Chapter 90 Within Reach
As long as Jerry Sloan arranges a three-point strategy, the Knicks' tight defense won't work. Hornacek is one of the league's most accurate shooters, a three-point contest champion, and both Stockton and Russell can shoot threes.
However, Sloan is a coach who loves to run pick-and-rolls the most. The older he gets, the more stubborn he becomes, unable to keep up with the times. Despite having a three-point champion, the Jazz shoot fewer threes than teams like the Grizzlies and Nuggets, who don't even have shooters. They only know pick-and-rolls and tough defense.
The Jazz were dominated in the first quarter, trailing by 8 points.
In half-court play, they were no match for the Knicks. Sloan made no adjustments, sticking to his basketball philosophy: the closer to the basket, the higher the shooting percentage.
He is a typical American old man—simple, stubborn, serious, never seeking attention, and always wanting to argue with the referees over every call.
People never see him in the news outside of basketball, except for the fact that he doesn't use a cell phone and owns a large farm in Illinois. Jazz fans would criticize Sloan after losses, calling his coaching too rigid, but most couldn't imagine him not being the Jazz's coach.
In the second quarter, Russell stayed on the court with the substitutes: Howard Eisley, Shandon Anderson, Antoine Carr, and Greg Ostertag.
The Knicks went with a small lineup: Atkins and Ward as guards, Mills and Johnson as forwards, and Ben Wallace, who had rested for 5 minutes, as the center.
Seeing the "Big White Bear" being pushed out of the paint by the smaller Ben Wallace and being ineffective on offense, Jazz fans felt disheartened.
The commentators for the game were all amazed by Ben Wallace's performance. He seemed like a defensive liability but always managed to frustrate his opponents.
Mike Breen said, "For the entire season, Ben Wallace has been the most reliable backup center for the Knicks. When Ewing is off the court, he protects the paint well, making Buck Williams a fringe player. Now he's proving he can be a starter."
Atkins first hit a three-pointer, then drove past Ostertag, drawing the defense and dishing to Mills for a corner three.
The Jazz lacked offensive options. Russell missed a jump shot, and in the Knicks' half-court offense, Ben Wallace set an outside screen, switching the defense to Carr.
The ball moved to the right side, where Johnson drove past Ostertag, drawing a foul and making both free throws.
The lead extended to 16 points, and the Knicks continued to use full-court press on defense.
Backup point guard Eisley was no match for Stockton. He could dribble past half-court with his skills and agility but couldn't find shooting opportunities and was poor at organizing the offense.
Sloan stood on the sidelines, hands on his hips, frowning at the court, making no adjustments.
The Jazz were very similar to last season's Knicks, relying on rough defense, a tough style, and pick-and-rolls to win games. If the two teams had met last season, it would have been a slugfest.
The current Knicks have changed. Some say they aren't as tough on offense as before, but they have been dominating the tough Jazz and Bulls.
Trying to outmuscle the Knicks players is futile. They always have guards driving to the paint or catching and shooting. The only one playing tough is Ben Wallace, who focuses on defense and rebounding.
Before the half ended, Knicks commentator Marv Albert made a prediction that could hurt viewership: "I think the Knicks are definitely going to win the championship this season. The Jazz and Bulls are too slow in the paint. As long as Ostertag is on the court, he's a defensive liability."
His partner, Marty Glickman, said, "Johnson moving to the bench ensures the Knicks' bench has scoring power, while the Jazz's weakness is their lack of bench scoring. Sloan seems to have no way to fix this."
Sloan indeed had no solution unless he could find a strong foreign player. With only average blue-collar workers under him, even the best coach can't work miracles without the right players.
As the lead grew, the Jazz had to bring back their starters early, letting the 7'2", nearly 300-pound Ostertag rest on the sidelines.
In the second half, Sloan didn't dare to play Ostertag. Last season's starting center and defensive stalwart had become a fringe player.
Stockton returned to the court, and the Knicks immediately matched him with Starks. At this point, there was no need to consider rotations; the best players stayed on the court.
Childs was completely benched, relegated to watching the finals from the sidelines. He was frustrated but had to endure it.
In the final quarter, Van Gundy finally put the well-rested Childs on the court. He matched up against Stockton, who had played 30 minutes, and shut him down completely. Stockton couldn't even protect the ball, let alone drive.
This season, Stockton averaged 29 minutes per game, with stats of 12 points and 8.5 assists. In the playoffs, he averaged only 28.5 minutes, with stats dropping to 11.6 points and 8.1 assists.
Stockton was no longer a star, disadvantaged physically and lacking scoring ability, relying on his high basketball IQ.
The Jazz swept the Lakers not because they were strong, but because the Lakers' perimeter was not as strong as the media hyped. Van Exel averaged only 11.6 points and 4.2 assists in the playoffs, with a shooting percentage of 33.1%. Kobe averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 40.8%. The Lakers' three-point shooting was even worse.
The Knicks, on the other hand, had six good three-point shooters. When the guards started running, the Jazz's defense fell apart.
The Knicks went on a 13-1 run. In three minutes, the Jazz only scored 1 point from Malone's free throw, and the lead extended to 26 points, entering garbage time early.
Seeing that they couldn't win, Sloan subbed out his starters early.
Malone had a poor performance, shooting 7 of 18, 3 of 4 from the free-throw line, for 17 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.
Russell was the second-highest scorer with 15 points. Bowen's defense on him was not successful.
Stockton had 12 points and 8 assists, a decent performance.
Hornacek had the worst game, getting completely outplayed by Houston, shooting 2 of 10 for only 4 points and 3 assists.
The best performers for the Knicks were their two guards. Starks had 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Houston had 26 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Johnson also contributed 17 points.
Yang Rui and Van Gundy decided to use an attacking lineup even during garbage time: Atkins and Childs as guards, Mills and Jackson as forwards, and only Buck Williams as the center. They grabbed rebounds and immediately launched fast breaks.
In chaotic play, the Knicks players were better at scoring, winning the game 108-73.
This was not just an ordinary opening win. The large point difference proved a significant gap in strength between the two teams. The championship trophy was now within the Knicks' reach.
Van Gundy was so happy he couldn't contain himself. He said in an interview, "Yes, we can. In the next game, we will definitely win again. We have the strength to win the championship."
After the game, the media's tone changed, collectively doubting the Jazz.
Los Angeles media mockingly said, "The Jazz might experience the same fate as the Lakers. Facing the Knicks, winning even one game would be an achievement."
The New York Times arrogantly claimed, "The biggest suspense in the finals now is not who will win the championship, but who among the Knicks will win the Finals MVP."
Even the Salt Lake City media pessimistically believed that the Jazz would need a miracle to win the championship.