Marbury had played for a month in the 98-99 season when he was traded from the Timberwolves to the Nets due to contract renewal disputes. After joining the Nets, he exploded, averaging 17.7 points and 9.3 assists in 18 games with the Timberwolves, and 23.4 points and 8.7 assists over the 31 games following his trade to the Nets. His performances featuring over 25 points and 20 assists were part of his flaming aftermath, and for a long time afterwards, he was compared with Iverson until the 00-01 season when Iverson pulled ahead.
The most explosive was Magic's 32 points, 20 assists, and 11 rebounds, only surpassed by Chamberlain's legendary triple 20 performance.
Due to Nash's impressive game, even though the Suns lost, he was highly praised. Zhang Yang remembered clearly, Nash had 22 assists and 4 turnovers, while Paul this time was even tougher, with 22 assists and just two turnovers.
