At least, the two NBA players who could trust and be loyal to each other—owner and player—had developed a rift.
If Guan Huang lost this final, he might not end his career with the Mavericks;Dallas would definitely need to rebuild next season, making it awkward for Novak.
He was likely to be traded in the next two seasons.The final score sent many Mavericks fans home early.
The Knicks won 112-89, a crushing defeat that was rare in their playoff history.
This victory destroyed the confidence of the Mavericks, and most experts agreed that the Knicks would dominate them after this game.
Guan Huang said only one thing to the reporters: "Come over for a visit?" The Knicks fans felt he spoke with authority.Coach Carlisle talked about Guan's performance in the final quarter: "Hugo played like a maniac in the last five minutes of the first half, no one could stop him.
He made several difficult shots, even Jesus would struggle to defend against him.
He took control and let us fall behind by more than 10 points."Guan Huang only played three quarters today, finishing with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
This impressive performance earned him praise from Coach Carlisle."Tell it like it is, I just call timeouts;Hugo is the key to this team.
He's the leader who controls this special group.
His communication on the court is like a coach’s with his players," said Carlisle.Ewing congratulated his old team and agreed that Guan had made the Knicks into his own.
"Everyone says this final means so much for Hugo, and it does;it will define his legacy.
The Knicks are now his team, if he's Batman, everyone else is just Robin."Van Gundy supported the Knicks but believed that the Mavericks needed to address their defense against Guan."You have to play defense to stimulate your offense when in the finals.
I’m confused by Carlisle’s strategy;it should be more aggressive, especially with pick-and-rolls.
Their defense was too loose and gave Hugo space.
We need to force him into facing his back, forcing him to pass and preventing him from regaining possession."Carlisle knew he needed to force Guan into a more back-to-the-basket position, but forcing a guard like him to do so seemed unrealistic.
How could Kidd or Barry achieve that?Guan Huang complimented the league during his post-game press conference, "David Stern would tell referees we need an extended final series.
But don’t worry, it's just a joke.
The league never interferes with games;only owners make mistakes like this."Koban couldn't help but want to kill Guan for mocking him by saying he always complained about the league favoring his team.Meanwhile, Shaq was ecstatic as he talked about Kobe and LeBron: "Kobe is more aggressive, simple.
You can tell what he’s going to do.
LeBron makes his teammates better;he's perfect but not realistic.
Hugo plays like giving a gift to his girlfriend."Guan Huang had some unsaid words after the game;he heard Dallas fans insulting his lady friends during pre-game insults.
This infuriated him, though he didn't show it publicly."Would you want me on your team?" he thought about how his father would probably slap him for being upset over these insults.
He remembered that the Dallas fans also insulted his parents before the game.The Knicks returned home with a smile after their victory in Dallas.
With two wins, they had swept the Mavericks and were preparing to clinch their third title in 37 years.However, just as the Knicks prepared to go all-out against the Mavericks, Phil Jackson, who recently stepped down from his role at Lakers, arrived in New York for an event and planned to watch Game 5 at Madison Square Garden.
His coaching career had been remarkable, and many saw a connection with the Knicks.
When a New York journalist asked him about joining the team, he declined."I’ve never had any interest in being involved;Mike did well by turning a struggling team into this level.
I don't think the Knicks need a new coach," Jackson's response was expected given his reputation and the Knicks' success under his guidance.