Karl had no confidence in verbally sparring with Beelman, especially here in Portland.
But Karl couldn't back down; he couldn't show fear. He had to hold on until the end of the game.
During the handshake between the coaches, Beelman refused to shake hands with Karl, making it awkward for Karl.
At 7:30 p.m., the game officially began—both teams embarked on this crucial fifth game, a decisive match for the series.
Terry Porter remained on the sidelines, and the Trail Blazers made an adjustment in the starting lineup, with Mario Ely starting at the small forward position.
Reggie Lewis returned to the shooting guard position, and Petrović moved to the point guard position.
Beelman intended to strengthen the backcourt defense and fortify the team's perimeter to prevent the Supersonics from launching too many counterattacks.
Before the game, Beelman assigned Mario Ely the task of locking down Supersonics' guard, Ricky Pierce.
