Once they can’t overpower their opponents on defense, relying on offense to turn the tide becomes incredibly difficult.
Gan Guoyang scored 14 points and made 3 assists in a single quarter, single-handedly breaching the Cavaliers’ defense inside.
And Kobe did a great job tonight of compensating for the team’s weak individual defense on the outside, completely shutting Brandon down.
In the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers launched their final counterattack, but lacking talent and a leader, they faltered in the contest of key plays.
Gan Guoyang scored 31 points in total, leading the Trail Blazers to a 91-83 victory in Cleveland, securing their third consecutive win!
Kobe had 6 points, 1 steal, and 3 rebounds, reaching a career-high 25 minutes on the court.
In a post-game interview, he calmly said, "This is just what I’m supposed to do. If I complete the task, coach will keep me on the court. It’s that simple."
Kobe believes he is on the right path, and he foresees smoother progress in future games and expects to soon achieve his first career dunk.
But the schedule dealt another heavy blow to the Trail Blazers. After playing against the Cavaliers on November 12th, they immediately traveled to Indianapolis that same night.
Another back-to-back away game, everyone cursed the NBA’s schedule on the plane, as within just over two weeks at the season’s start, they arranged two back-to-back away games.
The Indiana Pacers were ready at their home ground, where Reggie Miller was in his tenth year in this "godforsaken" place, something he never expected when he first arrived.
He had evolved from a skinny player in the 1987-1988 season, who was deemed fragile in the league, to the league’s toughest shooter.
Like Gan Guoyang, the teammates around him have changed completely, yet he remains steadfast here, even if he never imagined dedicating his basketball career here initially.
Miller has matured, becoming a dangerous scorer whose output isn’t large, but in some games, he will blend into the background, only to contribute crucial points.
But if he hits a hot streak, he can make opponents pay dearly with his long-range shots.
Bird had returned to his hometown, and initially, he had considered coaching the Indiana Pacers, as it was close to his home.
But the Pacers took in the coaching team from the Trail Blazers then—Rick Adelman came to Indiana with Jack Shaloff and John Wetzell.
Adelman performed well there, leading the team step by step to become regulars in the playoffs, once threatening the Bulls and Heat, the two superpowers.
In a 1996 trade, they acquired Antonio Davis and Mario Ely from the Trail Blazers with a number 10 pick, and traded Mark Jackson from the Knicks, completing their lineup.
Now, they have the Dutch giant Rick Schmitz, Antonio Davis, and Dale Davis on the inside, with Reggie Miller, Mario Ely, Mark Jackson, Jalen Rose, and Derek McKey in the backcourt.
They may not have MVP-level superstars, but each position is strong, and their overall lineup is quite balanced in offense and defense. Undoubtedly, they will be a significant force on the Eastern stage.
As for the Trail Blazers, with a young age structure and severe lack of cohesion, facing strong, balanced teams with tough defenses like the Supersonics and Pacers, they can quickly fall behind.
Moreover, the fatigue from back-to-back away games is a real killer of form; they haven’t even acclimated from the Cavaliers game when they’ve already stepped on the yellow floor of Conseco Fieldhouse.
For young players like Little O’Neal and Kobe, the physical stamina issue in consecutive away games is secondary; the key is how to adjust their emotions.
Before the game, Little O’Neal felt like he was in a daze, as if dreaming.
He couldn’t sleep on the plane and slept until the afternoon upon arriving in Indianapolis.
He ate a little and came to the stadium for warm-ups, and soon the game was about to start.
"Tonight’s opponent is the Pacers? I thought it was the Cavaliers?"
"You’ve got it wrong; we’ve already played the Cavaliers. You’re all muddled up, Jermaine."
Kobe reminded Little O’Neal. Little O’Neal was confused, whereas Kobe was excited.
The outstanding performance against the Cavaliers gave him confidence and motivation, and tonight he proactively told Bird he wanted to guard Reggie Miller.
Bird agreed to let Kobe take on this task, wanting to see how Kobe would fare against the league’s best moving shooter.
The game started on time, and the Pacers’ overall strength overpowered the Trail Blazers, who again fell into the Ah Gan dependency syndrome.
In the offense, if the ball didn’t pass through Ah Gan’s hands, it played out chaotically and without structure. Van Exel is good in chaotic battles, but his short stature is a hindrance in set-piece plays.
Gan Guoyang was receiving the ball a lot in high and shallow low positions to orchestrate the attack, but the Pacers’ defense was formidable, with Double Davis, Garik Schmits in rotation, and constant harassment from Mario Ely.
"Is this how you guys welcome me back to the NBA?" In the face of adversity, Gan Guoyang didn’t lose his composure but instead joked with these old buddies.
Before the game, Adelman, Shaloff, Ely, Davis, and others all expressed their desire to welcome Gan Guoyang back, and so this was how they did it.
Gan Guoyang felt the problems brought by his decreased explosiveness and speed, as in the slow-paced set-piece offense and defense, he now more easily fell into defensive traps.