Chapter 915 - 60: The Morning of the Champion_3

Phil Jackson rarely sat on the sidelines, his head bowed, covering his face with both hands, refusing to watch the game. A nightmare, an absolute nightmare.

In the last few minutes of the fourth quarter, the Bulls’ performance on the court was akin to sleepwalking, playing nothing like a Finals team.

Defensive lapses, offensive errors, passing mistakes, traveling violations—this was even worse than game seven of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals.

The collapse came so suddenly, the bubble burst in a moment. The higher you fly, the harder you fall.

Even Michael Jordan, steadfast and determined—who had risen again after last year’s major setback—had despair and helplessness in his eyes.

When the gap reached 11 points, Phil Jackson called a timeout for one last struggle. Jordan sat on the bench, his face devoid of expression.

Even the anger he once possessed was gone; a profound sense of loss chilled him to the core, leaving him cold all over.

Defeated, they were just defeated like this, unable to turn the tide. An entire season of effort was wasted, consumed by darkness at the brink of dawn.

Jordan had already experienced many failures before. Each failure was painful, each failure clawed at his heart.

Losing game seven to the Pistons last year was a piercing agony—back then, Jordan secretly vowed he would never experience such a failure again.

But within just a year, they had crossed the Pistons, avenged the Pistons, only to suffer the most bitter loss here against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jordan had looked forward to a showdown with Gan Guoyang, mentally prepared even for defeat. He knew Gan Guoyang’s strength, knew the Trail Blazers’ capabilities.

But in this manner, under these circumstances, to lose at home—could there be anything worse?

After Jackson’s timeout, Jordan, Pippen, and Cartwright all made their shots, but it was too late.

The game had lost all suspense—the Trail Blazers only had to run out the clock to secure their victory.

They were composed, they didn’t make mistakes; they didn’t give the Bulls a chance to create a miracle. The Bulls didn’t have the spirit to attempt a miracle either.

A miracle had already occurred tonight, so there wouldn’t be another.

The final score was locked at 108:102. The Trail Blazers, having trailed by 19 points at halftime, defeated the Bulls by 6 points to win the fourth game.

The series score changed from the Chicago fans’ hopeful 2-2 to 3-1. The difference couldn’t be starker; turning things around now seemed an almost impossible task for the Bulls.

They would need to win all three remaining games, two of which were consecutive away games in Portland.

You wouldn’t even need to think hard to know—the Trail Blazers wouldn’t let go of any home court advantage; they might even strive to lift the trophy next game in Chicago.

Disappointed Chicago fans left the arena, leaving only a few loyal fans to wait until the last moment, exiting alongside the Bulls players.

Jordan pressed his lips tightly together; tonight he scored 34 points, made 10 assists, and grabbed 9 rebounds—still an impeccable performance.

But the Bulls crumbled, while the Trail Blazers’ second-half performance was flawless—this was their most spectacular team effort in all their Finals appearances to date.

In moments of crisis, they didn’t falter, didn’t give up, remained fully focused, unleashing their full potential. They didn’t rely on a single star but overturned the situation with the power of teamwork.

Compared to last year’s crushing defeat at the hands of the Detroit Pistons, the Trail Blazers had, in fact, shown an even better performance this year and played an even greater game.

At the end of the game, Gan Guoyang and Jordan shook hands at midcourt; they didn’t hug. Jordan couldn’t help but ask: "Sonny, what did you do at halftime to inspire your teammates?"

Gan Guoyang replied honestly: "I let everyone beat me up."

Jordan frowned and asked, "What? Beat you up? Wasn’t it you who beat them up?"

"Of course not. As a leader, when the team isn’t performing well, you have to allow your teammates to kick your butt instead of always blaming them. Only then can everyone unite."

Jordan was half skeptical. Gan Guoyang even pulled his shirt aside for Jordan to see—a bruise, clearly not from gameplay collisions.

"You’re crazy, Sonny—crazier than I imagined."

"For victory, it’s worth being crazy."

Jordan shook his head; he truly couldn’t imagine behaving like Gan Guoyang.

Last year’s Finals saw him beat up Isiah Thomas, but this year’s Finals had led Gan to let his teammates beat him instead.

What sort of player was this guy?

Jordan used to think he understood Gan Guoyang well—they had many similarities, got along well.

It wasn’t until this Finals matchup that Jordan truly began to realize the gap between him and Gan Guoyang, the difference in their approach.

Only through intense competition can you truly see your opponent—and simultaneously, see yourself clearly.

The story of the Trail Blazers’ 19-point comeback quickly spread across America and the global sports community.

The "New York Times" published a commentary that read:

"On the first day, God created day and night;

On the second day, He created air and sky;

On the third day, He created land, sea, mountains, and plains...;

On the fourth day, God...

On the fifth day, God...

On the sixth day, God created humans;

On the seventh day, God rested.

On the eighth day, God watched the Trail Blazers’ comeback against the Bulls, excitedly jumped out of bed, and couldn’t fall asleep.

Because the Trail Blazers created a miracle that even God finds astonishing."

This article sparked controversy as its playful tone towards God drew protests from religious conservatives.