The team with the second-best record in the league, with 62 regular-season wins, faced the Trail Blazers in the playoffs, trailing by 20 points in three of the four games.
The gap between the two sides was so large that players couldn’t make up for it with sheer willpower.
In the fourth quarter, Jerry Sloan glanced at his wife watching from the stands, and Barbie waved at him, her eyes full of comfort.
Sloan understood the meaning in his wife’s eyes: you and your players have done well enough, it’s okay, don’t push yourselves, take a rest.
The Jazz weren’t a young team, they were one of the oldest in the league, and in just four games, they had been worn out by the Trail Blazers.
Exhausted both mentally and physically, especially Karl Malone, who was heavily suppressed throughout the series and couldn’t mount any effective counterattack.
The reason was simple: Gan Guoyang had the energy to focus solely on dealing with Malone, leaving other tasks to Sabonis, Little O’Neal, and others. Could Malone have a better experience?
When Jerry Sloan called a timeout and substituted Karl Malone, Stockton, and other key players, Jazz fans knew the series was over.
Beating the Trail Blazers in 1997 to enter the finals felt like a beautiful dream, but in just one year, the dream was over, shattered, returning to the harsh reality: the Western Conference was still the domain of the Trail Blazers and Ah Gan, with a huge gap.
Malone hung his head, disappointed with his performance.
Four games, 6 points in the first, 21 in the second, 26 in the third, and 19 in the fourth.
The team’s offensive core could only average 18 points per game in the series, nearly 10 points less than in previous games. How could this game be played?
Even so, Salt Lake City fans still gave the Jazz players the warmest applause.
They brought great dreams and enthusiasm to this remote, desolate, and unnoticed small city across America.
Stockton and Malone fought in this city for ten years, repeatedly falling and getting back up.
This time, they fell again, and Stockton sat on the bench, looking with his usual melancholic gaze at the meaningless continuation of the game on the court.
For the Trail Blazers, the main players had also rested. This year’s Trail Blazers were exceptionally strong; even 77 wins couldn’t fully showcase their energy.
Some teams have outstanding regular-season records, galloping ahead, but when playoff intensity rises, they turn out to be less impressive, not showing the strength gap suggested by their regular-season record.
The Trail Blazers, however, were frighteningly strong in the regular season, and discovered during the playoffs that they hadn’t fully unleashed their full power; that wasn’t their 100% form.
Like the 1996 Chicago Bulls, even up to the finals, they hadn’t exerted their full strength; sometimes 80% effort was enough to crush opponents.
Years later, what people most regret is the inability of the 1996 Bulls to face the 1998 Trail Blazers in the finals.
This is one of the most popular, fiercely discussed, and controversial confrontations among numerous "IF" topics; they were extremely strong, their eras were close, full of endless topics and possibilities.
With the sound of the final buzzer, the game ended, and the Trail Blazers defeated the Jazz 108:96, with a 12-point advantage, returning to the finals after four years.
The game was won easily, but after clinching the Western Conference title, Gan Guoyang rarely shed tears.
The previous finals now seemed five years ago, from age 29 to 34.
All the teammates around him had changed, he went through retirement, comeback, failure, then stood up once more.
Time slipped away casually through his fingers, although these five years were fulfilling and not lacking excitement, without the finals, without a championship, they were ultimately incomplete.
Now, he finally returned to the highest stage in the basketball world.
In the center of the court as the crowd dispersed, Gan Guoyang took the silver trophy for the Western Conference championship from David Stern, lifting it high.
Years later, the league would name the trophy for the best player in the Western Conference playoffs after Gan Guoyang, as he was truly the king of the West Finals.
Back in the locker room, the Trail Blazers had a simple celebration because they knew the journey wasn’t over; there was still one last challenge awaiting them.
Finding an open time slot, Gan Guoyang called Michael Jordan far away in Indiana—they hadn’t had a post-game call in a long time.
"Michael, did you see? I’m in the finals again, I’ll be waiting for you. If you’re scared, just lose to the Pacers, so you can avoid the pain of being beaten by me once more."
"Stop dreaming, Sonny, clean up and wait for me."
"Come on, come on, I think you’re going to be forced to a draw by the Pacers, better think about how to make it to the finals first."
"Stop it, I’ll definitely make it to the finals. I’m not like you, last year won so many honors, but lost to the Jazz in the West Finals. This year, you still rely on Sabonis and Brellock to help you defeat the Jazz, you useless guy."
"Then just wait and see! If you make it to the finals, even if you win one game, I’ll count it as you winning the series, and I’ll hand you the O’Brien Trophy!"
Both of them in their 30s, chatting like young days, arguing, even swearing and making vows.