Tonight, with Tim Hardaway not in good form and being entangled by Blaylock, and Rashid Wallace and other inside players gradually suppressed, Marshon stepped up in the latter half of the first quarter to take over Miami’s offense.
Alan Henderson couldn’t contain Marshon one-on-one, and the Heat quickly added points, catching up in the score and even threatening to overtake.
Carl called a timely timeout, and in the last phase of the first quarter, he substituted Charles Barkley for Little O’Neal, intending to use Barkley’s offensive explosiveness to close the quarter.
The outcome unfolded as Barkley, just on the court, received the ball outside and went for a three-pointer! Missed!
Gan Guoyang fought hard for the offensive rebound but didn’t get it. Tim Hardaway grabbed the ball and dashed.
Barkley pursued fiercely from behind, ultimately committing a foul on defense, sending Tim Hardaway to the free-throw line.
Originally leading the Heat by 19-18, the Trail Blazers were instead overtaken after the timeout due to Miami’s counterattack.
All because Barkley’s reckless shot gave the Heat the chance to counter, and then Barkley committed a foul, sending Hardaway to shoot free throws.
In the first quarter, Hardaway’s touch was off, being guarded aggressively by Blaylock, and this free throw inadvertently got Hardaway going.
"Are you a pig, damn it? Who told you to play like this?" During the free throw, Gan Guoyang couldn’t help but angrily curse Barkley.
This guy, accustomed to playing loosely while with the Suns and Heat, had unlimited firing rights, playing freely as he pleased.
Returning to Miami this time, facing Riley and the fans of the city, he was harboring a desire to prove himself.
However, not only did he miss the three-pointer, but he also caused the Trail Blazers to be overtaken.
Confronted with Gan Guoyang’s anger, Barkley openly conceded, saying, "Yes, I am a pig."
With Barkley saying this, Gan Guoyang was suddenly out of steam, too angry to make a sound.
Afterward, Gan Guoyang called for the ball from the low post, receiving it back to the basket and aggressively confronting PJ Brown, meeting the Heat’s ferocious double team.
Gan Guoyang quickly dribbled out, suddenly making an internal pass to the cutting Henderson toward the basket, Henderson receiving the ball and scoring a two-handed dunk!
This is Henderson’s habitual way of playing; he needs a certain space, closer to the basket.
Gan Guoyang did not hold the ball extensively under the basket to attack throughout the first quarter, rather giving enough opportunities to his teammates.
One aspect is to drive the whole team, another is to conserve sufficient energy for later in the game.
This is the new game mode Gan Guoyang has formulated for himself currently, the era of 48 minutes full strength Gan has become history.
End of the first quarter, Trail Blazers 23:22, leading by 1 point, both sides fundamentally comparable.
With the competition of the second lineup commencing the second quarter, Charles Barkley continued to remain on the court.
At the same time, Ben Wallace substituted Gan Guoyang in the interior, making the Trail Blazers’ inside line significantly smaller.
Both Ben Wallace and Barkley are undersized inside players, Riley cunningly substituted Duane Cowesville, a 7-foot interior to capitalize on height.
Aiming to leverage Cowesville’s height and wingspan to suppress the Trail Blazers’ inside line under the basket.
On the basketball court, height often is decisive. If disadvantaged in fundamental elements like rebounding, the situation would be distressing.
Failing to secure offensive rebounds, having defensive rebounds unguarded, and the basket constantly pierced by direct passes would make the Trail Blazers suffer greatly in just a few possessions.
Yet Riley made the same mistake as Phil Jackson, underestimating Ben Wallace’s defensive deterrence and rebound protection ability under the basket.
When the Heat attempted to pass to Cowesville for a strong attack under the basket, the result was it being blocked far away by Ben Wallace.
In the counterattack, Charles Barkley charged the basket like a wild boar, successfully scored with a layup despite causing a defensive foul.
In a chorus of boos from the American Airlines Center fans, Barkley made the additional free throw, then showed off his muscles to Riley on the sideline.
Riley pretended not to see, as they had an unpleasant incident two seasons ago, Barkley’s big mouth never treated Riley kindly, seizing opportunities to badmouth Riley, causing Riley to lose face considerably.
Riley’s plan to suppress the Trail Blazers with height fell through, instead, the Trail Blazers played even faster in the second lineup.
Barkley became the absolute core of the second lineup, charging forward regardless of anything upon receiving the ball towards the basket.
Anyway, his playtime per game was about 15-20 minutes; he would rather utilize his firepower advantage, leaving nothing for post-game venting.
Harboring resentment towards the Heat and Riley, Barkley displayed grandeur at the start of the second quarter, consecutively scoring 8 points under the basket, stopping the Heat.
Positioned against Barkley was another undersized inside, Riley’s new sign-up Whatherspoon this year.
Upon entering the league, Weatherspoon was nicknamed "Little Barkley," sharing the same insufficient size and being a little force underneath.
However, Weatherspoon’s talent was greatly inferior compared to Barkley, who was a historic-level superstar, whereas Weatherspoon was merely a role player.
In some games, Weatherspoon could perform decently, but facing Barkley officially tonight, his aura immediately fell behind.
Unable to stop Barkley teeming with anger on both offense and defense, the second quarter rapidly saw Whatherspoon consumed by Barkley at the basket, forcing Riley to call a timeout.
With Barkley singularly leading the Trail Blazers’ offensive rhythm in the second lineup, the Trail Blazers established a 5-point lead throughout the first half.
48:43, entering halftime, both teams’ scores were not high, evidently the defense combat was intense.