The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 131 I Adapt to Change

Five minutes into the game, both sides took a break.

When Gan Guoyang left the field, he took a towel from his teammate and wiped his sweat.

Teammates offered him towels and water, which is a symbol of status in a team.

Gan Guoyang scored the Trail Blazers' first 9 points, after which the Lakers began to double-team him.

Double-teaming gave others an opportunity, and Thompson and Vandeweghe both made their shots.

However, the score was tied at 13-14, with the Trail Blazers trailing by one point, because the Lakers played a faster and better offense.

Playing against the Lakers is definitely a completely different experience. Not only is the intensity high, but the speed is also at its maximum, and this is still a regular season game.

Whether you're attacking or defending, you have almost no chance to breathe or react; you must make decisions in a short amount of time.

Before the game, you might have thought that it was a simple Lakers-Lakers game, I would play my own game, he could play his fast game, and I would play my slow game.

When the game actually started, I found that it wasn't working. You have to get yourself and the Lakers into the same rhythm to get into the game.

Otherwise, a slow and sluggish approach will only allow the Lakers' offense to completely overwhelm them, because no one can stop Magic Johnson's advance.

He needs to be fast, and you need to be fast too, to keep up with the pace on offense. That's why Ramsey emphasized during the timeout:

“We need to run more aggressively! Get moving! Not just blindly charging forward, but also increasing lateral movement. Paxson, KiKi, you need to increase your baseline movement and create space for Gan. Gan, you need to pay attention to opportunities on the wings. Our offense needs to be more flexible. On defense, let's not go all out yet, to avoid getting into foul trouble!”

When Ramsey was drawing the tactics board, he had already made Gan Guoyang the core of the tactics, and had Paxson and Vandeweghe run around him to create space.

This was a test by Ramsey. Gan Guoyang played very well at the beginning, not the kind of easy wins he used against the Kings and Supersonics, but the tactical pivot.

He has the ability, even though he is only 20 years old. Magic Johnson on the other side was also only 20 years old when he won the Finals MVP.

Paxson and Vandeweghe seemed to have no objections; they are professional players and wouldn't easily contradict the coach on the field.

However, as star players on the team, they are not entirely sure whether they should provide tactical support to a rookie.

Paxson had a strong performance in the game against the Lakers last year, and although the team couldn't win, his stats were still good.

As a rising All-Star, Vandeweghe was traded to Portland and has been eager to make a name for himself. His performance in the first few games earned him a reputation in Portland.

On the contrary, the Trail Blazers' point guard Valentine was very cooperative. He had already determined during training camp that Gan was a reliable inside player - a good inside player can often carry a point guard to success.

After the timeout, Vandeweghe had the ball high up the court and exchanged passes with Valentine. Vandeweghe then broke through, but Worthy defended very well.

Worthy's long arms and speed made it difficult for Vandeweghe to attack; it wasn't easy for him to shake Worthy off with his footwork and speed.

Van de Wesley passed the ball to Valentine on the wing again. Valentine received the ball and made a direct pass to the inside. Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned around, took three big steps to move laterally, and released a Move Hook shot!

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar never imagined that after a lifetime of hooking hands, he would be hooked by a 20-year-old. He was a little slow to catch up.

Gan Guoyang used his speed to shake off Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, found space and made a hook shot—the Lakers' problem of not having a power forward at the start of the game was highlighted again, and no one came to interfere with Gan Guoyang's hook shot.

The Trail Blazers took the lead, but it lasted for less than 5 seconds. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who lost the ball, didn't hesitate. Instead, he took the ball to the baseline and quickly launched an inbound pass with a long, one-handed pass!
Worthy had already crossed half-court, received the ball, and drove to the basket for a layup, drawing a foul from Vandeweghe.

Vandeweghe shook his head helplessly. Against other teams, he was the one who rushed forward and launched quick counterattacks.

When playing against the Lakers, he was left trailing behind Worthy, eating his dust; that's a difference in talent.

This year, Worthy, like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, started wearing goggles and began to be nicknamed "Cobra."

Worthy is most renowned for his cobra-like speed; whether turning or striking, he is incredibly fast.

Hakeem Olajuwon, Gan Guoyang, and others have all stated that Worthy is the most difficult forward to block in the paint; he is indeed too fast.

Moreover, he is very tall, has long arms, and shoots with straight arms, which greatly increases the difficulty of interfering with his shot.

Fortunately, Worthy also had his weaknesses, namely his short shooting range and almost no ability to shoot from mid-range or long-range.

Worthy made one of two free throws, tying the game at 15-15. Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, passed it to Valentine, and then said to Vandeweghe, "I'll screen for you, shoot him."

“I will,” Vandeweghe said; he did indeed want to take on Worthy.

"How about a three-pointer?"

Three points? Forget it…

Although Vandeweghe was a pioneer in attempting three-pointers, he dared not make any rash moves when the score was close.

As expected, Gan Guoyang set a screen for Vandeweghe at the high post. Vandeweghe accelerated with the ball, and the screen blocked Worthy.

Forrest Gump was probably the center who set the best screens in the 80s, a time when centers didn't like to set screens.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came up to defend, but only took a small half-step further, and Vandeweghe accelerated to the basket and scored with a left-handed layup!

After scoring, Gan Guoyang and Vandeweghe high-fived, and Gan yelled, "I fucking told you to take one!"

"I need to be flexible, do you want me to get my hat stuck with?!"

"Then you should deduct one! I'll deduct one later."

After speaking with Gan Guoyang, Vandeweghe felt his blood surging. The frustration of being chased down by Worthy just now vanished.

Vandeweghe suddenly understood what a leader was.

He will keep you motivated at all times, and you'll feel reassured knowing he's there for you.

The Lakers' half-court offense remains fast-paced, not because they run fast, but because they pass the ball quickly.

Wilkes received the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left side to initiate the attack, passing it to Johnson who was cutting in from the middle.

Johnson received the ball and drove into the paint. The Trail Blazers collapsed the defense, and Johnson made a no-look pass to Worthy on the right side.

Worthy dribbled a step inside, Gan Guoyang came over to help defend, Worthy jumped and passed the ball to Jabbar lurking on the other side.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar received the ball and easily dunked it, completing a smooth and fluid set offense.

The Trail Blazers' defensive rotations simply couldn't keep up with the Lakers' ball movement; it was too fluid.

But there was no time to learn from the experience, and the Trail Blazers quickly inbounded the ball, allowing Gan Guoyang to cross the half-court line.

At this moment, Scott knew to come over and try to delay Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang made a fierce charge and drove into the basket.

The Trail Blazers spread out wide, and Valentine lofted a pass into the paint, where Gan Guoyang jumped to catch it.

When he landed, Jabbar, Worthy, and Scott had already surrounded him.

Surrounded by three opponents, Gan Guoyang found Worthy, pushed past him, and went for a layup!

Gan Guoyang was blocked from behind by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, but he grabbed the offensive rebound.

A high-reaching shot still misses, so I jump again, aim again, still miss, aim again!

He finally tipped the ball into the basket and grabbed three offensive rebounds in the process.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Now I finally know how Moses Malone got his offensive rebounds."

If I get two of those rebounds every game, that makes six offensive rebounds per game, right?

Vandeweghe patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder and said, "Didn't you say you were going to dunk one?"

"I need to be adaptable!"

Gan Guoyang responded to Qiqi with the same words.

At the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers and Lakers were tied 31-31.

Gan Guoyang scored 14 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and made 1 block in the quarter.

Although he was blocked twice, his energetic offense and defense under the basket allowed the Trail Blazers to keep the score close despite their tactical and talent disadvantages, resulting in a close contest between the two sides.

Sitting on the bench, Gan Guoyang gulped down water. He had sweated more in one quarter of today's game than he had in yesterday's game against the Clippers. It was really refreshing.

On the other side, on the Lakers' bench, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was also replenishing his fluids. He scored 8 points and had 3 blocks in the first quarter, but the tense and heated atmosphere of the game made him a little uneasy.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hated the heat, hated players who didn't play by the rules, and hated games turning into chaotic free-for-alls.

During the NBA Finals in June, at the Boston Garden, where the air conditioning was broken, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was so hot that he had to sit on the sidelines and use oxygen.

He's 37 now, not like the 70s when he could shoot 60% or 70% in a game. He needs a good rhythm in the game.

In the first quarter, he could sense that Forrest Gump was desperately trying to disrupt the rhythm of the game. He had watched Forrest Gump play, and he didn't usually play like that.

"Pat, let Rambis guard Gan, I'll help defend." Jabbar asked Riley to switch his guards, letting Rambis defend Gan Guoyang.

"Why are you backing down, Karim! Take him down!" Riley was dissatisfied with Jabbar's fighting spirit.

It wasn't just Riley; after losing the Finals in 84, the team had some complaints about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, believing that he slowed down the team.

He's definitely too old on the court; at the same age, Wilt Chamberlain is already sunbathing on a Hawaiian beach with beautiful women.

This old guy never communicates with his teammates. While everyone is encouraging each other in the locker room, he just sits there reading.

He was unusually indifferent to reporters and fans. He didn't say a word during a CBS interview, but he could talk for two hours to two Finnish reporters because he didn't want to talk about basketball.

Los Angeles residents have a complex attitude towards him, sometimes sympathizing and sometimes disgusting—he recently sued a cyclist who collided with his car on the road, taking him to court and ordering him to pay $500 in damages.

The citizens found Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's petty behavior laughable, given that he earned 200 times more than the other man. But Abdul-Jabbar stuck to his own ideas and didn't care what others thought.

"I want to win games, not fight with kids. If we want to win, we need to play better defense," Kareem Abdul-Jabbar bluntly pointed out the team's current problems.

"I know you want to play faster and get rid of this old guy, but we need to win, we need to defend, and we need consistency!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's sudden outburst left Riley somewhat bewildered. He realized that Abdul-Jabbar was serious, and it seemed that his confrontation with Ghane had provoked him.

Sensing danger, Riley abandoned his plan to bring on Bob McAdoo and instead decided to bring on Kirk Rambis.

(End of this chapter)