The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1814 - 65: The Obvious Gap (Part 3)

His height, wingspan, and touch are top-notch, very skillful at cutting into the inside for a second attack after an offense.

Defenders often manage to stop the first move but can't stop the second one, resulting in points scored. Only someone like Gan with his quick reflexes and top-notch rebounding can contain Duncan.

Carl called a timeout, but he still didn't rush to switch in the main players, instead opting to put Kobe and Ben Wallace in to let the young ones lead the offense and defense.

Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and other veterans continued to rest on the bench until there were three minutes left in the second quarter when Gan Guoyang reentered the game.

At this point, the score was 55:51, with the Trail Blazers leading the Celtics by 4 points. Just as the Celtics looked to be catching up, upon Gan Guoyang's return, he hit a mid-range jumper from the top of the arc.

Steve Nash and Duncan executed a high pick-and-roll, a bounce pass to Duncan, who scored with a left-handed layup as he rolled to the basket!

Gan Guoyang defended to the utmost, but his legs were indeed slow. In his peak, he would have been able to block it.

But returning to the offense, Gan Guoyang received the pass from Kobe at the top of the arc and made a frontal three-point shot, scoring again!

The gap widened back to 7 points, while the Celtics were still hoping for a Nash and Duncan pick-and-roll.

Duncan set a very high-quality screen; as he rolled down again, Nash went to the left side.

Gan Guoyang defended two at once, causing Nash to hesitate between shooting or passing, ending up with a dubious shot-pass.

As a result, Gan Guoyang intercepted it mid-air. After grabbing the ball, Gan Guoyang made a long pass to the frontcourt, where Kobe received and sprinted for an easy layup.

The gap widened once again.

The defensive pressure from Gan Guoyang remained unparalleled as he was recognized as the best defender in league history, capable of defending two people simultaneously.

Nash still lacked experience, as his hesitation in the pick-and-roll meant that instead of posing challenges for Ah Gan, he found himself being tested.

He couldn't decide which option to choose, leading to a ball interception. The Celtics' efforts to close the gap in the second quarter ended in defeat, finishing the half at 63:55, with the Trail Blazers leading by 8 points.

The situation looked grim for the Celtics as they couldn't find an effective way to counter the Trail Blazers, merely holding on without creating a comeback opportunity.

As the third and fourth quarters approached, the situation could only worsen as the Trail Blazers were clearly conserving their energy, while the Celtics found no way to handle the depletion.

During halftime, Beelman realized that perhaps his strategy was flawed right from the start, crafting plans that were too cautious.

Clearly, with their youth and energy, the Celtics needed to use their advantage to challenge the opponent.

However, changing strategies and mindsets in a single game is extremely difficult, and they had no choice but to grit their teeth and continue playing.

As the third quarter began, with the Celtics anticipating that the Trail Blazers would wait until the fourth quarter to turn up the intensity and crush the Celtics, the veteran Trail Blazers unexpectedly made an early effort in the first half of the third quarter.

Gan Guoyang sent a big block to Paul Pierce, further asserting his dominance in the three-second zone.

In the following counterattack, Gan Guoyang feigned a three-pointer from the 45-degree line but made a direct pass to the basket, where Sabonis received it for an easy layup.

The coordination between the two old pals was impeccable; a glance, a move, and they understood each other's intentions.

Mostly, Sabonis fed balls to Gan Guoyang, but occasionally Gan Guoyang delivered assists with beautiful passes.

Their prior cooperation was full of feints and disguises, leaving defenders puzzled.

No wonder Gan can't unleash his full potential without Sabonis by his side.

Returning to defense, Sabonis and Little O'Neal guarded the three-second zone while Gan Guoyang stopped resting on his hips and began extensive help defense and double-teams.

Nash was once more encircled, and although he successfully passed the ball, the initiative in the set offense was lost, forcing it to Duncan for a solo play.

Duncan's turnaround jumper was blocked hard by the help defense from Kobe! Another block!

The Trail Blazers counterattacked again, with Kobe sprinting down the center but missing the layup; Little O'Neal followed for a tip-in but also missed, blocked by Duncan.

Gan Guoyang bent down to retrieve the ball, walked outside, and suddenly made a moving hook, catching them off guard, and scored two more points!

This move resembling the old-school hook shot from street ball courts was indeed difficult to defend against and only Gan Guoyang dared to use such an unconventional move in the high-intensity finals because it was his signature move.

The Celtics fell into a frantic emotional state; the calm, poised demeanor of building strong bases and playing safe games from their first match had long vanished. Watching the gap widen again, they were eager to score to narrow the gap.

Yet, the more anxious they became, the more mistakes emerged. Steve Nash encountered Brellock's relentless pressure, leading to a physical conflict near the half-court line.

The referee called an offensive foul on Nash, who was very dissatisfied but dared not argue with the referee, only muttering complaints since his lack of seniority meant a technical foul would be too costly.

The ball returned to the Trail Blazers, while Beelman pace nervously on the sideline, predicting that Ah Gan would finish this offensive, forcing the Celtics to call a timeout after.

Familiar, this feeling is too familiar, except this time Beelman is on the opposite side.

Facing Ah Gan and the Trail Blazers in the playoffs proved hopeless; you know what he is going to do but are powerless to stop it.

As expected, Gan Guoyang received the ball, performed a skillful dribble move, a feint, and a change of pace to drive through the middle to the basket.

This was a complete guard's move, bypassing Duncan and charging towards the basket, directly confronting Ilgauskas. He pushed past the 2.21-meter Ilgauskas for a layup, also drawing a foul from Ilgauskas!

The Trail Blazers, true to their veteran reputation, had exerted their efforts in the fourth quarter of the previous match, overturning the score and reversing the game.

This time, as they led, they pushed hard straight away in the third quarter, widening the gap to a desperate extent, making it difficult for the opposition to comeback later.

Gan Guoyang stood at the free-throw line, made the extra free throw, successfully completing a 2+1 play as the crowd cheered; this man remains the best basketball player on Earth.

Beelman helplessly called a timeout, the Celtics were hit by a 7-0 run, with the gap stretching to 15 points, making it increasingly difficult for the Celtics to fight back.

The gap between the two teams in the finals was evident; despite the Celtics' talent and abilities being competitive, they could not fully unleash their capabilities.

As soon as Gan Guoyang made the free throw, he knew Beelman would call a timeout, returning to the bench to wipe his sweat, thinking damn, this stretch of high intensity was tiring, truly a reminder of aging.