The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 977 Evil Weapon
As night falls, the Staples Center is ablaze with lights. The first round of the 2001-2002 Western Conference playoffs, between the first seed and the eighth seed, is about to begin.

Earlier, the first game in the Eastern Conference had already concluded, with the Boston Celtics easily defeating the Miami Heat at home, securing their first victory.

In another less-noticed game, the Charlotte Hornets defeated the Detroit Pistons by one point at home.

The reason it was considered unnoticed was that only 9500 spectators showed up for Charlotte's game, less than half the stadium was full.

This is the playoffs.

The wealth gap among the 30 teams is quite significant.

Everyone's attention is focused on the popular teams, while the less popular and underdog teams are ignored.

Not only did no one subscribe to the pay-TV broadcast, but even local fans were unwilling to attend the game in person.

The Hornets weren't always like this; their Charlotte Arena can hold more than 24000 spectators.

In the early years of the team's founding, Charlotte fans were incredibly enthusiastic, and the team sold out 371 games in a row.

This is a truly astonishing sales figure, with over 24000 fans cheering deafeningly in the arena at every game, which is why Charlotte Arena is also known as "The Hive".

At that time, the Hornets had two strong inside players, Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson, and on the perimeter, Muggsy Bogues. The Hornets were a unique team that did not have championship potential, but they had a lot of personality, plenty of fighting power, and were worth supporting.

However, the team subsequently made a series of blunders, such as breaking up Mourning and Johnson, and repeatedly going against the fans in its business decisions, which aroused a lot of dissatisfaction among the audience and caused attendance to plummet.

This season, the Hive has gone from having tickets that were hard to come by to having only half the attendance for the playoffs.

The team actually has stars like Baron Davis and David Wesley, and can make the playoffs, but the fans are already heartbroken.

In contrast to Charlotte, the Los Angeles basketball market was booming, with tickets for the Staples Center selling out quickly.

Regardless of their off-court relationship, the combination of O'Neal, McGrady, and Pippen on the court guarantees ticket sales.

Moreover, in the first round against the Las Vegas Glory, Los Angeles fans were already looking forward to revenge against Forrest Gump.

Fans in the 00s were more fanatical than those in the 80s and 90s, and they were also less likely to take Forrest Gump seriously.

Ten championships? That's all history. Los Angeles is the new king of the league, and Shaquille O'Neal is the best center!

O'Neal displayed tremendous dominance in the regular season, averaging 28 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2.5 blocks per game, with a field goal percentage as high as 59%. He played 76 games in the regular season, and there was a strong call for him to win the MVP award again.

If it weren't for Duncan leading the team to a better regular season record, and O'Neal winning the MVP last season, and the media having to consider balance, O'Neal's MVP award would have been 100% handed over.

Gan Guoyang greatly respects O'Neal's strength and performance. This guy is no longer a young shark, but a mature black shark.

He wanted to start at center and directly challenge O'Neal, but head coach Tomjanovich rejected this idea and insisted that Gan Guoyang play power forward or small forward.

"Our goal is to win. You are not the same person you used to be. You need to contribute in other areas and not expend too much energy on the defensive end."

Tomjanovich stuck to his judgment, and Gan Guoyang had no choice but to agree. However, he demanded to stand at center circle for the jump ball at the start of the game, just to intimidate O'Neal.

Old Tang agreed.

At 7:30 p.m., both sides finished warming up and the match was about to begin.

Lakers fans on the sidelines waved all sorts of signs, many of which featured cartoons of Gan Guoyang.

Some mocked Gan Guoyang, saying he should go home and take care of his children, while others said, "This is no longer your era, stop lingering here."

Some drawings depicted Shaquille O'Neal with Gan Guoyang under his feet; in short, Lakers fans always enjoy watching the drama unfold.

When Gan Guoyang first returned to the court, everyone cheered. But when the regular season ended and the playoffs began, everyone was afraid of his return.

This reflects the complex emotions on the basketball court towards a former terror ruler.

The same thing happened to O'Neal. When he stood in the center circle after the opening ceremony and saw Forrest Gump coming to the other side, his heart skipped a beat.

In previous games between the Lakers and the Glorious Ones, Gan Guoyang played the three or four positions, only facing off against O'Neal at certain stages.

Are they going to put me in physical contact during the playoffs?
O'Neal's expression was solemn, as if he were facing certain death.

The referees tonight are Joe DeRozan, Bernie Flair, and Eddie Rush. All three have been officiating since the 1989-1990 season and belong to the middle generation of referees.

For them, Gan Guoyang was a figure from ancient times. Back then, Earl Strom was still working and had experienced Gan Guoyang's series of fierce battles from 1984 to 1989.

The three of them had just started out in the industry and were not qualified to comment on the playoffs.

The atmosphere before the match was quite tense, but Gan Guoyang said in a relaxed manner, "Relax, guys, it's just a match. Let's go grab a beer after it's over?"

Everyone smiled but didn't say anything, unsure how to respond; it was probably better to remain silent.

The match started quickly, and Gan Guoyang was the first to tap the ball in the jump ball, showing his explosive power.

The bigger reason is that O'Neal was a step too slow to react; the psychological trauma of more than ten years is not so easy to erase.

In fact, in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs, O'Neal hoped to break through his fear and reach the true pinnacle.

Everything in this world starts with failure, and the more you fail, the easier it is to fail again; you start with success, and the more you succeed, the easier it is to succeed again.

O'Neal won the championship, but he has been waiting too long to get past Forrest Gump. He can't keep fooling himself forever, can he?
The Glorious's first offensive play was very well-organized, following the standard Princeton offense.

Arenas, starting the game, dribbled the ball past half-court and passed it to Gan Guoyang at the 45-degree angle. Miller then moved to the right perimeter to set a screen.

After several runs, Miller received the ball just inside the three-point line. O'Neal didn't come out, and Miller scored the first point of the game with a mid-range jump shot.

Glorious's efforts in studying the Princeton system over half a season have yielded positive results.

Brad Miller is a perfect fit for this offensive system. He has a mid-range and long-range shot, a good pass, and excellent playmaking ability. His playing style is very similar to that of Sabonis in his later years. It would be easy for Gan Guoyang to work with him.

The Lakers' triangle offense begins with O'Neal holding the ball in the low post.

O'Neal suddenly realized that his defender wasn't Forrest Gump, but Miller?

I relaxed immediately, dribbled twice after receiving the ball, turned around and attacked, threw up a hook shot, and scored two points!

The Staples Center erupted in jubilation. After scoring, O'Neal quickly ran back to defend, yelling at Forrest Gump, "Why aren't you guarding me? Why? You need to show me more respect!"

That fatso gets all excited when given a little encouragement; his face was as dark as if he owed five million dollars during the jump ball.

He felt happy when he realized he didn't have to compete against Forrest Gump, which shows that his mentality is still immature.

Both sides played cautiously at the start, and after each scoring a goal, they both missed their attacks.

The Lakers' starting lineup consists of O'Neal, McGrady, Fisher, Pippen, and Horry.

Jackson will use Samaki Walker in the regular season, but he will definitely start Horry in the playoffs.

After a few rounds of back-and-forth play, Howard scored another point with a mid-range jumper after receiving the ball.

Then, Radiance made a mistake on offense, and Arenas' pass was intercepted.

He underestimated the intensity and focus of the playoffs; his passing intention was too obvious, and Pippen intercepted the pass.

The Lakers launched a fast break and passed the ball to McGrady, who caught it and slammed it home with a dunk!
Staples Center erupted in cheers as the Lakers' defense and fast breaks proved incredibly sharp, proving difficult for their opponents to stop. This was largely due to their roster; aside from O'Neal, the Lakers' other four starters were all tall and strong forwards and guards.

Including Derek Fisher, whom Chinese fans affectionately call "Little Fish," he may not be tall, but he's definitely not small in stature.

He is very strong, with well-developed upper body muscles, and sometimes he can even hold his own against many inside players in the low post.

Phil Jackson built a very tough perimeter defense, not only for Forrest Gump, but also for all offensive players in the league.

Arenas, Bell, and Wallace are still too young; it's their first time playing in the playoffs, so they don't have a direct feel for the intensity.

They lost the ball early on and then made a mistake on offense. Wallace tried to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang in the paint, but Pippen interfered and the pass went too high.

On the other side, McGrady got the ball, and the Lakers launched another counterattack. McGrady dribbled like a butterfly, bypassing the illustrious players.

Then, he pulled up for a jump shot near the free-throw line and made it again, scoring 4 points in a row! The Lakers led 8-2.

After scoring, McGrady gently blew on his arm, as if to cool down the gun barrel; the Lakers had a strong start.

However, the experienced Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball and unleashed a three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle! It went in!

The temperature in the originally scorching stadium immediately dropped significantly; that unexpected shot was very effective.

The strategy that Glorious set out before the game was to make good use of three-pointers and reduce unnecessary consumption on both offense and defense.

Unnecessary waste refers to too much physical contact, excessive tackling for the ball, and being too fixated on contesting possession of the ball.

This is what Bobby Bellman valued back then: efficiency, and the Boston Celtics still value it today.

In basketball, everything should be viewed over a longer period, within the context of the entire game, rather than focusing on the gains or losses of one or two possessions.

Gan Guoyang's three-pointer stabilized the team's morale, while O'Neal received the ball in the middle and made a layup after turning around.

Brad Miller definitely can't stop O'Neal, so Glorious isn't in a hurry to double-team him and continues to trade baskets with the Lakers.

Both sides played with restraint in the first quarter, adhering to their established strategies.

The Lakers' half-court offense revolves around O'Neal, and McGrady is the engine of the team whenever they get a fast break opportunity.

On the defensive end, they maintained a half-court defense, avoided physical confrontation, focused on cutting off Guanghui's passing lanes, and did not double-team or specifically defend Gan Guoyang.

Jackson's strategy was moderate and balanced because their overall strength was greater, so they naturally followed the right path.

The Glory team gradually revealed their unconventional approach, with their half-court offense consisting of numerous cuts and catch-and-shoot drives to the basket.

Miller and Gerald Wallace were fresh additions, charging forward as soon as they got the ball, with Miller drawing a defensive foul from O'Neal.

This was a significant achievement, which made O'Neal more cautious in his defense under the basket in the latter part of the first quarter.

Arenas, Gan Guoyang, and Bell were exceptionally determined in their three-point attempts, always taking direct three-point shots during fast breaks.

This move was once Terry Porter's signature skill, which he used countless times in playoff games to deliver devastating fast break three-pointers.

Arenas inherited this trait from Porter. Although he lacked organizational experience, with Gan Guoyang and Miller around, he didn't need to do much organization anyway.

In addition to cutting to the basket and shooting three-pointers, Glorious also made full use of the opportunities created by the Princeton offense's spread-out system.

For example, during a counterattack, the other three players, including the ball handler, slowly crossed half-court, but Gan Guoyang suddenly accelerated to the basket.

He caught the ball, turned around, and easily scored. This kind of score exploited a lapse in the Lakers' defense.

There may only be one or two chances in a game, but the Glorious Team will definitely try their best to seize them.

After more than six minutes of play, the two sides were evenly matched, with the score at 15-14, the Lakers leading the Glory by one point.

During the official timeout, both coaches were fairly satisfied with their teams' performance.

Phil Jackson believes the team's defense could be tighter, giving Glorious too many opportunities to sneak around.

Tomjanovich was worried about turnovers and the team's inexperience in attack, failing to capitalize on some clear opportunities, which led to them falling behind.

"We could have been leading by 3 points," Old Tom muttered.

Tomjanovich is taking the series very seriously; he wants to win and wants to build the Glory into a good team.

During the timeout, Coach Tom replaced Gan Guoyang with Kevin Willis, replaced Arenas with Van Exel.

This was Tomjanovich's rotation strategy implemented in the later stages of the regular season, where Gan Guoyang played for six minutes in the first quarter before being substituted for rest.

Then come back on in the last two minutes or so of the first quarter, play a short transition period in the second quarter, and come back on at the end.

The first half is played in smaller segments, around 16 minutes each. In the second half, the third quarter is played the entire time, the fourth quarter is rested for five minutes, and then the game is over.

Thus, the total playing time in a match is around 35 minutes, which is a relatively friendly time for veteran players.

In this respect, Lao Tang is a decent person and treats Gan Guoyang as a human being, making reasonable plans for time and physical exertion.

Ten years ago, Gan Guoyang would rest for two minutes at the end of the first quarter and then for two minutes at the beginning of the second quarter during the playoffs.

The third quarter is played in its entirety, the fourth quarter is rested for two minutes, and then the game is over.

If it's an important match, don't rest. Rest only after you've died.

However, this rotation method will be a test for the other players. Without Gan Guoyang, can they hold their own on both offense and defense and withstand the test?

Van Exel's arrival made a difference to Glory.

After the timeout, Guanghui repeatedly disrupted the Lakers' offense on the defensive end, but the problem was that he couldn't get possession of the ball.

The Lakers players are very cunning; they don't lose possession of the ball, and even when it goes out of bounds, they still have possession and execute a sideline inbound play.

A long pass to the right 45-degree angle, Fisher received the ball and immediately hit a three-pointer! 18:14, the Lakers widened the gap to 4 points.

The first turning point of the game has arrived: Gan Guoyang is not on the court. If Guanghui misses an attack at this time, the Lakers will seize the opportunity to launch a counterattack, and the point difference will widen.

Glory will fall into the first small pit of this game, and will have to work hard to climb out of it, which is very detrimental to the rhythm of the game.

Van Exel stepped up, drove hard to the basket, and passed the ball to the wing through the crowd. Raja Bell caught the ball and hit an open three-pointer!
A crucial drive-and-kick pass and a three-pointer brought the score to 18-17, allowing the Radiant team to close the gap and avoid falling into a deep hole.

Van Exel's ghostly footwork, seemingly about to fall, ultimately prevented him from losing possession and even managed to pass the ball out.

Old Tang broke out in a cold sweat. To be honest, in all his years of teaching, he had never led so many evil soldiers.

O'Neal received the ball in the low post again and backed down Willis, who was taller but slower.

O'Neal made a nimble baseline spin and hooked a shot under the basket; this big guy is really agile.

But 10 seconds later, Van Exel suddenly unleashed a long-range three-pointer from the outside, making Old Tom's heart leap into his throat.

The three-pointer went in! 20-20, the score is tied!
Although evil weapons are evil, they are very effective when used.

(End of this chapter)