The eighteenth clash between Gan and Qiao ended with an extremely dramatic conclusion.
The Bulls were leading the whole time; they played better and had stronger control, with Jordan hitting a near game-securing buzzer-beater.
Unfortunately, he left Ah Gan three seconds, and in basketball, three seconds are enough to change everything.
Witnessing again the magical performance of Gan Guoyang snatching away victory, Jordan stood at the sideline with his hands on his hips, chewing gum and helplessly looking up at the scoreboard.
Not a second was left, and the Chicago Bulls lost. In fact, at the moment Gan Guoyang received the pass, Jordan had a premonition that they might be defeated.
Switch to any other player, a sixty-foot shot would be underhanded, the chances of making it almost negligible, and victory would belong to the Bulls.
But that was Ah Gan. Jordan remembered the fifth game of the 1992 Finals, that buzzer-beater by Ah Gan, where he failed to stop him and thereby ceded the championship.
"What a fucking game, fucking Ah Gan, fuck..."
Jordan mumbled, muttering curses to vent his negative emotions of the loss.
He looked at number 8, Kobe Bryant. He looked like a fool, hugging Ah Gan with laughter and leaps.
Just like the 1979 rookie Magic Johnson celebrating the buzzer-beater with Jabbar.
Ah Gan’s expression was just like Jabbar’s, calm as ever, as if everything was under his control.
Jordan hated seeing Gan Guoyang like this. This guy always had everything at his fingertips, always in control.
In his dreams, the most delightful moment Jordan could envision was seeing Ah Gan crumble after failing in the Finals.
Not the kind of honorable defeat in the 1992 Olympic final, but the feeling of everything falling apart.
He so hoped to see Ah Gan like that, not like now, as if he didn’t care about victory at all.
"That son of a bitch, the point is I don’t even fucking hate him, fuck you!"
After venting his negative emotions, Jordan pursed his lips, trying to give himself a rational explanation.
How could he avoid losing this game?
For instance, he should have run down the clock to the last second before taking a shot.
Yes, it was a tie, he could have held it until the last second, so why rush?
It’s just that at the time, the rhythm was up, the movement was so smooth, he didn’t consider running down the clock.
Also, after Ah Gan inbounded the ball to Kobe, he shouldn’t have gone after Kobe but should have stayed on Ah Gan.
Even if Kobe had a chance, he could only shoot near midcourt, with a high probability of missing.
Ah Gan is different, he’s like a catapult, great strength, long range.
He was ultimately careless.
Jordan thought these things through, took a deep breath, and followed his teammates off the court back to the locker room.
They quickly showered, cleaned up, got on the bus, and left this sad place; the Rose Garden Arena had never been their lucky ground.
Portland fans were destined to celebrate tonight, Trail Blazers fans would have another joyful night.
And the Bulls, as usual, after losing a game, still pursued victory.
Phil Jackson asked Jordan on the bus, "Michael, do you feel disappointed?"
Looking out at the Portland night scene, Jordan said, "Are you asking about me or the team?"
"About both the game and your own and the team’s performance."
"No, not disappointed, it’s as thrilling as ever, even if we’re just the background."
"We don’t want to be the background anymore, especially not for Ah Gan."
"Of course, it’s the regular season, luck was on his side. I accept that, I must accept it. But I’ll still beat him and win the championship, I’ve never wavered."
Jordan spoke with determination. Over the years, he had been oppressed by Gan Guoyang, but internally he never wavered, nor doubted himself.
In this regard, Jordan was different from many stars defeated by Gan Guoyang, like Barkley, Olajuwon, Drexler, David Robinson, Isiah Thomas, who were all made to question themselves by Gan Guoyang.
Jordan never did, no matter how tough the situation, how disappointing the loss, he always believed he would reach the shore of victory one day.
What if he didn’t reach it? Then so be it, he wasn’t trapped by the obsession with the goal, he already had an answer in his heart.
His thoughts were direct and simple: if he couldn’t win, he’d find a way to keep playing until he did.
Jackson nodded and said, "That’s what I think too, we’ll beat him and win the championship."
Though the loss was regrettable, both Jordan and Gan Guoyang made themselves stronger in loss.
They would rally and strive towards their goal until they could no longer charge and withdrew from the battlefield.
On the other side, in the Trail Blazers’ locker room, joy filled every corner.
Gan Guoyang high-fived each teammate; it was a spectacular victory tonight.
Gan Guoyang’s buzzer-beater was undoubtedly stunning, and other players also played important roles.
Among them, Van Exel could be considered the second hero; without his precise three-point shooting, the Trail Blazers would have lost long ago.
At many moments tonight, Van Exel played the role of the second leader, his 5-out-of-8 three-point shooting being invaluable.
Other players, like Riddle, Kobe, PJ Brown, also made crucial plays, laying the groundwork for the final buzzer-beater.
Especially Kobe; his last-minute steal and layup tied the score, changing the game’s dynamics.
And that final precise pass, had he hesitated for even a fraction of a second, the Trail Blazers would have undoubtedly lost.