Carlisle seemed to be at a loss, although the team's offense and defense gradually improved, the offense was really hard to watch.
Payton took two shots and missed both, Kidd hadn't taken any shots, only relying on Garnett's two mid-range shots to score 4 points, and Carter scored 2 points on a fast break.
Compared to 1992, China no longer used pure zone defense but a mix of zone and man-to-man defense because the players' abilities had improved, and Gan Guoyang couldn't dominate the Three Second Zone alone.
Yao Ming is certainly tall, but his strength and experience are still lacking; relying solely on him in zone defense carries risks—this year's Chinese Men's Basketball Team is more team-oriented.
During the timeout, Carlisle made a substitution; he wanted to put in Ray Allen but eventually decided to bring in the more seasoned Alan Houston, a reflection of the Dream Team's emphasis on seniority.
Alan Houston replaced Payton, who chewed gum and cursed under his breath due to his poor start facing Ah Gan and the tall China Team, finding it tough with restricted breakthroughs.
After Houston entered the game, he quickly scored by receiving a pass from Garnett and making a right-side catch-and-shoot, bringing Team USA closer in score.
China Team remained steady, focusing on Gan Guoyang as the core in a positional play; Gan Guoyang knew he couldn't rush, otherwise, the game could slip into Team USA's chaotic counterattack rhythm, making it difficult to play.
The most crucial aspect for China Team is success rate; once a shot is missed and Team USA counterattacks, it would be challenging for Gan Guoyang alone to defend.
In the first 20 minutes of the match, without various timeouts, the game proceeded very smoothly, and China Team's offensive success rate was notably high.
Gan Guoyang's control of rhythm had reached perfection, knowing when to shoot, where to initiate offense, and what to do if the play fails were all clear in his mind.
He may not have Bird's or Magic Johnson's brilliant passing talent, but his game sense and mental calculation are historically elite.
Moreover, he has accumulated extensive game experience; often his passes and positioning are no longer reliant on tactical patterns but are instinctive.
Beelman instructed Chinese players on tactics in the training center, resulting in noticeable improvement in their tactical skills—especially under Gan Guoyang's leadership.
He continuously observed Wang Zhizhi on the wing, Yao Ming under the basket, Hu Weidong at the three-point line, making the best choice: a breakthrough from the middle.
Playing several actions continuously, then passing the ball again, coordinating again, going through false and true moves in their offense, leaving Team USA unsure about China Team's plays.
Thus, the advantage that China Team established in the first 5 minutes, leading by roughly 7 points, surprisingly held until the end of the half, with China Team leading Team USA 54:50 by 4 points.
Team USA gradually found their rhythm after adjusting their lineup, exploiting the relatively weaker individual abilities of Chinese players, constantly launching counterattacks and exploiting mismatches.
China Team refrained from double-teaming because they didn't know who to double-team, as Team USA's lineup was balanced with each player capable of handling a certain offensive load, making double-teaming unsuitable. Instead, they stuck to zone and man-to-man defense.
Of course, as part of China Team's game plan, they had strategies for double-teaming, and there was detailed research on whom and how to double-team. However, in the first group match, the coaching staff decided not to employ these strategies.
Unlike 1992, this year's Olympics saw the return of Gan Guoyang. The basketball team was strong, well-prepared, and aimed squarely at winning Olympic gold!
During preparation meetings and warm-up games, Gan Guoyang repeatedly stressed to everyone that their goal was the gold medal, with America being their biggest rival.
However, before reaching their ultimate goal, China Team needed to adopt certain strategic approaches since, overall, they did not have absolute superiority among the teams.
After the start of the second half, Team USA adjusted their strategy; Payton and Kidd no longer tightly guarded China's ball handlers with pressure but jointly targeted Wang Zhizhi and Yao Ming inside.
The goal of this tactic was to disrupt China Team's high-success-rate, slow-paced positional play.
Sure enough, China Team's consecutive attacks missed, and Team USA seized the opportunity for a 6:0 run, overtaking the lead!
But Gan Guoyang quickly countered a strong three-point shot from the right 45-degree angle without any tactical coordination, purely personal skill.
China Team regained the lead, although the game's momentum suggested that Team USA had regained control and rhythm, given their overall strength.
What shocked Team USA's players and coaching staff was that every time Team USA seized a couple of opportunities and seemed poised to pull ahead, Gan Guoyang would easily stand out, responding with three-pointers, mid-range shots, or Offensive Rebound to quickly close the gap.
The score between both teams seesawed; finally, in one timeout, Carlisle decided to initiate double-teaming on Gan Guoyang.
However, the double-team proved largely ineffective. If taller players came out to double-team him, he'd drive past them, and if shorter players did, he would shoot successfully; his three-point shooting was superb.
Judging by the pace of his movements, Gan Guoyang was evidently slower than during his peak, relying more on rhythm and feel.
Outside on the perimeter, he continually played with Team USA's double-team pressure defense, moving extensively on the outside.
Every now and then, a behind-the-back dribble, between-the-legs dribble, skillfully flicking the ball with his fingertips; the basketball was tethered to Gan Guoyang's hand like a little dog, unable to be snatched away by anyone.
Although this style led to several rounds of unsuccessful attacks by China Team or even time violations, Gan Guoyang's performance akin to thrilling soccer dribbling still earned roars and applause from the fans.
Rick Carlisle couldn't help but marvel that Ah Gan seemed in better shape than before retirement, relaxed, full of resilience, and displaying fascinating ball-handling skills.
This guy, is he experiencing reverse aging? Moreover, that at this height and physique, his finesse in ball-handling was like Zhang Fei's embroidery or Li Kui's dance, possessing breathtaking beauty.
An observant person could tell that Gan Guoyang was conserving energy, not battling Team USA full-force, merely probing and even toying with their defense repeatedly.
Kevin Garnett had been marking Gan Guoyang all game and felt fatigued; with five minutes left in the match, during a timeout, Garnett found his calf a bit sore.
He would rather face Ah Gan head-to-head in the low-post than be dazzled by Gan Guoyang on the perimeter, making his ankles shaky.
"Luckily he retired, this guy's playstyle is increasingly perimeter-oriented, making it progressively harder to defend," Garnett gasped heavily.
At this point, Team USA was leading China Team by 2 points, with such a narrow margin between them.
One major advantage for Team USA is that they have many playable players, enabling a 12-man rotation and intense full-court offense and defense.
Carlisle knew this well, as the Portland Trail Blazers did so initially, thus the later it got, the smoother Team USA played, with a growing advantage.
Their fitness and pressure-defense imposed significant stress on opponents; if not for Ah Gan, China Team would have collapsed in the latter half of the first period.
Returning from the timeout, Team USA geared up, with Carlisle deploying Carter, Kidd, Garnett, McDyess, and Steve Smith.
That was undoubtedly a more reasonable and stronger lineup, poised to withstand Ah Gan's burst and win the match in the final round.
However, surprisingly to Team USA, Ah Gan did not erupt in the final period, instead maintaining normal offense and defense.
Passing when needed, shooting when appropriate, with no rhythm changes or forced attacking the basket to draw fouls, remaining steady throughout.
Consequently, Team USA capitalized on their chance with a 16:5 run against China Team, who only got points from Gan Guoyang's two free throws and Hu Weidong's three-pointer.
Thanks to this offensive wave, Team USA seized the advantage in the final moments, expanding their lead into double digits.
The entire team gradually felt assured, with Kidd even daring to ask Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, are you tired?"
Gan Guoyang chuckled, "It's not yet the real time to go all out against you, how could I be tired?"
Kidd, being smart, understood Ah Gan's implication, realizing he was saving energy for the finals.
Such confidence! Kidd pondered, if we don't make it to the finals, wouldn't your preparation be in vain, Ah Gan?