In the third quarter, after the intensity of the game increased, the Trail Blazers could no longer play as freely as they did in the first and second quarters.
The Grizzlies were also stepping up their defense, and the Trail Blazers made a series of basic mistakes, all due to blindly trying to increase their offensive pace.
The turnovers allowed the Grizzlies to score, reducing the lead to single digits.
Gan Guoyang called a short timeout, and instead of criticizing the players who made the consecutive errors, he said, "If we’re not confident, I think we should slow down a bit. Give me the ball, and I’ll control the pace."
Bird said nothing; he gave Gan Guoyang this authority and substituted Terry Porter with Van Exel.
Porter looked in a bad state. In the 1994-1995 season, he had a major injury, missing almost 50 games.
He was 31 that year, marking a turning point in his career. After that season, all of Porter’s stats took a nosedive.
While Ah Gan’s return was certainly exhilarating, Porter had his own troubles: as he was gradually adopting a more laid-back mindset, at 33, ready to enjoy the rest of his NBA career with 7 championship rings, he found himself having to continue bearing significant pressure for performance and championship as Ah Gan’s only loyal partner.
Porter is not Ah Gan; his physical and mental capabilities make it difficult to bear such weight.
Of course, the season had just begun, and for a veteran, he had plenty of time and experience to adjust.
Van Exel was different; this madman was raring to go, hoping to team up with Gan Guoyang and replicate the performance of the 1993-1994 season.
In the 1994 season, the Trail Blazers won 51 games in the regular season and fought all the way to the West Finals, relying on the insane offensive performances of Gan Guoyang and Van Exel.
In Gan Guoyang’s seven-championship career, the 1993-1994 season was the darkest and most easily overlooked by fans.
However, some fans also believe that the 1993-1994 season truly showcased Ah Gan’s strength and charm.
In a dire situation, with a lineup in shambles and once-held hopes shattered, when everyone had lost faith in the Trail Blazers, even the fans in Portland felt they should take a break, Gan Guoyang still held the line, leading the team into the Western Conference Finals.
If it weren’t for the Suns having an excellent roster that year, with Robert Parish supplementing their height issues.
Additionally, Van Exel’s argument with the referee during a critical moment in the Game 5 led to a two-shot penalty and possession, causing the Trail Blazers to narrowly lose the crucial game, the final outcome still remained uncertain.
That season, the Trail Blazers’ defense and offense only reached the average line, yet they showcased spectacular individual offense, much of which was due to Van Exel.
It was also the 1993-1994 season that kept the hope alive for everyone in the Trail Blazers and the entire City of Portland.
If Gan Guoyang had retired in ’93, the Trail Blazers would have inevitably collapsed, their morale and record plummeting.
This might have allowed them to secure high draft picks, but rebuilding a championship culture from destruction is incredibly difficult.
The impact of death was greater than imagined; Gan Guoyang held up Oregon’s basketball market, gently easing the impending downfall.
After that season, the Trail Blazers and Portland caught a breath, allowing their logistics, medical, and management teams to rebuild in an orderly manner.
By the time he retired in 1994, the team and the entire city, though shocked, were able to accept it.
It was from that time that Van Exel became the offensive initiator on the court for the Trail Blazers and also the team’s new ticket-selling attraction.
Of course, his influence could hardly compare with Gan Guoyang, and the off-court negative news almost buried him.
Especially in the 1995-1996 season, a feature report by Sports Illustrated described Van Exel as a violent person who assaulted teammates and his girlfriend.
Although the school police initially investigated, without conclusive evidence, they did not prosecute, the report still pushed Van Exel into the spotlight.
He endured significant public pressure in 1996, facing a storm of criticism from the media and fans, some Portland fans even thought he should be traded.
Although he repeatedly denied hitting women, saying a lie detector could prove his innocence, he sheepishly added at the end, "Maybe I’ve forgotten, anyway, I can pass a lie detector test."
His poor public relations acumen left Van Exel embroiled in controversy. This summer, if not for Gan Guoyang’s return, the sports section of the Oregonian would have been filled with Van Exel’s negative news again.
Once Gan Guoyang returned to the Trail Blazers, everything quieted down; the media, newspapers, and fans all fell silent.
Van Exel indeed had a bad temper and personality, this guy’s demeanor was akin to Charles Barkley.
But he was undeniably talented, an outright eccentric genius, and Gan Guoyang knew how to play alongside him.
After Van Exel took the floor, the Trail Blazers’ offense simplified, centering entirely around the Agan Fan Exel duo.
The two had indeed cooperated for a full season, so all the high-low post cooperation and chemistry remained intact.
Gan Guoyang seldom went to the low post, instead frequently appearing at the high post, top of the key, and the wings, using his highly penetrating passing ability honed under the Princeton System to feed the inside and weak side.
Though Van Exel was a small guard, not very tall and skinny like a big-eyed monkey.