The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 910 Incredible
At different ages, Gan Guoyang uses different methods to adjust himself to his best condition in order to cope with the most important competitions.

In his early twenties, Gan Guoyang chose to focus and concentrate fully on the competition. From the moment he woke up in the morning, every move he made was connected to the competition that evening.

Go to the gym to practice shooting, get your feel for the game right, and when the game starts, make sure your hands are hot until the game ends.

In the regular season against the Lakers and the Finals against the Celtics, the young Gan Guoyang melted his opponents with focused intensity.

At his peak around age 30, Gan Guoyang chose passion. His skills were already beyond reproach and had not evolved further. What he needed at this point was the right mindset.

Mobilize your most intense emotions, your desire for victory and your aversion to defeat, and throw yourself into the fiercest confrontation to deliver a godlike performance.

Back then, he could single-handedly carry an entire series, such as the 1992 NBA Finals against the Bulls, which was entirely his individual performance.

He scored 50 points in consecutive Finals games, averaging over 40 points per game in the series. He excelled in offense, defense, and playmaking, delivering an unprecedented and unparalleled performance, and defeated the powerful Bulls to win the championship.

Now, Gan Guoyang is 36 years old, and it is difficult for him to get his body into its best condition, whether it is focus or passion.

What he needs most is to relax, to let his tense nerves and tired body unwind.

A spring that is stretched too tight for too long will eventually lose its elasticity and may even break.

Proper relaxation can alleviate spring fatigue and make the next rebound more powerful.

Therefore, from the day the tiebreaker was decided, Gan Guoyang basically didn't touch the ball much.

Relax, completely relax, stay home with your kids and wife, and when you get to Los Angeles, sleep in your hotel, watch movies, do yoga, take hot baths, and bowl with Michael Jackson.

Don't deliberately think about the Game 7; allow your mind and body to briefly escape from the immense pressure and prolonged fatigue, and achieve a transcendent state.

Of course, only he could do this. He had more than ten years of hard work and countless experiences, so in this critical moment, relaxation was the best way to wake him up.

His consecutive hook shots in the first quarter were the best proof of his skill. His free-flowing, elegant hook shots made Shaquille O'Neal and the Lakers players who were double-teaming him look extremely clumsy.

An easy goal not only changed the score but also shattered the Lakers' fighting spirit. As the game progressed, they would gradually feel fear because they simply couldn't stop Forrest Gump.

Phil Jackson realized this and tried to disrupt Gan Guoyang's hot streak by calling a timeout, getting the players on edge and focused to secure the victory.

But when the timeout ended and the Lakers returned to the court, the situation did not immediately improve. The camera kept focusing on Shaquille O'Neal, whose mouth was slightly open, his eyes were somewhat vacant, and he was covered in sweat.

So far, O'Neal has not scored a field goal. When Gan Guoyang started guarding him, it became difficult for him to receive the ball. Was his dominance in the first six games just because Gan wasn't guarding him?

Once the thought takes hold, it's hard to shake off. O'Neal tried to post up Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang's aggressive three-quarter fronting made passing difficult.

The ball was moved to the other side and passed to McGrady. McGrady received the ball, turned around, and took a jump shot, but the shot missed. O'Neal then tried to grab the offensive rebound.

However, Gan Guoyang quickly adjusted his position and grabbed the rebound before O'Neal could. Just as the Trail Blazers were counterattacking, Joe Crawford blew the whistle and called a foul on O'Neal for pushing while rebounding.

O'Neal had no objection; he did make a hand contact on that play. However, Gan Guoyang was dissatisfied because the Trail Blazers had a fast break opportunity, but Crawford's whistle blew that chance to extend the lead.

However, Gan Guoyang did not complain. He thought that the referee's little trick was already mild. After all, O'Neal had a foul on him, which could also be taken advantage of.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, the Lakers double-teamed him, Gan Guoyang passed the ball, Sabonis passed it further inside, and Gan Guoyang, who was positioned even deeper, received the ball and made a hook shot with a one-man turn and close marking.

Gan Guoyang was clearly aiming to draw a foul from O'Neal on this play. O'Neal knew he couldn't foul again, so he had no choice but to let Gan Guoyang score two more points easily!

The fans in the arena shook their heads. How could Shaq, in his prime, be so easily beaten by 36-year-old Forrest Gump in the low post?

O'Neal was a size bigger, taller, and heavier than Gan Guoyang. After losing weight, Gan Guoyang was much thinner than at his peak.

In the low post battle, Gan Guoyang held his own against O'Neal, hitting consecutive hook shots that left Lakers fans in despair.

One major reason is that O'Neal simply didn't know how to defend Gan Guoyang's classic hook shot. This non-contact, one-handed shooting style made O'Neal very uncomfortable.

In their many past confrontations, Gan Guoyang did not use the hook shot much. In his early peak years, Gan Guoyang would go head-to-head with O'Neal under the basket. In the last two years, Gan Guoyang has appeared more at the power forward position, using mid-range and long-range shots to punish O'Neal.

Shaquille O'Neal really struggled to adapt to ancient techniques like the hook shot, or classic hook shots like those from Gan Guoyang and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Another reason is that, as he gets older, 36-year-old Gan Guoyang's strength is the only physical quality that is not declining but is still improving.

After losing weight, he can still go toe-to-toe with O'Neal when he's giving it his all, and O'Neal was clearly not in form tonight.

After being repeatedly defeated by Gan Guoyang, tension and panic gradually spread deep within O'Neal's heart. Was he going to lose again? Was he going to experience another failed season?
This is his eighth season in his career, and he has yet to truly prove himself with a championship. Does he have to continue experiencing the criticism and humiliation he endured in the summers of the past few years?
O'Neal was clearly out of focus, and in the next offensive possession, after being double-teamed by Gan Guoyang and Sabonis, he made a passing error.

The ball was passed to Robert Horry, who was cutting inside, but the pass went too far and out of bounds. The Trail Blazers regained possession, and the situation became increasingly unfavorable.

Taking advantage of a dead ball situation, Phil Jackson made a substitution, replacing McGrady with Ron Harper, as he needed the veteran to step in and provide some stability.

For the Trail Blazers, Gan Guoyang remained the anchor, immediately drawing double teams from the Lakers when he received the ball in the low post, creating open shots on the perimeter.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Brellock on the outside, and Brellock made a three-pointer!
The Trail Blazers' bench erupted in cheers, while Staples Center fell further silent.

The score was now 15-7, with the gap widening to 8 points, making the situation increasingly unfavorable for the Lakers.

The Trail Blazers' collapse defense became increasingly tight; they knew the Lakers wouldn't dare to shoot.

O'Neal didn't even attempt a probing attack after receiving the ball; he passed it to Harper, who drove through the middle but was blocked by Gan Guoyang.

Kobe didn't counterattack after getting the ball. He calmed down and played a half-court game, passing the ball to Gan Guoyang, and the Lakers double-teamed him again.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Kobe, who then passed it to Jermaine O'Neal on the wing. O'Neal took a mid-range jump shot and made it!
With the score at 17-7, a 10-point difference, Phil Jackson called another timeout. If things continued like this, the Lakers were going to collapse.

Unable to contain Forrest Gump led to a complete collapse of the Lakers' offense and defense, and most importantly, the players' mentality crumbled.

After the timeout, the Lakers' offense still didn't improve much, and their inaccurate outside shooting tonight was a fatal problem.

The Trail Blazers relentlessly collapsed their defense, their paint area completely blocked by Gan Guoyang, Jermaine O'Neal, and Sabonis.

Kidd's pull-up jumper missed, O'Neal tipped the rebound out, Harper got the ball on the perimeter and drove in, but his floater still missed.

Conversely, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, making Lakers fans tremble. He was double-teamed by three players, but the ball was passed to the inside, where Sabonis received it and dunked it in.

At 19:7, tension and panic spread further.

At this point, the referee finally stepped in, and Kidd's layup drew a foul from Jermaine O'Neal.

Both free throws were made, and then the Lakers used their physical strength to steal the ball. Robert Horry drove to the basket on the baseline and made a pull-up jumper to score two more points.

The Lakers rallied to score four straight points, finally discovering a problem with the Trail Blazers' roster: Jermaine O'Neal sometimes had to guard the small forward position, and his speed couldn't keep up.

The score reached 19-11, and the situation eased slightly. However, Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball in the low post and launched a quick attack, turning around and scoring with a hook shot.

21-11, bringing the score back to 10 points. Gan Guoyang's hook shot was simply unstoppable tonight; the Lakers couldn't defend it no matter what they did.

Neither side scored in the next three possessions. The pace of the game was inconsistent and quite chaotic, with low shooting percentages and constant scrambling for the basket.

Harper finally hit a two-pointer, but Gan Guoyang immediately responded in the low post.

The person guarding Gan Guoyang has now become Thorpe. Thorpe knows how to defend against a hook shot; you have to stick close and disrupt the rhythm.

As a result, Gan Guoyang turned around and got past Thorpe with one step, cut into the basket and dunked with one hand to score two points. Thorpe was too close.

O'Neal dared not help defend or block the shot, as two fouls would be too dangerous for him.

At 23:13, Gan Guoyang was like a scoring machine; whenever the Lakers narrowed the gap to within 10 points, he would take a shot to widen the score again.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 25-15, with the Trail Blazers leading the Lakers by 10 points. The Lakers' offense faltered, while Gan Guoyang was on fire.

He scored 16 points in a single quarter, more than the entire Lakers team combined.

Meanwhile, O'Neal's failure to score a single point in the first quarter was the most important reason why the Lakers scored 15 points in the quarter and trailed by 10 points.

On the bench, O'Neal still looked bewildered; he had forgotten how to compete head-to-head with Forrest Gump.

He didn't seem to understand that this was a war, and he was completely unprepared to go toe-to-toe with Forrest Gump on the defensive end.

Phil Jackson himself miscalculated; he knew that O'Neal would hardly be the decisive factor tonight, and that he would definitely be suppressed by Forrest Gump.

Whether they can turn the tide depends on McGrady and Kidd, especially McGrady. His ball-handling and offensive abilities, as well as his ability to take shots, will be important weapons in a tight game.

But can McGrady handle it? Can he shoulder the immense pressure and responsibility of a Game 7?

Jackson was uncertain and regretted not persisting in the middle of the season and sending McGrady to the Nets to trade for Pippen.

McGrady was still too young, lacking offensive skills and experience, and his overly soft personality made Jackson doubt his ability to perform in tough games.

Pippen still had enough fuel in his tank to deal with 36-year-old Forrest Gump, otherwise the situation wouldn't have been so dangerous.

Jackson's thoughts drifted ahead. The second quarter began quickly, with Gan Guoyang going to the bench for a rest and Barkley taking over.

The Lakers got a breather and began a furious comeback.

Of course, in a Game 7 of the playoffs, the key players won't rest on the bench for too long.

In just two minutes, the score was tied at 29-19, still a 10-point difference.

O'Neal, Gan Guoyang, McGrady, Kobe, and others quickly returned to the game.

Gan Guoyang continued to keep a close eye on O'Neal, but Joe Crawford called a defensive foul on Gan Guoyang, giving O'Neal a chance to shoot free throws.

With one of two free throws made, O'Neal finally scored, bringing his total to just one point in Game 1 so far.

The behemoth's limitations in autonomy and flexibility cause it to easily fail in certain key battles.

Especially now that the game has become a chaotic mess, O'Neal's limited offensive range has rendered him ineffective.

He either needs to receive the ball near the basket or grab offensive rebounds, both of which become extremely difficult under Gan Guoyang's defense.

Clearly, neither the Lakers nor O'Neal were prepared for this. Who would have thought that Forrest Gump would play until Game 7 and return to the center position?

The Lakers began to concentrate more ball possession in the hands of Kidd, McGrady, and Harper as they sought to regain their perimeter offensive rhythm.

O'Neal received the ball more often on the outside, providing screens and support for his teammates, and drawing Gan Guoyang's defensive attention.

Robert Horry made a mid-range jumper, followed by McGrady hitting a pull-up jumper from the outside, and the Lakers' outside shooting touch was returning.

The Trail Blazers can no longer keep collapsing, so Carlisle called a timeout and the team resumed man-to-man defense.

Carlisle also brought on veteran Porter to provide Gan Guoyang with more passing support.

After the timeout, Gan Guoyang immediately called for the ball in the low post. This low-post monster's inexhaustible energy is the opponent's biggest nightmare.

The Lakers couldn't double-team him in advance, and could only watch as Gan Guoyang received the ball and came over, by which time he had already raised his hand.

Surrounded by three players, Gan Guoyang changed his hook shot into a hook pass, passing the ball to Porter who was cutting to the basket. Porter caught the ball and easily made a layup!
Gan Guoyang's only remaining oldest teammate, the two still possess unparalleled chemistry.

Kidd hit a three-pointer from the outside, and the Staples Center erupted in cheers. That three-pointer was crucial.

Unexpectedly, just 10 seconds later, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Porter on the outside and took a three-pointer from the top of the arc, which went in!

Clearly, Gan Guoyang has completely found his rhythm; so far, he hasn't missed a single shot, hitting every single one.

This is Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, a game of maximum intensity, and everyone is under immense pressure.

He was relaxed and at ease, as if he were playing a practice game, completely disregarding the Lakers' defense.

The Lakers also had a hard time putting up high intensity against him. He could drive when they were closely guarded, pass when they were double-teamed, and shoot threes when they collapsed the defense. He could shoot no matter what.

After managing to catch up in some points, Gan Guoyang scored 5 consecutive points to suppress them again, leaving the Lakers players with no choice but to continue chasing.

O'Neal finally got a chance to receive the ball deep in the paint and attack the basket directly, so he went up for a dunk! But Gan Guoyang blocked it from the side! O'Neal fell to the ground.

The referee called a foul on Gan Guoyang, but the replay showed it was a good play; Gan Guoyang's hand was completely on the ball.

But O'Neal fell to the ground, and the referees had to be lenient. O'Neal went to the free-throw line and made both free throws, a rare occurrence for him.

Rick Carlisle was very dissatisfied and protested to the referee, but Gan Guoyang came over and told Carlisle not to get agitated.

"It's okay, Rick, it's okay, it doesn't matter, relax, take it easy."

Then, Gan Guoyang received the ball on the left low post, faked out O'Neal with a hook shot, cut to the basket with a step-back move, and easily made the layup.

The entire set of movements was fluid and seamless, leaving the Lakers no chance to get a physical touch. The 36-year-old veteran showcased his lifelong experience and skills as a center.

No matter how Gan Guoyang changes his playing style or redefines his position over the years, center and center skills will always be his foundation and his greatest weapon.

The Lakers were clearly stunned by the attack, and their offense missed again. During the fast break, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Porter, paused at the 45-degree angle, and then took a mid-range jump shot, which went in easily!
He maintained a 100% shooting percentage. Compared to the first quarter, Gan Guoyang added more offensive methods to confuse the Lakers' defense and leave them at a loss.

Jackson called a timeout. The Lakers players clearly didn't know how to defend or who would defend them. The teamwork they had just managed to build up over a few minutes was easily broken up by Gan Guoyang's few casual attacks.

Jackson finally lost his temper on the bench, yelling that the players were brainless animals. Behind him, Tex Winter kept pulling Jackson's elbow, reminding him to control his emotions.

It looks like not only the Lakers players, but even Jackson himself has been completely overwhelmed. Although there's still half of the second quarter left, there's still the third quarter to go, the damn third quarter!

Thinking back to the first game, Jackson was almost brought to his knees by Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers, but thanks to biased refereeing in the league, he fought his way to Game 7.

When it came to Game 7, it became clear that those who were swimming naked were still swimming naked, and the situation had not changed significantly.

Gan Guoyang held back a plan until the final game, precisely to leave the Lakers with no way out.

Jackson calmed down and reminded himself not to lose his temper and to stay calm and wait it out.

He suppressed the urge to substitute O'Neal for a direct offensive battle, keeping O'Neal on the court and making substitutions to regroup.

Jackson was right. The Lakers stabilized the situation in the second half of the second quarter. With their extremely tough defense and some favorable calls from the referees, they kept the score close and did not fall further behind.

For example, Gan Guoyang made a beautiful jump shot, but the referee called an offensive foul on Jermaine O'Neal, and the basket was disallowed.

McGrady was relentlessly guarding Kobe under the basket, but the referee didn't call a foul; instead, he called a charge on Kobe.

Kidd missed a three-pointer, and the referee called a three-point foul on Porter. Kidd made two of three free throws, bringing the score back.

The Lakers, playing at home, were quite resilient, weathering a very difficult period and finishing the first half with a 57-49 deficit, an 8-point disadvantage, before heading back to the locker room to rest.

Jackson could finally breathe a sigh of relief. With an 8-point deficit, there was still a chance to fight back, provided that they could contain Forrest Gump.

Back in the locker room, Jackson was seething with anger. Forrest Gump was such a good actor; he'd been putting on an act for the entire regular season and six games of the series.

They played dead in the first half of the regular season, but came out strong in the second half, looking like they were in poor physical condition and unable to maintain their original rhythm.

He switched to the power forward or even the small forward position, and his defense was sloppy with his hands on his hips. He often went on fast breaks, and it felt like his ability to break through defenses was not as good as before.

He's also lost weight and is taking a lot of mid-range shots, as if he can no longer compete in the paint and has transitioned to an outside game.

This continued for most of the playoffs, causing the Lakers to lower their guard and become accustomed to a perimeter version of Forrest Gump.

Alright, it's a do-or-die battle, a tiebreaker, there's no turning back. Gan Guoyang, who has been holding back for so long, finally showed his fangs.

Gan Guoyang scored 27 points in the first half, making all his shots, and was aiming for 50 points in the game.

This guy is always ruthless in the third quarter, known as the King of the Third Quarter. What will he do in the second half?
To be honest, Jackson was helpless. He knew very well that coaches usually had no tricks up their sleeves during games and could only leave it to fate.

Those scenarios where every plan is meticulously calculated and every step is precisely arranged only in movies. In reality, coaches often can only pray during a match.

In his past battles against the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, Jackson prayed to God, the Prophet, and Odin, but to no avail.

Tonight he's going to try his luck with the Chinese gods, praying to the Bodhisattva to bless him and prevent him from scoring those consecutive goals in the third quarter.

But it's clear that the Bodhisattva prefers to stand on Gan Guoyang's side.

Fifteen minutes later, the game resumed, and the second half, which would determine the finalists, began.

The Lakers were actually doing quite well; Gan Guoyang didn't miss a single shot in the first half and they were only 8 points behind the Trail Blazers.

The players' strength and resilience are top-notch; against a slightly weaker team, they would have collapsed completely in the first half.

Gan Guoyang was pleased to see the Lakers so tenacious, because the third quarter was when he would truly shine.

At the start of the third quarter, O'Neal received a pass from Kidd in the paint and dunked, narrowing the gap to 6 points.

O'Neal finally scored from the field, which is a good sign for the Lakers.

The Lakers also rearranged their defense against Gan Guoyang, requiring Horry to lead the defense, with O'Neal and Thorpe in the paint ready to double-team him at any time.

But Gan Guoyang had clearly prepared a contingency plan and anticipated that Jackson's defense against him consisted of only a few tricks—he preferred to use a swingman at the three or four position to guard him.

In the past it was Pippen, now it's Horry. He was prepared, changing his low-post style from the first half and appearing more often in the high post.

Kobe and Kobe used a handoff screen, but instead of a pick-and-roll, they used a series of handoffs to confuse the opponent's defense.

Gan Guoyang received a pass from Kobe at the free-throw line, faced Horry, pulled up and took a mid-range shot, and made it!
Mid-range shot, a divine weapon, a steady two-pointer, an undefendable arc—the fans tensed up again. It seemed the halftime break hadn't cooled Gan Guoyang's hands down.

O'Neal gave it his all on offense. During a bad pass, he rushed out of bounds to dive for the ball, but he failed to save it and almost killed someone by hitting him.

The fans applauded him, but Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball at the top of the arc and hit a strong mid-range shot, and the fans' applause suddenly stopped and they fell silent.

Even the most brilliant saves won't earn you points; the gap has widened to 10 points again.

The Trail Blazers started to collapse their defense again, and McGrady received a pass from Kidd and made a mid-range jumper.

Gan Guoyang was double-teamed at the top of the arc, but he ignored it, took a strong shot, and made it!

Three consecutive mid-range shots, ruthless releases, and cold, decisive baskets.

It's not over yet. O'Neal's low-post attack missed, and the Trail Blazers grabbed the rebound.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle, the wing came over to double-team him, he went down the middle, turned, and made a mid-range shot!
Magic Johnson, sitting on the sidelines, felt a chill run down his spine, as it reminded him of the 1988 Western Conference Finals.

With his unstoppable mid-range shot, Agan managed to carve out two away wins despite the Lakers' overall superior strength.

My feeling at the time was that Forrest Gump had to make a shot, and as soon as he made the shot, he would think, "Oh no, oh no," and then he would hit the target.

Tonight's situation is even worse than in 1988. Gan Guoyang hasn't missed a single shot; he's in top form.

The Lakers players persevered, with Kidd loudly directing his teammates to move around, but their morale was clearly low.

The ball was passed to Holly, who was cutting to the basket, but his layup was blocked by Gan Guoyang. This guy is everywhere.

The Trail Blazers didn't launch a quick counterattack, instead slowly crossing half-court, with Kobe and Gan Guoyang handing each other a pass.

The Lakers' attention was entirely on Gan Guoyang, but Kobe drove straight to the basket and dunked!

Jackson called a timeout; the point difference had reached 12 points. It seemed his prayers to Buddha had failed!
The timeout gave the Lakers a brief respite, as Gan Guoyang also needed to slow down before continuing his attack.

Seizing the opportunity, O'Neal scored with consecutive hook shots under the basket, though he was a bit slow to get into the game.

With the score still 8 points, the two teams entered a chaotic three-minute period. The coach made substitutions to give the key players a rest while ensuring the game didn't collapse.

Tonight, Jackson put all the players who could play at least on the court, including veterans like John Sally, who also played a few rounds to give the starters some rest.

In the past, Gan Guoyang wouldn't have rested for a minute tonight, but tonight he also needs to step down and catch his breath, let Barkley fill in for a while, and then he can go back on.

With five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Gan Guoyang took a short break before returning to the court, determined to finish the game in one fell swoop.

Without any warning, Gan Guoyang quietly changed his mode upon returning to the court. After securing a defensive rebound, he dribbled and charged towards the frontcourt.

He suddenly accelerated past the three-point line and drove to the basket, facing O'Neal's defense to make a layup, which also drew a foul from O'Neal, allowing him to make the free throw.

Then, O'Neal received the ball, turned around and dunked in response. The Trail Blazers quickly inbounded the ball, and Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball on the outside and took a three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle!
A high arc, a rapid descent, and a precise shot into the net, without even touching the rim—a three-pointer!
Gan Guoyang switched from center back to small forward, catching the Lakers off guard once again.

Jackson dared not use timeouts anymore, because if he did, he would run out of timeouts, leaving the players to solve the problem themselves.

O'Neal got into form and once again received the ball and attacked the basket for a score, but Gan Guoyang immediately chased down, passed the ball, and drove the length of the court for a dunk!

If the referees had been stricter, Horry would have committed a foul, but Crawford let the Lakers off the hook.

Then, the ball couldn't be passed to O'Neal, Kidd took the shot himself, but missed, and Barkley got the rebound.

The long pass reached Gan Guoyang, who had rushed to the frontcourt. Holly and McGrady both tried to stop him, but were knocked away by Gan Guoyang's bull charge.

He drove to the basket, hanging over McGrady and Horry, and scored a layup. This time the referee called a foul, and he got a free throw!
The sudden, high-speed offensive and defensive transition, with a fast break to the basket, caught the Lakers off guard.

He scored 11 consecutive points! Gan Guoyang has already scored as many as 21 points in the third quarter.

Before the third quarter was over, the Trail Blazers had scored 48 points, extending their lead to 15 points.

Gan Guoyang was panting heavily; this sudden outburst had really taken a toll on him.

But he knew the Lakers hadn't collapsed yet and they had to keep going.

Kidd used the fast break to find an opportunity and made a pass to Fisher under the basket.

Fisher attempted a reverse layup but was blocked by Kobe and missed – Kobe played exceptionally well on defense tonight.

He remained calm and didn't try to contest Gan Guoyang's shot attempts, instead focusing on defense, rebounding, and steals.

During the counterattack, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Kobe and was about to shoot a three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle.

As a result, Holly and McGrady rushed over, Gan Guoyang faked a move, drove into the basket, stopped abruptly, and scored a close-range two-pointer!
The Lakers' defense has completely fallen apart, from their formation and matchups to the hesitation and disarray when Agan gets the ball.

If your offense isn't working, you can gradually adjust, but if your defense gets chaotic, it'll cause a lot of trouble.

In three quarters, Gan Guoyang had already scored a staggering 50 points, making all his field goals and free throws.

Jerry West, Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and other Lakers legends looked grim.

They regretted coming tonight. Couldn't they have stayed home and waited for news, or watched TV?
Now look what's happened. He used to get beaten up by Forrest Gump when he was playing basketball, and now that he's retired, he's being used as a background character.

In the final offensive possession of the third quarter, when Gan Guoyang received the ball, the Lakers players were already out of options and committed a foul.

I'm devastated. My mentality has completely collapsed. That guy, Forrest Gump, had a ton of cake tonight, not a single one was lost. He's not even human.

How do you defend against that? You can only foul him and send him to the free-throw line. It's still giving away points, but at least it looks better on the surface.

With both free throws made, the Trail Blazers led the Lakers by 17 points. Gan Guoyang scored 52 points in three quarters, shooting 21-for-21 with a 100% field goal percentage!

Such a performance is a superb display, even within Gan Guoyang's long and illustrious basketball career.

There's no point in even discussing the performances of the other star players; there's not a single one who can compete.

Gan Guoyang's outstanding performance was one factor, but the Lakers' defense was also a major failure.

Back on the bench, Gan Guoyang said to Carlisle, "See? I told you so. Trust me, there won't be any problems."

Carlisle nodded and said sincerely, "Forrest Gump, you are incredible, incredible."

(End of this chapter)