In the first quarter, the Glory Team got completely torn apart by the Lakers.
In fact, this was within Tomjanovich’s expectations. If the road team wins Game 1 of a playoff series, the home team is bound to have a huge bounce-back in Game 2.
Just like in the first two games of a series: if the home team takes a 2–0 lead, then in Game 3 on the road they will inevitably face a furious counterattack and extremely physical play from the opponent.
For all this, an experienced NBA coach, or even an NBA fan who’s watched enough games, would be used to it.
Tomjanovich had no intention of giving up this game. Although after winning Game 1 they did seize home-court advantage, in the playoffs, home court isn’t as important as people imagine.
Ah Gan was right: they had to seize the opportunity while the team was in good form, take the first two games, grab match point early, put all the pressure on the Lakers’ side, and not give them the slightest chance to breathe.
Only in this way could the young, foundation‑thin Glory have enough certainty to topple their opponent.
At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang stayed on the floor, and Tomjanovich put in a more defense‑oriented lineup.
Inside, Gan Guoyang and Kevin Willis partnered, forming a strong veteran interior defensive duo, raising the Three Second Zone’s height and muscle mass to the maximum.
Kevin Willis entered the League the same year as Gan Guoyang. No one expected this short‑armed guy to survive in the League for so long. He has played more seasons than Gan Guoyang, and he’s already 39 this year.
In the regular season, with only 15 minutes per game on average, he could still deliver 6 points and 6 rebounds per game—a qualified backup.
With the two veterans from the ’84 class on the court together, they broke up the Lakers’ offense on two straight possessions and firmly controlled the defensive boards.
Glory’s offense still didn’t pick up much; their outside shots wouldn’t fall, wasting two chances to cut into the lead.
Gan Guoyang wasn’t anxious. He kept ensuring high‑quality rim protection under the basket, securing rebounds, and on offense tried his best to create for his teammates, letting them slowly regain their shooting touch.
The usually fast‑breaking, slashing Glory had actually slowed down at this point.
They wanted a slower pace to give the players a chance to catch their breath.
The Lakers also slowed the pace accordingly; up by 15, they naturally wanted to grind it out.
However, this was the mistake the Lakers made. Instead of attacking aggressively to extend the lead, they chose to sit on it, content with a 15‑point cushion.
The arrogance that comes with being first in the Western Conference still affected the team. Even after losing Game 1, even with Ah Gan on the other side, being the defending champions and the top seed in the West still made everyone on the Lakers feel "the advantage is ours."
Before checking out, Gan Guoyang knocked down a three‑pointer, then went back to the bench to rest.
The lead was down to 12. It seemed like Glory hadn’t fully capitalized on that run, but in reality the team had stabilized.
Because their defense was gradually getting set, the Lakers’ multi‑pronged outside attack was slowly reverting to O’Neal low‑post isolations, that kind of "lazy man’s offense."
Give the ball to Shaq, and everyone else on the perimeter could stand there with their hands on their hips, metaphorically smoke a cigarette and catch their breath.
The full‑team involvement vibe from the first quarter vanished quickly, and Glory didn’t fear O’Neal wreaking havoc under the rim.
If it really came to it, they’d just foul—Hack‑a‑Shaq—send O’Neal to the free‑throw line.
Over three possessions, O’Neal was fouled three times, went to the line, and made only 2 free throws.
On Glory’s side, after Gan Guoyang checked out, Van Exel hit a mid‑range jumper.
Then Raja Bell caught the ball and fired from the left corner—draining the three!
Glory’s three‑point touch was coming back, which was exactly what Jackson least wanted to see.
The lead was back to single digits, and Jackson called a timeout to reset the offense.
Tracy McGrady checked in and repeatedly drove to the basket; Glory didn’t quite dare to foul.
They’d just hacked O’Neal too many times; one more foul and every little contact afterward would mean free throws.
Tracy McGrady scored 6 straight points, helping the Lakers stretch the lead again; tonight it was the Lakers’ turn to suppress Glory.
The tough‑minded Glory Team did not relax on defense at all. Starting from the second quarter, Tomjanovich stuck with man‑to‑man, abandoning the zone, precisely to put pressure on his players.
In a zone you can rely on teammates; in man‑to‑man everyone bears defensive responsibility alone—you must keep track of the guy you’re matched up with.
Like Coach K in the NCAA, he insists on man‑to‑man defense and rarely uses a zone, because he firmly believes that man‑to‑man develops players’ sense of responsibility and willpower.
As a team in the desert, Glory was indeed as tough as desert creatures.
After the margin was pushed back into double digits, they kept up their defensive intensity and clawed back one point at a time.
Van Exel relied on his drives to draw fouls and his isolations to put points on the board for Glory.
Two‑for‑two at the line, mid‑range jumper good, driving floater good.
Fan Madman did a good job of suppressing his three‑point itch; with a bad shooting night he didn’t pull up recklessly.
The difference went from 14 back down to 8.
The Lakers immediately adjusted and answered with a counter‑attack run of their own.
An 8–0 spurt, and the lead ballooned back to 16!
Gan Guoyang sat on the bench, a bit anxious, but Tomjanovich held him down and said, "Two more minutes. Just two more minutes."
Gan Guoyang could only endure it. As a 38‑year‑old veteran, he was still burning to jump in and put out the fire when the team was in trouble.
But Old Tang was truly calm. He was convinced that this group on the floor could steady things.
He wanted to press Ah Gan like compressing a spring, so that he’d explode with energy at the very end.