basketball.
The amazing long rotation that lasted the entire 1997-1998 season would become history.
Looking at the history of the League, especially in the playoffs, short rotations have always been mainstream.