The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 905 Seeing Through Everything

The Trail Blazers narrowly defeated the Timberwolves 3-1 in the first round, advancing smoothly to the semifinals.

For Minneapolis fans, the dream of ending the Trail Blazers dynasty, which lasted all day, was shattered.

Kevin Garnett has entered the offseason again, and looking ahead to his next season, Gan Guoyang said it was "his future."

The Timberwolves, with Garnett and Marbury at their core, seem to have a bright future, but disaster is actually waiting for them.

Shortly after, Garnett's close friend, Wolves' starting striker Malik Seery, died in a car accident.

Garnett was emotionally devastated, and Wolves lost an important player.

At the same time, Stephon Marbury did not approve of Garnett's leadership.

He was tired of the cold weather in Minneapolis, and after the series, he increasingly felt that Garnett was not a team leader. "You can't even score one-on-one, how can you be the core player just by playing defense?"

Marbury's ideas sowed the seeds for his later conflict with Garnett.

The growth of young people is always full of unexpected twists and turns, and the so-called "future is yours" is often much harder to achieve than imagined.

Back in Portland, the Trail Blazers are now waiting for the outcome of the Jazz vs. Suns series in the semifinals.

The two sides were tied 2-2 after the first four games, forcing the series into a decisive Game 5.

The Jazz took a commanding lead twice during the game, only to be forced to tie twice by the Suns, ultimately leading to a decisive final game.

For the Jazz, whose core players are as old as the Trail Blazers, the longer the series goes on, the worse it is for them.

On the contrary, the Phoenix Suns played with increasing spirit and confidence.

The duo of Grant Hill and Antoine Walker possessed exceptionally fierce firepower.

Although the two players' performances are not consistent, once they unleash their full potential, the Jazz will find it difficult to withstand them.

Youth and dynamism are the Suns' most valuable assets, while the team also has veterans Steve Smith and Kevin Johnson to anchor the offense.

After the 99 season, Kevin Johnson was originally going to retire, but he couldn't resist the team and fans' urging to stay, so he decided to stay and play one last season.

At 33, Johnson is no longer the "Purple Lightning" of his youth; his speed has diminished considerably. However, his experience and control over the game have reached a remarkably high level.

During the regular season, he averaged 11 points, 7 assists, and 1 steal per game, which was an improvement over last season. After the regular season ended, people hoped that he would continue playing.

After all, 33 years old is not considered old for a point guard, but Johnson insisted that he would leave, as he was prepared to shift his focus to politics in order to realize his political dreams.

In what could be the final series of his career, Salt Lake City faced off against the Utah Jazz in a decisive Game 5.

The two sides fought fiercely in the center of the triangle. The last time the two teams had a decisive fifth-place match in the first round was back in the 1990 season.

Kevin Johnson was 23 years old that year, and Stockton was 27. Now both of them are in the twilight of their careers.

The game was intense but also not very exciting, filled with missed shots and mistakes, with both teams struggling offensively.

The atmosphere in the center of the triangle was suffocating, and the Jazz, with their advantage of experience, maintained a lead for the first three quarters.

Gan Guoyang watched the game live alone in his home's media room. By the end of the third quarter, the Jazz were leading by 7 points.

In this ugly, slow-paced game, a 7-point lead is quite significant, and the Jazz have a good chance of winning.

If the Jazz defeat the Suns, Malone and Stockton will face Gan Guoyang again in the semifinals.

The love-hate relationship between the two teams has continued from the 80s to the present, and Gan Guoyang wants to kill them again and again.

But at the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang noticed something was off with the Jazz: their stamina was waning.

The offense became simpler, with Malone taking one-on-one shots, but it wasn't very efficient. The defense started to fall behind, and fouls increased.

On the Suns' side, Hill, Walker, and others were still in good physical condition, and they began to capitalize on the Jazz's mistakes to launch counterattacks.

In the first three quarters, the Jazz were able to stop the Suns' comeback with quick defensive transitions and fouls, but they couldn't hold on in the fourth quarter.

Their stamina couldn't keep up, they had reached their limit in fouls, and any more would mean they'd be out of the game. The Suns' offensive firepower became unstoppable.

Hill, like a jet engine, repeatedly drove into the paint to score, followed by a fast break dunk, erasing the 7-point deficit within 3 minutes.

Although Jerry Sloan called a timeout to make adjustments, the short rest of just over a minute was not enough to make up for the problems caused by the loss of physical strength.

The offense was still manageable, but the defense was truly unbearable; their legs felt like lead, and they couldn't run anymore.

For every veteran who has played in the NBA for 10 or even 15 years, this stage of the season is a torment for both their body and mind.

Gan Guoyang shook his head slightly. He knew the Jazz were finished. Their defense and stamina had collapsed, and he was afraid his old buddies wouldn't be able to meet in the semifinals.

As expected, after the timeout, the Suns' morale soared and they played even more aggressively. Antoine Walker hit a three-pointer from the outside, and Steve Smith scored with a strong post-up move.

The Suns gradually widened the gap to 7 points. It only took five minutes for them to go from trailing by 7 points to taking a 7-point lead. The entire Triangle Center fell silent.

In five minutes, the marks left by time were washed away, but Stockton, Karl Malone, and Jeff Hornacek were still holding on.

Especially for Hornacek, who, like Kevin Johnson, has decided to retire at the end of the season, so this game could also be the last game of his career.

He tried to turn the tide with three-pointers, making two out of three, which briefly gave the fans in the arena hope.

On the defensive end, the Jazz couldn't hold on anymore; the veterans couldn't keep up, and there were holes everywhere.

When Hornacek was defending Grant Hill, he was blown past in one step and could only pull him back from behind.

He was called for a foul, and as a result, he accumulated six fouls, forcing him to leave the game. And once he did, he never got back on.

As Hornacek left the field, the fans in the center of the triangle erupted in enthusiastic applause; it was his final exit from the pitch.

Back on the bench, Hornacek covered his face with a towel, telling himself it was over, it was all over.

Compared to Malone and Stockton, he was lucky. He won three championships in his 14-year career, and after leaving the Trail Blazers, he was able to secure a relatively large contract.

He has wealth, fame, and honor; he has nothing to regret.

However, it was still so hard to accept when I left, and I couldn't help but shed tears.

Ultimately, the Suns rallied in Game 5 to defeat the Utah Jazz 90-84, eliminating them 3-2 in the series and advancing to the semifinals.

When the game ended, the fans did not leave early, but instead gave Jeff Hornacek cheers and applause.

With red eyes and a red nose, Hornacek followed his teammates out of the player tunnel back to the locker room. The Jazz's 2000 season had come to an end; one of the Jazz's three veterans was gone, and the remaining two wouldn't have much time left.

Meanwhile, in the Suns' locker room, everyone celebrated their victory and their advancement to the semifinals.

Kevin Johnson appeared calm and composed. He had an outstanding performance tonight, scoring 12 points and dishing out 14 assists, making him the team's offensive engine.

Seeing his teammates so happy, Johnson was naturally happy too, but the image of Jeff Hornacek leaving flashed through his mind.

The two were players from the same era, entering the league in '86 and '87 respectively. Seeing Hornacek leave, Johnson knew that his time was not far behind.

It's only a matter of time, since the next round will be against the Portland Trail Blazers. Perhaps Forrest Gump will give himself a quick victory.

Johnson was thinking this.
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The first round of competition concluded in early May, with the four Western Conference teams advancing being the Trail Blazers, Lakers, Suns, and SuperSonics.

Among them, the Suns pulled off an upset, advancing to the semifinals as the seventh seed in the Western Conference, where they will face the Portland Trail Blazers once again.

On the other hand, the Lakers also battled the Sacramento Kings for five games in the first round, only managing to narrowly defeat the Kings in the fifth game to advance.

The Kings' resilience and fighting potential are not to be underestimated, and their rise in the West is just around the corner.

On the contrary, the Los Angeles Lakers, who have the best record in the league, surprised everyone by winning Game 5 in the first round. Whether they can overthrow the Trail Blazers' dominance is a big question mark.

Of course, the Trail Blazers aren't thinking about the Los Angeles Lakers right now; the Phoenix Suns are their immediate enemy.

This season, the Suns played exceptionally well against the Trail Blazers in the regular season, with a 2-2 record against them. The Suns' roster was very effective against the Trail Blazers.

Their strong wing and guard line puts immense pressure on the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense in every matchup, often resulting in a close contest between the two teams.

Therefore, the Trail Blazers actually prefer to play the Jazz in the semifinals rather than the Suns. The Trail Blazers are not afraid of an aging team like the Jazz.

In the regular season, the Trail Blazers have won relatively easily against the Jazz, and the only loss they have has been due to Gan Guoyang's absence.

Now facing the young and talented Suns in the semifinals, the coaching staff must make even more careful preparations.

However, when the first game between the two sides took place in Portland on May 7, an unexpected incident occurred.

Just five minutes into the first quarter, before either team had a chance to get into the game, Grant Hill twisted his left ankle during a drive to the basket.

This area was an old injury of his. He received treatment during the regular season and returned to play, continuing until the playoffs.

As a result, just when he was full of confidence and hoping to challenge the NBA champions, the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, a non-contact injury brought him down.

The game was paused, and the Suns' team doctor came over to check on him. Hill looked quite pained. After a brief conversation with the team doctor, he got up and left the court with assistance.

As he left, Grant Hill looked up at the ceiling of the Rose Garden Arena, which was covered with championship banners.

He originally planned to make a name for himself here and start his own era as a striker, but it seems that it will be postponed?

Without Grant Hill, the Suns lost their leading scorer and most important offensive weapon, and the situation instantly worsened.

When Hill was on the court, the Trail Blazers' defense was always highly vigilant. Now that Hill is gone, Gan Guoyang is under almost no defensive pressure.

Gan Guoyang didn't expect that Hill would still collapse. His body was indeed too fragile. Being able to go to Phoenix, a dry place suitable for recuperation, was the best arrangement of fate for him.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers easily defeated the Phoenix Suns 104-90 at home in the first game, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

Hill's injury has become the focus of everyone's attention. If the injury is not serious and Hill can return to play quickly, then the Suns still have a chance.

If Hill is sidelined with injury, the Suns will essentially lose any hope of winning the series, and even winning a single game will become difficult.

After the game, Gan Guoyang went to the Suns' locker room to visit Hill. Hill seemed optimistic and thanked Gan Guoyang for his kindness, saying, "I will get better soon, otherwise you won unfairly."

Gan Guoyang smiled, patted Hill on the shoulder, and said, "May Lady Luck smile upon you, good luck, Grant."

Hill knew that Gan Guoyang was always sharp-tongued, and he thought he would be met with Gan Guoyang's trash talk, but he didn't expect to receive a blessing instead.

Moreover, this was not just empty talk. Hill saw compassion in Gan Guoyang's eyes, and that very night Gan Guoyang used his private jet to send Hill back to Phoenix so that he could receive examination and treatment as soon as possible.

The results of the examination were not optimistic, and the Suns soon announced that Grant Hill was out for the season and would miss the remainder of the playoffs.

The 2000 season for the Phoenix Suns, and Kevin Johnson's 13-year professional career, came to an end.

This injury is unusual because I felt something serious was wrong somewhere deep in my left ankle.

Actually, during the game against the Jazz, my gait was already off, and my facial muscles were contorted with pain, but I persevered.

But I couldn't hold on in Portland. After twisting my ankle, I tried to get up and walk a few steps, but every step brought waves of pain.

The pain spread from my ankle down my leg, and I was helped back to the locker room. I kicked a chair away to vent my frustration, which wasn't a good idea, but I needed an outlet.

My challenge to the Emperor has only just begun, and considering Forrest Gump might retire, this may be my only chance.

After the game, I returned on Forrest Gump's private plane. He was truly a kind and good man. I was going back to Phoenix for a checkup.

We arrived in Phoenix at 3 a.m., and an hour later the team doctor and I arrived at the imaging center.

There was only one person on duty at the time. He was on the midnight shift and was a technician, not a radiologist.

This meant he could have an X-ray taken, but he couldn't explain in detail what the results meant. After the MRI, I also had an X-ray examination.

The X-ray was simpler and easier for the technician to understand. After looking at it carefully for a few minutes, the technician told me, "Your ankle problem... isn't very obvious."

I felt a sense of relief. It seemed like I might be able to return for the series. I also felt that the sprain wasn't too serious, and I might be able to come back for Game 3.

But then he said, "I've discovered that your tibia appears to be fractured. You need to have a more thorough examination."

I was suddenly doused with cold water. My shinbone is broken? Are you kidding me? If so, my season is definitely over.

But the result was obvious; I could see a crack on the X-ray.

As I emerged from the imaging center, I looked up and noticed the sun beginning to illuminate the sky.

At this moment, Forrest Gump's words to me in the locker room came to mind: "May Lady Luck smile upon you."

It was as if he already knew everything.

—Excerpt from Grant Hill’s autobiography, Game: An Autobiography, published in 2002.

(End of this chapter)