Gan Guoyang had done this before; he had played many beautiful and surprising games.
He had crushed the Lakers and the Bulls with his three-pointers, scored 82 points with brilliant outside techniques, and amazed everyone.
But he couldn’t realize himself, he hadn’t let his subconscious mind enter his rational mind, and this troubled him.
Such a small thing, perhaps even a fool could quickly understand and not imprison themselves, but sometimes people are trapped by their own thoughts, unable to decide.
At such times, people always hope to achieve quantitative change leading to qualitative change through skills and sweat, but at that moment of qualitative change, a turn in thought is still needed.
Turn around, face the sea, and bask in the spring warmth and blooming flowers.
The sound of a "clap," Gan Guoyang closed the comic book in his hands.
The time had come, it was time to go on stage.
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"Good evening, everyone. I’m Bill Schonely, delighted to bring you the 1992 Finals, the Portland Trail Blazers against the Chicago Bulls..."
Bill Schonely’s voice echoed once again throughout Oregon, as Trail Blazers fans, with nervous minds, awaited the start of the third game of the Finals in front of their TVs and radios.
Trailing 0-2, the Trail Blazers faced their most critical Finals history in eight years, highlighting how difficult the second three-peat would be.
At the Rose Garden Arena, the fans were as crazy as ever, tonight Tang Jianguo spent money to give each fan a red T-shirt.
Before the start of the game, the continuous red in the stands made the stadium look oppressive and crazy, the vast red resembling blood or a matador’s cape.
The Chicago Bulls were ready for the Trail Blazers’ fierce counterattack, and Jordan knew it wasn’t going to be that easy for Ah Gan to trail 0-3.
The third game would be tough, but the Bulls would not easily hand over the victory, just like last year’s Finals, their goal was to win at least one of the three away games.
If they could win the championship in Portland, that would be great, but winning in Chicago was also a very good choice, with a 2-0 lead giving the team confidence and courage.
"Tonight, no matter what defense or rough competition we encounter, we must hold on and give them a strong counterattack!"
Phil Jackson loudly reminded each player after the player entrance ceremony.
They had learned from last season’s lesson and would not let the Trail Blazers suppress them physically or mentally this season.
Coming to Portland, Jackson required that no player was allowed to bring family or friends and could only come alone.
He didn’t want the players to be disturbed by anything, win the championship, and then celebrate with family and friends back home.
The Bulls were indeed united, and Jordan rubbed his chalk-filled hands, feeling a bit uneasy.
This postseason, he and Ah Gan had stopped communicating, and now he really wanted to know what was going on in Ah Gan’s mind.
Would he give up? Or would he grit his teeth, determined to make a comeback, or was he planning to score 60 points tonight?
Not a chance, Jordan thought to himself, if Ah Gan wanted to score 60 points, he would certainly return with 60 points.
But was Gan Guoyang really thinking that way?
The truth was that this season, the distance between Jordan and Gan Guoyang grew further and further, making it increasingly difficult to understand each other.
Even though Gan Guoyang had helped Jordan with the gambling issue, the two couldn’t return to their early twenties state, and the barrier wouldn’t disappear overnight, especially as they were still the biggest rivals.
Gan Guoyang entered amidst the captivating music and a thousand cheers; his expression remained indifferent, leaving opponents and teammates unable to see what he was truly thinking.
Equally puzzling was tonight’s starting lineup for the Trail Blazers: Jerome Kossie was not listed among the starters, replaced by Petrović.
This meant that Reggie Lewis was moved to the small forward position, and Gan Guoyang took the power forward spot. Thus, standing before Cartwright for the jump ball was Sabonis.
Gan Guoyang had played the center position for most of the season and throughout the entire Western Conference Series, but in the third game of the Finals, he handed over the center position to Sabonis and returned to the power forward spot.
Phil Jackson noticed this change and pondered in his mind, what was Bobby Berman’s intention in doing this?
Perhaps it was to enhance Ah Gan’s defensive control on the perimeter, or at the power forward position, he could unleash more offensive potential, using a high-scoring burst to crush the Bulls.
Regardless of the situation, Jackson had a plan to respond. This time the Bulls’ coaching staff made very, very thorough preparations, and the regular season losses to Ah Gan served as experience and lessons.
But Jackson didn’t know that it wasn’t Bobby Berman who made such an adjustment, but rather it was requested by Ah Gan before the game, with Berman and Kossie merely executing the order.
Amid the deafening shouts, the jump ball began, starting the third game that would determine the series’ trajectory.
Sabonis tipped the ball to Porter, and the Trail Blazers gained possession.
According to the planned flow, both teams would fall into position, set up their formations, and engage in an intense positional battle.
The intensity of the previous two games was exceptional compared to 1991, especially the second game.
The intensity and drama were all maxed out, setting a Finals viewership record.
Porter dribbled slowly across halfcourt, and the Bulls’ defense against Porter in the first two games was quite successful.