This is clearly abnormal; last year in the Finals, Malone wasn't this distracted or nervous.
Most of the time, he could stay focused. Only in the most crucial moments would Malone sometimes get a bit anxious, but not much.
For instance, during a free throw, when Scottie Pippen said to Malone, "The Mailman doesn't deliver on Sundays," Malone missed the shot, leading to the Jazz's defeat.
If it were Ah Gan, Gan Guoyang would hit the free throw while cursing at Pippen, "Bullshit, it's Monday in China."
In the most critical moments, Malone indeed had some psychological weakness, but today is just the first game, and it hasn't even started yet.
After the MVP award ceremony, when both teams were about to take the court, Stockton nudged Malone and said, "Hey, relax, relax!"
Malone glanced at Stockton. His old partner could indeed see through him—relaxing was necessary, but it was challenging to do so.
"Maybe being a bit nervous is good for me." Malone comforted himself.
