[Wu Zhixiong: "In Ga 4 of the 1991 NBA Finals, when the Bulls were trailing by a significant margin at halfti, you asked your teammates to hit you to release their negative emotions. Was this a carefully planned way to relieve stress, or was it a spur-of-the-mont decision?"
Gan Guoyang: "It was a spur-of-the-mont decision, because at the ti, I really wanted to hit soone. That was the worst half we had played all season. It followed the terrible montum from Ga 3, which ant we had played one and a half bad gas straight, 48 24, 72 minutes of poor basketball. We were losing control, and I couldn’t stand it."
"The atmosphere in the locker room was awful, suffocating. No one said anything; it felt like we had already lost, as if nobody knew how to play basketball anymore. You know, when people sink into negative emotions, their performance on the court could be halved. When their minds are clouded, they can’t make the right decisions."
"I clenched my fists, wanting to punch everyone awake, to tell them how to play the ga. Falling behind isn’t the end; if you give up early, then the ga really is over. But... I couldn’t do that. In those circumstances, if I started hitting them, I might have seriously hurt soone. You know, when emotions are about to explode, people want to release them—by hitting, smashing things, or yelling. But I couldn’t let that happen. I had to control myself, so instead, I asked them to hit ."
"At first, I asked Beelman to hit . He was shocked, but Bobby understood well; he reacted imdiately, though he was holding in a lot himself and started rambling useless words. He punched , but it felt too light, so I told him to hit harder. Then he landed another punch, much harder, using up so much strength he was drained."
"After that, everyone joined in. I forced them to do it. Honestly, I’m not a masochist, but under those circumstances, getting hit made feel better inside. After all, if we lost, I would definitely take the bulk of the bla."
Wu Zhixiong: "So later, people started calling you ’Jesus,’ as soone who sacrificed himself to save others."
Gan Guoyang (laughing): "No, in that ga, the ones who saved us were ourselves—each and every one of us. Not ."
————Excerpt from Gan Guoyang’s biography "The Story of Ah Gan," written by Wu Zhixiong, published in 2025.
As the second half began, the atmosphere in the Old Chicago Stadium reached a fever pitch. Fans scread wildly, already anticipating the end of this ga, the series tying at 2–2, bringing both teams back to square one.
The television coverage kept focusing on the players from both teams. Bulls players looked relaxed as they returned from the locker room, joking and laughing along the way. Pippen and Grant bumped fists, both riding high from strong performances in the first half.
Especially Pippen, whose "suicidal-style" offense and defense in these last two gas showcased his versatility and flexibility in consistently disrupting Gan Guoyang. Working with Jordan, Grant, Williams, and the rest, he scrambled the Trail Blazers’ rhythm both offensively and defensively. Pippen’s impact was pivotal in the previous ga’s victory and the current lead.
Rhythm—always rhythm. Basketball gas are like orchestral performances; whoever controls the flow, the dynamics, the transitions of energy, seizes the initiative.
Skills, tactics, in-ga conditions—these all hinge on the overarching foundation of rhythm. While Pippen isn’t the strongest when judged by stats or standout monts, he is a key to turning the tide of rhythm. Perhaps even more motivating is his seven-year contract—reward breeds bravery, and Pippen’s "extra money war approach" paid off.
Thus, as Pippen returned to the court for the third quarter and faced Gan Guoyang again, his gaze brimd with newfound confidence.
It seed to say: "Yes, I can’t beat you in terms of statistics or on-court dominance. You’ll score 30, maybe 40, even 50 points."
"But that doesn’t matter. I’ll do my best to hinder you, to fully contain you—shadows of press everywhere, giving you no room to breathe. And then, we’ll win this ga."
Pippen’s mindset was spot-on. He was second-in-command; there was no need to compete with Gan for stats or performance trics. Winning was the ultimate priority.
Phil Jackson was very satisfied with the players’ performances and could sense the confidence and composure returning to the Bulls players’ faces.
During the halfti break, Jackson told the team to stay calm and focused, to finish strong. The Finals victory was tipping in their favor.
A nineteen-point lead was a massive buffer, giving the Bulls plenty of room for error.
anwhile, many Trail Blazers fans had already turned off their TVs, unable to bear watching any longer.
The third quarter opened with the Bulls’ possession. Jordan received the ball and faced Lewis one-on-one at the periter.
He drove past Lewis but was quickly surrounded by Lewis and Sabonis—the Trail Blazers had maintained their defensive strategy.
Jordan chose not to pass the ball. Instead, he stopped abruptly and attempted a fadeaway shot. The ball spun around the rim but didn’t go in.
Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound. The Trail Blazers didn’t push for a fast break but slowed the ga down, opting for half-court play.
Gan Guoyang ca forward to receive the ball, but Pippen stuck close to him. Gan quickly passed to the wing, finding Jero Kossie.
Pippen stuck to Gan, Buck-Williams matched up against Kossie. Kossie made a quick fake, then drove hard to the basket.
His layup drew a foul from Bill Cartwright. Kossie stepped to the free-throw line and made both shots.
49–66, the Trail Blazers were still down by 17 points—a gap too big to overco.
Gan Guoyang walked over to pat Kossie on the back and gave him a high-five. It was Kossie’s first score of the night.
Kossie’s performance throughout the series had been underwhelming.
Both teams had excellent forwards, but Kossie seed average at best.
Lacking a strong outside shooting ability, Kossie fell short compared to a player like Lewis in individual skill. In the paint, he was nowhere near as dominant as Gan Guoyang.
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