The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 151 Mickey Mouse
During the timeout, Ramsey emphasized the importance of offense, believing that against a tight defense, it's crucial to pass the ball around more and use more finesse to break down this tough opponent.

But Gan Guoyang doesn't think so. He believes that when facing tough challenges, you can only chop with an axe or smash with a hammer. Even the sharpest knife will eventually break.

However, Ramsey was right about one thing: they still need to start with defense, and Gan Guoyang agreed with that.

When the timeout ended, Ramsey pulled Gan Guoyang aside and said, "Gan, stay calm and don't let off-court factors distract you. Winning the game is the most important thing."

After spending more than two months together, Ramsey knew that Gan Guoyang was a very proud person and valued this highly publicized duel very much.

He had just tried to score on offense, and his plan was almost successful, but Jordan proved to be one step ahead.

Ulrich's help defense was clearly a tactical deception; Jordan anticipated that Gan Guoyang would cut to the basket to receive the ball and attack the rim.

So when Gan Guoyang cut inside, he rushed over from the bottom corner and intercepted the ball from Gan Guoyang the instant he received it.

Back on the court, the Bulls double-teamed Gan Guoyang even more aggressively. Whenever he received the ball in the low post, three players would immediately come to double-team him.

Jordan wasn't part of the double team; he roamed around the area, cutting off Gan Guoyang's passing lanes, especially denying him opportunities to pass inside.

The Trail Blazers' first offensive possession after the timeout failed, as the Bulls' aggressive defense forced the Trail Blazers into a 24-second violation.

Cheers erupted in the Chicago stadium, and Raulri breathed a sigh of relief. He had been very adept at using this kind of pressing defense when he coached in Atlanta.

However, given the league's overall emphasis on offense over defense and the long season, this kind of defense might work for a certain period, but it's too difficult to maintain it for an entire season.

Therefore, Rauchry's teams have always struggled to achieve significant breakthroughs in their records. He did have a very successful stint coaching the ABA, winning two championships, but the level of ABA teams was far inferior to that of the NBA.

Moreover, he had Julius Erving on his team back then, and now he has Michael Jordan on his team. He knows how important such superstars are to a team.

The Bulls, having successfully defended, launched an attack, giving them a chance to take the lead and turn the tide. There was a good opportunity under the basket, and Jordan, after being double-teamed, made a bounce pass to Jones.

Jones received the ball, turned around, and was about to dunk when Gan Guoyang, who slid in from the side, gently blocked it—it was gently blocked because Gan Guoyang's hand only touched the ball.

The ball slipped from Jones's hands, but Jones continued his dunking motion with both hands. By the time his hands were empty and hanging on the rim, Gan Guoyang had already taken the ball and started a counterattack.

Fast breaks are the best opportunity to score points, and the Trail Blazers' fast break drills are probably among the most numerous and grueling in the entire league. Ramsey is always shouting "Run, run, run!"

Vandeweghe received the pass and dunked with his left hand, giving the Trail Blazers the lead.

Ramsey knelt on one knee on the sidelines and gently clenched his fist, a sign of the team's improved attack.

Jordan was frustrated. He clearly saw Jones had a chance, and he saw that Gan Guoyang's attention was elsewhere.

How could he slide over so quickly to block Jones?

Jordan immediately realized that this kid was using tactical deception, making you think there was an opportunity under the basket, when in fact he was going to block it.

"Shet."

Jordan cursed under his breath and decided to attack himself.

He blew past Paxson on the outside and pulled up for a jump shot at a 45-degree angle, which went in.

The ball went in so easily and naturally that no matter who tried to defend it, it wouldn't have mattered.

The advantage of perimeter players over interior players is that they can initiate their own offense without needing to be fed the ball.

Jordan was ready to direct his teammates to double-team Gan Guoyang in the low post.

Gan Guoyang suddenly received the ball at the top of the arc and unleashed a long two-pointer, which went in!
He was very decisive in his actions, and his shots were also very accurate.

The Bulls didn't even have time to implement their double-team defense before they were already going to inbound the ball.

Rauchri had a bad feeling.

Ramsey rubbed his forehead. "Who the hell told you to throw like that?"

Jordan continued his offensive run with the ball and easily got past Paxson.

But Gan Guoyang came up to help defend, and Paxson also turned around to double-team.

Jordan was surrounded on the left side, an area he hated.

Jordan passes the ball to Ulrich, who receives it and breaks past Vandeweghe.

He drove into the paint and tried to make a layup, but Gan Guoyang blocked it again!

It was that same light, effortless block; his finger barely touched the opponent's ball.

The ball slips from the player's hand, but the player continues to fly forward; once the player lands, the ball has already traveled towards the frontcourt.

Vandeweghe once again showed off his left-handed dunk to the fans at the Chicago Arena.

Some fans were momentarily dazed, wondering if they had just experienced this.
Is this a replay?

After Ulrich broke through, Vandeweghe was already preparing to run forward.

He knew that Ulchiri's speed wasn't up to par, and his jump height and impact weren't sufficient to break through Agam's defense.

The Trail Blazers regained a four-point lead and the team regained its composure.

Rauch looked up at the score and thought they could play for a while longer; Jordan might be able to change the situation.

Jordan did want to change the game; he didn't want to go down the left side anymore, but Paxson was blocking the right-side driving lanes.

Jordan chose to pass the ball to his teammate on the wing, cut to the other side, and then receive the pass from his teammate, pull up and shoot a jump shot that went in.

But on the defensive end, Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc in the same position and took another long two-pointer, which went in!
"Fuck!" Jordan cursed. "Is this guy a catapult? Is he Bird?"
A long two-pointer that's completely unreasonable. How can you stop a center from this position?
Jordan chewed his gum vigorously, sweat dripping down his head.

He was like an angry bull, and Forrest Gump in his red jersey was like that waving red cloth.

However, he did not lose his composure and charge directly at Gan Guoyang during the attack; instead, he coordinated with his teammates.

He cut into the middle without the ball, then received the ball and took off, soaring over Gan Guoyang's defenses to score a layup with his right hand.

Jordan knew that against Gan Guoyang's defense, you needed to have enough speed and jumping height, otherwise you'd just get blocked. The score remained close, reaching an extremely tense stage.

As Gan Guoyang continued to hit three-pointers, the Bulls' previously tight defensive formation began to crumble.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc for the third time, and made a move to shoot, but Jones closed in on him this time.

Unexpectedly, Gan Guoyang suddenly changed his tactics, using a fake move to drive through the middle, leaving only Steve Johnson under the Bulls' basket.

Gan Guoyang charged into the basket like a truck, jumped over Johnson, and slammed the ball into the hoop with one hand!

A fierce dunk over someone sent Johnson flying after being knocked down by Gan Guoyang, yet the referee still called a blocking foul on him.

Two points were awarded, plus a free throw. The free throw was made, bringing the score to 79-74, with the Trail Blazers leading by 5 points. Both teams then went into a timeout.

The Trail Blazers stabilized their offense, but their stamina became increasingly problematic as the game progressed, and everyone's legs felt heavy.

On offense, you can control the rhythm and maintain your form, but on defense, if your footwork can't keep up, you can't defend at all.

Ramsey decided to also implement a collapsed defense, letting the Bulls shoot from the outside while they would do their best to protect Gan Guoyang inside.

Otherwise, if he commits too many fouls and is constantly attacked by Jordan and Ulrich, he won't be able to stay on the court.

Meanwhile, Ramsey increased the playing time of substitute players, with Kossie, Cortés, and Drexler entering the game in the latter part of the third quarter.

Let Vandeweghe, Paxson, Valentine and others get a good rest so they can be ready for the decisive fourth quarter.

However, neither Gan Guoyang nor Jordan left the court; they neither needed to rest nor could they rest.

The two not only battled it out in terms of ball skills and intellect, but also kept talking, launching attacks at each other.

"Bigfoot".

Mickey Mouse.

"snowman."

Mickey Mouse.

"gibbons".

Mickey Mouse.

"Fuck your mother, can't you use a different name?"

"Okay, Mickey."

"That's the same idea!"

During breaks between free throws or dead balls, the two players used nicknames to attack each other.

Jordan racked his brains to come up with a nickname for Gan Guoyang, and Gan Guoyang conquered the world with a single Mickey Mouse trick.

No matter which way you come, I'll be like Mickey Mouse the whole way, which makes Jordan very frustrated.

In the third quarter, the score went back and forth, and the coach's instructions quickly lost their effectiveness in the second half, allowing the players to play freely.

Jordan scored 14 points in the third quarter, and Gan Guoyang scored 12 points in the third quarter. Both of them had 32 points by the end of the third quarter.

Jordan had 5 assists in a single quarter, while Gan Guoyang had 3 blocks and 7 rebounds.

The Trail Blazers led 94-88, a six-point advantage, heading into the fourth quarter.

Rauchri's gamble paid off, but Gan Guoyang turned the tide in crucial moments with his unreasonable mid-range shots and defense.

Gan Guoyang completely ignored Ramsey's offensive instructions during the third quarter timeout, and the center just threw the ball away after receiving it at the top of the arc. What kind of tactic is that?

But it was effective, and it had an extraordinary effect.

During the break, Rauli thought, "If only I could recruit Forrest Gump and play with Jordan, that would be great!"
He recalled that during the Olympic All-Star Game, he coached the All-Star team and reduced Gan Guoyang's playing time in order to help the Olympic team win.

His influence on the game was already quite astonishing at that time, forcing Bob Knight to resort to this tactic, otherwise the Olympic team would lose face if they kept failing to win.

Looking at the statistics, Gan Guoyang only committed two fouls after three quarters, his foul control was excellent, and his defense was impeccable.

Rahee had a feeling that this guy might be the best defensive center since Bill Russell.

Rauch asked Jordan, "Michael, can you take Forrest Gump down?"

Jordan looked at Rauli and said, "Keep fighting? I can't beat him, who can?"

"No, I mean, kick him out by fouling him."

How many fouls did he commit?

"twice."

Jordan looked at the coach with the kind of look one would give a comedian.

"Well, this is indeed a bit difficult. We should have a plan to deal with him before the match starts."

Preparation is key to success, and lack of preparation leads to failure. While on-site command is important, pre-match planning is crucial.

The 1984 Chicago Bulls were one of the worst teams in the league, in terms of players, coaches, and management.

Despite the high level of attention this match received, the team's focus was entirely on ticket sales and advertising.

Even Raheem didn't think to design a proper tactic or develop a targeted plan for Jordan.

"Don't worry, Kevin, I'll figure something out myself," Jordan said.

(End of this chapter)