Kobe didn’t know where Gan Guoyang’s kind of soaring imagination came from.
If he knew, he would be very surprised, very, very shocked.
Right now, the ones feeling surprised are the Jazz fans at the Triangle Center, Gan Guoyang’s performance in the first half was unstoppable.
He single-handedly scored 27 points, along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists, single-handedly supporting the Trail Blazers on both ends of the court.
Especially on the offensive end, he was practically omnipotent, continuously scoring mid-range in the second quarter, silencing the Triangle Center.
Some of the old Salt Lake City fans should remember, Ah Gan’s conquest of All-America basketball history started in Salt Lake City.
So many years have passed, and he is still like a champion, and his skills have become even more free-flowing.
Compared to him, Karl Malone is like a rusty robot, rigidly completing tasks according to a predetermined program, that’s all.
At the end of the half, the teams were tied at 62:63, with the Jazz maintaining a 1-point lead, without losing their composure.
Under the vigorous pursuit led by Gan Guoyang, the Jazz team remained calmly stable, there was no deformation in their tactical coordination.
Their core system has been honed for almost 10 years, and they are psychologically prepared; they won’t be crushed by Ah Gan.
In most of the 1996-1997 season games, Karl Malone had already become the de facto absolute core of the Jazz.
Although people often use "Utah’s Double Killers," "Stockton to Malone," to tightly bind the two together.
But judging from the data, the court impact, and tactical performance, Malone has already approached a single core, Stockton’s contribution seems somewhat thin.
But tonight’s game is different, Malone in the matchup with Ah Gan played like a blue-collar worker, only scoring 4 points in the first half.
Good shooting percentage, 2 for 4, but didn’t dare to take shots, Gan Guoyang focused entirely on Malone, basically gave up on helping others on defense.
Malone transformed into an organizing forward, with 4 assists in the first half, but compared to Stockton’s 11 points and 6 assists at halftime, he was overshadowed.
Facing Ah Gan, Stockton became the Jazz’s primary core in this game, directing the entire team against Ah Gan from the point guard position.
During halftime in the locker room, Stockton explained to his teammates how to deal with the Trail Blazers in the second half.
"Offense, we must keep attacking. Ah Gan is someone who sticks to his established strategy, he’ll persist till the end."
"Tonight the Trail Blazers just want to trade blows with us, to overwhelm us with scoring, Ah Gan wants to lock down Karl, Karl you don’t go head-to-head with him."
"The Trail Blazers’ weakness is on the perimeter, Ah Gan tonight won’t care about the perimeter, he’ll definitely go all out on offense, we need to reduce his shooting percentage, but more importantly, we need to improve our shooting percentage."
"We are like two boxers going for broke, mutually attacking each other madly, whoever can’t hold out first, will fall and lose the game. Be mentally prepared guys, the third quarter will be crazy, very crazy."
Stockton usually doesn’t speak much, and his emotions are always stable, just like his shorts day after day for more than ten years.
By 1997, most players’ shorts were getting increasingly longer, like the new generation such as Allen Iverson, the leg length already surpassed the knee reaching the calves.
Stockton still insisted on the shorts length when he first entered the league in 1984, and his play style hasn’t changed, just like Karl Malone.
Like a programmed machine, completing tasks according to a predetermined course, even his appearance is ordinary, like a white-collar worker.
While traveling in Barcelona, he was the only player from the Dream Team who wouldn’t be recognized by ordinary citizens walking on the road.
And such players, the Jazz have two — Hornersek and Stockton are the NBA’s white-collar duo.
However, when facing the greatest player in league history, his best friend, Stockton burst out with brilliance.
When he spoke these words in the locker room, even Jerry Sloan listened earnestly, everyone knows how well Stockton understands Ah Gan.
"Don’t provoke him, don’t use cheap tricks to give him a chance to counter, keep our basketball in hand, think of ways to beat him through basketball."
Before going on the court, Stockton once again reminded his teammates, especially the young players in the interior, like Ostertag, Greg Foster.
Every time facing the Trail Blazers, Stockton would give his teammates a heads up.
Malone pinched his nose, anyway, he didn’t want to clash with Ah Gan.
That tumble in 1992 embarrassed him to no end, even today recalling it makes his back ache.
The third quarter started, Trail Blazers possession, first play’s offense, Gan Guoyang held the ball at the top arc, shot mid-range again.
This time didn’t make it, the 15-minute halftime cool-down affected his touch, he needs to adjust again.
Ostertag grabbed the rebound, Stockton immediately launched a fast break, this time Malone seized the opportunity to cut down the middle.
Receiving Stockton’s precise pass, laid it up with the left hand, not a mistake from a countless rehearsed cooperation.
Gan Guoyang soon received the ball on the wing, faked Ostertag up, after stepping back, hooked the ball in for two points.
A smooth and graceful shot, keeping the 1-point gap between both teams.
Hornersek caught Stockton’s pass, shot a three-pointer and nailed it.
The gap extended to four points.
Van Exel tried to shoot a three-pointer as an answer ball, but it didn’t go in.