The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1777 - 53: Seeing Through Everything

Especially Jeff Hornacek, like Kevin Johnson, has already decided to retire after the season, so this game might also be the last of his career.

He tried to salvage the defeat with three-pointers, making two out of three and momentarily giving the fans a glimpse of hope.

But on the defensive end, the Jazz couldn't hold up, the veteran players couldn't keep up, and there were gaps everywhere.

When defending Grant Hill, Hornacek was beaten with a single step and could only pull from behind.

He was called for a foul, which resulted in six accumulated fouls, forcing him off the court, and he didn't come back again.

As Hornacek left the court, the fans at the Triangle Center erupted in applause; this was his final exit.

Returning to the bench, Hornacek covered his face with a towel, telling himself in his heart, it's over, it's all over.

Compared to Malone and Stockton, he was lucky, with a 14-year career and three championships, and after leaving the Trail Blazers, he still secured a pretty big contract.

He had wealth, fame, and honor, and he could say he had no regrets.

However, leaving was still so hard to accept, and he couldn't help but shed tears.

In the end, the Suns came back in the fifth game to defeat the Utah Jazz 90-84, winning the series 3-2 and advancing to the semifinals.

As the game ended, the fans did not leave early but instead gave their cheers and applause to Jeff Hornacek.

Hornacek, with reddened eyes and nose, followed his teammates through the player tunnel back to the locker room.

The Jazz's 2000 season ended, with one of the Jazz's three veterans gone, and the remaining two are not far from their end.

On the other side, in the Suns' locker room, everyone celebrated the victory and reaching the semifinals.

Kevin Johnson appeared very calm; he performed excellently tonight, with 12 points and 14 assists, being the team's offensive engine.

Seeing his teammates' happiness, Johnson was, of course, also delighted, but Jeff Hornacek's departing figure lingered in his mind.

Both players entered the league in the mid-'80s, and seeing Hornacek leave, Johnson knew his own time wasn't far off either.

It was just a matter of time, because the next round was against the Portland Trail Blazers, and perhaps Ah Gan would give him a swift end.

Johnson thought this way.

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The first round of matches concluded in early May, with the four Western Conference teams advancing being the Trail Blazers, Lakers, Suns, and Supersonics.

Among them, the Suns achieved an upset, advancing to the semifinals as the seventh-seed and once again facing the Portland Trail Blazers.

Meanwhile, the Lakers also tussled with the Sacramento Kings for five games in the first round, narrowly advancing by winning the fifth game.

The resilience and fighting potential shown by the Kings is not to be underestimated, and their rise in the Western Conference is imminent.

Conversely, the Los Angeles Lakers, who had the best record in the league, performed unimpressively in five games in the first round, casting doubt on whether they could overthrow the Trail Blazers' dominance.

Of course, the Trail Blazers were not yet thinking about the Los Angeles Lakers; the Phoenix Suns were the enemy at hand.

This season, the Suns played exceptionally well against the Trail Blazers in the regular season, with both sides tying 2-2, as the Suns' lineup has a strong focus against the Trail Blazers.

Their strong perimeter constantly put immense pressure on the Trail Blazers' defense, and from a performance standpoint, both teams often played to a stalemate.

As a result, internally, the Trail Blazers preferred facing the Jazz rather than the Suns in the semifinals since the Jazz, being an older team, posed no threat to them.

Every regular season matchup against the Jazz went smoothly for the Trail Blazers, and the only loss was due to Gan Guoyang's absence.

Now, facing the young and talented Suns in the semifinals, the coaching staff needed to make more meticulous preparations.

However, when the first game between the two sides kicked off on May 7th in Portland, an incident occurred.

In the first quarter, just five minutes after the game began, with neither team fully warmed up, Grant Hill twisted his left ankle during a drive.

This area had been an old injury of his; he'd returned to play after treatment during the regular season and persisted through the playoffs.

But just as he was confident and eager to challenge the NBA's reigning Trail Blazers and Ah Gan, a non-contact injury brought him down.

The game paused, and the Suns' medical team came to check him out, while Hill looked quite in pain, and after a brief exchange with the medical staff, he was helped off the court.

While leaving, Grant Hill looked up at the ceiling of Rose Garden Arena, which was adorned with championship banners.

He had initially hoped to make a name for himself here and herald the beginning of his era, but it seemed that would have to be postponed?

Without Grant Hill, the Suns lost their top scorer and most crucial offensive force, the situation turned dire instantly.

When Hill was present, the Trail Blazers' defense was always on high alert; now that he was absent, the defensive pressure on Gan Guoyang almost vanished.

Gan Guoyang did not anticipate Hill would go down, his body was indeed too fragile, and moving to Phoenix, known for its dry, injury-friendly climate, was perhaps the best destiny could offer him. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

In the end, the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Phoenix Suns with a 104-90 victory at home in the first game, leading the series 1-0.

Hill's injury became the focal point of attention; if it wasn't severe, Hill could return soon, and the Suns would still have a fighting chance.

If Hill was out for the season, the Suns would almost lose any hope of winning the series, even winning a single game would become challenging.

Gan Guoyang went to the Suns' locker room after the game to check on Hill. Hill seemed optimistic and, after thanking Gan Guoyang for his kindness, said, "I'll recover quickly, otherwise, it'd be an unearned victory for you."

Gan Guoyang smiled, patted Hill's shoulder, and said, "Hopefully, the goddess of luck smiles upon you. Good luck, Grant."

Hill knew Gan Guoyang was usually sharp-tongued; he had expected some trash talk but found himself receiving well-wishes instead.

Moreover, it wasn't mere politeness; Hill saw compassion in Gan Guoyang's eyes, and that evening Gan Guoyang even used his private plane to send Hill back to Phoenix, ensuring he received tests and treatment promptly.

However, the examination results were not optimistic; the Suns quickly announced that Grant Hill was out for the season and would miss all the remaining playoff games.

The 2000 season for the Phoenix Suns, as well as Kevin Johnson's 13-year career, also concluded there.

[This injury felt unusual because I sensed something majorly wrong deep within my left ankle.

In fact, during the game against the Jazz, my steps had already faltered, and my facial muscles twisted with pain, yet I persisted.

However, I couldn't hold on in Portland; after spraining, I tried to take a couple of steps, but each step brought waves of pain.

The pain traveled from my ankle up my leg, and as I was helped back to the locker room, I kicked a chair in frustration; it wasn't a good idea, but I needed an outlet.

My challenge to the Emperor had just begun, and considering Ah Gan might retire, this might have been my only chance.

After the game, I boarded Ah Gan's private plane back; he truly is a kind person, and I needed to get examined in Phoenix.

We arrived in Phoenix at 3 a.m., and an hour later, I was at the imaging center with the medical staff.

There was only one staff member on duty, working the midnight shift; he was a technician, not a radiologist.

This meant he could take the images but couldn't detail what the results meant. After an MRI, I also underwent an X-ray exam.

X-rays are simpler, and the technician could understand them; after a few minutes, he told me, "Your ankle issue... isn't very apparent."

I felt a wave of relief; perhaps I could return during the series, I didn't think the sprain was severe, and maybe I could be back by the third game.

However, he then said, "But I discovered, your tibia seems to have a fracture. You need a more detailed examination."

I felt a cold splash; my tibia fractured? Is this a joke? If so, the season was undoubtedly over.

But the result was clear, I could even see a crack on the X-ray myself.

As I left the imaging center, I looked up and noticed the sun starting to brighten the sky.

At that moment, Ah Gan's words in the locker room echoed in my mind, "May the goddess of luck smile upon you."

It seemed he had already seen through everything.]

—Excerpt from Grant Hill's 2002 autobiography "Game: An Autobiography".