Chapter 812 - 27 Emperor_3

Playing at home, the Knicks maintained suppression over the Trail Blazers, and in a critical moment, Bobby Berman made a bold move by fielding a lineup of shorter players — however, Lewis was not included.

He used Ah Gan, Cliff-Robinson, Mike-Sanders, Terry-Porter, along with Petrović.

In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers launched a whirlwind attack, a 9:0 surge, wiping out the Knicks’ lead accumulated over most of the game.

After regaining the lead, Berman, as if fearing overuse would reveal flaws, immediately substituted Robinson and Sanders for Kossie and Sabonis, returning to the regular lineup and tactics.

Eventually, the Trail Blazers clinched a hard-fought victory away from home, defeating the New York Knicks 108:104.

In this game, Vandeweghe scored a season-high 31 points against his former team. This was the first and only time this season Vandeweghe scored over 30 points.

Due to injuries, he was no longer the super small forward who scored as easily as drinking water. He had dedicated his best years to Portland.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang and Vandeweghe hugged each other, discussing where to grab a drink after the match.

Reggie Lewis only scored 10 points overall and failed to defend Vandeweghe successfully, being benched at critical moments.

What frustrated him even more was, after returning to Portland, he received a phone call from his mother in New York, telling him, "They reviewed my medical records, denied my admission, they think my heart isn’t strong enough and could face too much stress. However, I have already quit my job to focus on rehabilitating..."

Peggy hoped for comfort from her son and daughter-in-law, but faced more accusations, especially from Donna, who was very angry.

"Why did you quit your job without a clear response from the center? This is very irrational, very uncalm, now you are in a dilemma!"

Even more in a dilemma was Reggie Lewis, whose wife and mother’s argument upset him, along with the recent All-Star voting results coming out. Lewis had no chance, which further dented his confidence.

He thought if he was with the Celtics, he would likely make it to the All-Star as his stats are improving, the team is progressing, he is becoming the team leader, and he is very popular in the Boston area.

However, in Portland, he was doomed to be a supporting player, the team’s third or even fourth option, striving to be the second option, but never the leading star.

His average points per game dropped from 17 last season to 16. He had initially planned to raise his average to 20 points per game this season, which is difficult in Portland with many offensive talents, and everyone sharing shots evenly.

Peggy and Lewis had a big fight, with Lewis trying to calm his mother, while Peggy felt that her daughter-in-law Donna was disrespectful, and Donna thought the old lady was capricious, which could ruin her son’s life getting back on track.

Arguing won’t solve anything, but the problem needs to be resolved, Lewis’s condition was somewhat affected.

Gan Guoyang quickly noticed something wrong with Lewis. He was so sharp, paying close attention to every "subject" in his kingdom.

After training, he found time and talked with Lewis, who soon shared his troubles, asking Ah Gan if there was any solution.

Gan Guoyang scratched his face, thought for ten seconds, asked Quentin to hand over his mobile phone, and dialed a number.

Gan Guoyang had once helped Steve Colter with rehabilitation; he knew people in the field, and then made several calls to understand the situation at a rehab center in Portland.

With Ah Gan’s introduction, Peggy successfully admitted to this rehab center and also secured a nearby warehouse management job to cover her rehab costs.

Not only that, Gan Guoyang also arranged for the old lady to study in a nearby community college for a diploma, enabling her to find better jobs in the future.

"Although your son is a star player, everyone wants to be self-reliant and live with dignity," Gan Guoyang said to Lewis and Peggy.

Peggy and Lewis greatly appreciated Ah Gan’s help, and Lewis understood why Ah Gan was called the "Emperor" in the team.

He held not only the emperor’s privileges but also the emperor’s responsibilities, those that shouldn’t necessarily be his.

Since then, Reggie Lewis focused all his attention on the court, especially on the defensive side.

He was working towards becoming an All-Star player and striving to win his first championship.