Chapter 909: Chapter 58: Don’t Slap the Face_4
The Bulls had gotten smarter. They actively sought change in Game 4, starting with Jordan playing as Point Guard, driving to the basket repeatedly and dishing out assists to create opportunities for the outside shooters right from the start.
John Paxson and Pippen both caught fire, sinking shot after shot. In the first quarter, the Bulls went 4-for-5 from the three-point line, with Paxson hitting three out of three, igniting the atmosphere of the entire Chicago Stadium.
Optimism and hot hands are contagious, especially at home. The Bulls erupted with 35 points in the first quarter, and Jordan even started hitting threes in the second quarter.
The Chicago players played smoother and smoother in front of their home crowd, while the Trail Blazers struggled to shake off the poor form they carried from Game 3. Aside from Gan Guoyang, the rest of the team was mired in hesitation and chaos.
In Game 3, Gan Guoyang had dropped 40 points against Pippen, yet the Trail Blazers still lost the game.
In this game, Gan Guoyang scored another 22 points in the first half, seemingly on his way to another 40-point performance.
But with the Bulls firing on all cylinders, there was really nothing Gan Guoyang could do.
By halftime, the Bulls, firing on all fronts, had racked up a staggering 66 points, leading the Trail Blazers, who only managed 47, by an impressive 19-point margin.
The lead reached its peak at 21 points, throwing Bulls fans into a frenzy while the players wore expressions of ease and delight on their faces.
They knew they had a high chance of clinching this game, leveling the series. More importantly, Game 5 would also be held in Chicago.
During halftime, the Trail Blazers trudged back to their locker room, a somber place that felt as lifeless as a grave. A heavy atmosphere of gloom hung over the team as they wrestled with their lackluster performance tonight.
Gan Guoyang wiped the sweat from his face; he knew the situation had reached its direst point. He had done everything possible in the first half to turn the tide, but the scales were undeniably tipped against them.
This was the first time Gan Guoyang had encountered such a scenario: where technique and tactics were less impactful than emotions in determining the game.
This Finals series was a super amplifier of emotions. The unprecedented level of attention magnified the feelings of every player and fan to extreme levels.
The media was everywhere, information was everywhere, commentary was everywhere, and expectations were everywhere. All of it made everyone incredibly sensitive.
Everyone knew they were under global scrutiny. Even the slightest tilt in the balance could, under immense pressure, swing outrageously.
Gan understood that losing this game would flip the momentum entirely. His teammates might start questioning how they had won the first two games — was it luck? Or just home-court advantage?
Once people start doubting themselves, trouble follows. Negative emotions consume people. While a 2-2 score might seem like a tie, the feeling of winning first and then losing versus losing first and then winning is worlds apart.
Not to mention, Game 5 would also be held in Chicago.
At this moment, Beelman was still talking incessantly, trying to rouse the players with impassioned words and curses.
Gan Guoyang took a deep breath, stood up, and walked over to Beelman, saying, "Bobby, punch me."
"What?" Beelman froze for a moment.
"Punch me. Hit me hard."
"You..."
"Hit! Me!"
Beelman hesitated for a moment, then threw down the tactical board in his hands and delivered a hard punch to Gan Guoyang’s chest.
Gan Guoyang didn’t flinch. It hurt, but it didn’t affect him — his muscles were solid.
"Use all your strength, Bobby. Every ounce of it. But don’t hit my face."
Beelman didn’t understand what Gan Guoyang was trying to do, but at this moment, he felt an uncontrollable pit of negative emotions inside him — anxiety, fear, panic. He wanted to let it out, he wanted to cry, but he couldn’t.
At this moment, a perfect outlet presented itself. So he gathered all his strength and punched Gan Guoyang’s chest with every bit of power he had!
Beelman felt drained. His arm was sore, his hand hurt, his wrist felt twisted.
Gan Guoyang staggered back from the punch. It hurt, but it still didn’t affect him.
Then, Gan Guoyang walked over to Sabonis, Lewis, Petrović, Porter, and Kossie, asking each of them to punch him with all their strength.
Each man hesitated, but under Gan Guoyang’s insistence, they all eventually swung with full force, landing punches on non-vital areas.
At first, they were scared and held back, but after Gan Guoyang repeatedly urged them, they threw their punches with everything they had.
With these punches, they vented their pent-up frustrations — frustrations from their poor first-half performance, from Kossie going 0-for-4 when matched against Pippen. After punching Ah Gan, Kossie ended up hugging his own head and sobbing.
Gan Guoyang comforted him, saying, "It hurts a little, but I’m fine. We’re just trailing; we haven’t lost yet."
Gan Guoyang trained in combat sports every summer, including resistance training against hits.
These punches were heavy and painful, but they couldn’t injure him.
Even so, after taking hits from everyone, his body was covered in bruises and welts.
And it really hurt.
Gan Guoyang put his jersey back on and said, "In this League, no one can hit me, except my teammates. I’m in pain, but we’ve still got half the game left. Let’s go, guys, it’s time to get moving."
