After completing the major trade, the Grizzlies had a sense of unfamiliarity throughout, with players and coaches, and between the team and fans, the atmosphere was not very warm.
The team couldn’t be said to have any tactical system or strategic goals; just maintaining operations to sell tickets was good enough; what more could one ask for?
Moreover, the Grizzlies’ lineup was quite odd, with Sam Cassell and Mike Bibby, two standard point guards, starting together to form a dual point guard backcourt, creating a short backcourt.
Their offensive power was quite strong, and their outside shooting once gave the Trail Blazers some headaches, but their defense was terrible, with no barriers or rebounding protection in the backcourt.
Once their outside shooting was off, the Trail Blazers quickly widened the point gap bit by bit.
On the inside, the Grizzlies’ once highly regarded "Big Country" Brian Rivers had become a complete role player.
Facing the tall Sabonis and the strong Barkley, Rivers didn’t gain any advantage or benefit and was mostly bullied.
At halftime, the Trail Blazers had established a 10-point lead, and in the second half, Kobe stepped up and scored continuously, extending the lead to 17 points, making the game lose suspense.
In the end, the Trail Blazers won their first game of the season in Vancouver with a 109-88 win, a 21-point margin, giving the new season a good start.
After finishing their game against the Grizzlies, the Trail Blazers hurried back to Portland to prepare for their November 3rd home opener against the Clippers.
On the same day, Gan Guoyang completed his first hearing in New York, providing more detailed answers to various questions.
The hearing was held in the assembly hall of New York City Hall, with a large number of media and reporters present, forcing Gan to handle these tedious troubles with full effort.
The hearing still yielded no result, and when Gan Guoyang left City Hall, it was already after 1 PM, with the towering Twin Towers visible to the west, standing quietly.
It was only three streets from the World Trade Center, making it very convenient to get there if desired. Gan took a glance at them and got into his arranged vehicle, leaving with a large group of cameras and microphones in tow, as if what he had said at the hearing wasn’t enough.
Gan didn’t want to say another word. He just wanted to quickly head to the airport and return to Portland, hoping to make it in time for the evening’s game.
Gan watched the live broadcast of the Trail Blazers’ game against the Grizzlies yesterday. Barkley’s performance was indeed impressive, with 15 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, a standout performance.
He notably reduced inefficient low-post attacks, increased high-post facilitation, and focused more on rebound control, allowing the Trail Blazers to win quite easily.
Barkley’s change was visible to the naked eye, but Gan knew Barkley was often a hot-tempered player, especially since his mindset became erratic after leaving the Suns.
For veterans, the hardest part of the NBA season is its length and unpredictability, crossing over half a year, 82 games, plus playoffs reaching nearly 100 games, where anything can happen.
Especially with terrible injuries, Gan urged Barkley to lose weight in the summer, considering the injury issue, as a higher weight would increase the risk of injury.
The season had just begun, with many challenges ahead.
Before the plane took off, Gan made a phone call to the team’s locker room and asked for Barkley to take the call.
"You did well last night, keep it up tonight. If you’re trailing when I get back, don’t worry, I’ll come to save the game."
"Relax, Sonny, we won’t need you to step in, we’ll take it easily!"
The easy win from the previous game gave Barkley some confidence, but his confidence faded quickly and returned just as fast.
Moreover, the second opponent was the weak Clippers. Against a weak team like the Clippers, the Trail Blazers were sure to win easily, right?
As planned, the Trail Blazers were set to hold the championship ring presentation ceremony and raise the championship banner before the game.
But since Gan Guoyang was absent, the Trail Blazers decided to wait, postponing the ceremony to halftime, to see if Gan could return in time.
Tonight’s Rose Garden Arena atmosphere was quite different from yesterday’s game in Vancouver. Even without Gan’s presence, the tickets were completely sold out.
More than twenty thousand spectators arrived early, wearing white, red, and black T-shirts, celebrating the beginning of a festival belonging to the citizens of Portland.
Since Ah Gan’s arrival, for most seasons, Portland fans considered it a championship season, and the start of a new season marked the beginning of their wait for the championship.
So, the opening game was like the starting point of a grand journey, and the citizens had formed a habit of celebrating it well.
Barkley was overwhelmed by this fanatical enthusiasm, standing in the center of the court in his Trail Blazers jersey, looking up to see: 9 NBA championship banners, 10 Western Conference champion banners, a feeling of awe beyond words.
And there was one more championship banner, which wouldn’t be raised until tonight, with everyone waiting for Ah Gan.
Kobe’s father, Joe Bryant, suggested to the team that the banner ceremony should be conducted before the game, with Kobe replacing Ah Gan as the flag bearer, but this was outright rejected by Tang Jianguo and Bird.
Barkley, always a boaster, didn’t exaggerate this time. Inspired by the championship, he scored 11 points and grabbed 5 rebounds in the first quarter against the Clippers’ interior.
The Trail Blazers led the Clippers by 10 points, 30-20, and never allowed the lead to drop below double digits again.
By the end of the first half, fans weren’t concerned about how much the Trail Blazers were leading by, but rather if Ah Gan could return in time to participate in the championship ring ceremony.