In times of adversity, Gan Guoyang seeks change through personal breakthroughs, looking for a turning point and an overall team improvement.
Before the game began, Gan Guoyang had already reminded his teammates how to play and to be mentally prepared for certain situations.
Now, the first half has proven that his strategy is effective, with the internal logic supporting the team’s offense.
"...We must make better use of the corners, a point that’s been neglected in past tactics. I know, Dale, Lewis, you’ve never skipped corner training, so you must emphasize the corners. I’ll pay more attention to both corner spots in the second half..."
"Arvydas, return to the five position, and make sure to increase the fight for offensive rebounds, especially the long ones. Our long rebounds will increase, and we cannot give the Bulls a chance to counterattack. I’ll also focus more on fighting for those long rebounds."
"Focus your attention. I know the game is exhausting. As soon as you cross half-court, start thinking about your next move and how to attack without hesitation. Remember our passing principle: don’t pass meaningless defensive passes, make safe passes, attack, and then attack again. Anyone can initiate an offense from any position, driving, long shots, cuts, be bold."
"Minimize errors, but don’t fear them either. With enough space, mistakes will decrease. The Triangle Offense equally divides space inside the three-point line, and we aim to equally divide the space on the half-court, each controlling a larger area. We have this capability."
Seizing the 15-minute halftime break, Gan Guoyang constantly wrote and drew on the whiteboard, cramming his understanding of the system into his teammates’ minds mercilessly and forcefully.
There was no time for training, relying solely on the team’s years of cooperative tacit understanding and high tactical literacy to adapt to Gan Guoyang’s new system.
Fortunately, the Princeton System’s passing and cutting, as well as movement, have laid an excellent foundation for the Trail Blazers. Gan Guoyang’s approach of opening up for driving, passing, and shooting remains true to the core.
Beelman, Adelman, Shalov, and others stood by, attentively observing and listening to Gan Guoyang’s explanation, striving to understand his points.
Beelman recalled a summer in California during the pre-season coaches’ preparation meeting, where Ah Gan was present.
Ah Gan said that Professor James Naismith believed that the ultimate basketball game should be able to launch an attack from anywhere.
At that time, Beelman didn’t take this seriously, thinking it was just another sophisticated remark Ah Gan dug up to show off.
Unexpectedly, after so many years, Ah Gan kept this in mind and continuously internalized and pondered over it.
Finally, one day, this golden seed of basketball, possibly planted when the sport was invented, blossomed and bore fruit with Ah Gan.
Beelman was certain that it was a transformative change, though it wasn’t feasible for any player to play like Ah Gan right away.
However, he hoped that in the future, those kids now watching games on TV, grassroots coaches, and college coaches, would inherit and gradually develop these new achievements.
Just like Beelman is convinced that his views on efficiency and data utilization will one day become golden rules of basketball coaching, impacting everyone on the court.
The time was up, and Gan Guoyang couldn’t say more but finally told his teammates: "Trust me, trust ourselves. This championship will surely belong to us."
Confidence was re-injected into the team. Often, systems and tactics become less crucial deep in a series.
Individual ability, determination, and the desire to win are what make the difference.
This year, the Bulls’ mental strength originally surpassed that of the Trail Blazers, but Gan Guoyang has the ability to turn the tide.
Returning to the court, the game resumes. The red stands resemble boiling lava; the entire arena feels like it’s ablaze.
Jordan starts with a drive and a baseline pass, assisting John Paxson in hitting a mid-range jumper, igniting the Bulls’ second-half offense.
This was a good play, but in Gan Guoyang’s view, with the corner wide open, John Paxson’s decision to step up for a mid-range shot was a terrible choice.
If it were the Trail Blazers, Curry or Petrović should step back and risk a three-pointer, as corner threes are crucial for expanding the court space.
In the past, this spot was often neglected, seen as a dead corner on the court, but in the future, corners will become increasingly important.
The Bulls adjusted their defense against Gan Guoyang, with Pippen continuing to mark him, while Buck-Williams began actively helping on defense.
Of course, this is illegal defense. The Bulls were called for a defensive violation two minutes into the third quarter. They had no choice but to defend this way.
Compared to the first half, Gan Guoyang slowed down his speed and pace slightly because the Trail Blazers were already leading by more than 20 points; now, stability was necessary.
The first half caught the Bulls off guard, and continuing with this advanced yet immature play style might lead to turnovers and counterattacks.
If it becomes chaotic, and the Bulls make a streak of comeback scores in chaos, the situation would worsen.
So, Gan Guoyang wisely chose to hold the ball, open up, and then back down Pippen into the post.
Gan Guoyang’s bulldozer-like post-up move began pressing inside from the three-point line, and Pippen could hardly stand firm.
The result was a turnaround move to the basket, pushing past Bill Cartwright for a successful dunk.
A play faced with a double team, delivered to the wing to Petrović, whose drive and layup were disrupted and missed.