The absence of two key players for the Lakers tonight gave the Glory Team a chance to overturn their opponents.
Derek Fisher and Tracy McGrady were both sidelined due to physical discomfort, reduced to being cheerleaders on the sidelines.
These two young players from 96 and 97 played important roles in the Lakers' championship run last year.
After Jide was traded away, Fisher moved to the starting Point Guard position, and as a Point Guard in the Triangle Offense system, he accomplished his tasks quite well.
Meanwhile, Jerry West insisted on keeping McGrady and refused to trade him. By the 2000-2001 season, he had grown into the team's second-leading scorer and the best ball-handling isolation player on the Lakers' perimeter—even though his efficiency needed improvement, having him was better than not having him.
However, McGrady also exposed his relatively fragile side last season, with multiple minor injuries during the high-intensity playoff games.
Despite finishing the finals, a lot of time was spent on rehabilitation over the summer, and back discomfort appeared again during the training camp.
McGrady is still very young, with strong recovery capabilities, but the Lakers coaching staff still let McGrady rest first, avoiding the Las Vegas Radiance in the opener and waiting to play in the next home game.
Both on the court and from a business standpoint, McGrady met Jerry West's expectations last season.
He successfully made it to the All-Star team, with an average score exceeding 20 points, becoming a hot backcourt star in the League.
McGrady's absence slightly diminished the confrontation in this game, but the Lakers' rotation in the last two seasons has been quite deep.
Even without McGrady and Fisher, they can still field a strong starting lineup and ensure three decent rotation players on the bench.
By contrast, the Glory's starters were really too inexperienced, and their so-called 2-3 zone defense lacked resilience and variation, reverting to one-on-one man defense after a few rounds.
After the timeout, Glory did not make any lineup adjustments. Gan Guoyang and Coach Tom said that young players still need enough time and confidence, and they would do their best to support them.
Sure enough, the first offense after returning, Gan Guoyang held the ball at the top of the arc, feigned support, and suddenly launched a direct three-point shot!
The classic high arc—Gan Guoyang knew the shot was good upon release, it felt so smooth.
"Ah Gan's first three-point shot of the game, and it's in! Whoa! This is the first three-point in Glory Team's history!"
The TV commentary praised Gan Guoyang for his first successful three-point shot, his fake pass and throw tricking Samaki Walker thoroughly.
In defense, switching back to man-to-man, Glory was pierced in the paint by O'Neal spinning. This time, Brad Miller used a vicious foul to bring down O'Neal.
Don't underestimate Miller as just a typical White center; this guy plays with a certain grit.
It's evident from Glory Team picking him, yet he wanted to go back home to Indiana rather than assist Ah Gan, marking him as an old-school, tough player.
O'Neal was a bit upset, as Miller's actions were excessive, creating tension between the two.
The first free throw missed, and Gan Guoyang quietly said to Gerald Wallace: "Whether it goes in or not, sprint forward, I'll pass to you."
Wallace understood, quietly moving outside the three-point line, ready to run.
The second free throw also missed, and Gan Guoyang made a precise prediction, grabbed the rebound, and immediately made a super long pass to the frontcourt.
Gerald Wallace had already launched like a panther, with no one ahead, caught Gan Guoyang's long pass, and slammed it in for the dunk!
Every offense now creates a first historic record for the Glory Team; Wallace secured the first dunk.
Gan Guoyang's keen eye noted that with McGrady absent from the Lakers' perimeter, they lost athleticism.
The Lakers team is relatively slow, Pippen is getting old, so defending fast breaks will be troublesome for them.
Of course, Glory Team also faces challenges defending the Lakers' half-court offense, given the lack of experience of young players.
Gerald Wallace, who just contributed an exciting fast break dunk, was immediately called for a foul on defense.
His hands were somewhat clumsy, still adjusting to the NBA's refereeing standards, and then the Lakers, utilizing the space created by the Triangle Offense, saw Pippen cut to the basket, receiving a pass from O'Neal for an easy layup, two more points.
Pippen fits the Triangle Offense well, too familiar with the routines, enabling the Lakers' half-court game to be smooth and diverse.
At this moment, Gan Guoyang no longer had his old teammates from the Trail Blazers around—a lot of old tricksters—to rely on, and defensive leaks were frequent.
However, on the offensive end, with Gan Guoyang's three-pointers and Gerald Wallace's fast breaks, the young players gradually composed themselves.
In an NBA game, just play as it should be played; it's not so mysterious or unpredictable.
Arenas continuously dribbled on the perimeter, exploiting speed to forcefully break through Lindsay Hunter, a duel between a young rookie and a veteran.
Hunter is very experienced, but Arenas was explosive on this play, crashing into the Three Second Zone, ultimately unable to finish, striking O'Neal and bouncing off.
However, Gan Guoyang picked up the ball, executing a ground pass through O'Neal's legs to the opposite side, reaching Brad Miller, who was unguarded, caught the ball and completed a two-handed dunk!
This pass through the legs was beautiful, and the live commentary stated it may be the top play of today's highlights.
After the successful pass, Gan Guoyang ran to the baseline, shouting into the camera: "Larry! Larry, doesn't this look like you!"