Chapter 551: Not Being Swept Is Success
Beyond the Phoenix Suns fans, almost everyone on the outside was predicting an easy championship run for Phoenix.
O'Neal said in an interview, "There is a gap in pure talent between these two teams. The Phoenix Suns have Steve, Chen Yan, and Amare. The Orlando Magic do not have a single player who truly stands out."
That was obviously a jab at Howard. Even a child knew Dwight Howard was Orlando's top star.
Howard was one of the players O'Neal looked down on the most in the league. No one knew the exact reason. Some said Howard, as one of the new generation's entertainment stars, had threatened O'Neal's spotlight. Others said it was because Howard had taken the nickname Superman. Opinions differed, but the result was the same. O'Neal never showed Howard any respect.
"I think the Magic are getting swept," O'Neal added. "Howard is not a leader. He does not have what it takes to carry a team to even 1 win."
He showed Howard no mercy at all.
But when the topic shifted to Chen Yan, O'Neal's attitude changed immediately.
"Chen Yan is my brother. I really want to see him lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy again and win Finals MVP again!"
O'Neal and Chen Yan had a good relationship. Both were endorsed by the same brand, and Chen Yan could write songs and sing. In O'Neal's eyes, that meant they had plenty in common.
Game 2 was scheduled 3 days later, and those 3 days felt like torture for Stan Van Gundy.
The crushing loss in Game 1 lingered in his mind like a nightmare he could not shake.
The Orlando coaching staff spent 2 days in discussion, yet they still could not come up with any real way to defeat Phoenix. The Suns' offense was almost irrational in its aggressiveness. No single defensive scheme could truly contain it.
If Orlando wanted to find a chance, it had to start with its own offense. But the Magic's offensive patterns were too limited. Even Howard had complained about that before. Their attack was basically just pick and rolls, entry passes into the post, and kick outs to outside shooters.
"Guys, forget the last game. This is a brand new start. Play to your full ability. Do your jobs. Make those damn shots. Grab those damn rebounds. Victory belongs to us!"
Van Gundy shouted at the top of his lungs before his players took the floor.
"Victory belongs to us!"
The Magic players shouted back just as loudly, but deep down, they were uncertain.
Could the gap in talent between the 2 teams really be erased by a few slogans?
The Suns, meanwhile, did not do anything special before the game. D'Antoni simply told his players to stay loose and play the same way they had in Game 1.
For Phoenix, that was all the motivation they needed.
Soon, the player introductions began, and the arena atmosphere exploded.
The fans were not this excited simply because they were happy. It was because, if the Suns swept the series, this would be the last home game of the season. It would be their final chance to watch the team play in Phoenix this year.
So they held nothing back.
The entire arena had turned into an orange ocean, every fan wearing the same T shirt, every voice screaming at full volume.
Even the mayor of Phoenix was in attendance.
The Suns reaching the Finals had not only brought honor and pride to the city, it had also boosted the local economy. In the previous game alone, the Suns had generated nearly 10 million dollars in economic activity for Phoenix. Downtown hotel occupancy had reached 85 percent, with average daily rates climbing to 240 dollars. Local tax revenue had exceeded 1 million dollars.
The city's excitement had even forced the Phoenix police to increase their manpower. Not only around the arena, but across nearby streets and neighborhoods, extra officers had been deployed to prevent disturbances and petty crime.
The game began quickly.
Both teams kept the same starting lineups as in Game 1.
Howard won the opening tip again, giving Orlando the first possession.
The Magic started cautiously, moving the ball around the perimeter with almost excessive care. They looked hesitant, even timid.
That was the aftereffect of the blowout in Game 1.
Even veterans struggle to avoid a psychological shadow after getting crushed, much less a Finals newcomer like Orlando.
After several passes, the Magic finally found an opening. Lewis ended up isolated against Nash on the perimeter, a clear mismatch, and he rose for the jumper.
Clang!
The ball caromed hard off the rim.
Howard soared in for the tip in.
2 to 0.
Howard was clearly in far better competitive shape than he had been in Game 1, though that was not saying much. He had been awful in the opener, so there had been nowhere to go but up.
Orlando's overall level was noticeably better too.
By the end of the 1st quarter, the Magic trailed only 28 to 23.
In the 2nd quarter, D'Antoni let Chen Yan lead the 2nd unit and attack Orlando's defense. That was nothing new. He had done it many times in the regular season, hoping to build a cushion before the opposing starters returned.
That, in turn, forced Orlando to bring Howard back earlier than they wanted, which was exactly what D'Antoni had hoped for. More minutes meant more fatigue for Howard, and more fatigue meant a greater chance of foul trouble. If Howard had to sit because of fouls, Orlando's entire defensive system would fall apart.
Howard managed to hold up on defense through the 2nd quarter, but in the 3rd, Orlando's outside shooting finally caught fire. A barrage of 3 pointers kept dropping.
Phoenix, however, did not care whether Orlando's shooters were hot or not. The Suns just kept playing at their own pace, completely unhurried.
When the Magic entered the 4th quarter with a 3 point lead, their fans finally began to believe.
But the fans only saw the surface.
They did not see Orlando's hidden danger.
Howard had already played almost 3 full quarters and had picked up 4 fouls. On top of that, Orlando's offense depended too heavily on outside shooting. Once those 3 point attempts stopped falling in the 4th quarter, their edge would disappear in an instant.
And that was exactly what happened.
As soon as the final quarter began, Phoenix attacked Orlando's weak point with total precision. They drove harder, targeted Howard, and tried to force foul trouble, while tightening their perimeter defense. They were willing to give up 2s, but absolutely refused to surrender 3s.
That made it extremely difficult for Orlando to get clean outside looks in the 4th.
Less than 2 minutes into the quarter, Howard picked up his 5th foul and had no choice but to sit.
Without him patrolling the paint, Orlando's defense dropped by at least 2 levels. Gortat had size, but his athleticism was lacking, and Phoenix immediately started driving into the lane over and over again, erasing the lead in a flash.
Now playing from behind, the Magic became impatient. They began forcing 3 point shots, and one miss followed another.
Chen Yan seized the moment.
He pushed the tempo and scored 6 straight points.
By the time Orlando finally decided to bring Howard back to steady the game, it was already too late. Chen Yan had found his rhythm. He attacked one defender after another and personally ripped off an 11 to 0 run.
With 4 minutes and 9 seconds remaining, Howard picked up his 6th foul and was done for the night.
That was the final blow.
In the end, the Suns defeated the Magic 113 to 104 and took a 2 to 0 lead in the series.
Howard finished 8 of 15 from the field and 4 of 8 from the line, posting 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
That was a performance worthy of his status.
Lewis knocked down 6 triples and finished with 24 points and 7 rebounds. Turkoglu added 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.
For Phoenix, Chen Yan went 11 of 22 from the field, including 4 of 6 from deep, and 8 of 9 at the line. He finished with 34 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Stoudemire and Azubuike added 20 and 16 points respectively.
Nash put up a massive double double with 15 points and 15 assists.
After the game, many fans were in tears.
Not because they were emotional. Not because the game had been thrilling.
It was because many of them felt this had just been the Suns' final home game of the season.
The Finals used a 2 3 2 format, which meant the next 3 games would all be in Orlando. According to historical data, the odds of coming back from a 0 to 2 deficit in the Finals were under 6 percent. And not a single fan believed Orlando would be part of that 6 percent.
The last team to overcome 0 to 2 in the Finals had been the 2006 Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks.
Clearly, this Orlando team was not built like that Miami team, nor did it have a spiritual leader capable of dragging the whole team into a desperate comeback.
The consensus outside was simple.
If the Magic could avoid being swept, their season would already count as a success.