The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 847: Reunion

Jordan never expected that the date for the Finals would be postponed to a Game 7.

After the Bulls and Pacers were tied 2-2, the Bulls, returning to their home court in Chicago for Game 5, did not give the Pacers a chance to take a 3-1 lead.

Pippen, who made a fatal mistake in Game 4, returned to the United Center and redeemed himself, scoring 20 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists.

The Bulls defeated the Pacers at home, giving them a chance to end the series in Indiana, advance to the NBA Finals for the sixth time, and meet the Trail Blazers for the third time.

However, once they arrived in the fervent atmosphere of Indiana, the Bulls seemed to lose their rhythm, unlike the Chicago Bulls who were once adept at winning on the road.

Indiana has an incredibly passionate basketball culture, even though it has never produced an NBA champion, isn't a major market, and is often ridiculed as a rural area or cornfield due to its relatively underdeveloped agricultural state.

Larry Bird is the best star produced by the state, a white man's pride, yet he can't shake off the nickname "country bumpkin."

However, Indiana is undoubtedly a basketball state, one of the regions with the best basketball atmosphere and the most loyal and passionate fans in the United States.

Back in 1891, when basketball had just been invented, a young pastor named Nicholas McKay watched Professor Naismith teach the sport to the school's lecturers during a visit to the YMCA.

The pastor quickly fell in love with this unique sport and brought it back to his hometown of Crawfordsville, Indiana.

In less than a year, young people all over Indiana started playing basketball and developed an extraordinary level of enthusiasm for the new sport.

Scattered among the endless cornfields of Indiana are barns of all sizes, and baskets hang from the walls of these barns.

In 1911, 20 years after the invention of basketball, just as the Qing Dynasty was about to collapse, the Indiana High School Basketball Championship was born.

Unlike California, where the statewide competition is divided into different tiers based on school size, student population, and skill level, with different state champions for each tier, Indiana's high school basketball league has always had only one champion.

Regardless of school size, enrollment scale, or academic level, everyone gathers together to play a battle royale-style competition.

Every year, high schools of all sizes in Indiana compete for this championship through a year-long elimination and pursuit, igniting a basketball frenzy across the state, comparable to the NCAA's March Madness, and known as "Hoosier Hysteria".

In 1954, Milan High School, a small school with only 161 students, fought its way through the regular season to the knockout stage. After nine rounds of single-elimination matches, it emerged from 752 schools and won the championship by shooting a game-winning shot in the final second.

This miracle became one of the most famous stories in Indiana basketball history and an important part of the legends of Indiana basketball history.

Now, Reggie Miller, the skinny guy from California, has become a representative of Indiana basketball, hitting the game-winning shot against the Bulls in Game 4.

Game 6 returned to Indiana, and amidst the cheers of the enthusiastic home crowd, the two sides fought neck and neck, with the Pacers proving exceptionally difficult to beat.

With just over a minute left in the game, the Bulls maintained a one-point lead, which is a huge psychological boost at times like this.

However, referee Hugh Hollins called an illegal defense on Pippen, sending Miller to the free-throw line, where Miller made the shot to tie the game.

This was a significant blow to the Bulls. Later, Jordan fell while driving to the basket, and Jackson and the Bulls players believed it was a tripping foul, but the referee made no call.

They ultimately lost to the Pacers 89-92 on the road, tying the series 3-3.

The Bulls' inability to win on the road is not good news for them.

The good news is that Game 7 will be played in Chicago, and the Bulls still hold the initiative.

But a Game 7 is a Game 7, and anything can happen under immense pressure.

The Bulls face the risk of elimination, while the Pacers have a historic chance to reach the Finals and challenge the Trail Blazers' dominance.

To be honest, the Pacers are very confident because they have played quite well against the Trail Blazers in the regular season for the past two years.

Many of the Pacers' players and coaching staff worked for the Trail Blazers and were with Forrest Gump, so they know each other very well.

The Trail Blazers and the Pacers have always been friendly, brotherly teams, learning from and exchanging ideas with each other, and have a very good relationship.

The Trail Blazers also managed to snag a draft pick from the Pacers; they were able to draft Forrest Gump thanks to the Pacers.

Therefore, although Gan Guoyang knew that the Bulls had defeated the Pacers to reach the Finals in history, he was not sure now. Many things had not changed, but many things had also changed.

On May 31st, at the United Center in Chicago, the decisive Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals took place.

This is the third Game 7 for the Bulls on their way to the NBA Finals.

They lost to the Detroit Pistons in 1990 and to the Heat in 1993.

Having lost both previous two games, the Bulls are under immense pressure this time.

And the situation is very similar to that of 1993, when the Bulls also made it to the Finals twice and were pursuing a third time.

Similarly, the whole team was exhausted, tormented by injuries and public opinion, and relied entirely on willpower to get through the playoffs.

Even the series unfolded exactly the same way: a 2-0 lead, a 2-2 tie, a win in Game 5, a loss in Game 6, and a Game 7.

Before the Eastern Conference Finals began, Phil Jackson did not expect the game against the Pacers to be so fierce, pushing him to the brink of elimination.

In the first two games, the Bulls won easily. Jackson listened to Harper and Pippen's advice and changed the defensive matchups.

Let Pippen guard Mark Jackson, let Harper guard Reggie Miller, and let Jordan guard the Pacers' small forward.

This would allow Pippen to suppress the Pacers' playmaker to the greatest extent possible, and also prevent Jordan from having to run all over the court and exhaust himself by Miller.

The Bulls easily took a 2-0 lead.

But in Indiana, the Bulls always fell just short of victory.

Both losses were very unfortunate, and Jackson knew that this was a sign of the team's overall decline in strength.

In some key details, the Bulls were not as dominant as they had been in the previous two seasons.

Moreover, refereeing issues plagued the Bulls, with two key calls impacting the outcome.

Jackson knew that this wasn't the league intentionally making things difficult for the Bulls, but rather that the Bulls' margin for error had become very low, and even a small mistake could lead to defeat.

In the first six games of the series, the Bulls scored 24 more points than the Pacers, averaging 4 more points per game, but the series score was tied 3-3.

Winning a single game by a large margin is still just one victory; losing a game by a small margin is still losing a significant number of points.

Game 7 didn't look so optimistic for the Bulls. Jackson could vaguely sense the corrupt atmosphere throughout the team, which grew stronger with each loss.

Before Game 7 began, Jerry Krause and Jerry Reinsdorf were nowhere to be seen in the locker room; they probably hoped Jordan would lose so they could start the rebuilding process.

In his locker room speech, Jackson addressed the possibility of losing the game, saying, "We can lose, but we must come into the game with the right attitude and not be overwhelmed by the fear of losing."

Michael Jordan stated unequivocally, "We will not lose this game. The Finals await us." His gaze was cold and resolute. No matter how strong the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump were, no matter how weak the Bulls and he himself were, Jordan was determined to fight his way into the Finals and face Forrest Gump in a life-or-death battle.

However, Game 7 is not that easy; in the NBA, willpower alone is not enough.

The Bulls had a poor start, and Jordan's performance was also quite bad, missing many shots. He was really tired.

The Pacers made all eight of their opening shots and led the Bulls by 13 points in the first quarter, putting the Bulls in a very unfavorable position.

In the second quarter, Steve Kerr, who came off the bench, became a key player, scoring 8 points in the quarter and helping the Bulls stay close into halftime.

If the Bulls fall too far behind in the first half, they might really be doomed.

During halftime, Jordan gave another speech, telling his teammates, "We absolutely will not lose this game. There is no possibility of losing."

Then in the third quarter, Jordan started missing shots again, allowing the Pacers to regain a significant lead.

At this point, Toni Kukoc stepped up, and no one on the Pacers could completely match up against the Croatian talent defensively.

He's too tall, yet he's an outside shooter. Kukoc was in excellent form in the third quarter, scoring 14 points, while the Bulls only managed 21 points as a whole.

And so, in the second and third quarters, thanks to the outbursts of Kerr and Kukoc, the Bulls dragged the game into a decisive fourth quarter.

Bulls fans thought they could witness Jordan's resurgence in the final game, but Jordan's performance was subpar throughout the night.

He missed a layup and got into a scramble with Schmitz, resulting in a jump ball call.

This was perhaps the most crucial jump ball of the game, with the Pacers leading by three points and six minutes remaining.

Facing the towering Schmitz, Jordan unleashed his full potential, relying on his superhuman explosiveness to get to the ball first and pass it to his teammate.

The ball was finally passed to Steve Kerr, who hit a three-pointer to tie the game!

The situation finally reversed at this moment, and the scales of victory gradually tipped in favor of the Chicago Bulls, who were playing at home.

Adelman made a major mistake in the fourth quarter when he substituted Mario Elie for Jalen Rose, who was shooting well.

Adelman's reason for making the substitution was that Jalen Rose's playing time had come.

In the crucial playoffs, making substitutions at the last minute is a major taboo. If you take away a player who is in hot form, it may be difficult for him to recover later.

In comparison, Phil Jackson used Kerr more in the second quarter and Kukoc more in the third quarter. Both were substitutes and were in good form. Through their outstanding individual performances, they gradually turned the tide.

The Pacers made very thorough preparations before the game, the team was in high spirits, and they were confident of winning a game in Chicago.

However, if even the smallest detail is overlooked, a single failed jump ball could lead to a complete collapse.

With Pippen hitting a crucial shot, the Bulls took the lead.

The Pacers grew increasingly fatigued, and under the Bulls' strong defense, they lost their offensive rhythm.

Ultimately, the score was 89-83, with the Bulls winning by 6 points at home against the Pacers to claim the Eastern Conference title and advance to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.

Reggie Miller and the Pacers returned to the locker room with immense regret. They had played well enough this season, but they were still one step away from the biggest stage.

Adelman told the players in the locker room that they would come back strong next year, but who knows what will happen next year?

In the Bulls' home locker room, Jordan breathed a sigh of relief. Tonight, he made 9 of 27 shots, a shooting percentage of only 33%, a truly terrible performance.

Fortunately, other members of the Bulls stepped up, with Kerr and Kukoc on the bench making outstanding contributions.

Kerr scored 11 points, including a game-tying three-pointer.

Kukoc scored 21 points on 7-of-11 shooting, making him the most crucial player in the Bulls' victory.

Wearing a black Eastern Conference champion baseball cap, an exhausted Jordan told reporters in the locker room, "The most important thing is determination. I think you can see a lot of determination and courage on the court. It's an incredible effort. This is a true championship team. We always find a way to win and put it into practice."

Even though he only made 9 of 27 shots, Jordan still scored a game-high 28 points, contributing crucial points and stepping up to attack the basket when the team needed him most.

Jordan's words sounded a bit like motivational platitudes, all that talk about determination and hard work, as if anyone with determination could win a championship. Didn't the Pacers have determination?

But Jordan said these words from the bottom of his heart, because he was really exhausted at that moment.

He clearly felt that his jumping height during the game was not as good as before, which caused many of his shots to be out of rhythm.

Inflammation in his knees plagued him, and year after year, one high-intensity game after another slowly eroded his body.

Of course, the most important thing is the mental exhaustion. The team has been battling Jerry Krause all season, and has not made any effective reinforcements. The morale of the whole team is low, and they are just hanging on by a thread.

Now, with sheer determination, they have overcome the Pacers.

But then what? Then they're going to Portland.

They only have two days of rest before the Finals kick off on June 3 at the Rose Garden Arena.

Portland again, Forrest Gump again.

An uncontrollable flame rose in Jordan's heart.

His body was so exhausted, yet his nerves were so excited.

After six years, a full six years, the two teams finally met again in the finals.

In Portland, at Gan Guoyang's home, after the live broadcast of the game ended, Gan Guoyang turned off the TV.

He breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that he had finally met Michael again in the Finals.

He jumped up excitedly and, late at night, took his basketball and ran alone to the pyramid-shaped basketball court in the backyard.

During a fierce two-handed dunk, Gan Guoyang ripped the rim off the tempered glass backboard, and shards of glass fell to the ground like snowflakes.

Instead of calling Quentin to fix the damaged backboard, he took out his phone and sent Jordan a text message.

By 1998, mobile phone text messaging services had become widespread, allowing people to communicate via text.

"A sincere reminder and piece of advice: Michael, unless you score 50 points in every game of the Finals, you have no chance of winning a single game. Relying on your teammates like you did tonight won't work—love, Forrest Gump."

After sending the text message, Gan Guoyang called Quentin and asked him to come and clean the court; it was time to get a new basketball hoop.

(End of this chapter)