Seeing them gradually mature into finished products, Gan Guoyang felt quite proud in his heart.
On the fast break, Kobe used a fake move to break through and drive to the basket, throwing up a shot and scoring. Tonight, Kobe played almost as fluently as young Jordan and Gan Guoyang.
Whenever he wanted to score, he always found a way, as long as his mind didn’t betray him and he forced himself to shoot over two or three defenders. In a reasonable state, he was truly formidable.
Gan Guoyang wore a serious expression, understanding the saying that youth overwhelms age. Little O’Neal still held some respect and hesitation towards him, not daring to play aggressively, but Kobe had none of that.
Jordan is 39 now, I am 38, and Kobe is only 24. If we split it into a few isolated plays, we wouldn’t fall much behind Kobe and Little O.
But if it’s stretched out into a whole game, a season, or a series, the disadvantages in stamina and focus of the older players will certainly be magnified.
"Hang in there, Michael, at least until the beginning of the third quarter, then let’s show the young ones something," Gan Guoyang looked at the time, hoping Jordan could hold on a bit longer.
Finally reaching an age where you can’t sprint all over the court and explode at any moment, having to wait for the right moment to act—it really feels a bit helpless.
In the middle of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers’ strong defense was suffocating the Glory Team, gradually widening the gap to 7 points.
30:37, so far, the Glory Team only scored 7 points in the second quarter. Gan Guoyang contributed 3 points, Jordan contributed 4 points, and the others didn’t score.
Van Exel, usually a wildcard, wasn’t very effective on this Christmas day. When he’s not effective, the offensive pressure on the Glory Team increases significantly.
Tomjanovich called a timeout, Gan Guoyang suited up again, Yao Ming went to rest. He didn’t accomplish anything in the second quarter.
After getting blocked twice consecutively by Yao Ming, Big Ben and Little O’Neal changed their defensive strategy, actively fronting Yao Ming to disrupt his receiving passes.
They put all their effort into pushing Yao Ming away from the three-second zone, significantly reducing his effectiveness.
Sitting drenched in sweat on the bench, Yao Ming thought about how Ah Gan made him practice shooting from distance. In this game, he understood why.
Gan Guoyang and Rose returned to the court together, with Gan Guoyang taking the center position, undoubtedly a desperate move.
Down by 7 points in the second quarter, if the gap widened too much by halftime, there’d be no way to play in the second half.
Right after the timeout ended, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low left post, quickly turned, drove to the basket, and slammed it home with one hand.
Little O’Neal was caught off guard, still in the rhythm of defending Yao Ming, his body hadn’t reacted to the switch to Ah Gan.
Kobe, caught between Jordan and Wallace, passed to Anderson at the top of the key, who missed the mid-range shot.
Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, dribbled past half-court himself, suddenly broke through, charged to the basket, and slammed it in with one hand!
He caught the Trail Blazers completely off guard.
Nobody understood the Trail Blazers better than Gan Guoyang; he knew playing methodically against them would only trap them in the mud. Surprising them was the only way.
Seeing this, Kobe got a bit carried away, taking a forced three-point shot from the outside that missed. Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and passed from a high position to a cutting Jordan, who laid it in.
Scoring 6 consecutive points prompted the Trail Blazers to call a timeout to readjust their tactics. Both sides weren’t scoring much, but the technical and tactical competition was intense.
"Shit, these kids are playing more and more like the real deal," Gan Guoyang praised during the timeout. This group of young Trail Blazers was playing really well.
They must have done a lot of prep before the game, studying the Glory Team’s tactical system, making it difficult to gain an advantage every time the Glory Team set up their offense.
"Tonight, your 50 points are definitely out the window, buddy. Try grabbing a few more rebounds instead," Jordan said, chewing gum.
Jordan was indeed suppressed by Kobe in the first half. Their playstyles were similar, but there was such a huge age gap.
Kobe was at his peak, while Jordan had been on a decline for a long time. Even though Jordan’s condition had somewhat improved compared to the previous season, he ultimately couldn’t compare to the young ones.
"Damn it, you’ve been playing the worst. If you could step it up a little, we’d be in the lead right now."
"Bullshit, I’m giving you opportunities. You promised, the Christmas game in Portland you’d make a mark. Is this it?"
"You forgot how I supported you in Chicago, you ungrateful bastard."
"I mainly relied on my own ability, not your support. Let it go; better think about grabbing a few more rebounds, buddy."
The two started bickering again, but after the argument, back on the court, Jordan gave Kobe a huge block!
Kobe was trying to drive through the middle for a layup when Malik Rose held his ground, giving Jordan the chance to block from behind.
After securing the ball, Jordan turned and launched a fast break, sprinting towards the front court with Kobe in hot pursuit, looking as if he wouldn’t rest until he blocked one himself.
But as Jordan soared into the air, he made a behind-the-back pass to the trailing Gan Guoyang, who slammed it home with one hand.
The two old guys celebrated with a high five, causing Kobe to angrily slam the ball to the floor. He was beginning to feel like a lone warrior.
Though the Trail Blazers’ defense was excellent, on offense, other than Wells showing some momentum, Little O’Neal was unable to perform against Ah Gan’s defense.
Michael Redd scored a three-pointer in the first quarter and a catch-and-shoot midrange in the second. He’s a catch-and-shoot player with limited ability to create opportunities. Big Ben, you might as well forget about him, scoring is a bonus.
Derek Anderson’s offensive performance was also average; only Kobe truly managed to lead the team, which frustrated him a bit more.