Tense atmosphere spread throughout the court.
Everyone understood the significance of this match, so they all knew the intensity of this finals.
In the stands at Memorial Coliseum, David Stern looked solemn, while sitting next to him, Tang Jianguo appeared relaxed, even wearing a smile.
Stern obviously knew that when these two teams entered the finals, violent incidents were almost certain to occur.
Thus, for the first game, he specifically arranged for Earl-Strom to lead the refereeing, hoping to control the situation.
For their home game, the Trail Blazers invited the rising singing star Mariah Carey to perform the national anthem, hoping to add a touch of a peaceful atmosphere to the match.
Her performance was spectacular, but neither team's players were in the mood to appreciate it; their eyes were only on the game.
The Pistons had just finished a game seven, and though physically exhausted, they were still in game mode.
