Rodman returned to the four position, matching up with Ah Gan.
"Sonny, I heard you like to shut out your matchups."
Rodman wasn’t afraid of Gan Guoyang; no matter how many times he got hit, he never conceded.
Gan Guoyang glanced at Rodman and said, "What, you think I’m going to shut you out? What’s the big deal about shutting you out?"
Rodman laughed and said, "I’ll try my best to score on you."
Gan Guoyang rolled his eyes again, thinking letting Rodman not score was no big achievement and quite boring.
This annoying pest, Gan Guoyang couldn’t be bothered to argue with him further.
On the other side of the court, the newly substituted Kobe was also having a conversation with Jordan.
Kobe was quite excited about the early matchup with Jordan in this game.
Other league guards were usually nervous and performed poorly facing Jordan.
Kobe had been looking forward to showcasing his new skills in front of Jordan.
People compared Kobe to "Jordan the Second," and in terms of physique and skills, Kobe was indeed very similar to Jordan.
"I’ll score 30 points on you," Kobe bluntly stated, shocking Jordan.
Where did this brat come from, daring to say he’d score 30 points on me on first meeting?
Oh, it’s Kobe, that annoying brat, Ah Gan’s underling, the one who said "I’ll surpass Jordan before surpassing me," the number one rookie in the league.
"I’ll beat the crap out of you, kid," Jordan didn’t hold back with Kobe.
"Jordan the Second" was already enough to make Jordan annoyed.
Not to mention, Kobe, being such a braggart, had to be taught a lesson.
The game continued after Mu Lin’s substitution, changing the Trail Blazers’ offensive style.
Gan Guoyang and Sabonis came up to the high post more often to set screens for their teammates — this season, the Trail Blazers had the most in-league interior screens.
Brellock and Gan Guoyang executed a pick-and-roll; Gan Guoyang received the ball and scanned inside. Kobe was already cutting to the basket using Sabonis’s screen.
A precise direct pass to the basket, Kobe received it and forced a layup against Jordan, not only scoring but also drawing a foul from Jordan!
This play embodied the essence of the Trail Blazers Princeton offense from back then, but the key was Kobe scoring a forced layup against Jordan’s defense.
After scoring, Kobe was excited, high-fiving Gan Guoyang, who patted Kobe on the head and said, "Well done! Best play of the night."
Jordan was a bit sulky, having just conceded a 2+1, was embarrassing.
Kobe made the extra free throw, and Gan Guoyang reminded him, "Michael’s definitely going to go one-on-one now, so be careful."
"I know, I don’t need your reminder!"
Kobe seemed a bit overexcited, and of course, Jordan wanted to retaliate.
Receiving the ball at the sideline, facing Kobe’s defense, Jordan burst through the baseline!
Kobe was a step slow and got called for a blocking foul when he pressed on defense.
"Too slow, Kobe. Honestly, letting him in was no big deal; I’m here inside," Gan Guoyang "reminded" Kobe.
"I know, just say less!" Kobe said impatiently.
Jordan passed the ball from the perimeter to Kukoc and started an off-ball movement.
"That guy’s annoying, isn’t he?" Jordan asked.
"Yeah, really annoying, but I can handle you," Kobe replied.
"You’re dreaming."
After that, Jordan quickly moved outside, using Lang Li’s screen to shake off Kobe.
Catching Kukoc’s pass, he took a mid-range jump shot and scored!
"I’d like to see how you handle me!" Jordan shouted after scoring.
Soon after, Kobe received the ball at the top of the arc, with Sabonis coming over to set a screen for him.
"Move aside, I don’t need a screen!" Kobe even asked Sabonis to step away.
Seeing this, Sabonis moved inside, giving Kobe the high post for a one-on-one with Jordan.
In a head-to-head showdown, Kobe used his quick speed to break past Jordan, trying to make a floater inside.
However, Jordan closely guarded him, blocking his floater and knocking the ball out of bounds, still Trail Blazers’ possession.
At this moment, Gan Guoyang came over and reminded Kobe, "Utilize your teammates’ screens and help. Damn it, you can’t take on Jordan one-on-one. If you refuse help and go solo again, you’ll be benched immediately."
Hearing Gan Guoyang’s tone, Kobe knew he wasn’t joking and nodded in acknowledgment.
Although Kobe dared to show some cheekiness towards Gan Guoyang, when Gan Guoyang got serious, Kobe knew when to listen.
Soon after, Kobe waited for his chance on the perimeter, receiving a pass from Gan Guoyang and hitting a 45-degree three-pointer!
Kobe, a more energetic finisher than Mu Lin, quickly invigorated the Trail Blazers’ offense when brought in by Bird.
However, he also rekindled Jordan’s offensive desire.
Jordan soon received the ball on the wing for a one-on-one against Kobe.
A convincing fake, and Kobe, like an easily triggered rookie, jumped immediately.
Jordan used a beautiful up-and-under move to bypass him, taking one step to jump and gently laying it in.
Rodman cleverly tugged on Gan Guoyang’s jersey under the basket, stopping him from providing help defense.
Of course, Gan Guoyang didn’t plan to cover either; he wanted Kobe to try single defending, experiencing setbacks to gauge his own abilities.
Last season, Kobe knew to call for help during defense, but faced with Jordan, he wanted to handle everything himself.
However, near the end of the first quarter, Kobe used Gan Guoyang’s pass to slip along the baseline, catching it for a post-up fadeaway and hitting the shot!
This play helped the Trail Blazers lead 29-22, with a 7-point lead over the Bulls. Kobe scored 7 points in the first quarter.
Tonight, his shooting touch was remarkable, hitting both mid-range and three-pointers. A shot immediately felt right, indicating a well-adjusted state.
At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang sat on the bench, resting, while the game’s dynamics began to shift—the Bulls’ second unit couldn’t withstand the Trail Blazers’ second lineup.
In Bird’s basic framework, apart from the five starters, the core nine-player rotation included bench players Ben Wallace, Kobe, Little O’Neal, and Terry Porter.
Bird envisioned these nine as the core rotation for the team over the next three years, just like Detroit Pistons’ nine-player group back then.
Bird always ensured a playmaker was on the court to connect the offensive line while leaving an interior protector inside.
After Gan Guoyang and Sabonis took their rest, Little O’Neal and Ben Wallace, the young inside duo, came on, along with Kobe staying on the court, with Terry Porter at the helm.
If these nine had any weakness, it was the slightly thin small forward position. Mu Lin was getting old, lacking defense, and there was no replacement on the bench.
Sometimes, Kobe had to fill the small forward role, but he was better suited as a shooting guard with his height and weight.
Nonetheless, the Trail Blazers’ interior was consistently strong, with the young duo of Little O’Neal and Ben Wallace showcasing increasing potential on both ends.
Soon after the second quarter started, the two sealed off the Three Second Zone, making it hard for the Bulls to penetrate inside.
Wallace and Little O’Neal kept recording blocks; once they succeeded, they quickly counterattacked, with Kobe charging like a madman.
With extraordinary stamina, this kid embarked on reckless fast breaks, receiving the ball and driving hard to the basket, opting to dunk when possible.
In just three minutes, the Trail Blazers had a 7-0 run against the Bulls, forcing a timeout, leading by 14 points.
Phil Jackson’s initial clever arrangements quickly succumbed to the gap in raw strength.
Jackson, after all, lacked options, immediately calling a timeout to reorganize the lineup.
Though the Bulls’ bench was decent, missing Pippen left a gap in their offense and defense, stretching the rotations.
The Bulls’ second unit relied heavily on Kukoc and Steve-Kerr, but they were no match for the antics of the Portland Three Young Masters.
The Trail Blazers won many games where the point disparity was large because their second unit’s offensive and defensive continuity was overwhelmingly strong.
Some strong teams could stand up against the Trail Blazers’ starters, yet when the second units came on, they crumbled, widening the gap.
Trying to catch up against the stable Trail Blazers starters was impossible once the starters returned to the game.
Jordan returned to the game while Gan Guoyang continued watching from the bench.
In the past Gan vs. Jordan battles, once Jordan entered, Gan Guoyang inevitably followed suit.
If he were late even a bit and Jordan seized the opportunity to catch up, the situation could spiral out of control.
But this season, Gan Guoyang could sit back and watch as Jordan struggled on the court.