The layup was called an offensive foul by Sabonis, equivalent to a turnover. His breakthrough was too straightforward.
George Karl also stood up from the bench, knowing the Supersonics were in trouble and was ready to call a timeout.
But the ball was with the Trail Blazers, and with a backcourt throw-in, Lewis used Ah Gan’s screen to break through, then immediately passed the ball back.
Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc and directly shot a three-pointer, scoring!
10:17, the Trail Blazers widened the gap to 7 points. Karl called a timeout.
At such times, the Supersonics relied heavily on Ricky Pierce.
But Pierce hadn’t got going in the first quarter yet, and he was having a hard time even getting the ball.
Mario Ely stuck to Pierce like a piece of gum, making him uncomfortable.
The timeout couldn’t change this situation; tonight, Ely was destined to keep an eye on Pierce.
After all, Pierce wasn’t Jordan; being hounded, it was hard for him to break free.
Even if he broke free, the rhythm was already disrupted upon receiving the ball again for an attack.
So after the timeout, Pierce repeatedly fought for position to get the ball and went one-on-one against Ely but failed.
His shot after the breakthrough was disturbed and missed; Gan Guoyang secured the defensive rebound.
The leading Trail Blazers weren’t in a rush to counterattack, settling into their offense, this time giving the ball to Sabonis.
Sabonis turned to cut into the basket, faked, then turned and shot, missing.
Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound, missed the putback, grabbed again, missed again, and kept fighting.
This time Gan Guoyang didn’t secure the ball but tipped it, lofting it into the basket.
In one offense, they got three offensive rebounds, making George Karl stomp his feet in frustration on the sidelines.
The Supersonics quickly exposed their second major weakness: poor backcourt rebound protection.
Inside players Kemp and Perkins weren’t adept at defensive rebounding; you can’t always rely on wings and guards to snatch rebounds.
Payton, as a point guard, often went for rebounds: one reason being his technical style, another being the truly poor rebounding of the Supersonics.
They’re among the worst in the league, with a low number and frequently losing offensive rebounds, which always troubled Karl.
But there’s no choice; the Supersonics’ SOS pressure defense was inherently prone to losing rebounds with everyone pressing out.
Against other teams, it’s manageable, but against Ah Gan, it’s truly unfortunate.
In the first four games, Gan Guoyang hadn’t capitalized on this Supersonics weakness to the fullest extent.
Entering the fifth game, reaching a cutthroat scenario, Gan Guoyang wouldn’t hold back.
Offensive rebounding had always been a powerful weapon for Gan Guoyang since entering the NBA.
It was a handy trump card, simple and effective, always coming into effect in crucial games.
From this point, the Trail Blazers began to seize the lead, ending the first quarter ahead 19:28, leading by 9 points.
Things were looking bleak for the Supersonics, and George Karl sent in another general, Glenn Rice, hoping to use him to reverse the offensive slump.
And with their lead, the Trail Blazers deployed a three-big lineup in the second quarter: Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.
With this lineup, George Karl was bewildered; what was this supposed to mean? Beelman, aren’t you being unsporting?
The intention of the Trail Blazers’ lineup was explicit. First, Ah Gan moved to the three position, covering players like Rice, Pierce, McMillan, and McGee defensively.
Secondly, inside players PJ Brown and Sabonis fully contested rebounds, exploiting the Supersonics’ weak backcourt rebounding issue, taking advantage of their lack of a center.
These two moves were vicious because these two issues for the Supersonics were fundamental weaknesses, tactical deficiencies that couldn’t be covered up.
After probing and finding the status in the first four games, the Trail Blazers finally revealed the fangs of a conqueror, tearing at the opponent’s most vulnerable wound.
Gan Guoyang was even more like Moses Malone, greedily grabbing offensive rebounds under the basket, then putting the ball back in the hoop.
Without Porter, the Trail Blazers’ outside firepower diminished a level, which was actually beneficial for Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.
Just grab it, like bandits, without worrying about tactics or strategies, secure the ball, and put it back in the hoop.
The most primal yet effective way to score on the basketball court, simply moving and touching.
Anyway, George Karl was moved, so moved he was spewing obscenities, cursing loudly during the timeout.
The Trail Blazers didn’t produce any super attack waves, but every two or three possessions, they snatched a rebound over the Supersonics’ head, scoring on the second chance.
Halfway through the quarter, the Supersonics couldn’t hold on, and the point gap moved towards 20 points.
Getting offensive rebounds not only conceding points, the most critical thing was, they couldn’t initiate their counterattack.
Restrictions on both offense and defense.
With Ah Gan at the three-position, it was catastrophic for the Supersonics’ outside game.
Rice, Pierce both got huge rejections, making them timid and hesitant in shooting.
Karl called two timeouts in the second quarter within three minutes, because it seemed it was going to collapse, comprehensively collapse.
The bigger the pregame boast, the more broken inside now, heading towards a 30-point deficit in the first half.
How do you play the second half? How do you get out of such a big hole?
Karl didn’t know either; his pregame bold words turned into sharp knives.
Stabbing Karl back, burning inside.
Even more unlucky, Beelman was always wandering near the scorer’s table.
Occasionally shouting insults toward the Supersonics, the filthiness clear even from afar.
Bobby’s swearing was as smooth and seamless as Ah Gan’s three-point shooting, how could Karl stand as an opponent?