The Jazz are slowly closing the score gap. If they can play their tactics comfortably, get into good form, and gradually catch up with the Trail Blazers, then by the fourth quarter, it’s really uncertain who will win.
Gan Guoyang knows that he must step up and make some adjustments now. Continuing the blue-collar route will be caught up by the Jazz team in pace.
However, Gan Guoyang didn’t choose to compete low with Malone as Malone expected. He chose to receive the ball at the high post, with Sabonis pretending to come over to set a screen.
The two tall insiders crowding at the arc top looked unusually bloated, and this screen was fake. Taking advantage of Malone’s distraction, Gan Guoyang suddenly accelerated, directly holding the ball in his right hand for a strong drive.
He directly broke through the Jazz team’s defense, no one was underneath, easily scored a layup, and got two points.
Gan Guoyang caught Malone’s weak point of being slow in footwork when defending facing the hoop and didn’t allow Malone to play his advantage in low-post defense.
Following closely, Gan Guoyang defended the entire court, teaming up with Brellock, encircling Stockton, causing a turnover in Stockton’s pass.
Mu Lin intercepted successfully and counter-attacked with a left-handed layup, scoring. The Trail Blazers quickly strung together 4 points, instantly disrupting the Jazz team’s steady pursuit momentum.
"Shit! That damned guy."
Off the court, Jerry Sloan gritted his teeth and cursed.
He was cursing Ah Gan, this guy’s control over the game is really good.
Just when the Jazz seemed to start asserting themselves, one offense and one defense promptly suppressed them.
Once the score slightly opened up, he’d go back to being a blue-collar, sticking to Malone, snatching rebounds.
This guy’s control over the game’s heat has reached perfection. Don’t be fooled by the Trail Blazers’ not too big lead, the Jazz simply can’t turn the tables.
Gan Guoyang insists on not camping under the hoop, but on engaging in one-on-one offense and defense with Malone.
Gan Guoyang doesn’t play wrestling with Malone like Rodman but defends seriously using skills.
Malone basically can’t receive the ball in a very inside position; he will be cut if he receives it inside, so he can only receive the ball outside facing the hoop.
Facing the hoop, pulling up for a forced shot became Malone’s main option, or facilitating passes, facing the hoop for a drive had no effect whatsoever.
Halfway through the third quarter, in over a dozen rounds, Malone, this mid-range shooter, made three shots and handed out three assists, which was already a pretty good performance.
But his damage to the Trail Blazers’ interior was zero, and whether his touch could continue into the fourth quarter was a big question.
Yet, this guy Ah Gan would always step up to score or defend and suppress just when the Jazz seemed about to start asserting themselves, and you had no way of dealing with him.
The whole game Gan Guoyang was in good form, but he didn’t choose to score wildly, instead letting you chase a bit, and then he’d press again.
To put it bluntly, it’s like walking a dog; when I want to score, you can’t stop me. It’s just that I don’t want to; I want to play with you a little more.
Approaching the end of the third quarter, both sides played to 82:71, and the Trail Blazers maintained an 11-point lead, just as it was at halftime.
Jerry Sloan called for a timeout; playing like this is not a solution and would suffocate them under the Trail Blazers.
Not only is the situation on the court suffocating, but Jerry Sloan himself also feels suffocated.
Sloan has a fiery temper and particularly enjoys yelling at referees and players from the sidelines.
He is especially good at putting pressure on referees and young players, disrupting others’ mentality.
But Ah Gan is famous in the League for hating coaches screaming from the sidelines, and every time he would confront them head-on.
The louder you scream, the harder Gan Guoyang suppresses until you shut up.
Like the League’s renowned yelling master Larry-Brown, he’s particularly quiet whenever he faces the Trail Blazers.
No way, you scream once, he scores a basket, until you dare not shout randomly anymore.
Jerry Sloan’s situation is similar; Ah Gan is extremely overbearing in this aspect; if you shout at him, he can target you for an entire game until he breaks you down.
If you provoke him, he might pretend to rush to the sidelines and crash into you like a bulldozer.
Since he couldn’t do it himself, Sloan thought maybe the players needed to do something to break the dull situation.
As the timeout was about to end, Sloan pulled Malone aside, saying, "Karl, the situation is too dull; we can’t keep being suppressed by Ah Gan."
Malone nodded and said, "I know, I’ll do my best."
Malone’s performance tonight could count as good, scoring 18 points in three quarters, all scored one-on-one against Ah Gan.
But Sloan said, "It’s still not enough, I think you need to find a way to target Ah Gan."
"Target Ah Gan? How do we target him?"
"Give him an elbow, knock him off the court, or kick him, it works."
Malone looked at Sloan for two seconds with eyes that seemed to be questioning whether he was the beloved Coach Sloan?
Aren’t you looking to throw the game instead of playing it well?
Have you forgotten the shameful incident in front of All-America in 1992?
Sloan and Malone stared at each other for a second, then Sloan said, "Alright, I’m just making a suggestion, do as you wish. But in the current situation, we’re being firmly suppressed. Do something, and we’ll still have a chance; otherwise, we’ll gift them their 31st consecutive win, you understand Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers."
Malone knew Sloan was right, he understood Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers.
If they’re playing other teams, even if it’s Chicago Bulls, and they’re trailing by 11 points before the fourth quarter, there’s absolutely a fight.
But in tonight’s situation, Ah Gan clearly is playing with them, controlling the score, pulling away whenever they get close, relaxing and waiting for them the moment there’s some distance.
What does it mean? Avenging last season’s Western Conference finals, or flexing muscles against Salt Lake City and Stockton?
The referee blew the whistle, the timeout ended, the game continued, and there were still two minutes left in the third quarter.