After learning from past losses, Martin adhered to his new tattoo, "Silence is Golden," and didn't say a word before the game, quietly waiting for it to start.
After the jump ball, in the opening play, Gan Guoyang attempted a three-pointer from the left corner, but the ball circled the rim and bounced out, missing the shot.
The Nets quickly launched a counterattack. With Jide on the team, the Nets' fast break was quite sharp, but they were not an offensive team.
On the contrary, the Nets' excellent performance this season mainly relied on defense. When initiating a fast break, Jide was very cautious.
Martin received the ball on the wing, trying to pass it inside, but was intercepted by Gan Guoyang, a turnover, causing a change in offense and defense.
Apart from Martin and Jide showcasing some fast break connections, the Nets didn't really have a true expert in fast break scoring.
Martin's individual offensive ability was almost nonexistent, Olajuwon was already aging, Fan Huo'en was strong in shooting but average in personal ability, Kittelers was a defensive powerhouse, and the substitute Richard Jefferson was indeed good at fast breaks, but he was still too young at the moment.
The real strength of the Nets was still defense. From Jide to Olajuwon, every position had good defensive capabilities, with no obvious weaknesses.
Before the game started, head coach Byron Scott gave Ah Gan a series of flattering remarks, saying, "I didn't expect, even after becoming a coach, Ah Gan is still performing at an MVP level in this league, it's truly incredible, truly great."
However, flattery had little effect on Gan Guoyang nowadays. Closing his mouth, they could just play the game well.
Both teams didn't score in the first few rounds. Gan Guoyang's pass to Gerald Wallace for a cut at a 45-degree angle was disrupted by Kittelers.
The Nets were very strong in steals, ranking high in the league, executing their defense swiftly and fiercely, making it necessary for players to maintain high concentration.
The game had been going for a minute and a half, and still, no one scored. Kenyon Martin's floater was an air ball under the interference of Gan Guoyang.
This lad was really afraid of Gan Guoyang, his shot was so soft that it didn't even touch the rim.
After securing ball possession, the Glory Team counterattacked. Arenas wanted to speed up, but Gan Guoyang reminded him to slow down a bit.
Glory needed to break the deadlock on the court. Gan Guoyang stopped staying outside and moved to the low post to call for the ball.
The defensive battle between Olajuwon and Gan Guoyang in the low post had been ongoing for 18 years. Both were still battling in the three-second zone.
Miller passed the ball to Gan Guoyang. Gan Guoyang pushed Olajuwon away, faked a spin to trick Olajuwon into jumping.
Olajuwon realized he was fooled on this play; he was either going to concede points or foul. Without hesitation, he slapped down hard, hitting Gan Guoyang on the forehead, making Gan see stars and crouch down holding his face for a while.
The referee immediately blew the whistle on Olajuwon for a foul, and upon reviewing the video, added a flagrant foul, awarding two free throws and possession.
But Olajuwon felt satisfied, finally venting the frustration from last night's chess game.
An old friend and rival gave him a hit, and Gan Guoyang wasn't upset. After getting up, he smiled, shook his head, patted Olajuwon, and went to the free-throw line.
He knew that there was a high probability this game would be his and Olajuwon's final showdown.
Unless Glory and the Nets both made it to the finals.
From the 1984 NCAA finals to today, their duels would finally come to an end.
Olajuwon ultimately couldn't surpass the mountain that was Gan Guoyang, but he had acquired his own sceneries.
When he left this league, recalling the sunny day when he left Africa to reach Houston, the hot rainy night traveling to Miami, and the night in 1995 when they beat the Supersonics to win the championship, it all felt like a dream—illusory, yet fulfilling, without regrets.