"Welcome to NBC's broadcast of the first game of the 1998 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals. Hello, everyone, I'm Mike Breen.
The matchup is once again between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, a replay of last year's Western Conference Finals. It's also the Trail Blazers' 12th appearance on this stage since 1985.
In recent years, they have appeared in the West Finals more times than most teams have appeared in Conference Finals in their entire history.
Joining me tonight for game commentary is former Trail Blazers player and MVP, Bill Walton. Hello, Walton."
NBC has dispatched Mike Breen and Bill Walton as the commentary duo for this game.
Since retiring, Walton has been actively involved in sports commentary. Since 1992, he has been working for CBS as a guest commentator for NBA and college basketball.
Up until the age of 28, Walton suffered from a stuttering problem.
