The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 915 No Miracles

For the Celtics, the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.

The Trail Blazers, like cunning hunters, lay in ambush in the mud for three and a half quarters, only to pull out their sharp daggers at the last moment.

The dagger hadn't fully penetrated the Celt's heart yet, but everyone could sense the blade's dangerous aura.

Panic spread throughout the fleet's center; the Bostonians' dream, barely half-awake, was about to be shattered by harsh reality.

On the bench, Bobby Bellman calmed himself down; he was genuinely bewildered by the previous timeout.

Anyone would be bewildered. The Trail Blazers' pace changed too quickly and too fiercely. They didn't just lie low for three quarters, but for a full seven quarters, laying the groundwork since the last game.

Although the first game was a passive ambush, because the seven-game series against the Lakers was quite exhausting and they hadn't recovered yet.

But it did have a deceptive effect, making the young Celtics lower their guard.

This level of intensity was unlike anything the Celtics had faced during the regular season; it was the Trail Blazers' foundation built over a decade, and the energy accumulated by the veterans over many years.

It's perfectly normal that Berman and the players didn't react for a moment.

After all, Berman is a seasoned coach who has endured immense pressure in the Finals.

During his four-year winning streak, every year was a test and an ordeal for Biellman.

Like in 1991, Gan Guoyang forced Berman to bear the pressure, and that season he almost broke himself.

Now, it's still Gan Guoyang putting pressure on Bellman, and that familiar feeling is back.

Before taking out the tactics board, he made personnel adjustments. He did not replace Ilgauskas or abandon the twin towers. He knew this was Gan Guoyang's psychological warfare.

Even if Forrest Gump is a true Twin Towers killer, does that mean he won't kill you if you don't go to the Twin Towers?
The combination of Ilgauskas and Duncan remained the most effective and reliable option in the final moments.

Therefore, Bellman was not "swayed" by Forrest Gump and insisted on keeping the twin towers on the court.

At the same time, he replaced Fox with veteran Cliff Robinson, forming a lineup of three tall players to face the Trail Blazers in the final battle.

In terms of tactical design, Bellman used a classic setup of a high double screen and two players lurking on the weak side.

This tactic has the most variations and the strongest adaptability, but it has been used less frequently in the series so far. It is one of the nine tricks that Bellman keeps hidden in his hand.

After setting up the offense, on defense, Bellman instructed to continue to collapse the defense, protect the inside, and leave the outside open to some extent, betting that the Trail Blazers would miss their shots.

This strategy may seem risky and gamble-like, but it is actually a safe one, because once Forrest breaks through the paint, the team will inevitably lose points.

Leaving open three-pointers open actually creates more opportunities for fast breaks, given the Trail Blazers' inconsistent three-point shooting this season.

During this pause, Bellman made clear adjustments and arrangements, showing that he was prepared and had a contingency plan.

On the other side, on the Trail Blazers' bench, Rick Carlisle sat with his chin in his hand, watching Gan Guoyang squatting in front of him, holding a tactical board and giving instructions.

Gan Guoyang's strategy was very targeted. He said, "That coward Bobby definitely won't dare to go down the twin towers. He's been conservative and cautious his whole life! On offense, he will definitely use a screen + spacing tactic. We remember, keep an eye on your own man, don't switch, absolutely do not switch!"

"Our offensive strategy is simple: attack the basket. They'll definitely collapse the defense, but that's okay. Just secure the offensive rebounds as much as possible and make good use of our individual abilities. We also need to be positioned on the perimeter, ready for a decisive blow, guys!"

While giving instructions, Gan Guoyang encouraged his teammates, as he could almost see through Bellman's tactical arrangements at a glance.

Having worked together for so many years, Gan Guoyang knew all too well that Berman's steadiness and meticulousness were ingrained in his bones.

Whether it was Beiqiao High School, Gonzaga University, or the Portland Trail Blazers, Bellman always did a solid job in basic and detailed work, had ingenious tactical arrangements, was skilled in data application, and had strong mental resilience, but his on-court command always lacked a sharp edge.

The lack of sharpness has always been made up for by Gan Guoyang, making the two a perfect match.

Even his bold and proactive approach after joining the Celtics was, to some extent, inspired by Gan Guoyang's encouragement.

Only Gan Guoyang could truly ignite the gambler's nature deep within Berman and bring out his most aggressive and courageous side.

The premise is that Gan Guoyang is on his side.

The current situation is that Gan Guoyang is on the opposite side.

From their first game until now, the Celtics have been surprisingly steady for a young team.

Being too cautious and conservative leaves one unprepared, both psychologically and in terms of timing, for sudden changes.

Gan Guoyang accurately grasped Bielman's mentality. He and the entire Celtics team were too eager for victory and success, so they were also too afraid of losing.

In comparison, the Trail Blazers are much more relaxed.

Apart from Barkley, who was still fighting tooth and nail to win the championship, everyone else seemed to be doing alright.

Terry Porter can't wait to collect 10 rings before retiring and enjoying life.

Players like Sabonis and Dell Curry wouldn't have continued playing basketball if it weren't for their sons.

Even Gan Guoyang himself has relaxed his mindset. He doesn't care about the outcome; he's going to give it his all.

For Gan Guoyang, regardless of winning or losing this championship, he will have no regrets about his career.

After the timeout, the Trail Blazers players returned to the court with strong confidence and a relaxed mindset.

The atmosphere at the center of the fleet was extremely tense, but that was only for the Celtics players and fans.

The Trail Blazers were united, calm, and actively engaged in defense.

Their defensive intensity dropped slightly, and the Celtics' high-post double screen strategy came into play.

At the top of the key, the Trail Blazers relied on aggressive positioning, with Blaylock harassing and chasing Nash, rendering the Celtics' pick-and-roll ineffective.

Tim Duncan cut to the basket, positioned himself in the low post, and set up a one-on-one attack on Gan Guoyang.

But Nash hesitated. He was worried that Duncan wouldn't be able to beat Forrest Gump, and Duncan hadn't really succeeded before.

He could only move the ball to the weak side, to Paul Pierce, who was lurking at the bottom.

Pierce received the ball, faked a shot, and tried to drive from the baseline, but Kobe defended very tightly.

In fact, at this point, the Celtics' tactics had already failed; it was only through the players' individual abilities that they were able to make a final push.

Pierce, a die-hard Lakers fan from Inglewood, Los Angeles, once trained with Magic Johnson and witnessed Johnson's superb skills and rich experience on the court; Johnson was his idol.

As a child, Pierce's dream was to wear a Los Angeles Lakers jersey, play at the Great Western Forum, lead the Lakers to defeat the Portland Trail Blazers, reach the NBA Finals, and win the championship.

But in the 1998 NBA Draft, Pierce never dreamed he would be selected by the Lakers' arch-rivals, the Boston Celtics, especially with the 12th pick. This was a double blow to his desire for a top-three pick. However, Pierce quickly found a sense of belonging with the Celtics. Duncan was a magical leader, Nash was a good guy worth befriending, and Bobby Bellman, the legendary and controversial Grand Slam coach, radiated a unique charm in Boston.

For Pierce, although he couldn't play for the Los Angeles Lakers, facing the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump in the Finals was still part of his dream.

Defeating Forrest Gump, defeating the Trail Blazers, and winning the championship is the ultimate dream for many young players born in the 70s, and now that dream is within reach.

Pierce wasn't particularly fast on his drives, but he was very strong; as a shooting guard, he weighed more than many small forwards.

Pierce pushed past Kobe and charged toward the basket, but Gan Guoyang quickly came over to help defend, and Pierce couldn't see his eyes.

Where are his eyes looking? Are they watching other people? Or are they trying to prevent him from passing the ball?
The thought flashed through his mind, and Pierce made a judgment: he could just dunk!
With a leap, Pierce was about to dunk with both hands—a former high school dunk contestant, Pierce had failed all four attempts in the final, losing without a doubt to Vince Carter, who had a three-dunk scoring explosion.

This time, Gan Guoyang stood like a mountain in front of Pierce. Seemingly not looking at Pierce, he suddenly turned and jumped, blocking the ball out of Pierce's hands with a left-hand front block.

Kobe controlled the ball and dribbled it across half-court. The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, giving them a chance to take the lead.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis set fake screens for Kobe, drawing the Celtics' defensive attention.

Kobe Bryant made a direct crossover and drove into the paint from the middle. Facing Tim Duncan's defense, Kobe calmly handled the ball and lobbed it to the middle.

Gan Guoyang drove straight down the court, shook off Cliff Robinson, leaped up, and slammed the ball home with a two-handed alley-oop dunk!
With a stunning dunk, the Trail Blazers took the lead, completing a 14-point comeback in half a quarter.

The entire center of the fleet was silent; from fans to legends to Auerbach, everyone was quiet.

Bobby Bellman stood there with his arms crossed, looked up at the time, and saw that there were still 4 minutes left. He had plenty of time.

However, the Celtics' momentum was clearly suppressed, and the young players began to lose their way in the game.

Faced with the Celtics' solid setup, the Trail Blazers didn't try any tricks or changes; instead, they met the challenge head-on, determined to break through the Celtics' defense.

I don't care how you strengthen your defenses, how you deploy your troops, or how you reinforce your camps. I just want to launch a frontal assault and strike straight at the heart of the enemy.

Under Gan Guoyang's leadership, the Portland Trail Blazers' ferocity was on full display, which is the fundamental reason why Gan Guoyang has achieved so many victories over the years.

It's not a tactical victory, nor simply a victory that transcends the times, but rather the superior strength that allows one to always prevail in crucial, decisive head-on confrontations.

With one defensive move and one offensive play, Gan Guoyang turned the tide of the game with a block and an alley-oop dunk.

Although Tim Duncan subsequently managed to one-shot Gan Guoyang in the low post, regaining the advantage.

But immediately Braylock received a pass from Sabonis and hit a three-pointer, putting the team ahead by two points again.

The Trail Blazers had established their momentum, putting immense pressure on the Celtics' offense.

Pierce received the ball but didn't dare to shoot, and Ilgauskas didn't dare to shoot from the high post either, so he just passed it to Duncan.

As a result, Gan Guoyang intercepted the ball with his defense, and the Trail Blazers launched another counterattack. Kobe drove into the paint and drew a foul from Ilgauskas.

Stepping to the free-throw line, he made both shots, extending the Trail Blazers' lead to four points, putting the Celtics in a very dangerous position.

At this point, the Celtics, who were trailing behind, could no longer afford to stay put and fight passively; they had to take the initiative, otherwise they would never be able to catch up.

Steve Nash sped up the pace of the offense, but the young Nash lacked experience against Blaylock's tight defense and was called for a charging foul.

A fatal foul! Young people really have to pay the price for their youth. The fans in the stadium booed loudly. Berman yelled and shouted at the referee, and received a technical foul.

It was a losing proposition. Gan Guoyang went to the free-throw line and made the shot. The ball was still in the Trail Blazers' hands, and at this point, the game became much easier for them.

Gan Guoyang received the ball with his back to the basket at a 45-degree angle. Hickma turned to face the basket and took a mid-range jump shot directly against Duncan. Duncan dared not get too close, because getting too close would mean a face-up drive.

Gan Guoyang doesn't use a 45-degree backboard shot; the ball went in cleanly and accurately, giving Gan Guoyang 3 points and widening the gap to 7 points.

Berman used his last timeout, with just over a minute left in the game. The Celtics could only hope for a miracle if they wanted to win.

Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers are known for their ability to cure all kinds of miracles, turning opponents and fans into staunch basketball atheists.

The fans at the stadium still held a glimmer of hope, but after Steve Nash missed a three-pointer from the top of the arc, and Duncan's putback also missed, with Gan Guoyang firmly securing the rebound, the fans knew that there would be no miracle, no miracle at all.

Needing to buy time, the Celtics could only foul Gan Guoyang, which was essentially giving points to the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang made both free throws, scoring his 33rd point of the first half, despite not taking many shots in the game.

Cliff Robinson hit a three-pointer, but it was too late; the Trail Blazers made no mistakes in the final foul time.

He made all his free throws, made no turnovers, didn't lose any defensive rebounds, and didn't give the opponent any easy chance to catch up. The veteran's experience and composure were fully demonstrated.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers defeated the Boston Celtics 101-93 in Game 2 on the road, completing a remarkable 14-point comeback in the fourth quarter to tie the series 1-1.

Dreams can shatter in an instant, which is precisely what makes NBA games so exciting and unpredictable; sometimes the ending is hard to guess.

The victory boosted the morale of the Trail Blazers, with the veterans high-fiving and celebrating the win, finally able to return to Portland with a victory in their hearts.

As usual, Gan Guoyang hugged Bellman and asked him, "I told you, why didn't you go down from the Twin Towers?"

"is that useful?"

"It's actually useless, I was just trying to scare you."

"Shit, I knew it. But we lost, and we accept it."

There was no need for Bellman to make any harsh remarks to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang also dislikes lying to his teacher.

He said, "Bobby, the series won't be coming back to Boston. Let your players cherish and savor these two games."

"Go to hell, Sonny, stop scaring people, stop scaring people."

Gan Guoyang just smiled, waved and left, leaving Behrman standing there in a daze for a while.

Duncan came over to greet Bellman and said, "Coach, it's time to go."

Behrman let out a long sigh and asked, "Going up against Forrest Gump must be terrifying, right?"

Duncan was also honest, saying, "It's like facing a shark in the deep sea, but I will persevere."

The two didn't say anything more and left to attend the post-match press conference.

(End of this chapter)