Catching the ball, O'Neal used his body to squeeze inside, but it was hard to find space; Gan Guoyang held his ground steadily.
O'Neal opted for a forceful inward turn, his elbow striking Gan Guoyang's chest.
The force was considerable, and Gan Guoyang felt a heaviness in his chest, stepping back.
The referee immediately whistled, calling an offensive foul on O'Neal, and Gan Guoyang was a bit angry.
"Watch your actions, Shaq, keep your elbows down," Gan Guoyang said.
"That's how I play ball," O'Neal retorted and went back to defending.
Gan Guoyang thought, this kid has a bit of temper; that's good news.
It looks like Beelman gave O'Neal some advice during the timeout, making him a bit fired up.
Gan Guoyang thought O'Neal might play better with a bit of temper, but O'Neal was actually boosting his own courage.
He wanted to provoke Gan Guoyang, to make Ah Gan strike first so that O'Neal could have some justification.
