Gan Guoyang excelled at sticking to his opponents and knocking the ball away before they could even get a shot off.
If it had been Irving from five years ago, that play would have been a powerful dunk over an opponent after a drive through the middle.
Now, with his speed and explosiveness far from what they used to be, Irving's average points per game had dropped to a career-low 20, and his shooting percentage fell below fifty percent for the first time in five seasons.
This time, he was closely guarded by the pressing Gan Guoyang and didn't have enough space to get off the ground, resulting in a merciless block.
After blocking Irving's layup, Gan Guoyang took control of the ball and made a long pass to the frontcourt, where Vandeweghe caught it for a fast break, scoring a left-handed layup for two points.
Malone had an early lead by drawing a foul on Gan Guoyang with an aggressive play at the start of the game, but unexpectedly, the Trail Blazers went on an 8:3 run.
