After the regular season ended, the preliminary estimate of Glory Team’s revenue for this season exceeded 150 million US Dollars, more than double the 70 million US Dollars required by the betting agreement.
This was not only due to Gan Guoyang’s strong box office appeal but also thanks to Glory Team’s excellent business strategy, turning the team into a sports icon of Las Vegas with extensive commercial partnerships.
Such lucrative revenue left the entire League amazed at the money-making prowess of Las Vegas.
This was just the revenue of one team, Glory Team, which also boosted the city’s tourism, gambling, and entertainment industries, and triggered the construction of facilities and hotels, significantly driving GDP.
The Glory Team even stimulated local employment, providing more job opportunities and encouraging city population growth, with their logo as the best welcome sign.
With such an outstanding performance, in their first season, the Glory Team can be said to have been a complete success, whether or not they win against the Lakers in the first round.
Winning would, of course, be the best, to lay a solid foundation for the next season.
On the night of the third match between the two teams, the League’s commissioner David Stern personally attended to watch the game, with a constant kind smile on his face.
It’s like the chairman visiting a subsidiary, where the subsidiary’s performance is simply astounding. This income will provide strong financial support for the League and help some small and medium-sized team owners escape the crisis brought by losses.
Of course, Stern’s presence did not bring good luck to Glory Team.
The Lakers, in a do-or-die situation, burst with strong energy in the third match.
In the win-or-be-nailed-to-the-pillory game, the visiting players focused more on the game itself.
They finally played like the Western Conference’s number one team from the regular season, integrating inside and outside strategies and scoring from multiple points.
Their forward line developed a series of tactics centered around O’Neal, and their three-point shots were also crucially successful.
On the other hand, the Glory Team, back on their home ground, seemed to run out of steam, or rather, exhausted their moves, and it was the Lakers’ turn to strike back.
In the first quarter, the Lakers took a big lead again, and this time they didn’t give the Glory Team a chance to turn the tables, staying ahead until the last moment of the game, ultimately winning 104:91, a 13-point victory on the road, tying the series at 1:2 and avoiding a sweep.
It would have been embarrassing enough to be upset by an eighth seed, let alone being swept by them.
The Lakers took back a game, making Gan Guoyang very upset with David Stern after the game.
"Mr. President, you shouldn’t have come! As soon as you came, we lost the game!"
"It’s okay, I won’t be around for the next game. Sonny, do your best."
Stern wasn’t upset; instead, he was all smiles. Regardless, this year was a prosperous one.
In the wake of the 9/11 incident’s enormous impact, the League’s total revenue rose significantly, and the salary cap is set to increase again next season.
Gan Guoyang knew what Stern had in mind, and said, "Do you think an old guy like me is alright? Still contributing to the League."
Stern smiled and said, "I really wish you could keep playing. I apologize for any wrong decisions made in the past. It’s an honor to have started working in the League with you."
Stern spoke these words quite sincerely. Regardless of past disputes, Stern has contributed to the NBA, bringing basketball to a beautiful realm, giving many players and fans the opportunity to dream.
In the other matchups between East and West, teams like the Boston Celtics already defeated their opponents 3:0 and successfully advanced to the semi-finals.
In the West, the Kings also beat the Timberwolves 3:1 to advance to the next round.
The winner between the Lakers and Glory Team will meet the Kings in the semi-finals.
In the other two Western Conference series, the Mavericks and Spurs, Trail Blazers and Supersonics, these natural rivals are locked in intense battles that seem destined to go to the final game to settle.
Glory Team doesn’t want to go back to Los Angeles again; they’re determined to end the series in Las Vegas and send the Lakers home.
Player pressure is immense, and losing another game would mean going to Los Angeles for a nerve-wracking Game 5, which wouldn’t be ideal.
The game on Tuesday at the MGM Hotel Arena was dramatic and full of twists and turns.
Under intense pressure, both teams played cautiously, strengthening defense and slowing the pace, preparing for a prolonged battle.
The first quarter ended in a 15:15 draw, with very low scores, and every basket was hard-won.
Gan Guoyang once again faced intense double-teaming from the Lakers’ forwards and guards, with both sides constantly running down shooting opportunities and rhythm to primarily prevent their opponents from scoring.
In the second quarter, Glory Team first adjusted, speeding up the game and utilizing three-pointers to fiercely attack the Lakers, hitting them with a 9:1 run to take the lead.
The lead was maintained from mid-second quarter to the end of the first half, with Glory Team leading 48:40, 8 points ahead of the Lakers at halftime.
The Lakers scored a disappointing 40 points in the first half, leaving them in a precarious situation.
The game was filled with intense physical confrontations, large-scale fouls, collisions, bloodshed, and even fights.
In the third quarter, Gerald Wallace got into a brawl with Tracy McGrady on defense, with each receiving a technical foul.
After the dual technical fouls, the Lakers suddenly seized momentum, employing full-court pressure on defense and forcing multiple turnovers from Glory Team.
They not only tied the score but also overtook during the latter half of the third quarter, leading 66:62, scoring 26 points in the quarter, successfully reversing the situation.
The fans at the entire MGM Hotel Arena were on edge, with the situation very unfavorable for Glory Team.
They were too young, making too many mistakes, and tonight they’ve committed significantly more turnovers than the Lakers.