In contrast to Paul Plessey, Skiles was much calmer, remaining seated on the bench the entire time.
He wasn't arrogant, but after defeating the Lakers, Skiles truly didn't believe there was any team in the league the Suns couldn't beat.
None in the West, and certainly none in the East.
By the end of the first quarter, the Suns were up 27-19, having built an 8-point lead.
Ewing's 11 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the quarter was just the icing on the cake. The biggest reason for the Suns' first-quarter lead was actually their defense.
They had defensive assets from the inside out.
In the East, the Magic had dominated with their sharp drives to the basket, but that strategy wasn't working against the Suns.
Even Hill, despite having the fastest first step in the league, found himself easily trapped by help defense when he drove inside.
