The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 428 Gun

Porter's crucial block at the critical moment proved to be the deciding factor in the game's outcome.

This was thanks to Porter's aggressive defense and his ability to conserve his energy.

Despite the high intensity of tonight's game, Jack Ramsey still maintained a nine-man rotation, allowing each player to get sufficient rest.

Gan Guoyang made the biggest contribution, and the other players also did what they could. Only in this way could they achieve a balance in the competition with the Lakers.

After the timeout, both teams returned to the court. Bill Walton replaced Vandeweghe, and Ramsey asked Gan Guoyang to extend his defense to the perimeter to deal with Johnson.

In a crucial Lakers offensive possession, after a timeout, the ball was passed to Magic Johnson, but it was intercepted by Gan Guoyang.

Although the tackle was unsuccessful, it disrupted Johnson's offensive rhythm. The ball was touched across midfield, forcing Johnson to chase it back and reorganize the attack.

Johnson's inbounds run failed, forcing him to take possession and attack, but Gan Guoyang's defense was not so easy to break through.

In the 80s, many perimeter players did not master the technique of high-speed dribbling and changing direction because when they were trained from a young age, such dribbling breakthroughs were often called for traveling violations.

As technology has evolved, some new-generation players have begun to control the ball better, but Magic Johnson is clearly not among them. He is a veteran, and it's already quite good that he has been able to develop a shooting ability. His dribbling habits are something he can't change no matter what.

Both he and Bird struggled in one-on-one against Gan Guoyang because they couldn't utilize their speed advantage.

Johnson ultimately opted for a tough three-pointer from the outside, but it was disrupted by Gan Guoyang, and he didn't even touch the rim.

The Lakers still had a chance to grab a second-chance rebound under the basket, but Walton firmly controlled the defensive rebound and drew a foul from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Gan Guoyang and Walton high-fived, and Gan made both free throws, giving the Trail Blazers a 4-point lead. The Lakers had only 15 seconds left on the shot clock, and their chances were over.

Johnson dribbled desperately up the court and passed the ball to Byron Scott on the wing. Scott took a three-pointer, but the ball went wide.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, and the Lakers didn't foul him, letting Gan Guoyang shoot free throws, which would give him over 50 points.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 114-110 on the road, winning their opening game of the Western Conference Finals.

Gan Guoyang scored an astonishing 48 points, and Magic Johnson also contributed 31 points and 17 assists, but they were suppressed by the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang continued his excellent performance on the Great Western Forum, taking a step closer to the finals with a brilliant victory.

After the game, Gan Guoyang, in a rare move, praised the Lakers' performance in an interview with reporters:

"Their attack put us under tremendous pressure, but fortunately we kept up. This is just the beginning, and we are ready."

Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers both played near-perfectly tonight. They kept up with the Lakers' high-speed play without making any mistakes, and delivered some beautiful offense and crucial defense.

The Lakers were clearly extremely frustrated. They never expected that a season of accumulation, waiting, hard training, and daily improvement and motivation through charts and statistics would be so difficult.

They gave it their all in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals and did very well, but they still fell short.

Riley returned to the locker room, but he ultimately didn't kick the door; he felt it wasn't the right time.

Although we lost the game today, the players played well, both offensively and defensively, and made no mistakes.

The only mistake might be that Michael Cooper provoked Gan Guoyang, but would he let you off the hook if you didn't provoke him?
In the end, the Lakers lost simply because one of their opponents was too strong; some plays were purely a testament to individual ability.

For example, Riley didn't know how the 6-foot-10 Forrest Gump could block shots so effectively when facing strong defense and when he made consecutive tough shots under the basket.

His reaction speed is extremely fast, and his anticipation is excellent. He often defends two opponents at once, blocking one in front of him and immediately turning around to block the other, putting tremendous pressure on the Lakers players.

Later on, the Lakers players tried to avoid the basket when driving to the basket, but the more you try to avoid the basket, the easier it is to get blocked and the easier it is to miss.

Riley did remind the players to engage in physical contact, but everyone said, "It's no use, you can't push Forrest Gump away by engaging in physical contact."

This guy's strength was too overpowered in the 80s; his body was as hard as steel.

Riley controlled his emotions, analyzed the gains and losses of the game, and devised a strategy for the next game.

He demanded that Forrest Gump be contained at all costs, and that his offense be brought to a standstill from the very first minute of the game.

Then, he gave the players a day off, allowing them to rest and forget about the loss.

After everyone else left, he stayed alone in the office watching game footage and analyzing every detail of the team's defeat.

In such high-level situations, details determine success or failure; the devil is in the details.

After repeatedly watching the first recording, Riley felt increasingly uneasy.

He discovered that the Trail Blazers' victory in the first game wasn't due to a breakout performance or the players being in great form.

They rely on details, especially on defense, where they make almost no mistakes. On offense, they seize every opportunity and have a very high free throw percentage, ranking first in the league.

Every pass was perfectly placed; there were no frustrating mistakes, no hesitation, and no confusion.

They operate well, steadily and firmly, unlike the Lakers who are known for their flamboyant style, but their calm demeanor contains immense power.

Forrest Gump was their cornerstone; he did everything perfectly, and technically he was flawless.

Every other star player has technical flaws and weaknesses that can be exploited, requiring teammates to compensate for them.

This guy is flawless; he excels in every aspect. Even his previously weak areas, such as playmaking and passing, are no longer problems thanks to Bill Walton's careful guidance and summer training.

Riley pulled out the game footage from the previous round and the regular season again, and the more he watched, the more anxious he became. It seemed that there was only one way to deal with Forrest Gump: hope that he would have a bad shooting night and miss the shots.

For a moment, Riley suddenly understood Cardinal Auerbach very well.

He wanted to go to the hotel where the Trail Blazers were staying, sound the fire alarm, get some expired food for the team from the restaurant, or have the fire department drive up to the hotel and make noise.

In short, you need to use these off-court methods to influence and interfere with Forrest Gump and the Trail Blazers, otherwise how can you limit him?

If the Trail Blazers had been a bad team like the Chicago Bulls, Forrest Gump would have been stuck on the edge of the playoffs for at least three to five years.

But the Trail Blazers were a strong team, and Forrest Gump transformed them. When the Portlanders drafted Forrest Gump in 1984, Riley felt he had a premonition.

Moses Malone's shadow seems to have fallen on the Los Angeles Lakers again, and this guy is even more terrifying than Moses.

Riley stayed up all night devising many strategies to deal with Forrest Gump; they were determined to win the second game.

On May 19, after a two-day break, the second match continued at the Great Western Forum.

In the first quarter, the Lakers did indeed contain Gan Guoyang with their aggressive double-teaming and high-intensity defense, helping the team to take a lead of more than 10 points.

Without Gan Guoyang's one-on-one play, the Trail Blazers' offense was missing a piece, and they seemed to have forgotten how to play basketball. The point difference grew larger and larger, reaching 18 points at one point.

Midway through the second quarter, Gan Guoyang and Walton entered the game simultaneously. Utilizing their high-low post play and tight defense under the basket, they scored a 12-0 run against the Lakers, narrowing the score gap.

Gan Guoyang scored 12 points in the first half, which Riley thought was well controlled.

In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang suddenly erupted, and his strong attacks under the basket became unstoppable.

With a series of strong drives to the basket and mid-range jump shots, he single-handedly scored 28 points in a single quarter, allowing the Trail Blazers to take the lead in the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was evenly matched, with both sides displaying an absurdly high level of defensive intensity and increasingly aggressive play.

Gan Guoyang was fouled by AC Green when he got the ball at a crucial moment, and was sent to the free throw line.

The Trail Blazers were only leading by one point, but after making both free throws, they took a three-point lead.

Riley was so angry that he threw his clipboard on the sidelines. Then, during the next possession, Worthy made another mistake and was called for an offensive foul.

Two consecutive foolish mistakes were not due to the Lakers players being bad, but rather because the high pressure and excessive physical exertion caused them to make poor judgments.

These two fouls cost the Lakers their second win, with the Trail Blazers taking a 121-119 lead in the Western Conference and a 2-0 series advantage.

Gan Guoyang scored a whopping 51 points, single-handedly dismantling the Lakers' entire defensive setup and leading his team to a commanding lead.

This time, Riley could no longer hold back. After returning to the locker room, he kicked open the door leading to the office.

The door panel was kicked and collapsed, and the Coke on the small table flew to the center of the locker room, exploded all over the floor, and splashed onto the players' heads.

Everyone was stunned. They knew Riley was angry, but they didn't expect him to be this angry. Everyone fell silent, not daring to say a word.

The locker room was deathly silent after the game.

Riley originally intended to put on a show to boost morale after the loss.

But after that kick, Riley suddenly didn't know what to say.

He scored 48 points in one game and 51 points in another. This guy is here to kill; he has no intention of leaving any survivors.

Looking at the shattered door frame, the messy locker room, the damaged door panels, and the terrified players.

Riley wasn't thinking about basketball; he was thinking about a dramatic theory:
If you hang a gun on the wall in the first scene, then you should make it fire in the next scene.

—Chekhov's Shot
(End of this chapter)