The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 866 Pinghu
The Trail Blazers' style of play is not something every team can imitate.

On the contrary, among the top six teams in terms of three-point attempts and made in this playoffs, apart from the Trail Blazers, the other five were all eliminated in the first round.

The Trail Blazers' tradition of three-point shooting was gradually cultivated starting in 1984 when Gan Guoyang entered the NBA. They are the team that values ​​shooting the most in the entire league, bar none.

Every player who joins the Trail Blazers must be tested on their long-range shooting ability, and the Trail Blazers were also the first team in the league to have a shooting coach.

Of course, most importantly, they have Gan Guoyang, a center forward with extremely superb shooting skills. His existence subverts tradition, yet is difficult to learn.

After Jordan retired, many guards were dubbed his successors, but so far none have truly inherited his mantle.

And what about Gan Guoyang? Of all the "second Forrest Gumps," none of them have reached his average level in terms of shooting alone.

Tim Duncan, touted as the closest super center to Forrest Gump, only had a free throw percentage of just over 60%, barely passing.

In contrast, Gan Guoyang's free throw percentage has never been lower than 88% over all these seasons, and has been above 90% for most seasons.

This is a remarkably consistent and impressive accuracy. Even Reggie Miller, who is considered the league's best shooter, had several seasons with a free throw percentage of around 85%.

Tim Duncan, a prodigy who was said to have reached his peak right from the start and had an extremely high level of achievement, certainly couldn't reach Forrest Gump's level in terms of shooting.

Facing Gan Guoyang's extremely sharp sword, the entire Knicks remained on edge from start to finish, using a rotation strategy to defend against him.

Based on a large amount of video footage and combat experience, Van Gundy concluded that "Forrest Gump is terrifying, but he's declining, and we can limit him."

This was his assessment of the situation, and also his encouragement to himself: no matter what, he had to restrain Forrest Gump.

In the first quarter, Shawn Kemp and Kurt Thomas took turns fronting and guarding him. At the start of the second quarter, Alonzo Mourning took on the responsibility of competing against Forrest Gump.

After Sabonis went to the bench to rest, the Trail Blazers brought in Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace, fielding a three-center lineup.

With Porter and Kobe on the perimeter, the initial period of probing and tactical maneuvering in the first quarter was over, and Bird decided to engage in a head-to-head confrontation with the Knicks in the second quarter.

Facing the Trail Blazers' three big men, Mourning didn't care whether Agan played center or small forward; he just kept him on guard the whole time, never letting his guard down for a moment.

The Knicks' center guarding the paint is former Trail Blazers player Chris Dudley.

Dudley left the Trail Blazers last summer and signed with the Knicks, becoming an important backup center for the Knicks.

Van Gundy believed that Dudley, having worked for the Trail Blazers, already knew his former teammates well, so he put him on the court early to protect the rim.

However, it was Dudley who had played for the Trail Blazers, and he knew how formidable Forrest Gump was.

Fortunately, it was Mourning guarding Forrest Gump instead of him, while Dudley stayed in the paint to do other things.

As a result, Gan Guoyang seized the opportunity and drove hard to the basket from the outside, scoring two goals against Mourning.

A center like Mourning, who is relatively short and stocky, is most likely to struggle against Gan Guoyang.

They are not tall enough to hold their own, and once they are pulled to the outside, they are easily beaten in one step.

After being outplayed by one person in a row, Mourning complained to Dudley, "Why don't you come and help me out?"

"It's no use. I'd rather keep an eye on the others. I'm leaving Forrest Gump to you."

Mourning shook his head helplessly, then tried to score in the low post using a Georgetown bunny hop and hook shot.

The result was that he was blocked squarely in the face. This kind of formulaic, unimaginative low-post offensive approach is likely to fail against Gan Guoyang's super-fast reaction.

However, the good news for Mourning is that after scoring on two consecutive possessions, Gan Guoyang did not maintain his offensive firepower and completely overwhelmed the Knicks' interior defense.

He came out more often to screen for his teammates, creating scoring opportunities for Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal.

Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal dominated the Trail Blazers' offense in the second quarter, with their pick-and-roll and high-low post plays looking very effective.

The Knicks' defensive formation was constantly constrained by Gan Guoyang's presence, but they didn't know when Gan would explode.

As a result, Gan Guoyang only scored the first four points in the second quarter, and then kept making feints, setting up his teammates and passing the ball.

Moreover, after the Trail Blazers extended their lead to 10 points, this guy actually stood with his hands on his hips and watched the game for a while on the defensive end.

He left the rim protection and help defense to Ben Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal, leaving the perimeter to his own devices, wandering around and waiting for an opportunity to strike.

Unfortunately, they didn't capitalize on the opportunity to launch a fast break. The Knicks retreated on defense extremely quickly and effectively shut down the fast break.

Despite the intense competition, the Trail Blazers, with their superior raw talent, still managed to finish the second quarter with a 57-50 lead, a 7-point advantage.

The Knicks' roster is undeniably talented, but their mini-twin towers simply couldn't perform at their best against the Trail Blazers' formidable interior defense.

Mourning had 4 points and 6 rebounds in the first half, while Kemp had 3 points and 4 rebounds. Neither of them could unleash their offensive power.

Allan Houston was the Knicks' best player in the first half, scoring 14 points with a high shooting percentage.

But the Trail Blazers made it clear that they were giving Houston free rein to attack, without using any defensive tactics to contain him, and were just guarding him one-on-one.

Jordan couldn't defeat the Trail Blazers even in one-on-one situations, but with Allan Houston, the Trail Blazers weren't afraid at all.

On the contrary, the Trail Blazers focused their defense on Sprewell, with Kobe, also wearing number 8, marking Sprewell closely throughout the game.

This resulted in Sprewell going 2-for-9 in the first half, scoring only 6 points, while Kobe also missed many shots.

In the second quarter, Kobe led the team's offense. Because he was so bad, the Trail Blazers didn't score quickly, and only led by 7 points at halftime.

Fortunately, Porter's three-pointers and O'Neal's offensive rebounds and second-chance points kept the team's output up; otherwise, Kobe's 2-for-8 shooting would have been really not impressive.

"Can't you fucking shoot more accurately? Pay attention to your breathing and rhythm, that's the most important thing. Don't just stare at the basket, staring at the basket is useless."

During halftime in the locker room, Gan Guoyang didn't forget to lecture Kobe.

The importance of a young Kobe to the Trail Blazers' offense is self-evident.

Like Sprewell, he is one of the team's most important offensive forces.

As the NBA entered the 90s, with teams' half-court defenses becoming increasingly tight and solid, the demand for perimeter offensive attackers grew significantly.

This demand will reach a peak in the late 1990s and early 21st century.

In the current positional warfare environment, it is very difficult when your offensive lineup does not have a penetrating attacker.

While the Trail Blazers have the best spacing and long-range shooting in the league, and the best low-post monsters, they also need a penetrator like that.

From Drexler to Petrovic, and now Kobe, Gan Guoyang, as an inside player, has always been very effective when paired with such a sharp weapon.

Of the three, Kobe was the most talented and had the greatest potential, but he was also the least mature and needed the most time and experience to hone his skills.

Kobe, now in his third year of playoffs, is only 21 years old. He is already in complete control during the regular season and has become an important scorer for the team in the playoffs as well.

However, in the high-intensity Finals, Kobe was clearly outmatched on offense. His shot selection was questionable, and his playmaking ability was also mediocre.

However, when Gan Guoyang doesn't shoot, letting Kobe have the ball and shoot is a safer option—at least his missed shots are predictable, making it easier to grab the rebound.

Ultimately, Kobe had a strong interior defense as a safety net, so his seemingly bad choices didn't necessarily lead to terrible consequences.

Gan Guoyang only scored 9 points in the first half, but he contributed 10 rebounds, including 4 offensive rebounds, as well as countless screens and blocks.

All of these provided a safety net for Kobe and gave him room to grow and learn from his mistakes.

Compared to Jordan, Kobe lacked a certain overall grasp of high-level games, which made his games seem somewhat disjointed.

Gan Guoyang knew that this was because he lacked college basketball education, and some of the awareness and experience he gained were actually difficult to develop in the NBA.

Kobe listened to Gan Guoyang's lecture, and while he agreed verbally, he was indifferent in his heart, thinking to himself, "In the third quarter, won't you just go all out and beat the opponent?"
Kobe knew Gan Guoyang well; he knew that Gan Guoyang, who had been holding back in the first and second quarters, would definitely step up in the third quarter and widen the gap with the Knicks.

The second half began quickly, and after a 15-minute break, both sides resumed their battle.

The Knicks started strong with a three-pointer, and Sprewell drove and dished to Childs on the wing, who then hit a three-pointer.

This was a very morale-boosting basket, and the Knicks narrowed the gap to 4 points in one possession. If they can focus on defense in the next possession and then make their fast break and improve their shooting percentage, they can quickly reduce the gap to 2 points or even 1 point.

So the entire Knicks team was on edge, and they were finally about to enter their most familiar state: an iron-clad half-court defense.

Gan Guoyang seemed to have a premonition, and he also entered his most familiar state: low-post strong attack mode.

Against the Spurs, Gan Guoyang's low-post offense wasn't very frequent because the Spurs' interior defense was very good.

They have a towering figure like David Robinson, and their perimeter players have excellent help defense and are quick to react.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang used his mid-range shot to exploit the Spurs' weak defensive contributions.

The Knicks are different; they excel at setting defensive traps in the mid-range, forcing you into corners.

In the low post, their defense is relatively simple, relying on Mourning and Kemp to use their individual abilities to forcefully contain the opponent.

During the regular season, Mourning averaged 3.9 blocks and 11 rebounds per game on the defensive end.

This earned Mourning the title of Defensive Player of the Year in the 1998-1999 regular season.

The judging panel certainly knew that Forrest Gump was the better defender, but when it comes to awards, it's often not about choosing the best one, but rather "picking the best among those who have never won an award."

I won't vote for Gan Guoyang, who has won too many awards and whose performance has declined since 1998. He's clearly holding back in the regular season to conserve his strength.

But the true best defensive player needs to be tested in the playoffs and even the Finals. In the playoffs, Mourning's block count dropped significantly because the opponents and the intensity of the game were different.

The Trail Blazers' first offensive possession of the second half saw the ball passed to Gan Guoyang, who began a strong attack in the low post.

Mourning's defense relies mainly on his superior strength and excellent judgment, but against Gan Guoyang, strength is useless; height is more effective.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and pushed it inside. Mourning fell backward, and Gan Guoyang seized the opportunity to quickly turn around and lean forward to shoot a jump shot.

This move showcased Bernard King's brilliance to veteran Knicks fans; his turn and release were incredibly fast, and the ball swished through the net without ever hitting the backboard.

The two points were scored cleanly and decisively. Mourning didn't even have time to adjust his body and jump to interfere, and could only turn around and watch the two points go in.

When the ball went in, Mourning knew that Forrest Gump was going to get serious, and this was completely different from when he was just trying to score a few baskets in the first half.

Kemp hesitated in the subsequent attack, and after a feint, he broke through, only to be surrounded by Gan Guoyang and Sabonis.

Kemp lacked the ability to make penetrating passes and couldn't get the ball to the weak side, so he could only pass it back to Sprewell on the strong side.

A poor play left Sprewell with only one-on-one opportunities, only to be called for traveling by the referee.

In the Trail Blazers' possession, Gan Guoyang continued to call for the ball in the low post, and the Knicks were eager to double-team him due to a violation, but the referee refrained from calling a foul.

Gan Guoyang adjusted his position to receive the ball in a shallower area. After receiving the ball, he immediately took a Sigma step towards the basket and then drove hard to the basket from the baseline.

Mourning was blown past in one step, and Kemp came over to help defend, but Gan Guoyang dunked over him head-on!
The dunk sent Kemp flying several steps before he regained his footing. The referee was lenient and didn't call a defensive foul on Kemp, otherwise it would have been a clear 2+1 play.

The crowd cheered, then booed; Kemp should have been called for a blocking foul.

Whether with the SuperSonics or the Knicks, Kemp, despite his lack of height and weight, had little problem defending most centers in the league.

When facing Hakeem Olajuwon, Kemp often performs well on both offense and defense.

But it doesn't work against Forrest Gump. Against Gan Guoyang, anyone shorter than him is simply outmatched.

Only if the opponent has an advantage in height, a natural quality that Gan Guoyang is not particularly outstanding in, can they gain some advantage in the matchup.

Seeing the situation was not good, Van Gundy immediately called a timeout. He decided to change the matchup strategy, having Kemp continue to front and guard Forrest, while Mourning would help defend, which would be more effective.

Whether it will get better or not is up to fate.

After the timeout, the Knicks actually committed turnovers on offense.

Childs' breakthrough was deflected by Gan Guoyang, causing him to lose the ball.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, but the Knicks retreated quickly on defense, with Kemp sticking tightly to Gan Guoyang.

When Gan Guoyang was positioning himself to receive the ball, Kemp desperately moved in front of him, preventing Gan Guoyang from having a good position to receive the ball.

Brellock passed the ball inside again, and Gan Guoyang jumped up to receive it and turned around. All four Knicks' interior players surrounded him!
Gan Guoyang passed the ball to the top of the arc, Kobe received the ball and took a mid-range shot!

"Bang!" Still no luck!
This was a great opportunity, but Kobe didn't seize it.

Gan Guoyang was surrounded by four Knicks players under the basket but failed to grab the offensive rebound.

"Gan Liliang! He can't even make that shot!" Gan Guoyang cursed inwardly.

There was no time to blame Kobe; Gan Guoyang could only quickly return to defense, and it was Sprewell's attack again.

The Trail Blazers collapsed their defense, and Sprewell passed the ball to Houston. Houston faked a shot and passed it back to Sprewell who had cut to the outside.

Sprewell launched a three-pointer and it went in! Another three-pointer!
"I told you to get your rhythm right, but you still couldn't make the shot!" Gan Guoyang yelled at Kobe.

"Why didn't you shoot?" Kobe retorted, assuming Gan Guoyang was going to shoot.

"Four people are surrounding them."

"Isn't four people a good opportunity?"

"..."

Gan Guoyang had nothing to say.

When the Knicks can't score inside, three-pointers are a good option.

The Knicks, however, did not adhere to their established tactical characteristics, but boldly learned from their opponents' experience.

The battle for the paint became fierce, with Kemp giving his all on defense.

But when Sabonis facilitated from the high post, the connection between the two big men left the Knicks' defense helpless.

After receiving the ball, Gan Guoyang not only scored quickly, but also drew a defensive foul from Mourning, making the free throw.

Surprisingly, on the Knicks' side, Childs received a pass from Houston on the perimeter and hit another three-pointer!
He hit three three-pointers in a row, more than he made in the entire first half.

The Knicks' three-point shooting in the third quarter was phenomenal; nobody expected them to be so accurate.

In fact, even the Knicks players themselves didn't expect this; it just goes to show how players' initiative and on-court performance are.

If I can't penetrate inside and my mid-range shooting is too inefficient, then I might as well shoot threes. Whether they make or not depends on my ability and luck.

Teams that make it all the way to the finals are all formidable; they're all incredibly lucky.

The Knicks, as the fourth seed in the East, eliminated the first-seeded Celtics and the Pacers to reach the NBA Finals, which shows they have something special.

There is indeed a generational gap in the tactical philosophies of the two teams, but the Knicks seem to have suddenly figured it out. Is three-point shooting a skill exclusive to the Trail Blazers?

We can shoot, we can score!
The pressure shifted to the Trail Blazers, as Gan Guoyang was quickly triple-teamed by the Knicks when he received the ball in the low post.

The ball was passed to Kobe, who cut into the middle. Kobe faced Mourning, but his layup was blocked again!
The Knicks started to build momentum, and things seemed a bit bad.

The Knicks' counterattack came from Sprewell, who, facing Kobe's suffocating defense, dribbled and then stepped back to shoot a jump shot!

Unfortunately, the shot missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, giving the Trail Blazers a brief respite.

Gan Guoyang didn't go to the low post again. Kobe had already wasted several opportunities, and the Knicks' double-teaming would definitely be more aggressive.

Gan Guoyang went to the high post, and Sabonis went to the low post. The two supported each other in the high and low posts. Sabonis faced Mourning's hook shot as he turned around.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang rushed to the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound over Mourning's head, turned around and quickly shot a jump shot, and the ball went in!
A solid two-pointer! After a period of intense competition, Gan Guoyang broke the deadlock with an offensive rebound.

Fans throughout the Rose Garden Arena breathed a sigh of relief, but the situation remained tense, as the Knicks were clearly getting into the game.

Sure enough, Kemp and Mourning both hit mid-range shots in succession. They had a hard time scoring under the basket, but they were able to make shots.

The Knicks failed to mount an offensive surge, but they gradually chipped away at the Trail Blazers' lead with accurate shooting.

Van Gundy realized that his thinking was correct; the Trail Blazers were getting old, and Forrest Gump was indeed declining.

Their defense can only be loose on the outside and tight on the inside, so shooting is a good option, as long as the players find their rhythm.

Meanwhile, the Knicks are playing increasingly aggressively and boldly on the defensive end, and they are adept at double-teaming Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang wasn't afraid of the Knicks' double-teaming, but he was afraid of his teammates missing shots; Kobe's tendency to miss shots seemed to have spread to others.

Mullin's three-point attempt was blocked by Sprewell, who flew over and sent the Knicks' momentum growing stronger.

At this moment, Gan Youwei, who was sitting on the sidelines watching the game and taking notes, wrote: "The Knicks are getting stronger and stronger. If they continue to play like this, they are not without a chance of winning."

"Someone needs to step forward and stop this trend."

“My son is only 5 years old, yet he easily beheaded his opponent.”

Gan Youwei has a strong intuition; he sensed that the situation was subtly reversing and was not good for the Trail Blazers.

He also noticed that his son's control over the game wasn't as strong as it used to be, even though his scoring and performance seemed fine.

For the Trail Blazers, the situation is showing signs of getting out of control, and perhaps his decision to start the game in the third quarter was not a good one.
The Knicks' three consecutive three-pointers at the start of the second half were crucial, while Kobe's consecutive misses dampened the Trail Blazers' momentum.

The situation is undergoing subtle changes, and the players' mentality is crucial in the finals. Any emotional fluctuations can affect the outcome.

With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Bird called a timeout. The Trail Blazers led the Knicks by 3 points, 78-75.

But the situation was a bit dangerous. Bird sensed it and the Trail Blazers needed to devise a play. He wanted the players to spread out and make an alley-oop layup.

“No.” Gan Guoyang suddenly stopped Carlisle when he was halfway through drawing up his tactics.

"Give me the ball, I'll handle it. We need to attack the opponent aggressively."

Gan Guoyang's voice and attitude remained as firm as ever, but his eyes were as calm as a lake.

Carlisle put down the tactics board almost without thinking.

He looked at Bird, who nodded, and then gave the players a few words of encouragement.

Just before going on the court, Bird said to Gan Guoyang, "You'd better be able to handle this."

Gan Guoyang said, "If I can't handle them, then you handle me."

(End of this chapter)