Gan Guoyang has reached the age of "if someone can defeat me fair and square in a series match, I will be happy".
It’s not that he desires defeat; nothing in this world is easier than losing. He wants to experience the charm of competitive sports on the razor’s edge of victory and defeat.
That process of exerting every effort, racking one’s brains, trying every possible way, harnessing one’s potential, and using various means to defeat the opponent and win.
In the end, when everything is exhausted and he still can’t win, Gan Guoyang feels content.
He has reached the realm of "seeking defeat alone," where failure is no longer painful but something worth noting, reflecting on, and a chance for further exploration and progress in the field of basketball.
This season, the team most likely to defeat the combination of Gan Guoyang and Jordan is the Boston Celtics.
From lineup to tactics, and even to some mysterious fortune, the Celtics are destined to surpass Glory and become the new king.
Compared to 2000, their lineup hasn’t changed much, but the maturity of the core members makes them no longer as naïve as they were at the turn of the millennium.
The championship win in 2002 further gave the Celtics a champion’s aura. A team with experience in a complete championship season will undergo a mental transformation.
From the look in their eyes on the court, you can tell; in the 2000 finals, the Big Three were still very young. Faced with Ah Gan and the already waning Trail Blazers, they still carried a lot of fear and anxiety.
Now, standing on the court, they are full of confidence and ambition with a mindset of "we are going to take you down".
In Gan Guoyang’s view, Bobby Berman is the most nervous and unsure of himself because he carries the heaviest burden.
Just standing there, Gan Guoyang gives Beelman a sense of oppression, making him feel doomed that the series is bound to be another supporting role.
Fortunately, Duncan, Nash, and Pierce don’t think so; they all see this as an opportunity to achieve greatness.
The fans at the scene waved white towels, screaming and cheering to boost the Celtics.
Auerbach, wearing sepia glasses, sat in his fixed seat like a statue, a totem of the Celtics, providing strength to the team.
Before the jump ball, Gan Guoyang came to the sideline to greet and embrace Auerbach.
Auerbach’s health has been declining over the past two years, but last year’s championship made him feel much better.
"I’m so old, and you still want to hurt me?" Auerbach uncharacteristically softened to Ah Gan, seeking a slight chance of victory for the Celtics.
"As long as we deliver a spectacular game, it won’t hurt the fans," Gan Guoyang cleverly responded, then wiped some magnesium powder, fastened his pants, and took the court.
Yao Ming wasn’t as carefree as Gan Guoyang. Standing at the center circle ready for the jump ball, he was quite nervous and ended up jumping early, giving opening possession to the Celtics.
The ball went to Pierce, matched against Jordan. Pierce attempted a back-down post-up, didn’t choose to shoot, and passed back to Nash.
Duncan came out to screen for Nash. With a series of dribbles, drives, and feints disrupting Glory’s defense, it was clear Nash was very composed.
Gan Guoyang thought for a moment about whether to attack Nash, but Nash seemed to sense Gan Guoyang’s intent and passed the ball to Duncan.
Duncan took the ball, dribbled with his left hand, and made a strong move to the basket. Gan Guoyang was slightly slow, Yao Ming came over to help defend, and Duncan tossed a pass to the other side to Big Z, Ilgauskas, who caught it and dunked with both hands!
The Celtics scored the first basket of the game with a very smooth half-court offense and perfect harmony.
In Glory’s offensive possession, Gan Guoyang started with a low-post isolation to draw the Celtics’ double team defense, disrupting their overall defensive integrity and creating opportunities for others.
However, for the Celtics to double team, Gan Guoyang first had to prove he could easily overpower Duncan in a one-on-one.
He could do it in the past, and now, Duncan is willing to try to suppress Gan Guoyang’s shooting percentage. As long as it’s kept below 50%, the defense is considered successful.
Gan Guoyang felt Duncan’s defense from the back, which was quite perfect with no flaws, while Ilgauskas was lurking on the other side, ready to pounce, and going down the middle would surely be disrupted.
So, Gan Guoyang chose a less frequently used right spin, followed by a left-hand hook shot. This move was less successful with the left hand compared to the right, but it was unexpected.
Unfortunately, the ball rolled around the rim and came out. The first shot of the game didn’t go in, Duncan grabbed the rebound, and the Celtics launched a counterattack.
Nash sped like the wind across the half-court on the sidelines, suddenly made a bounce pass to Paul Pierce, who received it and performed a left-hand layup under the basket!
With a super-fast counterattack, Glory hadn’t even organized their defensive formation properly. Their counter-defense has never been great.
Once more, it was Gan Guoyang’s low-post isolation, but this time Ilgauskas was defending Gan Guoyang, indicating that the Celtics intended to use the Twin Towers for a tag team battle against this 38-year-old veteran in the paint.
This time, Gan Guoyang relied on his strength to force his way into the Three Second Zone. His initial layup was blocked by Ilgauskas, but he controlled the ball again and drew a foul from Ilgauskas, earning a trip to the free-throw line.
"Damn, this is a bit tough." In the regular season, the Twin Towers had already been somewhat effective in limiting Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang used to be an undisputed Twin Towers Nemesis, but now his biggest weapons as a nemesis, agility and explosiveness, are declining.