Sabonis followed up with a successful tip-in—everything was connected, trapping, help defense, which led to the Bulls’ poor protection of the backcourt rebounds.
When Gan Guoyang tried to post up from the three-point line for the third time, Jordan came over to double-team.
Gan Guoyang didn’t pass the ball but dribbled outward, with Jordan and Pippen cornering him near the half-court line.
Under such extreme defense, Gan Guoyang surprisingly used his strong body to protect the ball, making a nimble pivot to break through the sideline trap.
At this moment, the Bulls’ defensive formation was completely flattened, with all their attention on the right side to block Gan Guoyang from cutting in from the wing.
Gan Guoyang didn’t delay any further, making a sharp angled pass to Petrović in the left corner.
Petrović caught the ball, aimed, and made a successful three-point shot!
This season, Petrović’s three-point shooting percentage is 44%, just like his jersey number.
This kind of play was completely beyond the defensive expectations of the Bulls players.
Under normal circumstances, let alone a center, if a guard was trapped by Pippen and Jordan and forced to the corner, being able to pass the ball out would already be good enough.
Such a pass would inevitably be a defensive safety pass, lacking any offensive threat, merely dragging out time and preventing any tactics from unfolding.
Subsequently, it depended mostly on a player’s personal ability, to take tough shots or force breakthroughs, and whether they made it or not was left to chance, frequently leading to a steep decline in shooting percentage.
As a result, Ah Gan was surprisingly able to escape first, then forcefully protect the ball, followed by using strength to break through the blockade, forcing the Bulls’ defense to shift its focus, leaving a large open space on the left side.
Then, Gan Guoyang, using his height advantage, spotted the open space, made a large angled pass accurately, leading to a perfect shooting rhythm and assisting in a made three-pointer.
"What kind of monster is this guy," even Jordan couldn’t help but curse.
He thought to himself that he could also escape such a double-team, but afterward, he would definitely choose to drive straight to the basket or take a mid-range shot.
For a guard to pass such a long angled pass, there are visual obstructions and a high risk of error.
This divine-like offensive maneuver only occasionally flashed for the Trail Blazers in the third quarter.
During other times, Gan Guoyang returned to a cautious, steady pace, grinding down the Bulls’ set defense.
The Bulls gradually realized that it was a deadlock, and the 21-point deficit was insurmountable.
They hadn’t figured out an effective way to counter Ah Gan, with issues in their defensive communication, getting toyed around by Ah Gan’s activities on the higher line.
At the same time, they didn’t dare to abandon their low post defense against Ah Gan since he occasionally drilled into the elbow area, quickly scoring two points with his back to the basket, leaving the Bulls with no solutions.
Jackson kept pacing on the sideline, the noisy Rose Garden Arena, and the situation on the court made his mind a mess.
As the game progressed, he felt that the players were increasingly unsure of how to play, eventually returning to a one-man offense led by Jordan.
This was just like the 1991 finals, where the defensive collapse led to a drop in overall morale and state, further affecting the team as a whole.
But the good news was that this was only the third game, giving the Bulls time to adjust, and they were still leading the series.
Perhaps it was time to let this game go, allowing players to rest early and prepare for the fourth and fifth games.
Finally, within a few minutes into the fourth quarter, Phil Jackson proactively substituted out Jordan, Pippen, and other main players, signifying the Bulls’ surrender.
The point difference had not improved from the first half; the Trail Blazers led the Bulls by as much as 23 points, making it impossible to catch up.
The two teams were evenly matched in strength, and with Ah Gan causing a more than 20-point deficit, catching up was even more difficult.
Jordan sat dejectedly back on the bench, gulping water, complaining to Jackson, "I’ve never seen anyone play like this!"
Jackson replied helplessly, "Well, now you have."
"We must make adjustments, or we’ll be in big trouble," Jordan added.
"I know, big trouble, really big trouble."
The fourth quarter dragged on, with the score fixed at 97:121, and the Trail Blazers’ 24-point advantage secured them the third game victory, tying the series 1-2.
Gan Guoyang recorded a triple-double with 38 points, 16 rebounds, and 12 assists, with six players on the team scoring in double digits, completely dismantling the Bulls’ impenetrable defense.
A day later, in the fourth game, the Bulls still couldn’t find a way to counter, Scottie Pippen continued to be pushed to the frontline, and ended up fouling out under Ah Gan’s play.
In this game, the Bulls again suffered a large defeat, 101:119, losing by 18 points, with the Trail Blazers winning two matches in a row, making Jordan’s 44 points insignificant amid the Trail Blazers’ broad offensive spread.
2:2, bringing both sides back to the same starting line.
After the fourth game ended, when leaving the arena, a manga artist expressed a desire to get Gan Guoyang’s autograph.
Gan Guoyang came out of the locker room and met the bald-headed man in a white T-shirt, wearing Skyscraper rainbow edition shoes, the author of "Slam Dunk Master."
Gan Guoyang took a picture with him and signed his name on the manga book, writing a message of encouragement: "This is a great work, keep updating it."
When parting, he also reminded, "Remember to draw my shoes in, give them a storyline."
Jing Shang, holding the signed book in his arms, nodded repeatedly and had already thought of the storyline, making Sakuragi forcibly buy a pair of Skyscrapers.