Chapter 991: Chapter 27 Advancement_2
Gan Guoyang didn’t like fighting on the basketball court. Fighting was never the goal, just a means to better play the game.
In short, after this incident, Gan Guoyang never showcased his astonishing wrestling skills on the court again. This was the last time in his career, a swan song.
Gan Guoyang was ejected from the game, Malone was carried off the court, each side lost a core player, but the game continued.
Without Ah Gan, the Trail Blazers were still a well-rounded and strong team, but they had lost their spirit.
On the other hand, without Malone, the Jazz’s offense took a big hit, but with the home advantage, the Jazz survived the first half.
With the score tied, both teams went back to their locker rooms for a break.
Malone wasn’t taken to the hospital. He lay in the locker room for a while, rested a bit, and regained consciousness.
He experienced a brief memory lapse, gazing at the locker room ceiling and the glaring fluorescent lights, he felt a sense of disorientation.
Strange sounds began to appear by his ears, a buzzing tinnitus, followed by a series of phone ringing tones.
"Answer the phone, answer the phone!" Malone muttered. The medical staff looked at him with puzzled expressions, as there was no phone ringing.
After a while, the phone ringing stopped. Malone felt his heart tighten and shouted, startling everyone in the locker room.
Malone’s father committed suicide when he was three years old. After making a phone call to the family, he ended his life with a shotgun.
Malone’s memories of his father were very faint, but the strongest impression was that phone call, his father’s last call.
That ringing sound seemed like his father’s final farewell.
At this moment, the Jazz teammates returned. They heard Malone’s shout, and Stockton came over asking, "What’s wrong, Karl, are you okay?"
Malone came to his senses and said, "I’m fine, I’m fine. How’s the game going?"
"Tied, we’re doing fine."
"I’m fine too, I can play in the second half."
"Are you sure? It’s best to have a check-up."
"Not necessary, I can play."
With that, Malone got up from the lounge chair, balanced his body, bounced a little, and indeed was fine.
Years of relentless training kept Malone’s body very strong, with muscles providing excellent protection, not easily hurt.
After confirming he could play in the second half, Malone asked his teammates, "Did any of you rush out to beat up Ah Gan?"
Silence filled the locker room. Malone chuckled awkwardly, "Well, the one who could beat him is already down, nothing to be done."
Stockton sighed, thinking this guy sure has a tough mouth. You know you fell, why didn’t you knock him out with an elbow?
A feeble push left you knocked out instead. When you see the embarrassing footage of yourself later, you’ll definitely regret it.
In the second half of the game, Karl Malone returned to the court amid cheers from the fans, with Salt Lake City fans giving him their greatest encouragement.
Because during halftime, the big screen was still showing him being knocked down, and once he returned, they stopped showing it.
Malone’s return made the Jazz lineup complete. Without Ah Gan in the Three Second Zone, Malone was instantly revitalized.
His back didn’t ache, legs didn’t hurt, his attacks were stronger, shots more precise, pick and roll cuts were swift as the wind, and fast breaks like lightning.
Not only Malone, but even the Jazz players could feel the clear ease when Ah Gan wasn’t on the opposing side.
Whether in physical confrontations, technical and tactical challenges, or mentally, it felt like shedding a burden, becoming light and agile.
The Trail Blazers continued to play well, with Petrović, Lewis, and Porter leading the team’s offense, and Sabonis entering the Three Second Zone to build defense.
They could still exchange blows with the Jazz, but only just exchange blows. They shifted from leaders to followers.
In critical moments, the Jazz exerted effort. Stockton continuously assisted Malone in scoring, and Malone scored 7 consecutive points in the middle of the fourth quarter, establishing an advantage for the Jazz.
Subsequently, Malone also crashed into and almost sparked a conflict by knocking down the driving Petrović.
This conflict was lively, with people from both sides surrounding, and Malone stood with hands on hips, sporting a "what can you do about me" attitude.
The home fans were madly shouting insults, forming a sharp contrast with the first half. An outsider might think it wasn’t the same game.
Tonight’s referee Madden was also speechless. Goodness, clearly showing the tendency of bullying the weak while fearing the strong, Malone, were you pretending to be unconscious in the first half to get Ah Gan ejected?
After stopping the conflict, the game continued. Without Ah Gan to lead them, the Trail Blazers were conspicuously less brave. No one dared punch Malone.
Of course, Sabonis and Antonio Davis stood their ground firmly, it was already their limit.
The boss wasn’t there, at someone else’s venue, better endure for now.
In this endurance, the Trail Blazers lost the game, succumbing to the Jazz with a 98:104 defeat at a 6-point disadvantage.
Karl Malone racked up 36 points in this game, scoring 25 in the second half, becoming the main contributor to the Jazz’s victory.
What made the Jazz team even happier was that after the game, the League penalized Gan Guoyang, considering his behavior as a violation of sportsmanship, suspending him for one game.
For the Jazz, this was truly fantastic news. Having Ah Gan and not having him were entirely different game experiences, the difference was substantial.
And as long as Karl Malone wasn’t playing against Ah Gan, he was the League’s best scorer at the power forward position.
