Van Gundy emphasized combat; he knew the third game returning home was the best opportunity for intense physical confrontation.
Bird similarly reminded the players before the game, "Tonight, the Knicks will play very aggressively. Be prepared both physically and mentally. You can counterattack, but don’t get thrown off balance and fall into their trap."
Bird was well aware that the Trail Blazers were currently at a disadvantage in public opinion, so they must be cautious and absolutely avoid getting dragged down into a muddy brawl with the Knicks, which would play right into the trap they have set.
It’s 1999 now, not 1990, when Ah Gan went on a rampage against Thomas, almost beating him to death, and the entire All-America sympathized and supported Ah Gan.
Now the situation is different; this is New York, and everything must be approached cautiously, considering the perspective of the entire series.
Bird wasn’t worried about Gan Guoyang; in the first two games, he handled Van Gundy’s provocations quite well.
Today, facing demonstrators, he responded excellently again, leaving no leverage for the cynical New York media.
What Bird truly worried about were young players like Kobe, Little O’Neal, and Ben Wallace.
They’re fiery and hot-tempered, and once they get worked up, physical conflicts could easily arise, and being caught would lead to big trouble.
When the game officially began, Bird realized his concerns were not unwarranted.
Sure enough, the Knicks completely changed from the balanced offense and defense in the previous two games, and back home, they immediately reverted to the New York gang-like image.
With bold moves and strong confrontations, they slowed the pace down very, very much, and the defense often targeted the person rather than the ball.
The scores between the two teams were neck-and-neck, and their offense was fragmented, which was exactly the type of game the Knicks liked.
The Trail Blazers’ offense was far less sharp than in the 1998 Finals, and Mu Lin’s decline made them lose their most important external transition station.
The result of forcibly speeding up often led to increased mistakes, while missed shots on the perimeter easily gave opponents quick counter-attack opportunities, making it hardly worth the effort.
The Trail Blazers had no choice but to slow down in the playoffs, engage more in half-court play, and fight opponents in the traditional way, which was exactly the Knicks’ forte.
The first half ended tied at 45:45, the best half the Knicks had played in the series.
And the turning point of the match appeared in the third quarter when both teams’ physical plays intensified, finally erupting in conflict.
Knicks’ guard Chais received an elbow from Kobe during an offensive and defensive exchange, and Chais angrily swung a punch at Kobe.
Kobe did not expect to take a combination punch; he’s highly competitive but not a fighter. Swinging elbows was just a basketball move, not Muay Thai.
Chais’ flurry of punches left Kobe flustered, and by the time he tried to retaliate, not a single punch landed.
Furious, Kobe tried to rush forward to scuffle with Chais, only to be pulled apart by players from both teams, resulting in chaos.
From the bench, Ben Wallace, and Little O’neal both rushed onto the court and began shoving Knicks players.
The three of them entered the NBA together and came to the Trail Blazers together, and they were very close. With Kobe getting beaten, they naturally had to step up.
As a result, both received technical fouls, and Little O’Neal was ejected due to excessive actions.
The fans at Madison Square Garden were like kindling meeting a flame, igniting in an instant, as jeers and boos erupted around the arena, turning Stern’s face green at courtside.
Fortunately, the situation was eventually brought under control, the game was delayed for 10 minutes, and the momentum gained earlier by the Trail Blazers was disrupted, while the Knicks grew increasingly vigorous instead.
Gan Guoyang scored 14 points in the third quarter alone, but the Knicks relied on continuous scoring from Sprewell and Houston at the end of the quarter to overtake, and in the fourth quarter, they maintained their lead with even fiercer and more aggressive defense.
88:86, as the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks defeated the Trail Blazers by a 2-point margin at home, pulling one back, altering the series score to 1:2, and keeping alive their hopes of turning it around.
For the Trail Blazers, the ordeal was not only about losing the game but also losing face.
Kobe got thoroughly beaten, couldn’t fight back, and even his teammates got ejected, embarrassing them thoroughly.
And Gan Guoyang didn’t get involved in the conflict, not because he didn’t want to, but because Van Gundy ran over and hugged Gan Guoyang immediately, telling him not to be impulsive.
What can you do when a short, bald man comes and hugs you? Throw him back to the coach’s bench?
That move by the Knicks was truly clever, as Gan Guoyang reminded Kobe while heading back to the locker room, "You should seriously practice Muay Thai, Bryant. That’s not how you use your elbows!"