The TV commentators pointed out, "At his peak, a ball like Ah Gan’s would’ve almost certainly gone in. He’s not yet at the point of exhaustion or completely spent, but he still missed this crucial shot. After all, he’s already 35 years old, no longer the historical monster with a shooting percentage of 60%."
At 35, Wilt Chamberlain had already fully regressed into a blue-collar center, yet Gan Guoyang’s performance is still out of reach for others.
However, cracks appear on the idol’s statue, giving people a glimpse of the hope to shatter him.
Jeff Van Gundy certainly noticed this. He realized that Game 4 is the best opportunity for the Knicks to turn the series around.
Chais is the least important among the team’s starting five, and many times the Knicks delegate the ball-handling duties to Sprewell.
Chais’s absence doesn’t significantly impact the Knicks’s fighting strength.
Meanwhile, the Trail Blazers were missing two key bench rotations, and their starters were getting older. The Knicks’s chance to outlast their opponent was here.
Once the series is tied, under the 2-3-2 finals format, the team with fewer away games actually has the advantage because the tiebreaker would be played in New York.
Back then, the Trail Blazers took advantage of the 2-3-2 format against the Celtics, Bulls, and Heat in 1992 and 1993.
Securing the match point at home, then going to the opponent’s court for Game 6 to seize the championship in one go.
Due to this reason, some coaches and players within the league are unsatisfied with the 2-3-2 finals format.
Clearly securing home court advantage, yet the crucial match point isn’t played at home, instead turning into a disadvantage.
This format won’t change anytime soon. Some veteran teams could benefit from this format, turning a lack of home-court advantage into an advantage.
Now the Knicks also want to taste what it’s like to play the match point at home, and that kid Kobe said he wants to win a championship at Madison; the Knicks are eager to teach him another lesson.
At half past seven Eastern Time, Game 4 continued at Madison Square Garden, and New York fans were even crazier than the last game.
They seemed like sharks smelling blood, seeing the hope to turn things around, thus starting endless mental torment on the Trail Blazers players.
NBA teams are always crazy; once you reach the finals, there’s no city that isn’t going wild, no home court that isn’t deafening.
But New York is true to its name; as the "center of the universe," its fans have a unique mental state and an extraordinary ability to cause a ruckus.
In just two days, they’ve come up with all sorts of nicknames for Kobe, with the most prominent being "Stallion-Kobe."
In the famous boxing movie "Rocky," the protagonist Rocky, played by Stallone, had a nickname "Italian Stallion." As the writer, Stallone chose this nickname for his character because he had acted in a movie called "The Italian Stallion" when he was young, later using the name in the carefully written "Rocky" screenplay.
Kobe happened to grow up in Italy, and his weak performance in the boxing duel of Game 3 reminded New Yorkers of a phony Rocky fighting in small boxing halls, hence the nickname "Italian Stallion" was pinned to Kobe.
Later this nickname wasn’t catchy enough, and the creative New Yorkers refined it to "Stallion-Kobe" within a day, echoing throughout the basketball sanctum of Madison Square Garden.
"Stallion-Kobe!"
"Stallion-Kobe!"
"Stallion-Kobe!"
Before the jump ball, the chants resonated throughout Madison.
Kobe’s face, already dark, now turned even darker.
He would never be like Gan Guoyang, maintaining a calm demeanor, instead channeling anger through his eyes.
Gan Guoyang came over, gently patted his butt, and said, "Here’s your chance to quiet them down."
Kobe nodded, saying no more.
With the jump ball commencement, Sabonis secured possession, and the Trail Blazers started the first offensive play.
During the probing phase, tonight the Trail Blazers didn’t give the opening offense to Sabonis, nor to Gan Guoyang, but to Kobe.
With the ball outside, a chorus of boos filled the arena, while the Trail Blazers’s inside players spread out, as Kobe charged in with the ball.
The Knicks’s help defense arrived timely, the middle immediately contracted, and Kobe opted for a sudden stop jump shot, which missed!
The Knicks fans’ booing grew louder—did this kid still want to start with a strong offensive to prove himself?
What a waste, he missed!
Sprewell broke through in a Knicks counterattack, with the same middle sudden stop jump shot, hit steadily!
A cheer erupted all around, clearly showing that the Knicks were in high spirits tonight and determined to secure a win.
The Knicks’s opening indeed was excellent, riding the momentum from the last game, their energy soaring.
Sprewell, Houston, Mourning, Kemp continuously hit shots, delivering an 8-0 climax against the Trail Blazers.
On the Trail Blazers side, Kobe missed two shots, and Gan Guoyang tried a three-pointer but missed, giving the Knicks continuous counterattack opportunities.
With a fantastic start, the New York fans at Madison were ecstatic, and the chants of "Stallion-Kobe" grew louder.
Bird intended to call a timeout, but Gan Guoyang stopped him; they kept attacking, which is Gan Guoyang’s customary style.
Faced with problems, players solve them actively rather than relying on the coach calling timeouts.
With the ball outside, Gan Guoyang forcefully broke through the middle, this time the Knicks defenders quickly formed an encirclement.
Gan Guoyang promptly passed the ball to Kobe on the wing. Kobe took a step, followed by a sudden stop jump shot!
This guy dares to shoot, and finally scored! 8-2, the Trail Blazers recovered two points.
Kobe’s eyes were full of stubbornness and determination, alongside a hint of gratitude.
Under such pressure, in this finals, after opening with continuous misses and the team scoreless, yet Ah Gan passed the ball to me.
Indeed, only a genius would get the trust from the previous Basketball God, confirming my status as potentially the next Basketball God.
Kobe felt grateful for every day of dedicated training.
And this shot marked the beginning of Kobe’s self-validation tonight.
In the subsequent half-court offense, the Knicks found it hard to maintain their efficiency.
The outside mid-range shots didn’t hit, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound to give to Kobe.
Kobe handled the ball in a counterattack, not charging aggressively, instead using rhythm to elegantly slip into the basket, switching hands to dodge the defense for a successful layup.
Smart, light-footed offense, easily dismantled the Knicks’s heavy defense.
The Knicks offense returned to average, missed again, and the rebound was controlled by Gan Guoyang.
Kobe and Gan Guoyang’s high pick-and-roll, with a single step for a direct mid-range shot, scored again!
Kobe, whose hand was heating up, scored three consecutive shots, now it’s Van Gundy’s turn to anxiously call a timeout.
Rather than calling your own timeout, it’s better to force the opponent to call theirs.
Kobe’s shot not only stalled the Knicks, but also silenced the scene considerably.
Returning from the timeout, Kobe didn’t cease his performance, with his hot touch continuing.
He first snatched a sideline pass from the Knicks, rendering Van Gundy’s timeout adjustment futile.
Subsequently, when faced with the Knicks changing their defensive strategy to double-team him, Kobe calmly handled the ball.
He moved outward, spreading the double-teaming, then accelerated with large strides into the basket for a beautiful pass to Sabonis, who caught the ball and slammed it in with a single hand.
A guard capable of shooting and passing is the most formidable and bothersome.
Sprewell likewise aimed to drive the Knicks’s offense using breakthrough passes.
But Houston, receiving the ball for a jump shot, faced Gan Guoyang’s interference and missed.
Gan Guoyang was more aggressive tonight in extending his defense to pressure the Knicks’s outside movement, thus surely troubling Van Gundy.
Gan Guoyang’s open defense was due to his confidence in Kobe’s current state, which suggests Kobe could sustain the offensive.
Indeed, Kobe soon triggered another counterattack, again piercing through, leaving the Knicks defense hesitating—will he shoot or pass?
Kobe answered with a single-handed bank shot securing another score.
Scoring eight consecutive points, single-handedly returned a 10-0 run against the Knicks.
After scoring, Kobe put his right index finger on his lips, making a "shh" gesture, delivering a resounding slap to all New York fans present.
Gan Guoyang pushed Kobe, timely reminding him, "The game has just begun."
Kobe shook his head and said, "No, the win is decided, the game’s already over."
This guy didn’t learn any fighting tricks from Gan Guoyang, but mastered about eighty percent of the ostentation skills.