The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 870 Thunder
Kobe quickly found his offensive rhythm in the first quarter, feeling that he would be unstoppable tonight.

It's a unique and wonderful feeling, a heightened sense of focus, and a feeling of being invincible.

This is Kobe's third time participating in the playoffs; his performance in his first season, 1996-1997, was less than satisfactory.

Especially in the Western Conference Finals, he had the courage to admit responsibility, but not the ability to take it on.

In the intense playoff battles, his slender build proved insufficient, resulting in one airball after another.

By the 1998 season, Kobe had become a competent substitute, able to step in and make an immediate impact during certain periods of the game.

The coach's requirement for him is to be able to play for 15-20 minutes and provide firepower during the transition between the first and second halves.

Kobe did a good job, and the Trail Blazers in the 1997-1998 season were so strong that they almost never played from behind.

Kobe's progress and brilliance were overshadowed by the dazzling brilliance of Gan Guoyang and the entire team, or rather, he became part of that brilliance, making him seem less dazzling.

This season, Kobe's third year, he has become more mature, becoming the team's second-leading scorer, successfully moving into the starting lineup, and beginning to play an increasingly important role in the team.

Kobe played a crucial role in the playoffs against the Spurs and the Lakers, especially on the offensive end.

In some games, he was already able to carry the team's workload. With Mullin and Riddell both declining in form, Kobe stepped up and became the team's offensive and defensive anchor on the perimeter.

In the first three games of the Finals, Kobe's performance was mainly reflected on the defensive end. He was responsible for guarding Sprewell and had to rely on his own strength to stop the Knicks' number one offensive engine on the perimeter.

Kobe was not afraid of the Madman at all, but he did not expect to be defeated by Childs, taking two punches and becoming the laughing stock of the entire Big Apple.

He was filled with rage. In the first quarter, Kobe made 6 of 10 shots, scoring 12 points and adding two assists, helping the Trail Blazers take the lead, 26-20, ending the quarter with a 6-point advantage.

Kobe took the lead in offense, allowing Gan Guoyang to focus more on defense.

Without Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace tonight, the interior rotation is tight, and Gan Guoyang must put in more effort on defense.

On offense, Kobe was able to carry the team's offense and energize the entire team, avoiding the pressure of scoring in fits and starts and preventing Gan Guoyang from exerting himself too early and potentially losing the firepower later.

At the start of the second quarter, AC Green replaced the suspended Jermaine O'Neal. The Trail Blazers' overall offense and defense were somewhat stretched, and the backcourt duo of Riddell and Porter were no match for the Knicks' tough defense.

After maintaining a high level of performance in the 97 and 98 seasons, Riddell's shooting percentage and scoring efficiency have declined significantly this season.

His average points per game dropped from 17 to 12, and his field goal percentage fell from 46% to 41%, so it's normal for him to be moved to the bench.

Meanwhile, Riddell's ability to be punctual, or even less punctual, and to train and play normally in the previous two seasons was already his limit.

After winning the championship ring in the 98 season, Riddell believed he had accomplished his goal and was featured in the documentary "77," becoming part of the greatest team ever.

Forrest Gump kept his promise; Riddle now had the capital for his retirement, and naturally relaxed in all aspects, ready to enjoy life.

However, with Gan Guoyang around, Riddle didn't dare to be late or leave early. He came up with another solution: to ask for leave by making up something.

He's either sick today, or his grandmother's sister's great-uncle's godson's mother died tomorrow, or he commits some minor illegal or criminal activity that gets him taken to the police station for a meal.

In short, during the 1998-1999 season, Riedle missed a third of the games due to various accidents, as well as many training sessions and away trips, so you can imagine what his condition was like.

Mid-season, the Trail Blazers tried to trade him to another team, but couldn't find a good trade partner or assets. In addition, the team was in good form overall. Riddell just didn't come and didn't cause trouble in the locker room, so they kept this hero of the 98 championship.

In the playoffs, Riddell's performance improved, proving that his talent and foundation are still there.

However, in the Finals, due to a lack of training and a lot of games throughout the season, Liddell's performance became poor, and he was completely suppressed on both offense and defense, whether facing Houston or Sprewell.

In Game 4 of the series, the Knicks had already figured out Riddell's weakness, and once he stepped onto the court, the Knicks focused their attacks on him relentlessly.

The Knicks' sixth man, Charlie Ward, repeatedly mismatched against Riddell on offense, using his penetration and playmaking abilities to break down the Trail Blazers' defense and help his teammates score.

Kurt Thomas' mid-range shot and Alonzo Mourning's hook shot helped the Knicks gradually close the gap.

The Trail Blazers went into a scoring drought, with Riddell missing two attempts on low-post drives, allowing the Blazers to capitalize on the fast break and concede two more points.

Bird called a timeout, substituted Riddle, and brought Kobe back into the game.

Bird didn't say anything, but he had already silently added Riddle to his blacklist.

After this match, Riddell will be dropped from the rotation in subsequent games.

To secure victory in the Finals, the Trail Blazers will definitely have to start a short rotation, playing 7-8 man basketball.

The astonishingly long rotation that lasted an entire season in the 1997-1998 season will become history.

In fact, looking at the history of the league, short rotations have been the mainstream in the playoffs, especially in the Finals.

When Bird was with the Celtics, that five-star Celtics team relied on just six players to win the Finals.

In the 1985 NBA Finals, the Celtics' starting five had the most minutes played at 41.2 minutes (Dennis Johnson) and the least at 33.8 minutes (Danny Ainge). Sixth man off the bench, Scott Woodman, only averaged 17.5 minutes per game, just half the average.

The rest are role players who play for less than 10 minutes. They go in to give the starters a few minutes of rest, score 2 or 3 points, and grab a couple of rebounds to complete their task.

In important matches, it's inevitable to push the key players to their limits; it all depends on how the coach allocates and arranges them.

The Trail Blazers have been superior in terms of tactical approach and shooting ability over the past two seasons, and their long rotations allow them to better utilize their physical advantages.

However, with some players declining and unexpected situations like suspensions occurring, the Trail Blazers' rotation will become increasingly compressed as time goes on.

The game has reached a point where the players' adaptability and ability to withstand pressure will be tested.

"You'll play longer, manage your energy, Kobe."

Before going on the court, Bird reminded Kobe that his playing time would be increasing and that he must manage his energy well.

Kobe nodded. He knew tonight would be his moment to shine, and he wouldn't miss it.

When Kobe returned to the court, the boos from the fans resumed, but not as loudly as at the start of the game.

The chants of "Kobe the Stallion" are still going on, but they're somewhat scattered. Clearly, Kobe's performance has scared some fans, and they're watching from the sidelines.

If Kobe continues to deliver outstanding performances, many New York fans will shut up, but if he underperforms, the mockery will return.

Kobe had already understood the reasoning behind it, so he wouldn't hold back. As soon as he returned, Kobe received the ball on the wing, used his incredible speed to set a screen, and then cut to the basket.

Facing Mourning's defense, he executed a deft high-arcing layup, the ball bouncing twice on the rim before falling into the net.

Kobe continued his excellent shooting touch with a two-pointer, and the Knicks' perimeter defense clearly sensed that Kobe's edge was much sharper than Riddell's.

On the defensive end, Kobe stopped his desperate attempts to hold on and relaxed a bit. Ward drove to the basket for a layup, but missed due to interference from A.C. Green.

Mourning grabbed the offensive rebound and attempted a putback, but missed due to interference from Sabonis. Kobe then grabbed the defensive rebound.

Counterattack, dribbling rhythmically to observe the ball, suddenly stopping and shooting a jump shot, two points in!
Madison Square Garden became much quieter, and Van Gundy called a timeout.

He needs to devise some strategies to contain Kobe, otherwise, if he keeps getting beaten like this, the game is over.

After getting plenty of rest, Gan Guoyang came over and bumped fists with Kobe to encourage the guy for his outstanding performance today.

Gan Guoyang didn't say anything. He knew this was Kobe's moment, and the right thing to do was to let him stay focused and not disturb him.

Kobe sat on the bench, drinking water, expressionless, lost in his own world.

He recalled what Gan Guoyang had once told him: to perceive the moon, not to look at it.

Kobe hadn't really grasped the feeling before, but this time, in the noisy Madison Square Garden, amidst the boos and shouts of more than 20,000 people, Kobe finally had some realization.

The basket is there, the basketball is there. Go and sense them, not by using special abilities to search for their existence, but by focusing on your own world, filtering out the irrelevant things, and what remains is what matters, what you need to do.

Looking at Kobe's expression, Gan Guoyang knew that he must have understood something.

The timeout ended, and both players returned to the court.

The Knicks have made adjustments, and their key players have all returned.

Sprewell, Houston, and Kemp all looked like they were going to fight to the death.

However, Kemp's subsequent attack was blocked by Gan Guoyang.

He tried to catch the ball for a dunk, but Gan Guoyang blocked it with a precise shot, sending the ball flying.

He grabbed the offensive rebound and attempted a second-chance opportunity, but Gan Guoyang tipped the ball away from behind.

Despite his brute strength, Kemp was powerless against Gan Guoyang's precise shot, looking like a teddy bear.

No matter how strong you are, it's useless if you can't control and protect the ball.

After making the block, Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball across half-court and, while drawing the Knicks' defensive attention, made a through pass to Kobe, who was cutting to the basket. Kobe caught the ball and dunked it with both hands!
Van Gundy's timeout seemed largely ineffective against the two players' overwhelming offensive prowess, and Madison Square Garden fell silent as Kobe advanced toward 20 points by halftime.

Then, the Knicks finally scored, with Allan Houston's accurate mid-range shot being a key contributor to the Knicks' outside shooting.

However, Houston's playing style meant he couldn't handle a lot of ball possession and shots, so the Knicks' main ball-handling pressure still fell on Sprewell's shoulders.

The Trail Blazers continued to have Kobe guard the madman one-on-one, and the two continued to battle it out in the second half of the second quarter.

The intense physical contact and constant trash talk caused the Knicks' offense to fall apart.

While Sprewell has had an excellent season, he has some technical shortcomings and is rather rough in handling the details of certain shots.

This made the Knicks' already lacking in detail even rougher, and they became more brute-force on offense, even though they are essentially a defensive team.

The Trail Blazers played with increasing finesse, and Kobe showcased his strengths in the details. He was meticulous in his ball handling and his timing in attack was excellent. Once he found his rhythm and stopped missing shots frequently, his control over the offense was a nightmare for the opponents.

There was no dawdling, no pointless passing around, quick decisions were made in a few rounds, and individual attacks were boldly used to finish when tactics failed.

In the final stages of the first half, Kobe contributed several brilliant baskets and assists, bringing his halftime score to 21 points, along with 4 assists, helping the Trail Blazers lead the Knicks 57-47, ending the first half.

Kobe played his best first half of the playoffs, and the TV cameras were constantly focused on him. This young man, whose face was still very green, had already delivered an amazing performance in the highly anticipated Finals.

It's worth noting that in all of the previous Finals series with the Trail Blazers, no player could rival Gan Guoyang in terms of brilliance.

Tonight, at least in the first half, Kobe's performance overshadowed Gan Guoyang, making him the most crucial figure in the Trail Blazers' victory.

In the past, neither Drexler, Petrovic, nor Hornacek could deliver such a dazzling performance.

One reason for Gan Guoyang's decline was the need to allocate his physical energy, and another reason was that Kobe Bryant truly had the potential to surpass Drexler and Petrovic.

Compared to Drexler, his shooting was better. Although equally inconsistent, when he got accurate, it was incomparable to Drexler's.

Compared to Petrovic, he has better physical attributes, better defense, and better stamina.

It can be said that Kobe combined the strengths of Drexler and Petrovic, gradually growing into the offensive and defensive pillar of the Trail Blazers' third championship cycle.

The Trail Blazers' management team all praised Forrest Gump's judgment, saying that drafting Kobe in the 1996 NBA Draft was a stroke of genius.

In the second half, the Knicks faced a difficult choice: should they continue to focus their defense on Kobe or on Forrest Gump?

This is a do-or-die situation; the Knicks' defensive resources are insufficient to contain two superstar offensive threats simultaneously.

After much deliberation, Van Gundy decided to focus his defense on Gan Guoyang, whose destructive power cast a long shadow.

As for Kobe, he is still young, only in his third year. He played well in the first half, but what if he falters in the second half?
As a result, at the very beginning of the third quarter, Kobe Bryant delivered a three-pointer and two pick-and-roll shots with Gan Guoyang, giving Van Gundy a resounding slap in the face.

The 15-minute halftime break did not cool down Kobe's excellent touch. He scored 7 consecutive points at the beginning of the third quarter, bringing his total score to 28 points.

The Knicks' defensive strategy errors allowed the Trail Blazers to quickly widen the gap, forcing Van Gundy to call a timeout to adjust and rearrange the defense.

Tonight is clearly Kobe's night. He already has 28 points in the game right after the start of the second half. This is two months away from his 21st birthday.

The entire Madison Square Garden crowd fell silent; no one chanted "Kobe the Stallion" anymore, and no one held up signs mocking Kobe.

Kobe's heart was filled with satisfaction. He no longer made any funny faces or cheeky gestures like he did in his rookie season. He simply stood with his hands on his hips by the bench, just like his idol Gan Guoyang, with a calm face but a thunderous heart.

(End of this chapter)