The Trail Blazers quickly finished their first-round playoff battle.
With Gan Guoyang around, the rest of the Trail Blazers players realized that with Ah Gan in the team, the first round was just child’s play; they only needed to break a slight sweat to pass.
For a historical top-class superstar like Gan Guoyang, once the team’s strength is slightly formed, the first round is just a formality, with no worries at all.
The truly challenging part is the division semifinals, although Gan Guoyang remains undefeated in the semifinals, most of the time the difficulty of the semifinals is no less than that of the Western Finals.
In the other three Western Conference matchups, the top-seeded Utah Jazz also easily defeated the Los Angeles Clippers, advancing to the next round with a 3-0 sweep.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Seattle Supersonics, who were closely matched in strength, fell into a tough battle. The two sides were tied 2-2 after the first four games, dragging into a decisive Game 5.
The tiebreaker was held in Seattle, where the Lakers and Supersonics battled through two overtimes. In the end, relying on Steve Smith’s scoring and Audie Norris’s crucial rebound, the Lakers defeated the Supersonics 112-109 to advance to the semifinals.
When they finally won, Bobby Berman joyfully ran around the court. This was his first playoff series victory since 1993.
It was also his first playoff victory without Ah Gan, which was incredibly important to him.
After the celebration in the locker room ended and they returned to the hotel, Beelman called Gan Guoyang, and surprisingly, Beelman shed tears on the phone.
"Congratulations Bobby, you did brilliantly, taking out that annoying George Karl, letting him choose his opponent, and showing that outsmarting oneself can backfire."
Gan Guoyang didn’t forget to mock George Karl over the phone, saying that being too clever only led to one’s downfall.
The Supersonics used various tactics, winning or losing, in the last few rounds to fall to fourth place, hoping to avoid the Trail Blazers in the semifinals.
George Karl had to admit he was really afraid of Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers, having never won since 1987 and being beaten every time.
The Supersonics didn’t want to face the Trail Blazers too early either, hoping to meet them in the Western Finals as they aimed for the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.
Plus, in the first round against the Lakers, the Supersonics had a 3-1 advantage in the regular season, with the Gary Payton and Patrick Ewing duo having more experience over Shaquille O’Neal and Jason Kidd.
As for the semifinals against the Jazz, the Supersonics had eliminated them to reach the Finals in ’95 and ’96. Apart from the Trail Blazers, they saw their path through the Western Conference as smooth.
But the world is ever-changing; no strategy is flawless, and no matchup is eternal.
Jason Kidd indeed got nervous against veteran Gary Payton, much like Payton felt against Ah Gan.
But the Lakers had more than just O’Neal and Kidd—they had Smith, Norris, Derek Fisher, and Jerome Kossie.
In this series, Berman displayed the qualities of a champion coach. After losing the first game and facing adverse conditions, he unleashed the potential of every team player.
The Lakers won two consecutive games, and they had a chance to end the series in Los Angeles.
However, Shaquille O’Neal’s free throws gave the Supersonics a chance to turn the tables, pushing the series to a decisive battle.
In the final moments of the showdown, it was Beelman’s decisive substitutions and tactical arrangements that helped the Lakers smile to the end.
"Sonny, I think I’ve finally learned how to win without you. This feeling... I don’t know how to describe it. I’m looking forward to facing you in the Western Finals. I need to face off against John first."
For Beelman, this victory was far more than just winning a game; it could even be said to mark the beginning of a new phase in his coaching career, and indeed in his life.
The two talked over the phone for a long time; this time Beelman didn’t complain or curse anyone, he just reminisced about the past with Gan Guoyang, reflecting on their high school and college lives.
When saying goodbye, Beelman suddenly said, "Sonny, at the end of this season, I want to leave Los Angeles."
"Leave? Why? Just reaching the semifinals completes your task. Next season the Lakers will be even better, with O’Neal and Kidd growing, you have a chance to achieve greater success! Although you might still not beat me, there’s no need to leave!"
"F**k You Gan, I’m not running away out of fear. I just... want to leave. Los Angeles isn’t the right fit for me. I’ll find a new job."
"Do you want to come to China? I can help introduce you."
"No, no, I’ll manage. Sonny, sometimes I really wonder if you are the coach or if I am. All these years, you’ve been the one looking out for me, not the other way around. Coming to Los Angeles, I owe much to you, otherwise how would Jerry have noticed me? I feel like the moon in the sky, constantly being illuminated."
Gan Guoyang fell silent for a while; the phone was very quiet.
"Bobby, you’re a remarkable coach. I look forward to facing your team in the division finals or the NBA Finals. You’re only 53, in the prime of your career."
"I will strive hard; you must stay in the league for a few more years. I really hope to meet you in the Finals, just like in 1992."
Gan Guoyang really wanted to roll his eyes at Beelman over the phone, thinking so you want to form a Dream Team to bully me, huh? I fear you won’t have the chance!