Allen Iverson has a rebellious nature, a common trait among young people of this age, so before the game began, he didn’t hesitate to issue a challenge to Gan Guoyang.
However, when Gan Guoyang casually said, "I smell the fragrance of bread," dark fragments buried deep in Iverson’s memory flashed through his mind like a ghost, causing his scalp to tingle.
For a moment, he was unable to move, feeling short of breath, bewildered about where he was.
If Shaquille O’Neal knew how Iverson felt, he would certainly jump out and shout, "I feel the same, I’ve been through it, I understand you!"
Of course, this moment was very brief, and Iverson quickly regained his composure and focused on the game, with no one else noticing anything unusual.
Iverson’s gaze was fixed on Gan Guoyang, who was standing at the center circle ready to jump the ball, his eyes seemingly staring at nothing, not looking at the referee’s ball nor at Scott Williams, who was jumping with him.
He seemed to be in a daze, yet also seemed to be staring at himself—at Allen Iverson.
Like a beast in the grass staring at its prey.
Iverson had heard that Ah Gan doesn’t use his eyes on defense.
This means you can’t judge his defensive steps and next move by observing his gaze.
It seems he’s looking at nothing, yet at everything, which exerts great psychological pressure on opponents.
The game began, the referee threw the ball into the air, and Gan Guoyang was the first to touch the ball, and the Trail Blazers launched their first attack.
Gan Guoyang came out to screen for his teammates, and with two simple pick-and-rolls, the Trail Blazers got a scoring opportunity, with Riddle receiving the ball and cutting to the basket for a layup.
Teams in the NBA with poor performance generally have lousy defense, and the 76ers are no exception.
In terms of offense, they aren’t lacking in talent; besides Iverson, they have the top pick Derek Coleman, North Carolina star Jerry Stackhouse, and the "Fathead" Clarence Weatherspoon, all of whom are offensively talented players.
But they lacked effective defense, lacked records, and each fought their battles, focusing their energy on offense, shooting, and scoring rather than putting much effort into defense.
After conceding two points at the start, the 76ers immediately turned to attack, with Allen Iverson dribbling past half-court, appearing small in the forest of giants in the NBA.
Facing a strong inside player like Gan Guoyang, it seemed he might be easily broken, but he wasn’t; he survived and persisted.
Guarding Iverson was Van Exel, who was also not tall and thin, yet appeared much bigger than Iverson when they matched up.
Iverson didn’t rush to attack at the start; he tried to organize and cooperate with teammates, gradually getting a feel for the game.
Besides Ah Gan’s pregame remark, another reason for Iverson’s caution was that he hailed from Georgetown, another reason for his resentment towards Ah Gan.
Georgetown produced outstanding interior players, giants who were invariably suppressed by Ah Gan, who even sarcastically mocked them, from Ewing to Mutombo to Mourning.
Moreover, Ah Gan always scoffed at Thompson’s way of nurturing players, repeatedly stating publicly that Thompson produced soulless zombies.
Inwardly, Iverson somewhat agreed; after spending two years at Georgetown, Thompson wanted him to stay until he graduated in his senior year.
Because Ewing, Mutombo, and Mourning all stayed four years before going to the NBA, Thompson believed Iverson should be no exception and complete his education at Georgetown.
But Iverson didn’t want to wait any longer; many awaited him to join the League and earn money, and high schoolers were already signing multimillion US Dollar contracts. Having already studied for two years, what reason was there to wait?
As for Georgetown’s tradition? To hell with tradition.
Thus, Iverson ignored Thompson’s advice and insisted on entering the NBA draft.
Though he left Georgetown, Georgetown and Thompson left a deep mark on him.
He was tough, stubborn, earnest, and passionate about the competition while also thinking and observing.
After a few rounds, the Trail Blazers’ defense was, as the pregame meeting mentioned, solid inside but weak outside.
The area near the three-point line could be freely traversed, but once near the Three Second Zone, strong resistance ensued.
Ah Gan roamed near the Three Second Zone like a ghost, without blocks but by positioning himself to predict the 76ers’ players’ intentions.
Iverson noticed and patiently awaited the opportunity, several times driving along the baseline without shooting, choosing to pass to a teammate instead.
But Coleman and Weatherspoon seemed to have hands frozen in the refrigerator, unable to hit mid-range or three-point shots, seeming hesitant to charge inside.
The Trail Blazers’ counterattack was sharp, quickly taking the lead, 6-2, with the Trail Blazers in advantage.
Coleman attempted to receive on the wing and turn for a strong play, but against PJ Brown’s defense, his bank shot didn’t even touch the rim.
Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and passed to Van Exel for a fast break, Van Exel crossing half-court and attempting a long pass to Riddle.
Unexpectedly, Iverson soared high and intercepted the ball in the middle, as Van Exel clearly underestimated Iverson’s leap and wingspan.
After the successful interception, the 76ers turned defense into attack; the Trail Blazers’ formation was shaky, and Iverson knew it was an opportunity.
He quickly dribbled to the vicinity of the three-point line, facing AC Green, who was defending him, executing an extremely fast crossover, easily bypassing Green!