Actually, Rick Carlisle very much wanted to change the starting lineup, but his idea was vetoed by Gan Guoyang. Young coaches are always like this, pinning their hopes on changes in lineup and tactics.
Experienced players like Gan Guoyang know that in the finals, the decisive factor of lineup and tactics is not that strong. How players fight and play is key.
Of course, in certain games, a surprise player is needed, although they are not easy to come by. In the last game, Barkley couldn't become the surprise player. This time it's up to the Trail Blazers' bench to see if anyone can step up.
The game started promptly at 7:30 PM Eastern Time. The second game of the finals will have a decisive impact on the trend of the series.
If the Trail Blazers win, they regain home-court advantage; if they lose, the situation will become extremely difficult.
NBC gave a set of statistics during the broadcast, showing that in the Trail Blazers' 10 finals journeys, they have never been 0-2 behind.
