Barkley listened and felt that he was indeed very important; could he actually be a reserve, equivalent to a secret weapon?
Through a mix of coaxing and deception, Gan Guoyang successfully stabilized the situation.
He didn’t dismantle the lineup recklessly just because the team was in a bind, nor did he execute strategies that seemed right but might not actually be effective.
His setups were all routine plays the Trail Blazers had used before, very mature plays that the players found familiar and playable.
With his own abilities somewhat declining and his condition not great (primarily his poor condition), he did not act rashly but rather focused on uniting and utilizing his teammates.
Gan Guoyang planned that after this game, regardless of winning or losing, he would need a period of high-intensity training to counteract the slide in his condition, as medium or low intensity could no longer sustain him.
Carl admired Gan Guoyang immensely, for his calmness, decisiveness, and adaptability represented the true demeanor of a great general, something Carl aspired to learn from.
In the third quarter, as both sides took the court again, Dell Curry replaced Alan Henderson in the starting lineup. Phil Jackson immediately knew that the Trail Blazers wanted to continue seeking breakthroughs with three-point shots.
Jackson also instructed the players to allow the Trail Blazers some space to shoot. If the Trail Blazers tried to rely on three-pointers to overturn the situation, trailing by 15 points would only end more tragically.
However, when the Blazers players took the court, the Lakers players could sense they were different from the first half.
There was no longer any anxiety or frustration in their demeanor; instead, they appeared very calm. Gan Guoyang, chewing gum, wore an indifferent expression as sharp as a glinting blade, instilling fear for many years.
Such a change in mindset specifically affected the players subtly, and it would slowly manifest as the game progressed.
Fans at the Rose Garden Arena remained enthusiastic, believing in the Trail Blazers and trusting that Ah Gan would not easily give up.
The third quarter began with the Trail Blazers’ ball. For the first attack, Sabonis caught the ball high up and fed it to Gan Guoyang inside.
What a familiar and skillful setup play it was — Gan Guoyang faced O’Neal’s defense, faked a spin to trick O’Neal, and then forced his way in for a layup, drawing a foul.
The whistle blew, and Gan Guoyang stepped up to the free-throw line, easily making both shots. Everything was as he calculated; he needed to score, and drawing fouls for free throws was the most assured way.
During the Lakers’ turn, the Trail Blazers performed a simple full-court press to disrupt passing and then quickly retreated. Gan Guoyang defended O’Neal low.
O’Neal received the ball with his back, trying to make a play. Tracy McGrady passed it inside, but the pass wasn’t cautious enough; Gan Guoyang suddenly surged from behind and knocked the ball away.
Turnover!
The Trail Blazers had a fast-break opportunity, but Brellock maintained composure; they wanted to play slow.
It was still a positional play, passing to Sabonis, maintaining the high-low connection.
Gan Guoyang caught the ball at a moderately shallow position, used the Sigma Step to face the basket, suddenly lowered his body for a breakthrough, and drove to the basket!
O’Neal dared not foul again; Gan Guoyang drove to the other side of the basket, finishing with a reverse dunk!
The quick start and spectacular dunk ignited the entire Rose Garden atmosphere, as everyone knew Ah Gan was sounding the Trail Blazers’ counterattack horn.
The deficit narrowed to 11 points as O’Neal feigned positioning, and the Lakers’ attack initiated from the outside. Harper took the ball and passed to Jide, who instantly gave it to Tracy McGrady.
Tracy McGrady’s baseline breakthrough, his penetration was a crucial offensive resource for the Lakers’ outside, causing significant threat whether attacking the basket directly or passing.
But Kobe’s defense against Tracy McGrady was spot-on, forcing Tracy McGrady to the baseline and necessitating a pass out. Ultimately, with a chain of passes, the Lakers were left with Jide forcing a three-pointer, which missed.
Gan Guoyang easily grabbed the rebound, a prime chance to close the gap. This time he launched a fast break quickly. After Kobe received the ball upfront, he attacked the basket and scored with a finger roll!
A 6-0 surge, with the Trail Blazers trimming the deficit to 9 points in less than two minutes into the third quarter.
Phil Jackson stood and blew his whistle towards the court, hoping the players could resolve the issues themselves instead of calling for a timeout.
Gan Guoyang anticipated Jackson’s habits, cuing his teammates to abruptly perform a half-court double-team, catching the Lakers off guard.
In the confusion, the ball ended up in O’Neal’s hands down low; Jide did not err under panic, still finding a good opportunity beneath the basket despite the pressing double-team.
Gan Guoyang unapologetically fouled, pulling O’Neal down, sending him to the free-throw line; as long as O’Neal missed, their defense would be deemed successful.
O’Neal struggled as expected, missing both free throws. Rodman attempted to seize the offensive rebound, but after a series of contested jumps with Gan Guoyang, the ball was still secured by Gan Guoyang.
The Trail Blazers’ momentum was in full swing, and their positional play gave a sense of inevitable success.
Again, Sabonis caught the ball high, with Rodman interfering but to no avail; Sabonis raised his hand, forcing Rodman to crane his neck to view the ball.
Continuing to pass smoothly to the low post, this time the Lakers came for a double-team, but Gan Guoyang immediately passed out the ball to Kobe, who passed again to Dell Curry in the corner.
It was a three-point opportunity; Curry did not hesitate. With the dexterity of a seasoned veteran, his shot was as swift as a fired dragon, and the three-pointer was spot-on!
9:0, a 9-0 offensive burst by the Trail Blazers reduced the deficit to 6 points and finally forced the Lakers into a timeout.
In less than three minutes, with high-quality offense and defense, the Trail Blazers seemingly transformed from a different team compared to the first half.
Gan Guoyang and his teammates returned to the bench, where he exhaled deeply, boosting the morale of the veterans. Adjustments and encouragement indeed had their effect.
However, he thought to himself that he had finally turned mortal, no longer capable of whimsically toying with the field atop the rules but needing to immerse himself in the game and play by conforming to the rules.
It was from this moment that Gan Guoyang truly considered retiring and began to rethink the question of how basketball ought to be played.