His height disadvantage was magnified by the Trail Blazers' tall forward-guard lineup and their quick defensive rotations. The only thing he could rely on was his speed.
As the Suns narrowed the score gap, Sabonis stepped up for the Trail Blazers, using his playmaking to help Petrović and Lewis attack the basket and score.
Then, midway through the second quarter, Sabonis worked with Curry on the left side at the 45-degree angle, setting a screen, cutting outside, catching the ball, and hitting a three-pointer!
This pivotal three-pointer in the first half extended the Trail Blazers' lead over the Suns back to over 10 points, stabilizing the game's momentum.
After this three-pointer, the Suns called a timeout, and Gan Guoyang re-entered the court, substituting for the excellent-performing Sabonis.
Sabonis, with a calm expression, sat back on the bench, quietly drinking water while closely observing the action on the court.
