Chapter 728: Chapter 82 Hungry Tiger_4
In the third and fourth games, he strategized for Thomas and Aguirre on how to deal with the Trail Blazers.
Tonight before the game, Johnson reminded Thomas that there was a high probability of Ah Gan exploding, and that they had to contain him.
But it was in vain; seeing Ah Gan’s performance tonight, Johnson knew that the Pistons and Thomas were in great danger.
Of course, the Pistons hadn’t given up, even though they were behind by a large score, but after all, it was only the first quarter, and there was plenty of time.
The Pistons, gradually getting back into the game, staged a counter-attack led by Joe Dumars in the latter half of the first quarter.
Hornacek’s defensive pressure on Dumars was insufficient, allowing Dumars to frequently penetrate near the basket and take shots.
Gan Guoyang, trying not to fall into defensive traps again, slightly reined in, allowing the Pistons to slowly find their offensive rhythm.
At the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Pistons 27:12, a 15-point advantage.
The 12-point score also set a new NBA Finals record for the lowest score in the first quarter.
The previous record was set by the Milwaukee Bucks during the 1974 Finals.
The Bucks only scored 13 points in a single quarter against the Boston Celtics in the third game of that Finals series.
Yet under the Trail Blazers’ tight, focused defense, and Gan Guoyang’s tiger-like aggressiveness, the Pistons played terribly, setting a new low.
Gan Guoyang scored 21 points in the first quarter, completely dominating the Pistons without any means to stop him.
At that moment, Detroiters found out how vulnerable their defensive line was in front of Ah Gan without referee bias and without those dirty plays.
Indeed, Ah Gan is the man who has scored 81 points, an offensive player with a few more skills than Michael Jordan.
Without relying on dirty tricks, facing this man in an honest contest, their chances of winning were slim to none.
As the second quarter began, Gan Guoyang rested off court, creating the best opportunity for the Pistons to catch up.
Aguirre, Salley, and Ma Hong, without the pressure in the paint, frequently attacked the offensive rebounds launching second-chance points.
The Pistons once cut the lead to just 10 points, prompting Beelman to call a timeout, and Gan Guoyang returned to the court.
Many Detroit fans later recalled, "When Ah Gan re-entered the game, we all thought, it’s over, the gap is going to widen again."
"There’s no way to limit him apart from suspending him, knocking him down, or ejecting him from the game."
In the second quarter, the Pistons tried to have Rodman guard Gan Guoyang throughout the game, employing a "sticking" tactic paired with double teams from others.
Faced with this "bug," the hungry tiger paid no mind, simply serving hook shots as long as he could get the ball in the low post and turn around.
Rodman tried to use offensive fouls and lower body pressure to disrupt Gan Guoyang, but to no avail; the shorter Rodman was powerless against the sky hook.
Gan Guoyang’s sky hook was faster than Jabbar’s, with fewer preparatory moves and stronger resistance to double-team disruptions.
During the regular season, Gan Guoyang seldom used this move, but in key games, he still pulled it out to kill his opponents.
It’s economical, simple, elegant, reliable, slicing open the opponent’s throat like a scimitar, spilling their blood amidst despair and hatred.
"Ah Gan gets the ball in the low post, dribbles, turns, and the hook shot is good!"
"Ah Gan’s offensive rebound, turns, dribbles, and then a hook shot."
"Rodman tries to push Ah Gan outwards, Ah Gan turns, then turns again, woh! A clever step under the basket, and up for the reverse layup! Beautiful offense, beautiful footwork!"
Dick Stockton, commentating on the Finals for the last time, also unleashed his passion for commentary, trying his best to describe every brilliant shot by Gan Guoyang.
The hungrier this tiger got, the more at ease he played, acting on his whims.
Rodman did his best; this defender, ranked second in defense, strived to stop that first-ranked genius.
Gan Guoyang, besides humiliating Rodman and the Pistons’ interior on offense, generously contributed high-quality rim protection on defense.
At the end of the first half, Gan Guoyang hammered down 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks, better than many players’ full-game stats.
Even more terrifying was that Ah Gan only had 3 free throws in the first half, with other points all coming from field goals, showing his frightening efficiency.
Dick Stockton remarked, "From Ah Gan’s scoring you can sense that he’s two levels stronger than others; really, a lot stronger."
The Trail Blazers ended the first half 51:34, leading the Pistons by 17 points.
During the half-time break, Gan Guoyang ate another banana, and Beelman asked him, "Are you hungry?"
Gan Guoyang said, "I could eat a cow right now. But hunger keeps me alert; it helps me understand what I have to do."
The Finals are very exhausting, and Gan Guoyang hadn’t consumed enough calories, but this only sparked his latent energy.
During the half-time break, the news of Ah Gan’s 29 points and 14 rebounds spread across All-America, with more and more people joining to watch this game.
Including bars, cinemas, gyms, dance halls, the brothels of San Francisco’s Chinatown, the tiered classrooms of Beiqiao High School, and the auditorium of Gonzaga University.
Portland Memorial Coliseum and Paramount Theatre were already buzzing with fervent voices; fans cheered with every basket Ah Gan scored, everyone knew that victory was getting closer to the Trail Blazers.
Ah Gan never disappoints.
After the second half began, Gan Guoyang’s focus intensified even more.
