The atmosphere at the start of the game was relatively harmonious, and Gan Guoyang managed to finish the first quarter smoothly, scoring 10 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and making 2 blocks, which was a normal performance for him.
To Gan, 10 points was just a regular showing, yet many players couldn't score 10 points in an entire Finals game.
With isolation plays being allowed, every opponent facing the Trail Blazers had to be prepared for Gan to efficiently drop 40 points on them in a game.
That's why Daley opened up the offense in the first quarter, letting his core players find their offensive rhythm to match Gan's scoring intensity.
Dantley scored 7 points in the first quarter while Isiah Thomas got 8 points. The team's two most important scorers found their offensive groove early on.
In the connecting segment of the second quarter, the three to five minutes of rest Gan took off-court were a critical juncture for the Pistons to change the game's tempo.
