99:91, the Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets with an 8-point advantage on the road, tying the series at 2:2.
This was the first time in the series that the Trail Blazers scored less than 100 points, but they also held their opponent to below 95 points.
Gan Guoyang had 24 points, 26 rebounds, and 7 blocks in the game, with more rebounds than points, showcasing the style of the strongest rebound king in history.
Kobe made 4 out of 12 shots tonight, scoring 10 points with a 33% field goal percentage. Although his shooting percentage wasn’t high, he shot decisively, already showing signs.
Without Van Exel, the Trail Blazers scored lower, but their defense was better, more cohesive, resembling the Trail Blazers of the past.
Terry Porter, who had been mediocre for almost an entire season, played 35 minutes tonight, hitting 2 out of 3 three-pointers, scoring 15 points and 7 assists.
As they left through the player tunnel, Gan Guoyang put his arm around Porter’s shoulder and said, "You’re still reliable, brother."
Porter let out a long sigh and said, "You’ve really put me in a tough spot, Sonny. I was planning to retire, and now I have to fight hard with you."
This season, Porter has been playing lukewarmly. In fact, if Gan Guoyang hadn’t returned, Porter wasn’t planning to stay with the Trail Blazers.
He wanted to go to a small club without much pressure to win a championship, get a relatively large retirement contract, use his championship experience to guide newcomers, and play some regular-season games.
Originally, he was about to finalize talks with the Milwaukee Bucks. He’s a Milwaukee native. Some might think it’s dull living in such a snowy place, but it’s Porter’s hometown. He likes it there, as his personality matches Milwaukee’s climate.
However, Gan Guoyang’s return disrupted his plans. He found it hard to refuse a friend’s request, so he stayed to continue the championship quest.
He really felt a bit unable to handle it, playing inconsistently throughout the regular season, and until this game in the playoffs when he finally got some rhythm.
Gan Guoyang said, "Come on, Terry, you’re only 33! It’s the perfect age to achieve glory, keep it up, buddy!"
Porter shook his head helplessly. At the same age of 33, people’s conditions and spiritual pursuits can indeed be very different.
For instance, Stockton is 34 this year and still fighting hard for his first championship, while Porter is already tired of winning championships.
Of course, what truly bothers Porter isn’t the championship itself, but the fact that he realizes his diminishing physical strength and skills make him unable to play a pivotal role on the championship path as he used to.
Tonight’s outstanding performance made Porter feel a lot better, but he knew in his heart, could he maintain this level of performance?
Facing the young Cassell, or if they get into the next round, against Stockton, or the even younger and stronger Jason Kidd, could he still perform well?
He didn’t know. Porter wasn’t very confident in himself.
This was in stark contrast to Kobe, who even after three assists wasn’t afraid to keep shooting, acting as if nothing was wrong.
It was this blind confidence that made Porter believe this kid is bound to achieve great things in the future.
Porter couldn’t do it. He had a premonition that he would certainly fall short in the next game, as he was quite exhausted from this battle.
On May 13th, both sides rested an extra day, and the fight for the fifth game’s match point began in Portland.
Back at home, the Trail Blazers continued with the lineup and tactics from the last game, waiting to see what the Rockets would do.
Tomjanovich didn’t change the starting lineup; he modified the offensive strategy and defensive focus.
Chris Weber was asked to attack more with the ball, targeting the Trail Blazers’ inside defense.
The Rockets also sped up the pace of the game, with Sam Cassell pushing the speed, seizing every opportunity for quick breaks.
Tomjanovich already noticed that attacking with the Trail Blazers was the best choice; they couldn’t let the Trail Blazers slow down to grind in a half-court battle.
The Rockets quickly gained the upper hand. They played energetically, and tonight, the entire team fought for defensive rebounds, giving Gan Guoyang fewer second-chance opportunities.
The Rockets built a 5-point lead early on, maintaining this lead until the final stages of the game when both teams entered a critical moment.
Porter’s self-perception wasn’t wrong. Tonight, he didn’t have the brilliance of the fourth game, missing all three three-point attempts, and afterwards, he didn’t dare to shoot.
Relying on Gan Guoyang’s solo plays, other players’ scattered contributions, and persistence on defense, the Trail Blazers held on to the score until the decisive moments.
The Trail Blazers, trailing by 5 points, still entrusted the ball to their most trusted core. Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned, cut to the basket, and scored with his footwork!
The gap narrowed to three points. Next, defense was crucial. Gan Guoyang still hovered in the Three Second Zone, refusing to come out.
The Rockets kept trying to get Weber to draw Gan Guoyang’s defense, aiming for Weber to break through the Trail Blazers’ defense with his passing.
Gan Guoyang didn’t take the bait; he simply wouldn’t switch to primarily defend Weber, letting Weber take the one-on-one opportunity.
In a crucial defensive play, Bird abandoned PJ Brown, whose form was mediocre throughout the series and had conflicts with management, daringly using Little O’Neal to mark Weber one-on-one.
Bird was all in. If Little O’Neal, a rookie, made a defensive mistake at a critical playoff moment, it could very well end the entire series, wasting a whole season’s effort.
But Little O’Neal withstood the pressure. The main reason was that Weber, during the crucial offensive play, despite leading the team with an advantage, didn’t choose to aggressively drive to the basket against Little O’Neal. Instead, he opted for a back-turn fadeaway jumper.
The ball hit the front rim and missed. Gan Guoyang grabbed the defensive rebound and initiated the counterattack without calling a timeout.