Chapter 871 - 47 Continue Sleeping_3

Petrović, Sabonis, Lewis, and others were all looked after by Gan Guoyang, and they all followed his lead unconditionally.

Other players like Davis, Robinson, and Mark Bryant were more like the junior members of the team. For them, Ah Gan’s biggest virtue was that he never nitpicked at them. When it came to contract matters, he always stood by them, offering advice and helping them secure stable paychecks—which meant more than anything.

Of course, while the camaraderie was strong, everyone still feared Ah Gan. His demands on the court were always extremely high, and anyone who didn’t play seriously would immediately face his reprimand.

At the same time, Gan Guoyang held himself to the highest standards. Leading by example was his baseline behavior, something he had adhered to for many years, earning universal respect across the team.

Things like what happened with Barkley would never occur under Gan Guoyang’s watch. If they did, James Carter would already have been punched dead.

Before the game began, Gan Guoyang was no longer the young man who used to lead everyone in chanting "Bodhisattva bless us." He had become much more serious, and he reminded everyone of what they needed to focus on once the game started.

"Kossie, lock down Charles. Tonight, his stamina will be an issue—he didn’t sleep well. Stick to him tightly; this is your mission. Don’t focus solely on scoring."

"Arvydas, you need to connect the team’s offense. Keep up the pace—the Suns play very fast. You need to speed up as well, don’t drag behind. Be decisive in the low post and attack Sam Bowie often."

"Porter, you take the lead offensively in the opening. Go after Kevin Johnson—don’t let him settle into a comfortable rhythm. I’ll help you defend him."

"Reggie, assist Kossie with guarding Charles. Don’t bother with An Ji, that old fox. If he starts mouthing off at you, I’ll handle him—don’t get caught up arguing with him."

"Pete, when you come off the bench, remember to focus on your defense. Keep up the pace, and make your offense more adaptable and varied. Don’t just charge ahead blindly."

Before the game started, Gan Guoyang tailored his instructions and assignments based on his understanding of the Suns and his teammates’ characteristics.

After finishing, Gan Guoyang looked over at Coach Beelman standing nearby and said, "Bobby, cut down on the swearing, and don’t call for timeouts too frequently. It’ll disrupt our rhythm."

Beelman handed Gan Guoyang the tactical board he was holding and said, "Here, coach! You take over—do it!"

Gan Guoyang chuckled and replied, "If you’re looking for a break, you can sit on the bench and take a nap. When you wake up, the game will already be won."

Beelman rolled his eyes, thinking that this guy was overly confident.

But Gan Guoyang wasn’t lying to Beelman. Tonight, the Suns had no chance against the rested and invigorated Trail Blazers.

Barkley, who had been trash-talking Ah Gan before the game, completely lost his way during the match under the double-team defense from Kossie and Lewis.

Clearly, a game as important as the West Finals didn’t allow for off-court antics, especially when your opponent was the strongest team in the league.

Gan Guoyang’s performance tonight was rather average: he only recorded 22 points, 16 rebounds, and 7 assists, spending most of his time setting up and supporting his teammates.

The Suns’ defense couldn’t hold up against the Trail Blazers’ Princeton System-style offense, resulting in a downright massacre.

The final score was 101:139. The Trail Blazers took Game 1 of the West Finals with a dominant 38-point victory, leading the series 1–0.

When the game entered garbage time, Gan Guoyang was substituted out. He turned to Beelman and said, "You can keep sleeping now, Bobby. It’s not over yet, but we’ve already won."