Due to this incident, the originally exciting game went on in a depressed state. Both teams’ players seemed a bit listless, and even the on-site fans felt their enthusiasm was disturbed.
The Celtics and the Glory Team are the top two strongest teams in the Eastern Conference this season. As the defending champions, the strength of the Celtics goes without saying.
The trio of Duncan, Pierce, and Nash is becoming ever more mature, and Bobby Berman is becoming Boston’s new head coach. At this moment, he is feeling quite pleased with himself.
Of course, there’s still a heavy stone pressing on his heart—he has yet to defeat Ah Gan in an important match. This year, as the two teams are in the same division, it’s undoubtedly an opportunity.
Compared to the Trail Blazers, the Celtics take a more balanced approach. They can attack and defend, being the best in the League at balancing offense and defense.
Bobby Berman has engraved the word "efficiency" into the team’s genes. The Celtics play the most reasonable game, making the best and most correct choices.
With reasonable, team-oriented offense and consistently solid defense that never collapses, always surpassing opponents by a bit in efficiency, the Celtics steamroll through the regular season like a bulldozer.
That is until they met Ah Gan and Jordan, two powerhouses, and only then did they find themselves slightly blocked, because in the face of absolute talent and impeccable cooperation, no precision machinery or calculations are effective.
For this game, Berman did not devise particularly detailed plans but entrusted the game to the players, to Duncan, to Nash, and to Pierce, letting them solve problems with their talent and individual abilities.
The result was surprisingly good. In the Las Vegas MGM Hotel Arena, which rarely felt dull and was shrouded in the atmosphere of war clouds, the three played an outstanding offensive game.
In which Steve Nash scored 31 points and 14 assists. Though he couldn’t defend against Andre Miller, Miller’s offense wasn’t enough to defeat the Celtics.
In this confrontation involving the contest for the first place in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics won 107:102 away, surpassing the Glory Team by 5 points, thus taking the top spot in the East standings.
Gan Guoyang and Jordan teamed up to score 58 points, performing well, but the Celtics’ defense restrained the performances of other Glory players.
Fox, Bruce Bowen, Cliff-Robinson, Eric Williams—the Celtics have rich and explosive resources in their forward positions.
Inside, they signed 31-year-old Vin Baker as reinforcement on a minimum salary, and though Baker’s excessive drinking had nearly wrecked his body, a skinny camel is still bigger than a horse.
Now, as long as the Celtics can stabilize their trinity and make adjustments around them, signing some fading stars each year, they can remain highly competitive for the next five or even ten years.
That’s exactly what Berman is thinking. After securing a championship, he’s extremely patient, not worried about Ah Gan and Jordan teaming up, thinking to himself, "I don’t believe you, Ah Gan, can play for another ten years. I’m going to outlast you, my dear apprentice."
However, post-game, media focus wasn’t on the game itself nor the love-hate relationship between Ah Gan and Berman, but on the war.
Steve Nash was pushed into the spotlight by public opinion because during the February All-Star Game, Nash wore a T-shirt with the label "No War" to express his anti-war stance.
After this match, upon hearing the news of the war starting, Nash once again firmed up his position, saying, "I feel sad for humanity. In 2003, we are still using war and violence to solve problems, which is regrettable."
Nash’s remarks were relatively mild but immediately garnered attacks from some American sports reporters, with some saying, "Why are you, a Canadian, interfering in American affairs?"
Two reporters even straightforwardly said, "Shut up and just play, Nash."
This quickly sparked a debate in the sports community, with some stepping up to support Nash, like Van Exel, who also opposes war.
Gan Guoyang was also asked about this issue, and he spoke more obliquely: "My opposition or agreement doesn’t matter. War has always existed and always caused harm. ’The Art of War by Sun Tzu’ says, ’War is a matter of great concern for the nation; it must not be neglected.’ When war is unavoidable, everyone has to face it, just like facing death. But people should not be sent to die for some unspeakable purposes and interests."
Gan Guoyang’s words were indirect yet irrefutable. If you argue back, it implies you’re unspeakable. If you have legitimate reasons, why are you anxious? As for whether it’s legitimate or not, time will tell.
There were, of course, players who supported the war. David Robinson, who had served in the navy and was nicknamed the Admiral, firmly supported America’s initiation of the Iraq War. Similarly, Popovich, who had served in the air force, supported it too, as is the custom in Texas.
David Robinson even called out Gan Guoyang and Nash, "If you are in America but do not support America, then you better go back to your own country."
These remarks caused controversy, and the consequence was that on March 24, when the Glory Team visited San Antonio, Gan Guoyang scored 55 points against David Robinson, achieving his first 50+ game of the season, effectively shutting up David Robinson and San Antonio.
After the game, Gan Guoyang told Robinson, "For some opinions, it’s safer to express them after the games are all played."
After scoring 50 points, Gan Guoyang felt at ease, relieving much of the mental pressure that had accumulated over more than a month. He felt young again.