At last, the time came for the players to take the court at 7:30 p.m.
The starting players for both teams appeared on the big screen.
The Raptors were sticking with their usual starting lineup this season.
Zhang Jiacheng, Wang Yi, Hachimura, Dauding, and Pang Bo.
The Pacers' starting lineup hadn't changed much either.
Point Guard: the young superstar Haliburton.
Shooting Guard: the Night Assassin, Little Thomas.
Who was this guy?
He was the grandson of Isiah Thomas, the original Smile Assassin.
He didn't look like much in everyday life, and whether on offense or defense, you couldn't see anything particularly outstanding about him.
But every now and then, he'd suddenly knock down a three.
And the more crucial the moment, the higher his percentage on those unexpected threes became.
According to the stats, when the score was close and during the final five minutes of a game, his percentage on those unexpected threes reached a remarkable 53 percent.
That was pretty frightening.
Small Forward: Bruce 'The Bell' Pete.
This year's Defensive Player of the Year was also a three-point shooter, with a three-point percentage of 38 percent.
He was a typical 3-and-D player.
Power Forward: Joel Johnson.
Some fans in China called him Joe II.
As a power forward of the small-ball era, Joe II had good height and could run and jump well, but he couldn't shoot threes. His footwork, rebounding, and defense were all average. In short, he was mediocre in just about every respect.
In that regard, he was a match for their center, Radiya.
As a center in the small-ball era, Radiya could shoot threes, but his percentage was only 32 percent.
His mid-range percentage was only 43 percent.
He could rebound, but averaged just 7.9 boards per game.
In short, he was also mediocre