Carlisle’s pre-game preparation was thorough, and both sides were evenly matched in the first half.
But while Carlisle’s tactical goals were met, his strategic aim was not successful—he hoped to exhaust Ah Gan and Jordan in the first half.
As a result, even without much effort from them, Glory’s offense and defense remained stable, which was not what Carlisle wanted to see.
The Trail Blazers’ defense still had some issues; their targeting of Yao Ming was successful, but the performance of substitutes like Van Exel surprised Carlisle.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics were very effective in suppressing Glory’s role players, forcing Glory to rely heavily on Ah Gan and Jordan.
The Trail Blazers did not do enough in this regard, resulting in Gan Guoyang and Jordan ending the first half with ample energy, going back to the locker room to rest for 15 minutes and getting ready to exert force in the second half.
"The Trail Blazers seem easier to deal with than the Celtics." In Glory’s locker room, Jordan said to Ah Gan.
As a veteran who has fought many battles, one can generally tell which teams are easier to play against and which ones are tough bones to crack after just half a game.
The Celtics were genuinely difficult to deal with. Jordan and Gan Guoyang had to muster all their strength and barely got through, not wanting to play into the next season.
Moreover, Gerald Wallace’s three-pointers and Porter’s three-pointers both carried a certain element of luck, especially Wallace’s.
If they hadn’t made it and lost the fifth game, they would have been dispirited, and the Celtics probably would have rolled over them in the sixth game.
Reaching the Finals to face the Trail Blazers, it might have been an issue of conflicting play styles; the Trail Blazers’ team configuration was restrained by Glory, unlike playing the Celtics, which was so tough.
"Don’t get happy too soon, play well, and finish them off in the second half!"
Gan Guoyang said this, but in his heart, he had a similar view to Jordan; the Trail Blazers were indeed easier to play against than the Celtics.
Carlisle’s tactical arrangement was fine, but Glory wasn’t afraid of the Trail Blazers in the tactical system.
Even though Kobe believed that playing against Jordan and Ah Gan in the Finals was ideal, allowing him to fulfill his king’s dream.
But after Carlisle saw Glory secure the Celtics in the decisive game, he was already starting to worry.
Carlisle preferred to face the Celtics in the Finals rather than Glory, as the Trail Blazers were more effective against the Celtics.
Especially Kobe, he always performed exceptionally well against the Celtics in the regular season.
He could punish Duncan with mid-range and drives on offense and match up against Nash and Pierce on defense.
Kobe’s role could be maximized in a Trail Blazers vs. Celtics matchup, and he wasn’t afraid of wing defenders like Bowen and Fox.
But facing Glory, both Ah Gan and Jordan knew Kobe well on both ends of the floor. In the first half, Kobe was tangled with Bell, which significantly drained him.
After half a game, Carlisle was already worried about this young team.
As the second half began, the terrifying Gan + Jo partnership started to continuously break down the Trail Blazers’ defense.
Glory used the pick-and-rolls of Gan Guoyang and Jordan as their offensive initiation, paired with the Princeton and UCLA systems, to pry open the gaps in the Trail Blazers’ tight defensive system.
Jordan and Gan Guoyang hit a series of mid-range jumpers near the free-throw line, making seven consecutive shots in one go!
A 15-4 run quickly crushed the Trail Blazers’ defense, causing Carlisle to call a timeout to adjust lineup and tactics.
This was what Carlisle feared the most, as Ah Gan and Jordan worked together seamlessly, and the Trail Blazers couldn’t find a good way to counter.
The Celtics had Duncan and a group of forwards to disrupt the two, with Bowen, Fox, and Robinson all able to defend either Ah Gan or Jordan.
Whether they could stop them or not, there was always some effect, greatly limiting the power of Gan + Jo in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In the fourth game, Jordan and Gan Guoyang combined for 88 points, almost without any cooperation, relying solely on individual abilities for isolation plays.
They used all their life-long skills, unleashing a barrage of punches against the Celtics, forcing the team to its demise.
There was no other way; in the Finals, the Trail Blazers’ defensive pressure on the two was insufficient.
The forwards and wings of the Trail Blazers were too average; every time after a pick-and-roll, there was a lack of a third person to assist promptly, getting consistently stretched and pierced.
Carlisle called a timeout and could only increase help defense rotation, asking Reuben Patterson, Derek Anderson, and others to assist on defense.
But Reuben Patterson and Anderson weren’t very interested in helping Kobe on defense.
Although they nodded and said no problem, once the timeout ended, their help defense remained unenthusiastic during the game.
Gan Guoyang held the ball at the top of the arc, while Jordan came over for a hand-off, but it was a fake.
Jordan made a feint, using a screen to shake off Kobe, and Gan Guoyang lobbed the ball to Jordan.
Jordan had already slipped to the rim, caught the ball, swapped hands mid-air to avoid Big Ben’s block, and laid it in!
Kobe was very dissatisfied with Anderson’s defense; he had left the middle entirely open, giving Jordan a huge space, and by the time Big Ben went for help, it was too late.
"You should be doing your help defense job! It’s your task!"
"You didn’t watch your man, you’re primarily responsible, and I also have my man to guard."
Anderson didn’t agree with Kobe’s criticism and retorted.
This made Kobe very angry, and from then on, the two kept bickering on the court.
This obviously wasn’t good for the Trail Blazers, as team members arguing with each other in the game, how could that be okay?
Carlisle quickly noticed the problem and loudly reminded the players not to argue and to focus on the game.
"Fack, this is the Finals, why are you still arguing? Damn it..." Carlisle was helpless.