The African Mountain Mutombo won the tip-off with his superior physical attributes. However, compared to last year, the 36-year-old Mutombo was clearly even slower.
Philadelphia's primary ball-handler, Eric Snow, advanced with the ball. Link quickly retreated inside the Three-Point Shot line. Although Eric Snow was a defensive stalwart and an excellent defensive point guard, his shooting was truly abysmal. During the regular season, he averaged only 0.4 attempts per game with a 11.1% shooting percentage; his makes were practically negligible.
However, his mid-range and long-range two-pointers weren't bad. He shot 43.7% from mid-range, averaging 1.6 makes per game, and 1.3 makes from long-range. Of course, this kind of production was typical for a blue-collar player, and Eric Snow seemed to enjoy being one.
After Eric Snow dribbled past half-court, he usually handed the ball to Iverson, who was running off-ball. Hamilton stayed glued to him. Meanwhile, the Wizards chose to pack the paint and leave non-shooters open, making it difficult for Iverson to receive the ball inside. Iverson was forced to run outside the Three-Point Shot line to catch it.
"Wow... the Washington Wizards' defensive pressure tonight is very intense."
"Yeah, but the Philadelphia 76ers' offensive tactics are simply too one-dimensional; they're constantly just trying to find Iverson."
Iverson caught the ball outside the Three-Point Shot line, still guarded by Hamilton, who played tight physical defense and constantly initiated contact. Of course, Iverson could blow past him in one step, but Link's help defense arrived immediately, appearing in Iverson's driving lane. Iverson opted for a pull-up jumper, and Link stepped up quickly, raising his hand to contest.
It must be said that for the officially 183cm tall Iverson, every attribute besides his height was truly elite. Link's reaction was fast enough and his defense was in place, but Iverson still managed to sink the shot through sheer individual talent.
2 to 0!
This basket drew cheers from Iverson's die-hard fans at the Washington Wizards' home arena and the 76ers fans watching on TV.
However, the Philadelphia 76ers' head coach, Larry Brown, and the coaching staff were frowning, their faces filled with worry.
The Philadelphia 76ers' offensive spacing was a typical "4-OUT-1-IN" formation, with the African Mountain Mutombo staying deep while the other four spread out on the perimeter to clear one side for Iverson's isolation. Additionally, the African Mountain would set screens for Iverson; after all, the margin for error in isolation plays during regulation time was far too low.
Iverson had a good rhythm in the first 4 minutes, scoring 6 points on 3-of-4 shooting. But he truly looked like a lone hero—no one else on the Philadelphia 76ers had scored except him.
On the other hand, for the Washington Wizards, Link and Michael Jordan combined for 5 shots. Link was 2-of-3, including one Three-Point Shot. Michael Jordan was 1-of-2. Between them, they had 7 points. Additionally, Haywood was 2-of-2 for 4 points.
At 6 to 11, the Philadelphia 76ers seemed to have gained a 5-point lead without breaking a sweat.
Regarding Iverson's obsession with isolation, the Washington Wizards were more than happy to see that. However, Iverson and Philadelphia's head coach Larry Brown quickly made adjustments. Iverson began using high-post screens with Mutombo to shake off Hamilton's harassment, but just then... a scene that made the Philadelphia 76ers' skin crawl occurred...
Hamilton and Haywood immediately doubled Iverson, forcing him to pass. Iverson showed his elite basketball IQ at this moment; he didn't rush to pass to Mutombo on the roll. He saw Michael Jordan watching like a hawk, ready to pounce. With the Washington Wizards' Center Haywood helping on the double-team, the paint wasn't as crowded, and Derrick Coleman suddenly cut inside.
The 34-year-old Derrick Coleman was the number one draft pick in the 1990 NBA Draft. In his youth, he was a high-flyer... well, after all, anyone who becomes an NBA number one draft pick is a monster. But now, his athleticism was mediocre, and he had gradually transitioned into a stretch big. He came to the Philadelphia 76ers primarily to space the floor for Iverson.
However, Coleman was a bit faster and stronger than the "Old Handsome Guy" Laettner. Just as he shook off Laettner and cut inside, Iverson passed. The moment he caught the ball, a cold, expressionless face... appeared before him.
This startled Coleman into an immediate stop. Clutching the ball with both hands, he intended to pass when—Snap!—Link's quick hands stripped the ball cleanly.
"Great Steal!"
"Link, good job!"
"That was awesome! That defensive anticipation and hand speed..."
After the Steal, Link noticed the Philadelphia 76ers were retreating quickly this time, so he didn't rush a fast break. Instead, he pushed the ball to Michael Jordan. After all, Iverson was guarding Michael Jordan at the moment—a great mismatch opportunity.
Wearing down Iverson's stamina involved not just tight man-to-man defense and doubling off every screen, but also isolating him on offense. Michael Jordan backed down Iverson, successfully drawing a double-team from Coleman. Michael Jordan kicked the ball out to Laettner, who took a dribble as if to drive and draw a foul, but it was a ruse. After drawing help defense from the African Mountain, he dished the ball to Haywood for a slam dunk.
If there was a direct path to the basket during a fast break, the Washington Wizards chose to exploit mismatches.
In the half-court offense, the pick-and-roll between Link and Haywood completely dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers' defense. Mutombo initially tried to play drop coverage, but Link hit three consecutive pull-up mid-range jumpers. When Mutombo tried to play a hard hedge high up, Link blew past him in one step and drove to the rim. Even when the weak side collapsed to help, Link could neutralize it with precise Passing. Both Hamilton and Michael Jordan could make plays once they received the ball.
Especially Michael Jordan...
Facing Aaron McKie's help defense, he even showed off his large hands, palming the ball and suddenly leaning forward. This startled Aaron McKie into taking a large step back. The next second, Michael Jordan rose up and nailed a long two-pointer with his foot on the line.
In Game 1, the Philadelphia 76ers were completely bewildered in the first half. At 39 to 60, the Washington Wizards held a 21-point lead.
Link focused primarily on orchestrating the team's offense, but he was extremely efficient, shooting 7-of-10, including 2-of-4 Three-Point Shots, for 16 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 3 Steals.
As for Iverson, although he also scored 16 points, he took as many as 19 shots, plus 9 free throws... which, converted to field goal attempts, would be at least 23.