The Pioneer One Special Plane arrived at Portland International Airport, flashing brightly in the darkness like a lighthouse in the night sea, guiding the tired souls wanting to return home to slowly land.
Even as the plane was gliding on the runway, many fans couldn’t contain their excitement and rushed to the terminal next to the runway, holding up bright welcome signs through the wire fence, welcoming Portland’s basketball heroes back home.
Some signs read "Four-Peat," some had a big broom drawn on them, and others wrote the giant number 60. The enthusiasm of Portland fans, along with these slogans, lit up the night.
In 1990, the international airport underwent expansions and renovations, adding many buildings and facilities, including a rain shelter in the disembarkation area.
During several playoffs and finals, fans often waited here for the Trail Blazers’ return.
Through the porthole, Gan Guoyang saw those slogans on the airport, particularly noticing a lot of the number "60".
points, once again 60 points, 60 points in the finals, America’s sports media has been buzzing all day.
In fact, Gan Guoyang himself didn’t expect to score 60 points in the second game, his pre-game plan was the same as in the first game.
Using his defensive allure to mobilize the whole team, using sharp long shots to break through the Miami Heat’s tight and high-intensity defense.
But plans always fall behind changes, as the game went on, things changed, his touch was just too good, he couldn’t miss.
Miami’s basket seemed as vast as the Gulf of Mexico, with Gan Guoyang standing on the fine sandy beach by the azure sea, enjoying the scorching sun, tossing the ball one after another into the sea without much splash.
A crazy night, so crazy that Gan Guoyang was a bit dazed in the end.
His last two shots were both three-pointers, both ultra-long shots from two steps beyond the three-point line.
He didn’t even think they would go in, but they just swished into the basket as if blessed by divine intervention.
When the game ended, as teammates and reporters swarmed towards him, for a moment he didn’t know what to say.
Gan Guoyang just smiled, shaking hands with everyone, and others touched him like a statue.
He knew this was a major breakout he had been working towards, tormenting himself for a long time.
Nerves, inspiration, and will, aligned like the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun at a certain moment.
Just like a small cyclone over the Gulf of Mexico, forming a terrible hurricane with the aid of countless accidents and time, landing in Miami on June 12, sweeping everything.
Even after boarding the plane, everyone was still very excited, no one was sleeping.
Gan Guoyang himself couldn’t sleep, enthusiastically chatting with everyone.
Everyone was discussing ending the series in Portland and clinching the championship.
Porter and Kossie planned to travel to Cuba, departing from Miami.
Petrović mentioned he was returning to Europe, hoping to catch the Euro Championships.
Sabonis planned to stay in America to treat his ankle and knee, aiming to extend his career.
PJ Brown wanted to attend the "Big-man" training camp to improve himself.
Dell Curry was preparing to take his family on vacation to Hawaii.
Lewis asked Ah Gan if they could go to China together this summer; he liked it there.
Gan Guoyang agreed but said, "We have to finish the series and win the championship first."
Even though Gan Guoyang reminded everyone cautiously, the optimistic atmosphere still filled the whole team.
There’s no choice, leading 2-0 away, with three upcoming home games, this advantage is indeed too big.
The aggressive Heat were obviously stunned, and you could see at the post-game press conference that Pat Riley was shattered.
Olajuwon calmly stated, "We can win on the road," but anyone could see that Ah Gan’s 60-point hit was a significant blow to him.
In the fourth quarter, Olajuwon fouled out, sending himself off the court. It was the first time Olajuwon had fouled out this season.
He truly had no answers left, as Ah Gan’s inside-outside play style was too ahead of its time, leaving him with no way to cope.
Everyone, possibly even people in Miami, believed that this year’s championship would belong to the Portland Trail Blazers.
They were likely going to be crowned in Portland, and the four-peat achievement would go down in history with a golden mark in 1993.
"Is all this real? It’s... unbelievable."
As the plane gradually steadied, Gan Guoyang gazed at the night and the welcoming fans, lost in thought, with countless memories flashing in his mind like a horse lantern.
The journey had bumps but not many; he walked very firmly all along, far surpassing ordinary imagination.
Because this was his second life, he cherished it more than anyone else, like a child collecting shells on the beach, treasuring every shell and colorful stone in his hand.
He couldn’t bear to miss any opportunity, every minute and every second, striving to do what he wanted and liked, giving it his all without reservation.
He also admitted that he was very lucky, with history shifting upon his arrival, though some things were destined to be unchangeable, but those were no longer up to him.
"Hey, Sonny, it’s time to go!"
Someone tapped Gan Guoyang on the shoulder, bringing him back to his senses.
It was Dell Curry, his face looking slightly tired.
"Hey, Dell, how’s Stephen?"
"Not sure now, he had quite a fever before I left, I’m about to make a call over. How’s Hill? Must have caught it from Stephen."
"It’s normal for kids to get sick, they’ll be fine, no need to worry. These two little guys really make people uneasy."