Chapter 836: Chapter 35 Deserving the Salary_4
Gan Guoyang directly told Beelman, "If you take me out, I’ll hang myself at your doorstep." —— This was the threat Beelman used on Ah Gan before, but now it was Gan Guoyang’s turn to threaten Beelman.
Beelman shook his head, he could only keep Gan Guoyang on the court.
At this moment, no one could stop these two outstanding players from unleashing a massive battle in the fourth quarter.
The teammates all knew that the outcome was in the boss’s hands, so they kept feeding the two ammo continuously.
The NBC commentators could barely keep up:
"Michael, Michael charges into the three-second zone, a dodge, layup made!"
"Trail Blazers counterattack quickly, Ah Gan leads ahead, gets the ball and slams the dunk! Sending Buck-Williams flying, causing a foul and an extra shot!"
"Michael catches the ball, makes a direct mid-range jump shot!"
"Ah Gan returns with a jump shot, Woh! Beautiful mid-range."
"Michael Jordan, changes direction to break through, challenges Ah Gan, scores with a picked shot!"
"Ah Gan and Porter’s pick and roll, Ah Gan cuts out, feint, no three-pointer, storms into the basket for a gliding layup! No one dares to block him!"
If one just listened, they might think this was a boxing match, otherwise how come only two players’ names are heard?
And this is exactly the captivating aspect of Gan Qiao’s battle, no one else could make these two exert their full force to play such a spectacular shootout.
Fans at the United Center in Chicago were on the edge of their seats, the shootout between the two sides became intense, almost alternating leads with each ball scored.
In the most critical moment of the game, Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Petrović, who scored a three-pointer!
This crucial three-pointer helped the Trail Blazers overtake the Bulls by 2 points, 110:108!
Phil Jackson called for a timeout, he didn’t expect, with Gan Guoyang who already scored 52 points, to pass the ball to Petrović for a three-pointer.
Jordan was careless, he missed Petrović, his mind was all on defense, both sides hardly passed the ball throughout the entire fourth quarter, but in the last moment, Ah Gan defected.
Jordan chewing gum, shaking his head as he walked off court, mumbling, "This coward, son of a bitch..."
But this is basketball, a mix of tricks and deception, Jordan miscalculated, he’s always being played by Ah Gan.
However, the Bulls still had a chance, with 7 seconds left in the game, sufficient for one successful offense.
Phil Jackson planned a strategy, while Beelman also set up the defense.
As the timeout ended, everyone’s heart was pounding, the decisive ball that would determine the winner.
On the Trail Blazers side, Reggie Lewis let Michael Jordan catch the ball easily on the perimeter.
As Jordan gets the ball, Lewis immediately challenges him as Jerome Kossie rushes up to double-team Jordan.
The two tall frontcourt players close in on Jordan, Jordan doesn’t force his way, he passes the ball to the top of the key to Pippen.
In front of Pippen was emptiness, he could shoot a three-pointer, but he hesitated, his performance tonight was off.
The Trail Blazers deliberately left him to take the gamble.
Gan Guoyang had already rushed up, Pippen feared his blocking ability, choosing a feint followed by driving in.
Stop and shoot! Pippen chooses to break through with a stop and shoot, but Gan Guoyang follows and jumps up to block.
The ball is blocked! Pippen made a poor choice, why would he drive in and not shoot a three-pointer or break through?
Wasn’t he seeking to be blocked?
Just as the Bulls fans felt despair, the referee’s whistle blew.
The referee pointed at Ah Gan, indicating he committed a hand foul.
Tonight’s head referee was the famous stone-faced robot Darell Garretson.
He has always been at odds with the Bulls, but this call he sided with the home team, seemingly wanting to prove he wasn’t biased against the Bulls.
Gan Guoyang and Beelman both protested to Garretson, but the referee’s decision could not be changed, Pippen got two free throws.
As long as he made both, the Bulls could tie the game and take it to overtime.
Under immense pressure, Pippen adjusted his breathing and made the first free throw.
The fans cheered, but then quieted down immediately, the second free throw was next.
At this moment, Gan Guoyang walked up in front of Pippen and circled him, saying, "Scottie, you don’t earn as much as Pete does, you won’t make this shot; performance should match the salary."
Pippen was visibly taken aback, his body stiffened for a moment, and then when he shot, he clearly felt uncomfortable, thinking, "Damn, this shot... "
As expected, the ball hit the rim and didn’t go in, Jordan wanted to rush in for the rebound, but Ah Gan spread his arms, blocking everyone, taking the best position.
Jordan tried to take off forcefully, pressing down on Ah Gan for a dunk, uLocal time on the clock, the game ends, ultimately the Trail Blazers win away with a 110:109, a one-point advantage over the Bulls, winning the twelfth showdown of Gan and Joe.
Gan Guoyang got a total of 52 points and 20 rebounds, Jordan scored 54 points, Jordan won the scoring, but lost the game again.
This was the first time this season both of them scored over 50 points.
The United Center in Chicago was like a broken string, suddenly filled with immense loss, Jordan furiously returned to the locker room.
Pippen hung his head as he left the court, tonight he only scored 7 points and had 3 assists, significantly underperforming.
He knew, he would be facing Jordan’s rage and the lingering issue of his contract.
