The game was extremely intense, with the Rockets playing more freely and openly. Francis took full control, constantly using his personal skills to tear through the Trail Blazers’ defense, scoring or creating opportunities for his teammates.
But the Trail Blazers’ defense was very solid. Little O’Neal and Ben Wallace played a crucial role in protecting the rim on the inside. The Trail Blazers’ offense was inconsistent, but their defense consistently kept the Rockets at bay.
The teams battled fiercely until the very last moments of the game. Dell Curry’s three-pointer and Charles Barkley’s powerful plays gave the Trail Blazers the upper hand.
Then on defense, Francis exposed his youthful impulsiveness, eager to be the hero, with two missed shots and a turnover, completely squandering the team’s advantage.
In the end, the Trail Blazers won 88-84, defeating the Rockets by a 4-point margin, despite the absence of three key players.
This victory was unexpected. Although the Rockets weren’t strong, considering the Trail Blazers’ current condition and missing three core players, it was quite impressive to win.
After watching the game, Gan Guoyang marveled, feeling that his teammates were not lacking, especially head coach Rick Carlisle. This victory owed much to the head coach’s strategy.
His tactical arrangements, personnel adjustments, and especially the precise control of rotations, showcased his strong command over the game and keen sense of situational awareness.
When Carlisle took over in the new season, many thought he was merely a scapegoat set up by Larry Bird.
Bird himself had been a coach for three years, with two championships and the honor of being Best Coach under his belt.
As they approached the most challenging stretch for a third consecutive title, with Ah Gan trapped in spy scandals, and the team aging significantly, Bird retired casually.
Although it was a decision made three years ago to retire regardless of circumstances, leaving under these conditions did attract some criticism.
The bigger controversy was Bird’s successor. The media in Portland hoped for an experienced coach who could stabilize the team and guide the Trail Blazers forward.
However, Bird insisted on promoting the young Carlisle, selecting his successor from within, while he sat as the general manager controlling the entire operation, which also stirred some criticism.
After enduring a period of immense pressure at the start of the season, Carlisle finally began to show his worth.
In the game against the Rockets, with three key players absent, it was the best demonstration of Carlisle’s coaching ability.
He did not give up victory lightly but tried his best to arrange and maximize the resources at hand, securing a smooth victory.
After number 2 Gan Guoyang returned to Portland, he didn’t hold back his praises when he saw Carlisle at the training gym: "Rick, great command. With your performance like that, I can rest for two more games!"
Carlisle smiled and said, "The Rockets are weak; winning was luck. We still need your leadership."
Carlisle was still clear about who held the trump cards.
After praising Carlisle, Gan Guoyang walked with a stern face to Kobe on the other side of the court.
Kobe had a bandage on his right hand and could only perform some simple training with his left hand holding the ball.
Seeing Gan Guoyang coming over, Kobe lowered his eyes, wanting to explain, but Gan Guoyang said, "No need to say anything. You have two weeks. I am giving you a task: practice your left-hand shooting until it’s almost as accurate as your right. This is not my demand of you; it’s a standard you should have for yourself. Keep it up, kid."
Gan Guoyang patted Kobe on the shoulder. Kobe was ashamed, but he quickly regained his composure, saying, "You don’t need to tell me. I was already thinking that."
After saying this, Kobe picked up the ball and stood on the free-throw line, beginning to practice shooting with his uninjured left hand, though his accuracy was far inferior to his dominant hand.
Seeing this, Gan Guoyang told Kobe to throw the ball to him. He stood at the right corner, shooting a three-pointer with his left hand, and it went in.
"Pass it again." Kobe ran over, passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang caught the ball, stepped one step inside the three-point line on the right 45-degree angle, a long two-pointer, left-handed shot, and it went in again.
He moved to the top of the arc, caught the ball, stepping on the three-point line, a long two-pointer, left-handed shot, still went in.
On the left 45-degree, the horn position mid-range, left-handed shot, fourth straight make.
The last shot, on the left baseline, caught the ball, turned, a big left-handed hook shot, and it went in effortlessly, not even touching the rim.
"You might have heard about a game where I got bored and shot entirely with my left hand in the second half," Gan Guoyang said after making the five shots, throwing the ball back to Kobe.
"Heard about it. I will do it too," Kobe said no more, immersing himself into training his left-hand shooting.
In a game against the Seattle SuperSonics in the 1989-1990 season, Gan Guoyang, feeling bored, decided to shoot entirely with his left hand in the second half.
He scored 27 points in the second half, a total of 45 points in the game, with a balanced use of both hands and invincible confidence. It was the peak moment of his career, controlling the game effortlessly, playing as he wished.
Seeing Kobe seriously training, constantly working hard to improve himself, Gan Guoyang suddenly felt envious.
Indeed, the upward phase is always exciting. No matter how low the starting point, there is a sense of excitement and hope as long as one is moving up.
However, during the downward phase, no matter how high one has climbed, moving downwards suspends hope, making it nonexistent. It only makes despair come slower and later.