Charles Barkley avoided Ah Gan's sharpness, constantly using mid-range shots to disrupt the solid zone defense of the China Team — their defense was as stable as the rock base of a pyramid, unyielding.
This required exceptional discipline and a strong mindset.
Zone defense is easily disbanded, especially when repeatedly attacked successfully.
If any part of it slackens, the whole structure of the defense collapses, leading to chaos.
So, coaches often rotate between zone defense and man-to-man to ensure players don't remain tense all the time.
But for the China Team, man-to-man defense would be a disaster, so the entire first half they relied on remarkable discipline and willpower to stick together in fearless resistance.
Meanwhile, Ah Gan was a solitary runner on the offensive end, like a runner traversing the wilderness, trying his best to make the most optimal plays, scoring one difficult shot after another.
