Losing the third game was a considerable blow to the Trail Blazers players.
The intensity of the game showed that the Trail Blazers were not willing to give the Lakers a chance to turn the tables, they wanted to win.
They aimed to lead the series 3:0 directly, removing any suspense from the outcome, but the Lakers were incredibly resilient, clinging on without letting go.
Every time the Trail Blazers thought they could seal the deal, there was always someone from the Lakers who stepped up with a response.
Jabbar's offensive rebound, Magic Johnson's long shot, Byron Scott drawing fouls on penetrations.
The two sides were evenly matched in this game, and Gan Guoyang's ejection was a turning point, possessing an element of contingency but also a trace of inevitability.
As the support pillar in the paint and the core of offense and defense, his stamina was nearly limitless, but his foul count was not.