May 22, 2000, Los Angeles, Staples Center, the first battle of the Western Conference Finals begins.
The two sides are old rivals, even to the point where there are hardly any secrets left between them.
Before the game, Phil Jackson attempted to create some controversial topics at the press conference and encouraged his players to attack the Trail Blazers, creating a tense and fierce atmosphere.
But unexpectedly, no one acted on Jackson's words, as everyone knew it was best not to provoke Gan Guoyang if they wanted to defeat him.
Los Angeles media showed little interest in these topics, with only one thought in mind: "Let's play the game, let's settle this, stop with all the nonsense."
Jerry West rarely showed up at important games; he usually preferred to stay home and wait for news.
He appeared much older than he did in Portland, with gray hair and sagging skin—the past few years in Los Angeles hadn't been easy.
