The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 845 Standing Up Again

Without a good offensive touch in the first quarter, Ma Long was still unable to break through Gan Guoyang's defensive chain in the second quarter.

The team's offense stalled, and the key players were unable to score one-on-one, making the Jazz's situation extremely difficult.

In the current NBA environment, a strong one-on-one scoring ability of a core player is an essential part of a strong team.

When the team has an overall defensive advantage and relies primarily on individual defense, efficient one-on-one play is key to winning in the playoffs.

Without Malone as a primary offensive threat, the Jazz's offense came to a complete standstill.

"Malone received the ball in the corner, which was his sweet spot. He turned and drove hard to the basket, but his layup was tipped away from behind by Agan! Oh my god, Malone still couldn't score!"

"Forrest Gump was almost perfect on defense. He deliberately avoided Malone's drives, let him into the paint, and then blocked his layup!"

Bill Walton clearly understood Gan Guoyang's defensive habits, luring him in and then using his height and wingspan advantage to prevent him from shooting.

Ma Long's signature move, receiving the ball at a zero-degree angle to attack, was a sure-fire one-on-one attack.

If his opponent is close to him, he will drive straight to the basket.

If the opponent creates distance to defend his drive, he will pull up for a mid-range jumper from a zero-degree angle, and his accuracy is quite high.

During the regular season, even Gan Guoyang might not be able to defend him if he received the ball in this position.

Because during the regular season, Gan Guoyang mostly allowed shots; if you could make the shot, you made it, and he wouldn't let Ma Long drive to the basket.

The playoffs were different. Gan Guoyang, going all out, set a trap for Ma Long, first letting him go and then hitting him, causing Ma Long's layup to miss.

After gaining possession of the ball, the Trail Blazers immediately launched a counterattack. Gan Guoyang started directly from the backcourt, receiving a long pass from Chris Mullin.

Gan Guoyang traversed the entire court like a running back in rugby, caught the ball, and scored a layup. The Jazz's defense had completely lost its formation and intensity.

The point difference widened further, and with Malone repeatedly missing shots, Stockton tried to break the deadlock with his individual offense, just like last season.

However, Blaylock's defense is incomparable to Van Exel's. His one-on-one defense is very tough. He will tirelessly squeeze through any pick-and-roll and chase after Stockton, making it difficult for Stockton to get away and get a suitable shooting space.

Hornacek did manage to make two shots after receiving the ball, but his points were insufficient to turn the tide in the current situation.

If Malone, the Jazz's most important scoring option, can't score, the team will have little hope of winning.

Malone's first point of the game came in the eighth minute of the second quarter when he finally drew a foul from Gan Guoyang during a one-on-one drive.

The referee called a blocking call on Gan Guoyang, and Ma Long, with a bit of acting, got the chance to stand at the free-throw line. He slowly made both free throws and finally scored his first point of the game.

Gan Guoyang was quite dissatisfied with the referee's decision. While Ma Long was shooting free throws, he kept muttering, "Without the referee, you won't score tonight, Karl."

"You should thank the referee properly. He took pity on you and gave you two free throw opportunities. Make sure to take advantage of them."

Even when the Trail Blazers led by more than 15 points, Gan Guoyang did not relax at all and fought for every ball.

He knew that the Jazz were a seasoned and incredibly shrewd team.

If you give them even the slightest chance, especially in the first half, they will definitely try to find a way to stick to you and try to turn the tide.

Therefore, after Ma Long made the free throw, Gan Guoyang immediately attacked the basket repeatedly and scored.

He scored a layup and a three-point play, netting 5 points in a row and further widening the score gap.

The Trail Blazers led the Jazz by 18 points at halftime, 47-29.

The Jazz failed to score 30 points in the first half, and this wasn't the first time they'd done so in the playoffs.

In the previous round against the SuperSonics, although the Jazz won by a large margin of 4-2, they suffered a crushing defeat to the SuperSonics in the third game, losing 62-91.

That's how this Jazz team is; they tend to go cold in a game, and it can be a major cold spell. Their offense is terrible, and then their defense gets completely overwhelmed by the opponent's fast break.

This significant weakness means the Jazz are unlikely to become a championship team unless they have enough luck and their opponents are even worse than them.

In fact, the NBA environment in the late 90s was already friendly enough for the Jazz, as all the powerhouses were in decline and new stars had not yet emerged.

Unfortunately, during the 1997 and 1998 transfer windows, they encountered Michael Jordan and Forrest Gump.

In the third quarter, the Jazz's offense showed no improvement after the halftime break—just like in the third game of the previous round against the SuperSonics, where they only scored 9 points in the third quarter.

In this game against the Trail Blazers, Malone couldn't possibly have found a way to deal with Forrest Gump's defense one-on-one after only 15 minutes of rest. The Jazz simply kept increasing pick-and-rolls and trying to strengthen their backcourt offense.

However, Stockton and Hornacek frequently missed shots under the Trail Blazers' strong one-on-one defense.

Without Ma Long as a tactical pivot, the veteran backcourt duo, lacking in athleticism, will find it too difficult to rely on individual skill to win.

Gan Guoyang's tenacious defense against Malone gave Ostertag and Brian Russell some opportunities to attack the basket.

However, the two players could only provide piecemeal offensive support, especially Russell, who was unable to attack the Trail Blazers' weakest point at the small forward position, leading the Jazz into a desperate scoring drought.

In the third quarter, the Jazz only scored 10 points.

"If Forrest Gump goes all out on offense, he can score 10 points in three minutes. As for the Jazz... to be honest, if I were Sloan, I would just substitute all the starters and surrender. Their offense tonight was just awful."

Walton criticized the Jazz's poor offensive touch, saying their repeated missed shots made the game look terrible.

The Trail Blazers didn't score many points in the slow-paced game, but their 20 points in the quarter were enough to extend their lead to 28 points.

The Jazz had no hope left. Not long into the fourth quarter, Sloan called a timeout and substituted Malone, Stockton, and Hornacek, signifying that the Jazz had given up the fight.

The Trail Blazers also substituted their starters. After the second unit came on, Kobe led the substitutes to continue their attack, almost causing a disaster.

Later, Larry Bird also substituted Kobe, not wanting to make things too ugly.

The final score was 100-58, with the Trail Blazers sweeping the Utah Jazz by 42 points in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals.

The Jazz had no hope of winning the entire game, with very few highlights, resulting in a humiliating defeat.

The Jazz arrived in Portland with high morale, hoping to secure a road victory against their old rivals.

But when they actually met Forrest Gump, that man who seemed like a "serial killer," the entire Jazz team realized that the mask and the real person were not the same.

Jerry Sloan was naturally extremely disappointed with the team's performance, but instead of blaming anyone, he chose to criticize himself, saying that he, as the coach, had not been adequately prepared.

"I underestimated the Trail Blazers' determination to win and the intensity of the game. I was careless. This year's Portland Trail Blazers are two different teams compared to last year."

At the post-match press conference, Sloan took responsibility, saying it was because he had been too careless.

Even without being careless, the Jazz, in their current form tonight, would not be a match for the Trail Blazers.

Malone scored only 6 points in the game, his lowest score in recent playoff career and the first time this season that he did not score in double digits.

He was secretly relieved that he hadn't made the bet with Forrest Gump, otherwise he would have lost $10, but he didn't realize that he had been completely at a disadvantage from the very beginning, psychologically.

After a day of rest, the second game of the Western Conference Finals continued at the Rose Garden.

After a crushing defeat in the first game, the Jazz made positive adjustments for the second game.

Just like last year, Ma Long took the initiative to assume the important task of organizing and supporting from the very beginning of the match.

He drew Agan's defense, setting screens and passing to his teammates, creating scoring opportunities for Brian Russell and Hornacek to open up the game.

The Jazz started much better than in the first game, hitting consecutive outside shots and even taking the lead midway through the first quarter.

Larry Bird immediately called a timeout to make adjustments, asking his players to get out of the rhythm of the previous game and re-establish their offensive approach.

After the timeout, the Trail Blazers launched a fast-paced, high-scoring offensive, using quick shots, numerous screens, runs, and jumpers to launch a fierce attack on the Jazz.

Clearly, this is an offensive battle, a contest of who has the greater firepower.

The Trail Blazers quickly tied the score in the first quarter with a more efficient offense.

The two teams then traded baskets, and at halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Jazz 61-55. From this point on, the Jazz realized they couldn't out-score the Trail Blazers offensively.

Whether it's half-court offense or fast break offense, the Trail Blazers have better resources than the Jazz.

The 77 wins in the regular season were not a gift; they were earned through genuine, effective, and outstanding strength. The team's stability and depth are terrifying.

By the third quarter, the Trail Blazers had found their rhythm and were firing on all cylinders, completely overwhelming the Jazz in that quarter.

With 41 points in a single quarter, including 6 of 8 three-pointers, he completely broke down the Jazz's defense.

The Jazz's preferred style of play—one-on-four, slowly grinding down the court, and playing at a slow pace—was like a broken tractor in the face of the Trail Blazers' whirlwind offense, which was like a fighter jet.

They scored over 100 points in three quarters, and quickly turned the game into garbage time in the fourth quarter.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Jazz 129-99, a 30-point advantage, taking a 2-0 lead in the series.

In just two games, the Trail Blazers beat the Jazz by 70 points, clearly indicating that the two teams are not on the same level.

Not only is there a huge disparity in strength between the two sides, but there's also the bitter rivalry of losing Game 7 of last year's Western Conference Finals. The Trail Blazers will definitely not hold back.

The Jazz arrived in Portland full of passion, only to leave disappointed. Back in Salt Lake City, they still have a chance to earn some dignity for themselves.

On the same day the Trail Blazers won Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, May 18, the U.S. Department of Justice and attorneys general from more than 20 states officially launched an antitrust lawsuit against Bill Gates and his Microsoft company.

From 1984, the year Gan Guoyang entered the NBA, to 1998, Microsoft gradually developed into one of the world's most successful software companies.

However, in its development process, Microsoft relied on its strong software market coverage to form a solid monopoly in the PC market.

In 1990, the same year that Gan Guoyang led the Portland Trail Blazers to an 11-0 record and won the NBA Finals, the Federal Trade Commission began its antitrust investigation into Microsoft.

The government accused Microsoft of using its monopoly position in the Windows operating system to bundle its Internet Explorer browser with other browser software manufacturers in an attempt to suppress other browser software companies.

For example, a significant piece of evidence is that when users uninstall Internet Explorer, the Windows operating system runs slower, forcing users to use the system's built-in browser.

Starting on the 18th, the investigation entered a critical phase, attracting nationwide attention. Bill Gates also appeared before the judge to attend the hearing and answer questions.

However, Gates' performance at the hearing was quite poor and sluggish. The Microsoft founder, who is hailed as a software genius and a legend in wealth, was vague in the face of questioning and repeatedly used ambiguous statements to shirk responsibility, which caused the public's impression of Gates and Microsoft to decline significantly.

This anti-monopoly trend in the software industry has even reached the sports world, including the NBA.

When Gan Guoyang made it to the Western Conference Finals for the 12th time, and when they were leading 2-0 in the series without any suspense, people pointed out that Gan and the Trail Blazers' monopoly in the NBA, especially in the West, should also be questioned.
Salt Lake City media outlets even published articles claiming that the Trail Blazers have received the league's protection in drafting and signing players for many years.

Last summer, Sabonis' return was due to exploiting a loophole in the league's rules; otherwise, he would never have been able to sign with the Trail Blazers.

Without Sabonis, Forrest Gump wouldn't have been so successful, and the Trail Blazers wouldn't have achieved their terrifying 77-win record.

Just like when Sabonis first joined the Trail Blazers in 1990, the Trail Blazers won 69 games. Moreover, Sabonis, Petrovic, and others are all overseas players. The Trail Blazers took advantage of the loopholes in the NBA draft to find overseas players and greatly enhanced their strength.

During the three-day break between Game 2 and Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, Salt Lake City and other cities that hated the Trail Blazers used the anti-monopoly news to launch an attack on the Blazers.

However, unlike the sports and software industries, such attacks are ineffective in the face of stark reality.

On May 22, in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals, the Jazz returned to their home court for a do-or-die battle.

Before the game started, Jerry Sloan looked towards the stands, searching for his wife, Barbie.

His heart calmed down after he saw Barbie waving at him.

On the other side, Gan Guoyang waved to the Stockton family in the stands.

Stockton's wife, son, and parents were all present to watch the game.

"You've won too much, Sonny! Go easy on him!" Old Stockton shouted at Gan Guoyang.

Parents' hearts are always full of love and concern. Old Stockton was heartbroken to see his son struggling to overcome the hurdle of being a Trail Blazer like Forrest Gump.

He knew the Jazz's chances of winning the championship were slim, only in the next two years, but facing a fully-fledged Trail Blazers team and Forrest Gump would be too difficult.

Gan Guoyang smiled but didn't respond. He simply picked up Stockton's eldest son, hugged him, and signed his name on his shirt: "He's wearing Trail Blazers number 11 tonight. He's a die-hard fan of Gan Guoyang."

The old father pleaded earnestly, but the eldest son betrayed him. Stockton himself was helpless and could only shake his head from a short distance away. He knew that Forrest Gump would not show any mercy.

Game 3, the toughest game of the series, ended in a 71-71 tie after three quarters.

Tonight, with home-court advantage and the help of the referees, the Jazz played exceptionally well, but even so, the score remained tied after three quarters.

The competition between the two sides remained fierce in the fourth quarter, reaching its peak as they engaged in a physical battle with frequent whistles.

Malone had 12 free throw opportunities tonight, and with the help of those free throws, he had already scored 24 points by the fourth quarter.

The two sides were tied at 71-71, and then tied at 90-90, before the final, most crucial minute was played out.

Gan Guoyang's three-point attempt missed, giving the Jazz a great counter-attack opportunity.

Stockton grabbed the rebound and made a long-range pass to Malone, who was rushing up the court. Malone caught the ball and made a layup!
92-90! The Jazz have taken the lead!
Gan Guoyang chose to drive to the basket for his next attack, only to be double-teamed by three Jazz players.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Sabonis, who cut into the middle, and Sabonis was fouled on his layup attempt.

He went to the free-throw line and made one of two shots, making it 92-91, with the Jazz still leading by one point.

With 30 seconds left, the Jazz have possession of the ball. If they score, the Jazz will have the game in their grasp.

Malone and Stockton executed a brilliant pick-and-roll, Malone cut to the basket, received a pass from Stockton, and attacked the rim directly!
A shot that seemed certain to go in and would win the game was blocked by Gan Guoyang from behind!
Malone, who had been favored by the referee throughout the game, did not receive a whistle on this play. In the final moments, unless it was an obvious foul, the referee would not have blown the whistle.

The slow-motion replay by the TV station showed that Gan Guoyang made a good block and did not commit a foul.

Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball across half-court with 10 seconds left, but the Trail Blazers did not call a timeout.

The Jazz's defense hesitated, unsure whether to double-team. Russell and Hornacek were itching to make their move.

Gan Guoyang seized the opportunity and forcefully broke through from the middle, leaving Ma Long behind.

Russell came over from the wing to double-team, Ostertag blocked their path in the paint, and Malone was chasing and intercepting them from behind.

Gan Guoyang was 12 feet from the basket, just inside the free-throw line, when he pulled up and took a jump shot.

A noticeable hang time in the air allowed him to evade the defense and launch a steady shot from an optimal body position.

The ball traced a beautiful high arc and swished through the net with 2.1 seconds left on the timer!
Score! Two points! The score is now 92-93, and the Trail Blazers have taken the lead!
The Jazz were left with only 2 seconds, and what's worse, they had no timeouts left.

The entire center of the triangle was silent. Did they still have a chance? Yes, but not many.

The only option is to quickly inbound the ball from the backcourt to Stockton, who then dribbles towards the frontcourt.

Blaylock kept a close eye on him, and finally Stockton forced a three-pointer just past half-court.

A completely inaccurate shot; the ball went astray and didn't even touch the rim.

The lights came on, the game ended, and Gan Guoyang made a game-winning shot, giving the Trail Blazers a one-point victory over the Jazz.

With a 3-0 lead in the series, the outcome of this match is no longer in doubt.

At the end of the match, Gan Guoyang and Stockton embraced tightly.

Gan Guoyang asked Stockton, "Would you like to consider playing with me?"

Stockton neither refused nor agreed, but said, "I'll get back up and keep playing, Sonny."

Despite repeated defeats, Stockton remained undeterred. Looking at his father, who was standing and applauding in the stands, Stockton recalled what his father had once told him:

"It's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up."

(End of this chapter)