The shooting ability of this batch of American players was already average, and by the finals, their shooting touch became even worse.
As the intensity of the game increased, fouls by both teams increased, and the atmosphere became more intense.
There was a conflict between Mourning and Wang Zhizhi while fighting for a rebound, with both pushing under the basket.
Gan Guoyang quickly came over to push Mourning away, then pointed at Mourning's nose and cursed at him.
Mourning did not back down. Fighting for the country until this point, no one would flinch.
The referee called a foul on Mourning, and Wang Zhizhi went to the free-throw line, making both shots.
The score was 38:35, with China Team still trailing by 3 points as the first half was about to end.
NBC presented the statistics for both sides, showing that Gan Guoyang had already amassed 11 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 6 steals, and 5 blocks in the first half.
"Ah Gan is simply omnipotent, especially on defense. It's been so long since we've seen him put in such effort. Many might have forgotten that Ah Gan is the best defensive player in NBA history, or even in the entire history of basketball, without a doubt."
In recent years, Gan Guoyang missed out on the best defensive player because of age, where he couldn't contribute as much in defense.
When he was slightly younger, Gan Guoyang's defense was a true dimensional reduction attack against other teams, too solid.
Tonight, Gan Guoyang is not just solid, but more comprehensive, successfully suppressing Team USA's counterattacks with his pressure on their perimeter.
The score gap remained tight, signaling that everything would erupt at the last moment in this suffocating environment.
The first half score settled at 38:35, with Team USA ahead by 3 points.
The 38 points set the lowest halftime scoring record for the Dream Team, partly paying the price of Carl's rotational strategy.
Frequent substitutions led to no one accumulating good offensive sensations, forcing them into a slugfest with China Team.
During halftime, Gan Guoyang sat silently in the locker room, just drinking water.
He had nothing to say and didn't need to; what he needed at this moment was rest.
Others tacitly left him undisturbed to rest, not stopping for a moment in the 20 minutes.
He would surely play the entire 20 minutes of the second half as well.
For fans and spectators, the 15-minute halftime break was pure agony.
Finally, the second half began, with Team USA ready. They knew Ah Gan was about to exert his strength.
However, like a patient hunter, Gan Guoyang was not in a rush; as soon as the second half began, he continuously assisted Hu Weidong and Yao Ming, collecting 5 consecutive points for China Team to surpass USA!
Those in the arena and in front of televisions were too excited to contain themselves, but there was still a long way to go before the game ended.
Team USA quickly regained momentum as Payton drove and floated in two points, tying the score.
Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned, and hooked the shot, retaking the lead!
Payton drove and passed to the bottom line to Garnett, who hit the mid-range jumper.
Beginning of the second half, after halftime and the entire first half's setup, both teams' shooting touch was recovering.
Gan Guoyang received the ball again in the low post, the double-team came up early, and Gan Guoyang passed to Hu Weidong in the middle.
Hu Weidong caught and shot from three, missed, but Yao Ming hustled for the rebound, passed back to Gan Guoyang, but it was a turnover.
Payton stole the ball, but instead of chasing Payton, Gan Guoyang rushed to intercept the passing lane, capturing Payton's pass!
Such an electrifying display of extreme competition, Gan Guoyang seized his 6th steal, with both teams fighting fiercely again.
After successfully intercepting, Gan Guoyang took a jump shot from within the free-throw line, missed, rebounded his own shot.
He passed back to the perimeter, reorganizing the offense; both teams were playing chaotically, but this is the finals.
Gan Guoyang started holding the ball high and fed Yao Ming in the low post; Yao Ming received, turned, and took a fadeaway jumper.
Scored! Yao Ming's first successful isolation play of the match! China Team took the lead again.
After scoring, Gan Guoyang immediately pressed in the front court, putting pressure on the USA ball handler.
Honestly, no national team would do this because against the American guards' dribbling skills, a full-court press and trapping is suicidal.
Pulling back within the three-point line for a zone defense is the best strategy.
But Gan Guoyang could, as his tight pestering used to be a nightmare for every league guard.
Payton got stripped by Gan Guoyang again! Tonight the Glove was covered by the Gauntlet.
In the middle, the two wrestled, and Gan Guoyang tossed the ball to Hu Weidong.
Hu Weidong caught it, went for a fast break, but was knocked over from behind by Carter.
Hu Weidong fell to the ground, immediately got back up to confront Carter.
The referee blew the whistle to separate them; this was the second conflict tonight.
Eventually, Carter was called for a technical foul, and China Team took two free throws and possession.
The situation grew increasingly unfavorable for Team USA; Hu Weidong made all the free throws.
However, he later missed a mid-range shot after a pass from Gan Guoyang.
Team USA countered with continuous drives and passes.
Finally, Carter made an open three-pointer from the right corner.
In the half-court, China Team's perimeter defensive coverage and intensity were still lacking.
Therefore, Gan Guoyang had to take the initiative; he couldn't stay under the basket all the time.
As they say, finals are different from group matches.
The score seesawed, with the coaches of both teams constantly calling timeouts and making substitutions for adjustments.
This was, without a doubt, the most exciting basketball game of the Sydney Olympics so far.
With 8 minutes left in the game, the score was tied at 58:58.
The scoring capacity of both teams was significantly stronger than in the first half.