The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 334 Murderous Intent

On the morning of June 11, the Trail Blazers players were gathering in the VIP lounge of Portland Airport, preparing to fly to Boston to participate in the final two games of the NBA Finals.

If they can win Game 6, the series will end, and they will return to Portland with the Larry O'Brien Trophy, winning their second championship trophy in history.

Large numbers of Portland fans came to the airport to see the team off. The excitement of yesterday's fifth game still deeply infected people throughout the city and even the state. Many people stayed up all night celebrating in the streets, riverbanks, and parks.

One can imagine the grand celebration that would greet the Trail Blazers if they won the championship and returned here; just thinking about it makes the Trail Blazers players incredibly excited.

The close connection between the team and the city inspires a strong sense of honor and a desire for victory in every player, and this desire becomes even stronger the closer they get to the championship.

It was almost time to board, and Gan Guoyang still hadn't arrived. Jack Ramsey glanced at his watch and said, "Clyde's already here, why isn't Sonny here yet?"

Drexler rolled his eyes, thinking, "Forrest Gump isn't here, so what? What do you mean Clyde is here? Am I a schedule?"
Even if that's the case, you don't need to say it!
Vandeweghe said, "I guess he's stuck at his doorstep and can't get out. A lot of people have been camping in Lake Hill Park lately, and most of them are gathered near Agam's house. There are piles of gifts in front of his house every day. The fans must have gone crazy during yesterday's game."

Van de Wechs guessed correctly. This morning, Gan Guoyang's house was completely blocked by piles of gifts.

When Quentin Stephenson came over, cleared out all the gifts, and opened the door, Gan Guoyang looked at the mountain of things and thought he had died and everyone was there to commemorate him.

More and more fans camped nearby, turning the finals into a carnival for many young people. They gathered to watch the game, chat, camp, and have picnics. Of course, some unspeakable things inevitably happened in tents and parks at night.

After several days, the sanitation situation in Hushan Park was worrying, with all kinds of garbage, abandoned tents, and damaged lawns everywhere.

Before leaving, Gan Guoyang appealed to everyone to cherish public hygiene, take all their belongings with them, and restore the environment to its original state. At the same time, he lamented that these Americans had poor manners and that the magazines they had read, such as "Reader" and "Yilin," were all lies.

He then arrived at the airport on time and boarded the plane with his anxious teammates and team staff.

There was another lot of hassle before boarding, because there were just too many people, which had already affected the normal operation of the airport.

It was only with the help of the Portland Police Department that they were able to board the plane and take off for Boston on the East Coast to prepare for the final game of the Finals.

The atmosphere on the plane was both relaxed and solemn. The Trail Blazers, who had secured the match point, were just one step away from the championship, but everyone knew that sometimes, that one step could mean an insurmountable distance.

No one knows how Game 6 will turn out. Media outlets predict that there will likely be a Game 7. If Game 7 is played in Boston, the situation will be different.

Because the Celtics have never lost a Game 7 in the Finals in their history, and during Bill Russell's era, challengers like the Lakers did have a chance to take a 3-1 lead.

But each time, the Celtics managed to turn the tide, dragging the series into a decisive Game 7, and ultimately winning with their incredibly tenacious willpower, securing their eighth consecutive championship.

In 1962, the Lakers led the Celtics 3-2. It was the first time that the combination of Jerry West and Elgin Baylor had reached the NBA Finals. They were 23 and 27 years old, in their prime. If they had won Game 6 at home, their basketball careers would have been very different.

But in Game 6, a game in Los Angeles where they could have won the championship, they lost. Even with their two players combining for 68 points, they couldn't stop the Celtics from forcing a Game 7.

In Game 7, Baylor scored 41 points, but Bill Russell grabbed 40 rebounds, and the Celtics ultimately defeated the Lakers by 3 points at home to win the championship.

From then on, the Celtics began their reign over the Lakers, defeating them six times in 63, 65, 66, 68, and 69 to win the championship.

In 1966 and 1969, the Celtics defeated the Lakers in Game 7 to win the championship. In particular, in 1969, the Lakers once again held two match points, with the final game being played in Los Angeles.

The Great Western Forum was all set to release balloons after winning the championship, but the Celtics, who were practically on their deathbed, still managed to beat the Lakers, and in the end, all those balloons were donated to a welfare institution.

After Russell's retirement, the Celtics still won the NBA Finals in 1974 and 1984, securing a Game 7 victory. In short, once the series goes to a Game 7, the Celtics, with home-court advantage and a historical psychological edge, will never easily relinquish the championship.

Riding the momentum from Game 5, winning the championship in Game 6 was the best possible outcome for the Trail Blazers.

Bill Walton traveled with the team to Boston, but after the effects of the injection wore off, his ankle became swollen and painful, and he will miss Game 6.

Jack Ramsey and Adelman were discussing player rotation, whether to put Gan Guoyang back at center or start Jones and continue with the three tall players.

Gan Guoyang sat in his seat, with Spoelstra sitting next to him, and they analyzed the fifth game together.

Spoelstra Jr. accompanied his father, Jon, to Boston to experience the atmosphere of the NBA Finals.

Last night, he worked through the night to edit the video of the fifth game and then wrote a simple summary report.

This high school student has dedicated all his free time to the Trail Blazers' video editing room.

Whenever he had time, he would immerse himself in it, constantly watching game footage and editing and analyzing the Trail Blazers' game footage.

The Trail Blazers were happy to use this free young helper, whose editing skills were already superb, and Ramsey always thought the compilations he produced were very good.

Of course, his summary report was a personal work, and the Trail Blazers coaching staff would not adopt the strategic opinions of a high school student, but Gan Guoyang was very interested in Spoelstra's ideas.

He believed that while Dr. Jack was certainly knowledgeable and highly capable, the basketball court was ever-changing, and sometimes the old man's ideas were inevitably somewhat rigid and outdated.

Even if he keeps learning and updating, an old mind is never as useful as a new one. Little Spock, for example, can always provide some ingenious ideas that give people a lot of inspiration.

"Boston's frontcourt is exhausted. I can see from the video that they're increasingly struggling with pick-and-rolls and drives to the basket. Kevin McHale and Robert Parish have been playing far too many minutes. Although we've lost Walton, we still have Jones and Agan, while Parish and Kevin are at their limits. I bet the Celtics' frontcourt defense will be a disaster in Game 6. This is our chance!"

Spoelstra confidently analyzed the Celtics' weak frontcourt through data statistics and video analysis.

They lack a key backup. Marquez Johnson has played very well in the last few games, but he plays as a shooting guard.

The Celtics' backcourt is playing with ease, but their once-proud frontcourt is on the verge of collapse.

McHale had his best game of the series in Game 5, but he and Robert Parish struggled more and more on the defensive end.

Gan Guoyang's relentless attacks and prolonged time on the field left the three-headed monster physically and mentally exhausted.

Gan Guoyang pondered Spoelstra's words, resting his chin on his hand, and asked, "So, what do you think I should do in Game 6? Continue to attack their frontcourt and score another 50 points?"

Spoelstra said, "If you can score 50 points, that would be great, but it's difficult. They will definitely guard you closely. If I were the coach, I would mobilize the whole team and attack the opponent's weakest point until we beat them to a pulp."

Gan Guoyang looked at Little Spoelstra, and a murderous glint appeared in his eyes. Gan Guoyang patted the guy's head and said, "When I retire, I'll let you be my coach."

Spo's face immediately regained its childlike innocence as he said, "I'm still young..."

(End of this chapter)