It seemed that nothing, not even death, could crush him. Based on Stern’s understanding of Ah Gan, he suspected that Gan’s greatest vulnerability might be his father, the elderly man trapped in the maze of Alzheimer’s memories.
And also his wife and children, but it’s said that Gan’s wife is even more formidable than Gan himself in some ways, and doesn’t need Gan’s protection at all.
After the opening ceremony, both sides jumped for the ball, with Gan Guoyang standing at the center circle.
Since Sabonis returned, Gan Guoyang hadn’t stood at the center circle for a jump ball in a long time; he always appeared as a power forward, in the fourth position.
Tonight, him standing at the center circle for the jump ball was clearly a signal.
David Robinson pursed his thick lips, with a trace of wavering already in his eyes.
Because from Ah Gan’s face, he saw a terrifying message—a prelude to a massacre.
This aura was tense and chilling, and David Robinson had never had the courage to face such terror.
Long, long ago, he had decided to forgo excessive conflict, leaving his fate to God.
As a former soldier, he was not a warmonger.
"Sonny, I’m sorry about the bombing," Robinson said before the jump ball.
He was a good person. He could distinguish right from wrong. No matter what, inexplicably bombing someone’s embassy was ultimately barbaric and illegal.
"Thank you for your understanding, David. You’re a good person. Tonight I’m not targeting you; I hope you can forgive me."
Robinson’s heart slightly twitched. He took a deep breath, knowing that it was unavoidable, so bring it on!
In his heart, Robinson still believed that the Spurs’ defense wouldn’t be easily breached by Ah Gan, and it wouldn’t be so easy for Ah Gan to massacre them, would it?
Jump ball, game on, Gan Guoyang seized the ball first. Robinson immediately stayed on Gan Guoyang, being highly nervous from the start.
The first time Gan Guoyang touched the ball on the outside, he didn’t attack directly but passed to his teammate, starting a meticulous set play.
Chris Mullin’s shot didn’t go in, and the Spurs’ backcourt rebound counterattack also failed.
Both teams started a bit slow, and it wasn’t until two minutes into the first quarter that Billups scored the Spurs’ first basket.
The Trail Blazers’ first basket came slightly later, not until the third minute, when Gan Guoyang hit a two-pointer from the top of the arc.
The Trail Blazers didn’t play very smoothly in the first quarter, as if they were jogging, warming up, and gradually getting into the zone.
Gan Guoyang shot 4 for 2 in the first quarter, which was average. David Robinson wondered if Ah Gan was deliberately holding back a trick or if this guy had really declined?
It’s not impossible; after all, Ah Gan was 35 years old, and a decline in form could happen suddenly and without reason.
However, in the second quarter, the scene changed abruptly. Gan Guoyang made consecutive shots, his face-up jump shots and catch-and-shoot after the screen were almost unstoppable.
Gan Guoyang began to get into the zone. Popovich hurriedly called a timeout, trying to break Gan Guoyang’s rhythm, but it didn’t work well.
After the timeout, Gan Guoyang began increasing his offensive rebounds and low-post attacks; in short, he just wanted to score.
After a few low-post plays, Gan Guoyang quickly returned to shooting mode. His mid-range shots were simply unstoppable.
The 45-degree angles and the top-of-the-key jumpers were stabbing into the Spurs’ bodies, and into the hearts of San Antonio fans.
In the second quarter, Gan Guoyang shot 8 for 10, racking up 18 points in a single quarter, totaling 24 by halftime, helping the Trail Blazers lead the Spurs by 11 points at the half.
But this was clearly just the beginning; the third quarter was truly Gan Guoyang’s stage.
Popovich yelled himself hoarse as he arranged defenses during halftime.
As the game was about to resume, Robinson softly said, "It’s useless, completely useless."
With the shooting rhythm he developed in the first half, Gan Guoyang had no mercy in the third quarter, which belonged to him.
He presented a mid-range shooting showcase to fans in the stadium and audiences nationwide.
Because Gan Guoyang was so skilled in other areas, people tended to overlook the fact that this guy was a master of mid-range shots.
With a free throw percentage higher than Jordan’s and comparable to Miller’s, along with excellent height and wingspan advantages, his mid-range shooting edge was significant.
His mid-range jump shots had high arcs and quick releases, immune to interference, with various preparatory detail moves, it was simply a visual delight.
Arc, 45 degrees, both corners, Gan Guoyang would catch and shoot, and the shots would go in, reaching a level of complete freedom.
As the shooting went on, some of his shot mechanics were noticeably distorted, with an inexplicable leg action for balance, yet the shots just kept going in.
He had completely entered a flow state. Despite Popovich calling three timeouts, he still could not stop this unstoppable shooting barrage.
points, 34 points, 44 points, 54 points!
In just three quarters, Gan Guoyang scored 54 points, scoring 30 points in a single quarter!
The Spurs were utterly crushed, and the Alamodome fell into a profound silence.
In the fourth quarter, Bird asked Gan Guoyang if he wanted to continue playing.
Gan Guoyang said, "The bombing hasn’t stopped, the opponent hasn’t surrendered, of course, I have to keep playing."
Thus, in the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang continued his rampage.
The Spurs stubbornly refused to surrender, refusing to take out their starters.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers’ teammates realized that Ah Gan was about to make history.
The bit of awkward, strange atmosphere in the locker room had long dissipated.
Everyone tried their best to feed the ball to Gan Guoyang, passing him the ball.
In the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang was unstoppable, and no Spurs player dared to lay a hand on him.
points, 74 points!
The Spurs’ defense completely collapsed. David Robinson was mentally scattered, having no idea how to defend.
With the help of his teammates, Gan Guoyang scored another 20 points in the fourth quarter, 50 points in the half, totaling 74 points, setting an NBA playoff history single-game scoring record!
This was also the first time in NBA history someone scored 70 points in a playoff game.
As the game ended, the vast Alamodome stadium was already empty, and the fans could not hide their disappointment.
Gan Guoyang raised his arms and celebrated this scoring record for "America’s birthday" with his teammates.
Popovich expressed dejection at the postgame press conference: "It’s a disgrace, a disgrace."
Popovich himself was of Serbian descent, but having served in the United States Air Force, he held a pro-war attitude.
Faced with Gan Guoyang’s unilateral massacre, he refused to surrender, which made the massacre particularly bloody.
points were a number that in previous Spurs games, an entire team couldn’t reach; now it was achieved by a single person.
This mark will forever be engraved in the Spurs’ history, making Popovich unforgettable, feeling a lasting fear of mid-range shots for many years.