This way, the Lakers would have an opportunity to exploit the situation, allowing them to quietly suppress the Trail Blazers in a seesaw battle, just like in the first half.
But the sudden emergence of two young players changed the situation, not only freeing Gan Guoyang but also giving Sabonis more rest.
Jackson silently took note of this lesson, but of course, this cunning guy wouldn’t easily give up; he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve.
Jackson noticed Ben Wallace’s poor free-throw shooting. Didn’t the Trail Blazers love to hack Shaq back then? We can do the same.
So, after the timeout, when the Lakers missed their attack, they began using foul tactics to send Big Ben to the free-throw line.
Ben Wallace lived up to expectations and missed both free throws, giving the Lakers another chance to attack. Tracy McGrady used a screen to break free from the defense and scored a layup on a breakthrough.
Then McGrady immediately fouled Ben Wallace again, sending Wallace to the free-throw line, drawing boos from the crowd as the Lakers clearly intended to do this.
Wallace was very nervous, and Gan Guoyang came to comfort him, saying, "It’s okay, if you miss, I can grab the rebound, no worries."
The first free throw was still off. Wallace was never good at shooting, and after extensive upper body muscle training, his touch was even stiffer.
Tonight, he had been engaged in defense and physical battles ever since he took the court, without any opportunity to calibrate his shooting touch. It would be strange if he made the free throw now.
On the second free throw, Wallace’s shot had a high arc, and the ball hit the neck of the rim and bounced high. Everyone craned their necks, vying for the rebound.
A shadow flew over from behind, slipping through the crowd at just the right moment, making a putback dunk into the basket!
"A putback dunk by Sunny Gan! Rip-City!" Bill Schonely shouted, igniting the entire crowd.
Focused on offense, Gan Guoyang indeed had more and better energy.
Carl realized how visionary it was for Larry Bird to nurture Ah Gan as a small forward in previous seasons, letting him take charge.
This putback dunk by Gan Guoyang rendered the Lakers’ foul tactics ineffective, bringing both sides back to a tough matchup.
The Lakers still had a good chance to win this game, and they really wanted to win to set a good tone for the new season.
In the last stage of the fourth quarter, the game became increasingly intense, with both sides’ shooting percentages suddenly dropping, and they missed continuously as the physical confrontations grew more intense.
The Lakers began to double-team Gan Guoyang with the most rigorous and determined strategy, even risking defensive violations, preemptively doubling him to prevent him from receiving the ball.
At this point, Kobe, who had been struggling all game without consistent performance, finally stepped up. Taking advantage of the gaps created by Gan Guoyang, he hit a three-pointer from the outside, made two mid-range shots, and assisted Little O’Neal for a layup.
The score was 100–96 in favor of the Trail Blazers, successfully widening the lead to 4 points.
But the Lakers exposed one of their weaknesses: in fierce battles, they lacked a stable, sharp ball-handling attack point on the outside.
O’Neal, constrained by his position and free throw shooting, found it hard to receive the ball during critical moments.
Jide and McGrady’s ball-handling attacks were both unstable, especially their shooting, which was hit or miss.
McGrady had great potential; during regular times, his breakthrough and shooting were not an issue, but during critical moments, he was still not sharp enough. Especially his breakthrough had no solution when facing the ironclad three-second zone formed by Little O’Neal, Big Ben, and Gan Guoyang.
Kobe was different; he could struggle earlier, but when needed, he could become a shooting machine, and his skills were more refined, with stronger ability for difficult scoring. This was his biggest difference from Jide and McGrady.
The offensive pressure for the Lakers instead shifted onto role players like Holi, Fisher, and even Harper, who had to try threes and breakthroughs receiving passes from Jide.
Forget about the inside; the Trail Blazers’ twin towers inside only got more courageous as the battle raged on. Gan Guoyang didn’t stand with hands on hips anymore but focused on protecting the basket, taking out anyone who dared come.
The Lakers placed all their hopes on three-pointers.
To say the least, the Lakers’ three-pointers in the last moments were really accurate, with Jide, Holi, and Fisher all hitting threes.
Trailing by 4 points originally, they managed to narrow the gap to just 1 point after three possessions!
Under Phil Jackson’s guidance, the Lakers displayed incredible tenacity, something they lacked in previous seasons.
The Trail Blazers had salvaged their disadvantage, but they shouldn’t expect an easy victory as the game entered a breathless final moment.
After Fisher made a three-pointer, Carl called a timeout with only 30 seconds left in the game.
The Trail Blazers led 106:105 by 1 point. They had to score; otherwise, the Lakers would have a chance for a buzzer-beater.
Carl planned the strategy; he still wanted to give the last scoring opportunity to Gan Guoyang, but Guoyang said, "Give it to Kobe, he’s in better form. I’ll draw the defense."
Carl didn’t expect Gan Guoyang to say this. Was he indeed getting older? Different from before, no longer needing to take the last crucial shot.
Since he said so, Carl set up a crucial play for Kobe’s ball-handling attack, with Gan Guoyang tasked to draw the defense and create space for Kobe.
As they took the court, Kobe felt like the spotlight was on him, even somewhat arrogantly telling Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, you’re old."
Gan Guoyang chuckled; he knew Kobe’s personality—give him a little sunshine, and he brightens up. No need to pay him too much mind.
With the sideline ball in play, Ben Wallace was substituted out, and Sabonis came in to receive the ball, while Gan Guoyang slid along the baseline, drawing the Lakers’ defensive attention.
Kobe received the ball on the outside, and after continuous dribbling to evade, he directly charged the basket! O’Neal came over to help, and Kobe made a high-arching bank shot!
The ball hit the backboard, bounced on the rim, and missed!
But Gan Guoyang rushed over from the weak side; no one could stop him.
He leapt high, completing a putback dunk with both hands! And drew a foul from behind by Rodman!
After the foul call, Rodman was exceptionally frustrated, loudly complaining to the referee and taking off his jersey.
"He pulled me first! He pulled me first! You blind son of a bitch!"
Phil Jackson held him down to calm him, knowing the game was over.
Gan Guoyang went to the free-throw line, made the penalty, and the gap instantly widened from 1 point to 4 points; the Lakers almost lost hope.
Gan Guoyang used a little "strategy" to succeed in a three-point play, and Jackson used his last timeout.
As they came off the court, Gan Guoyang patted Kobe on the shoulder, saying, "A precise rebound assist, I didn’t misjudge you."
Kobe, with an iron-blue face, pressed his lips together and said nothing. He should have finished that shot, damn it.
Trailing by 3 points still offered a chance, but trailing by 4, with one last possession, the Lakers’ hopes were faint.
On the fourth attempt at a three-pointer, Lady Luck didn’t stand on the Lakers’ side this time. It missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed his 14th rebound of the game, announcing the end of the match.
109:105, the Trail Blazers narrowly defeated the Los Angeles Lakers at home, ending a two-game losing streak, completing a comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit.
For this season’s Trail Blazers, it was an important victory that marked the true beginning of the internal transition from the old to the new.