This move was once Terry Porter’s specialty, and he has used his swift counter-attack three-pointer countless times in playoff games to strike opponents hard.
Arenas inherited this trait from Porter. Although he lacks organizational experience, with Gan Guoyang and Miller on the team, he doesn’t need to focus much on organizing.
Apart from cutting to the basket and the three-pointer, Glory Team also fully utilizes the opportunities brought by the Princeton offense system.
For example, during a counter-attack, the other three players, including the ball handler, leisurely cross the half-court, while Gan Guoyang suddenly accelerates to the basket.
Receiving the ball, turning, and scoring easily—this kind of scoring takes advantage of a momentary lapse in the Lakers’ defense.
A game might have just one or two such opportunities, but the Glory Team will definitely try to seize them.
Six minutes into the game, both teams were neck and neck, leading to a 15:14 score with the Lakers ahead by 1 point.
During the official timeout, both coaches were reasonably satisfied with their teams’ performance.
Phil Jackson felt the team’s defense could tighten up as they allowed too many opportunities for Glory Team to take advantage of.
Meanwhile, Tomjanovich was worried about turnovers and the team’s somewhat immature offense, missing clear opportunities leading to a score deficit.
"We could have led by 3 points," Old Tang muttered.
Tomjanovich placed great importance on the series, wanting to win and develop the Glory Team into a stronger team.
During the timeout, Old Tang substituted Gan Guoyang with Kevin Willis and Arenas with Van Exel.
This was the rotation strategy Tomjanovich executed in the latter part of the regular season, having Gan Guoyang play for six minutes in the first quarter before subbing out for rest.
He would then return about two minutes before the end of the first quarter, play a short second-quarter extension segment, and come back in the final.
The first-half playing time was fragmented to about 16 minutes; in the second half, he would play the entire third quarter, rest for five minutes in the fourth quarter, and then finish the game.
Overall, his playtime in a game totaled about 35 minutes, which was friendly for a veteran player.
In this regard, Old Tang was considerate and managed Gan Guoyang’s time and stamina reasonably.
Ten years back, Gan Guoyang’s playoff rest involved two minutes at the end of the first quarter and two minutes at the start of the second quarter.
He would play the full third quarter, rest two minutes in the fourth, and then finish the game.
In crucial games, there would be no rest; you’d rest after you drop dead.
However, this rotation puts other players to the test—in Gan Guoyang’s absence, can they hold up in both offense and defense and withstand the challenge?
Van Exel’s arrival showed its impact on the Glory Team.
After the timeout, Glory Team disrupted the Lakers’ offense continuously on defense but had trouble gaining possession.
The Lakers were cunning, refusing to lose the ball; even when it went out of bounds, they retained possession and executed a sideline ball strategy.
A long pass to the right at a 45-degree angle, Fisher received, shot a three-pointer directly, and scored! 18:14, the Lakers widened the gap to 4 points.
Here appeared the first turning point of the game—without Gan Guoyang on the court, if Glory Team failed to score, Lakers would capitalize and increase the lead.
Glory would fall into their first pit of the match, requiring effort to climb out, which is unfavorable for the game rhythm.
Van Exel stepped up, driving strongly to the basket, passing the ball in traffic to the wing, where Raja Bell received it and shot an open three-pointer, scoring!
Critical driving and passing for a three-pointer, 18:17, Glory Team narrowed the gap and avoided falling into the pit.
Van Exel’s ghostly steps stumbled, looking like he might fall, yet he didn’t lose the ball and still passed it out.
Old Tang broke into a cold sweat—truthfully, after coaching for many years, he hadn’t led a team of such unexpected players.
Then O’Neal got the ball again in the low post, using his back to forcefully go at Willis, who though taller, moved slower.
O’Neal’s agile baseline turn, followed by a reverse hook shot near the basket that went in; this big man sure is flexible.
But ten seconds later, Van Exel suddenly launched a long three-pointer from the outside, making Old Tang’s heart tighten.
And the three-pointer went in! 20:20, the score is tied!
The odd players are unusual, but when used effectively, they produce quick results.