However, after the second half started, the Trail Blazers’ offense continued to be shaky, and once they sped up, turnovers noticeably increased.
The key issue lies in the lack of a good intermediary in the Trail Blazers’ lineup.
They have good initiators and finishers, aren’t lacking passers or those who battle for rebounds, but they’re missing one or two players who can transition well, respond to plays, and quietly contribute in auxiliary roles.
Such players often don’t have standout stats; they frequently score under ten points a game with just two or three assists.
But with these players on the court, the offense just flows more smoothly without any sense of interruption.
In the past, Sabonis played this role for the Trail Blazers, undertaking a lot of auxiliary work and serving as a perfect offensive and defensive lubricant.
It’s now hard for the Trail Blazers to find such a role; Gan Guoyang has already taken on a substantial amount of auxiliary work.
Over six games, he has averaged 10.5 assists per game, setting a new career high for his assist stats.
It seems this guy is no longer satisfied with just earning scoring, rebounding, and blocking titles; he’s now aiming for his good friend Stockton’s assist title.
Halfway through the third quarter, Kobe re-entered the game as the Spurs chipped away at the Trail Blazers’ advantage.
Bird didn’t assign any specific tasks to Kobe, only telling him "go in and contribute something."
Once Kobe was on the court, he finally got a scoring opportunity by cutting through the middle to the basket.
Gan Guoyang made a direct pass to Kobe from a high position, and this time Kobe protected the ball and drove to the basket.
He was fouled by Greg Anderson, and the referee whistled, giving Kobe two free throw opportunities.
Kobe hadn’t expected his first NBA point to be from free throws instead of a dunk.
He successfully made both, and the fans cheered and applauded for Kobe’s first score.
After scoring, Kobe wanted to high-five Ah Gan, but Gan Guoyang ignored him and signaled him to quickly return to defense.
Kobe immediately focused on Wilkins, and compared to the first half, he was smarter and didn’t blindly insist on tough battles.
But Wilkins, being a seasoned veteran in the league, had rich experience and a much stronger physique than Kobe, so when he decided to go hard, Kobe couldn’t withstand it.
Fortunately, in the second half, Gan Guoyang stepped in to help, blocking Wilkins’ dunks twice at the basket, boosting the whole Trail Blazers team’s morale.
They withstood the Spurs’ counterattack, and Van Exel and Riddle scored consecutively on fast breaks, establishing a strong advantage for the Trail Blazers in the fourth quarter.
Aiming for Tim Duncan, the Spurs had run out of resistance later in the game, only making a perfunctory effort upfront, not wanting their performance to be too obvious.
In the fourth quarter, the Spurs didn’t mount a proper counterattack, calmly finishing the game.
The Trail Blazers secured an uneventful 98:88 win at home, beating the Spurs by 10 points, improving their record to 4-3.
Kobe played 12 minutes in total, scoring 2 points with 2 rebounds, contributing only these stats to the team.
He tried to perform some impressive plays, but aside from a near-miss, no-fluke fast break, he didn’t leave a strong impression.
So, after the game, Kobe looked very disappointed, and when he tried to reject the reporters’ interviews, Gan Guoyang insisted he must accept the reporters’ interview.
"Answer whatever they ask; escaping is not the solution. Also, when playing in the NBA, don’t refuse the media; it doesn’t do any good."
Kobe was a bit angry and asked: "When I scored from free throws, why didn’t you high-five me?"
It seemed he was upset over not getting Gan Guoyang’s encouragement for his career’s first point.
Gan Guoyang replied, "High five for what? Just two points, what do you want me to say? Buy you a cake, stick two candles on it, and celebrate for you?"
Kobe was at a loss for words as Gan Guoyang continued, "I also heard you promised to have a spectacular debut; and how did it turn out? Spectacular? Next time, before boasting, weigh yourself first."
"No one has ever thought I was bragging because the words I say, I will always fulfill them. Promises that can’t be realized are less worth than toilet paper."
Kobe felt like crying but held back and obediently went out to face the interview.
Little O’Neal was a bit puzzled next to him; he remembered when he scored his first point, Ah Gan had come over to congratulate him.
Why was he being so harsh with Kobe? Ah Gan clearly valued Kobe; was he disappointed in him?
Kobe adjusted his feelings and faced the reporters’ questions, some of which made him very embarrassed.
However, after giving honest answers, he felt a lot better.
As for Ah Gan’s rather cold attitude towards him, Kobe thought it was because his performance was too poor.
Indeed, Little O’Neal had dunked for his first point, and despite being set up by Ah Gan, he had to settle for free throws.
Kobe vowed to perform better in the next game.
On the way back after the game, Quentin asked Ah Gan why he was so harsh with Kobe.
Quentin had heard their exchange at the locker room door; he rarely saw Gan Guoyang being so demanding.
Gan Guoyang replied, "Because too many people are focusing on him. If I were too lenient and protective of him, everyone would see him as a thorn in their side. The veterans would wonder, is this kid just basking in the spotlight, and are we here with the Trail Blazers to help develop Kobe? Then someone would dislike him and target him, for no one is born wanting to be a sidekick, a extra."