But Gan Guoyang still didn't relax his defense against Fan Huo'en, maintaining intense one-on-one confrontation throughout, primarily focusing on companionship.
Halfway through the third quarter, Bird called a timeout. He couldn't bear to watch any longer, and said to Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, aren't you being too harsh? Young men should be given a chance."
Gan Guoyang said, "I gave him a chance, I even let him shoot threes from the outside, but he just can't make them. What can I do if he's useless with the opportunity I gave him?"
Bird said, "You forced him into a corner, resorting to forced shots. How is that an opportunity?"
"If he can't even hit forced shots, that's his problem. You're probably thinking about yourself, Larry, otherwise why sympathize with the rookie?"
Bird indeed sympathized with Fan Huo'en, recalling his own embarrassing zero-point quarter when Gan Guoyang defended him.
