Because Gan has cast a considerable shadow over him, he follows Forrest Gump’s Law and thinks it’s better to avoid him.
Brown grew more agitated as he watched and questioned Iverson during a timeout, "Why not attack the basket?"
Iverson quickly replied, "Why don’t you go?"
Brown was at a loss for words. What kind of talk is this? I’m the coach; how can I go?
"Are you afraid of Gan?" Brown thought of something and tried to provoke Iverson.
Unexpectedly, Iverson didn’t take the bait and replied, "Aren’t you afraid? You’ve been quiet tonight."
Brown was once again speechless. Larry-Brown at the sidelines in this match had indeed been abnormally quiet.
Gan Guoyang hated it when Brown shouted from the sidelines, and now Brown had developed the habit of directing quietly when facing the Trail Blazers.
The communication didn’t yield any results, and Iverson continued to avoid attacking the Trail Blazers’ interior defense. However, his mid-range shots were quite accurate in the third quarter.
Iverson’s play is definitely appealing, full of imagination, fast, with beautiful dribbling. A small figure with enormous energy, a little giant on the NBA court.
But when the little giant encounters the big giant like Gan, it doesn’t work.
After a series of successful mid-range jump shots, Gan Guoyang started defending Iverson.
Iverson tried to challenge him, hoping to overcome his fear, only to be intercepted again face-to-face!
It’s simply incredible. Iverson, facing Gan Guoyang, seemed like he was up against an impenetrable wall.
He didn’t know if it was a technical problem or a psychological issue.
Technically, Gan Guoyang is considered a master of steals, but it’s usually in interior defense.
When it comes to defending small players on the perimeter, his steal efficiency isn’t that high, not even frequently successfully stealing from Jordan.
Especially against a small point guard like Iverson, there’s no reason for Gan’s successful steals.
So, it’s more likely a psychological issue. Iverson feels fear and hesitation when facing Gan Guoyang.
After successfully stealing the ball, Gan Guoyang made a fast break and finished with a layup; he’s getting more and more at ease with fast breaks.
In the third quarter, both sides performed steadily, and the Trail Blazers players gradually found their offensive rhythm, extending the lead from 10 points further and further.
The already underpowered 76ers gave up their resistance as Iverson couldn’t step up as the superhero.
In the end, the Trail Blazers won 109-97 on the road, extending their winning streak to 35 games.
Another uneventful and dull victory.
Gan Guoyang scored 41 points in the half, marking his third consecutive game with over 40 points, but for him, it’s a piece of cake, nothing notable in his scoring records.
The whole team was relieved to have won despite such poor form, truly it was Gan Guoyang who carried the team alone.
In the next two matches, the Trail Blazers defeated the New York Knicks and the Charlotte Hornets, extending the team’s winning streak to 37 games!
The League, across America, and even the world are paying more attention to the Trail Blazers as their victories pile up. Everyone has complex feelings about the Trail Blazers.
On one hand, they hope the Trail Blazers will continue to win, curious to see just how far they and Gan Guoyang can go.
On the other hand, they wish for a team to step up and end the Trail Blazers’ winning streak, claiming the jackpot that’s been growing in the prize pool.
On January 17th, the Trail Blazers visited Washington for a matchup against the Washington Wizards.
This summer, the original Washington Bullets changed their name to a more neutral "Wizards" from the violence-heavy "Bullets."
The Chinese translation of "Wizards" primarily includes "male sorcerer, wizard, prodigy," and the Washington team chose the meaning of sorcerer, as can be seen in their new logo: an old wizard with a white beard wearing a magic hat, holding a basketball.
However, when translating the team name domestically, an industry pioneer with average English skills, without noticing the white-bearded old man in the logo, directly translated it to Wizards [meaning prodigy].
Later on, they found the translation smooth, and it has been used since.
Similar translations include Mavericks, Pacers, and others, where the translations slightly deviate from the original meanings.
Nonetheless, many words in English originate intrinsically from their culture, which Chinese can’t clearly and completely express.
These somewhat hasty translations gradually became habits, conventionally accepted without modification.
Since trading away Charles Barkley, the Wizards have been rebuilding.
Currently, they’re restructuring the team with Rashid Wallace and Juwan Howard as their interior core, but with little success.
Juwan Howard is an overly hyped player, performing well in the NCAA, but his physical attributes in the NBA fail to make him a true star.
The Wizards paid dearly to snatch him up, signing him with a massive contract, but his on-court results can only be described as average.
Few hold much hope that the Wizards can stop the Trail Blazers’ winning streak, as 38 consecutive wins beckon the Trail Blazers.
However, before the game, tricks similar to those in Philadelphia appeared again; only this time, it wasn’t prostitutes, but an invitation from the President for a banquet.
Gan Guoyang had to give the President some respect. The night before the game, he went to the White House to attend a private banquet hosted by Clinton, with people from the cultural and sports world invited.
Besides routine responsibilities, Clinton’s motive for doing this was also due to his current impeachment by Congress, seeking some public opinion support and counsel.
This young and handsome President of the United States was recently troubled by sexual harassment allegations.
A female engineer named Paula Jones had been accusing Clinton of harassment since 1994, and it continues to this day.
Later, this issue was brought up by Starr, the investigator of the White Water case, relentlessly pursuing Clinton, and another round of lawsuits was about to begin.
Having served six years as President, Clinton was constantly enveloped by the troubles surrounding the White Water case, leaving him exhausted.
No matter what economic, military, or political achievements he had, Americans still enjoyed focusing on his personal scandals for amusement.
At this moment, Clinton and the American public were unaware that a bigger scandal awaited him.
But Gan Guoyang knew, as he had been following current political news, aware of Clinton’s reason for hosting the banquet.
For Gan Guoyang, the White House was a familiar place he’d visited many times. Clinton found an opportunity to have a private chat with him.
"Sonny, congratulations on 37 consecutive wins; it’s truly impressive. Now, the whole nation, and even the world, are watching you all."
Gan thought to himself, soon the whole world will be watching you and your scandals.
After exchanging pleasantries, Clinton suddenly lowered his voice and said, "Sonny, let’s end it here."
"What?"
"Let’s end it here; the winning streak can stop."
Gan didn’t say anything. Clinton turned slightly, with a smile on his face, as if he hadn’t said anything.
But Gan quickly pondered over it. Clinton wanted to use the end of the Trail Blazers’ streak to divert attention from his sexual harassment allegations.
A brilliant move to distract everyone from his scandals. Back in 1996, Gan helped this couple once when he returned to the sport, and now he wants me to lose games to cover for him again?
Of course, Gan Guoyang didn’t want to agree. He thought, your current little scandal can’t really be hidden, as you’ll have a bigger one coming.
So he shook his head, telling Clinton, "Bill, it’s no use. The current problem is just small. There’s nothing to be afraid of."
Clinton had a slightly perplexed expression, knowing Gan’s great incisiveness, wondering what he meant by his words?
If the current issue is small, does it mean a bigger problem awaits?
Gan took a sip of wine and looked down at Clinton, whispering in his ear, "You like blue dresses."
Clinton’s eyes flashed with a hint of fear, which his wife, chatting not far away, noticed. She seized a moment to come over and inquire about the situation with her husband.
Gan Guoyang had already stepped away, while Clinton composed himself, saying, "I think we need to have a good talk. There’s something I need to confess to you."