Chapter 880: Chapter 51 Too Long
"Michael must be crazy to say something like that."
"No, Michael isn’t crazy, that’s confidence."
"Overconfidence has never been a good thing."
"You’re right, but normal confidence is understandable. Just like I’m confident I’ll beat you in this game, Charles."
Before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals started, Charles Barkley and Gan Guoyang were chatting on the court, commenting on Jordan’s statement yesterday about "considering the Finals opponent."
The two were both friends of Jordan, and they both yearned to face Jordan in the Finals. It would be a spectacular event, a clash of the 1984 prodigies, a showdown between a generation of superstars.
Although everyone was looking forward to Jordan vs. Gan, Charles Barkley was eager to take that spot. He had already collided with Gan in the Finals once, and this time it should be Jordan’s turn.
Winning Game 3 at home against the Trail Blazers gave Barkley and the Suns tremendous confidence, as well as invigorated Phoenix fans.
During the regular season this year, they played Portland five times and only won once. The Portland team was truly hard to defeat—they were as solid and stable as a rock.
Now, it seems like they’ve found a small crack in that rock. They believe that if they keep chipping away along that crack, they can eventually break the rock.
Barkley heard Gan Guoyang’s "arrogant" statement and said, "Sonny, basketball isn’t a one-man game. Maybe you can beat me, but the Suns can beat your team!"
Barkley’s statement showed his maturity—he had truly placed himself within the team, striving for the collective victory rather than personal glory.
"Charles, what you said makes sense, but you still can’t beat us, I guarantee it. Last game you won because you tampered with the hoop. This time, you won’t have a chance."
Gan Guoyang insisted that the Suns’ home court had issues with the hoop. Before the game, he filed a complaint with the League’s technical department, which inspected the hoop and found that the cushion pad had indeed disappeared.
As a result, before the game began, the technical department required the Suns’ home court to install cushion pads on the hoop to ensure its elasticity.
Even so, the Suns adamantly denied that it was intentional. They argued that neither side of the hoop had pads, so it was fair for both teams.
Gan Guoyang countered, arguing that the Trail Blazers were better shooters, while the Suns preferred fast breaks and inside plays, where the cushion pads were less critical.
"If the hoop wasn’t so stiff, my last ultra-long-range three-pointer would have gone in, and I’d have crushed you in overtime."
Gan Guoyang stuck to his stance while Barkley smiled and replied, "Sonny, I’ve just realized—you really don’t know how to lose. The score has already been frozen, why are you still dwelling on this?"
His words truly choked Gan Guoyang, making him seem like he couldn’t accept defeat.
So, Gan Guoyang decided not to argue with Barkley anymore, leaving it to be settled on the court.
After the second core issue in the last game, Bobby Berman emphasized this during the post-game meeting.
He had a talk with Sabonis, demanding that when Gan is double-teamed, Sabonis must step up and become the tactical centerpiece.
Sabonis, Porter, Lewis, Kossie, Petrović—they were all skilled players capable of executing beautiful tactics.
"Sometimes you must play as if Gan doesn’t exist—pretend he’s dead! As though he’s gone! And you still have to win the game! Got it, you bunch of XX, XX, XX..."
Frustrated by the loss in Game 3, Berman vented his anger, launching into a tirade full of profanity, comparable to a drill sergeant’s rant in "Full Metal Jacket," leaving everyone speechless.
Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "If you want to play well, then play well—why do you have to pretend I’m dead?"
The Trail Blazers were indeed feeling pressure; if they lost this game, they’d have to return to Portland for a critical Game 5.
This was not what the Trail Blazers wanted, especially with the Chicago Bulls’ spot in the Finals already secured. The Trail Blazers wanted to end the Western Conference Finals quickly and start preparing for the Finals early.
Portland media had already begun setting the stage for the Trail Blazers vs. Bulls showdown and the much-anticipated Gan vs. Jordan battle.
The truly calm one remained Gan Guoyang. When he saw Jordan’s swaggering remarks in the news, he didn’t take them to heart.
He understood that Jordan needed to vent—simple victories could no longer soothe Jordan’s past rage. He had to humiliate the Pistons and Isiah Thomas in this manner.
The two teams were no longer just opponents on the court. Off the court, they were enemies, attacking and hating each other.
The Bulls had lost so many times, and in each instance, they were targeted by the Pistons, suffering both physically and mentally.
Now, with victory in sight, Jordan couldn’t let go of his hatred without thoroughly crushing the Pistons.
Once the series ended and everything was settled, such words would lose their impact.
Only while the series was ongoing could these remarks provoke the opponent to the maximum extent.
Gan Guoyang understood Jordan. If it were him, he would do the same.
Fortunately, no team had ever been able to stop the Trail Blazers like that.
Not a single one, so Gan Guoyang naturally had no need to hate anyone.
While the rest of the team was affected by the other series and their mindset swayed, Gan Guoyang remained focused on the Western Finals and the Suns.
Before the team took the court, Gan Guoyang reminded everyone: "The Eastern Conference is none of our concern. Michael Jordan has nothing to do with us. Our task is to beat the Suns. I’ll take care of Charles Barkley, and I’ll handle Sam Bowie and Mark West too. What you need to do is follow Bobby’s instructions and ensure that, even without me, you can still execute smooth, effective plays. Deep down, we all know the Phoenix Suns aren’t really our match. As long as we stay focused and patient, victory is beckoning us!"
