A few hours later, the floor of MGM Arena was set up and fans began to enter.
As the regular season draws to a close, the enthusiasm of Las Vegas fans remains unaffected.
The fans quickly filled the originally empty and silent arena, and the sound waves assaulted the players’ eardrums.
The rosters of Glory and Suns were both complete, with no major injuries to the main players, indicating a major battle tonight.
Jordan and Gan Guoyang naturally started, and Yao Ming received the most camera attention on site as everyone knew tonight was crucial for his quest for Rookie of the Year.
On the other side, Stoudemire started as the center, with power forward Antoine Walker, small forward Grant Hill, shooting guard Joe Johnson, and point guard Tony Parker.
This was a highly agile and aggressive lineup, with the Suns’ offense ranking among the top in the league.
However, their defense was rather poor, as Stoudemire’s defense under the basket was far from ideal.
Therefore, the Suns’ games often turned into offensive battles.
As the most anticipated high school player of the 2002 class, Stoudemire was referred to as the second Darryl Dawkins, the 76ers forward known for shattering the basket.
In his senior year, his height reached 6 feet 10 inches, weighing 240 pounds, much like an adult.
He was highly talented but grew up in a harsh environment, similar to many African American players, with parents who divorced early, and his father passing away when he was 12, leaving his mother and brother.
Unfortunately, his mother was not responsible like many star players’ mothers but was a habitual thief, forger, and drug dealer, while his brother was imprisoned for sexual assault.
In the realm of African American players who commonly lacked father figures, Stoudemire had an exceptionally difficult start.
Others like Barkley had supportive mothers and grandmothers, O’Neal had a stepfather, and Isiah Thomas had protective brothers.
Stoudemire had none, with both his mother and brother being negative influences, yet he didn’t fall into despair, knowing early on he had to fend for himself.
Through multiple school transfers, he never gave up basketball, the light in his dark life, driving him forward.
The Suns initially targeted Yao Ming, but when the Cavaliers acquired the top draft pick, they knew getting Yao was out of question, so they tried out Stoudemire.
Unexpectedly, Stoudemire’s maturity and resilience won over the Suns; he balanced school, basketball, and caring for his half-brother, impressing the Suns’ general manager who also came from humble beginnings.
Stoudemire undeniably faced many technical issues; at just 19, his shooting, fundamentals, and defense needed considerable improvement.
Fortunately, he adapted quickly to the NBA, securing a starting position and gradually showcasing his extraordinary athletic talent.
In this match, Stoudemire managed to touch the ball first during the jump ball against the taller Yao Ming, utilizing explosive force, starting the offense for the Suns.
Despite their fast play style, the Suns patiently moved the ball during their first possession; Grant Hill passed to Stoudemire positioned in the middle, guarded by Yao Ming.
Yao Ming raised his arms like a blockade, standing in front of Stoudemire.
Stoudemire received the ball, turned, dribbled, and charged fiercely! Breaking into the paint, he aimed to dunk!
But Gan Guoyang came from the other side to block the shot.
Yao Ming and Stoudemire’s first face-off of the match ended with Gan Guoyang’s block brutally breaking it apart.
Stoudemire’s face showed defiance; shortly after, he attempted to block Gan Guoyang’s layup on defense, only to be overpowered by Gan’s pick-and-roll slam dunk!
Though Gan Guoyang’s jumping explosiveness wasn’t as before, his weight and strength were something Stoudemire couldn’t compete with.
After consecutive setbacks in offense and defense, Grant Hill advised Stoudemire, "Don’t compete with Ah Gan, your target is Yao."
Hill reminded Stoudemire that engaging with Ah Gan wouldn’t end well and to focus his attention elsewhere.
Being the team’s leader, contending against Ah Gan was Grant Hill’s task.
Having recovered from the previous season’s injuries, Hill was in excellent physical condition.
The Suns’ medical team refrained from surgery, opting for conservative treatment based on the circumstances.
They let Hill rest, engage in rehabilitation exercises, closely monitored his progress, and prescribed medication to aid recovery.
This seemingly conservative treatment plan maximized Hill’s athletic ability and spared him the pain of surgery.
Thus, Hill re-entered the All-Star lineup this season, achieving a versatile average of 21 points, 8 assists, and 9 rebounds per game, making him the true soul of this Suns team.
He played the game with exceptional speed, without any delay, his passing and coordination swift as the wind, making the Suns play tightly knit.
The opponents often reacted too late as the Suns initiated their offense swiftly, clinching scores, leaving defenses stunned.
Fully aware of the Suns’ characteristics, Glory slowed the game pace initially and had Michael Jordan primarily guard Hill, denying him the chance to gain momentum.
Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang decisively leveraged his offensive advantage to attack Stoudemire and Antoine Walker right from the start.