O'Donnell wasn't very friendly to Ah Gan either—since O'Donnell and Strom did not get along well, the two almost never officiated the same game together.
The selection of O'Donnell as the referee for game four, with the Trail Blazers playing away, was extremely disadvantageous for them.
Sure enough, not long after the first quarter began, Sabonis was penalized twice and had to rest, forcing Gan Guoyang to take the center position.
However, Gan Guoyang still possessed unmatched power at the center position; the only way to stop him was to have him sit on the bench.
O'Donnell was extremely strict with physical contact calls in this game, especially harsh on the interior defense of the Trail Blazers.
In the first half alone, Gan Guoyang was penalized three times and shortly after the start of the third quarter, he received his fourth foul due to a block caused by Thomas's breakthrough.