The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 214 Grudge Game
On the plane back to Portland, the Trail Blazers players were relaxed and in high spirits.

Although the third match was tough, they still managed to eliminate their opponent and advance to the next round.

In the second round, whether facing the Nuggets or the Spurs, the Trail Blazers will have home-court advantage, allowing them to rest well in Portland and await the start of the semifinals.

Everyone was very interested in Gan Guoyang's mid-range game-winning shot in the final moments of the third game, wondering when he learned that kiki-step.

Gan Guoyang said, "I just learned it. I watched Kiki use it a lot yesterday, and then I got the hang of it."

Everyone scoffed, not believing it at all; they thought the kid had secretly practiced it sometime during the day.

In Game 3, Vandeweghe scored 26 points, the second-highest scorer on the team. He was the team's second-leading scorer in the series against the Mavericks, second only to Forrest Gump.

His form peaked at the beginning of the season when he first arrived in Portland, then gradually declined in December. Under the guidance of Gan Guoyang, he gradually regained his touch, but soon suffered another injury.

In the latter half of the season, Vandeweghe played intermittently. With no pressure to win and with Gan Guoyang holding the line, he was able to rest and recover from his back injury. In the first round of the series, he became the team's most consistent outside scorer.

Van de Wechs joked with Gan Guoyang, saying, "You should pay me royalties. You stole my moves and used them for the game-winning shot. Aren't you afraid you'll miss?"

Gan Guoyang joked, "What's there to be afraid of? It's a tie, so even if I miss, we won't lose. If we fall behind, I'll just pass it to you to shoot; I won't shoot myself."

"Fuck, Forrest Gump, you're much more cunning than I thought."

Drexler then leaned over and asked Gan Guoyang, "Gan, how exactly did you learn this step-back jumper?"

Gan Guoyang noticed the eagerness to learn shining in Drexler's eyes.

This kid hangs out with Vandeweghe quite a bit, but I guess he just plays around; he hasn't really learned any of the outside offensive techniques.

Although his shooting has improved a lot, his main offensive shooting methods are catch-and-shoot and pull-up jumpers.

The step-back technique, which requires excellent coordination, was still somewhat difficult for the young Drexler.

Gan Guoyang explained to Drexler: "You take the ball first, dribble it inside, stop suddenly, do this first, then that, and that's it."

Drexler was completely confused. What do you mean by "first this, then that"? Who teaches like this?

"Forrest Gump, are you kidding me?"

"I'm not kidding you, it's just that your brain isn't ready to understand yet. You should work on your fundamentals. You're already in second grade, and your shooting is still so bad."

Drexler's shooting has actually improved a lot, with an 85% free throw percentage in the series and a few mid-range shots, but his overall shooting percentage is still average, as the intensity of the playoffs is much greater than that of the regular season.

But he's still far behind Vandeweghe and Gan Guoyang, those two beasts had a 100% free throw percentage in the series, not missing a single one.

He got all the points he was supposed to get, and even the extra points he was supposed to get.

At this moment, Ramsey sat in the front row, ignoring the players' commotion, focusing on the statistics and mentally reviewing the third game.

In fact, the Trail Blazers were at a disadvantage in every aspect of this game: tactics, morale, and performance on the court were all suppressed by the Mavericks.

In the third and fourth quarters, the Mavericks hit consecutive three-pointers, making 5 of 8 three-pointers in the game, which was a terrifying number of shots and a very high success rate at the time.

This shows that the Mavericks were in great form tonight, with solid defense, players hitting amazing shots, and high morale.

The Trail Blazers had too many weaknesses in their perimeter defense and committed a lot of turnovers in this game, but they still won.

Because of numerous critical moments, Gan Guoyang stepped up and made shots to stabilize the situation and firmly control the rhythm.

Especially in the third quarter, when Blackman hit a three-pointer after a timeout, Ramsey immediately sensed something was wrong.

Based on experience from the game, after you complete a series of attacks, your opponent is likely to launch a counterattack, and you will miss several shots in a row.

Because a player's focus, touch, and teamwork on the court fluctuate, it's difficult to maintain that level of intensity.

Only the top teams, with their many talented players, can stagger their performances and extend their offensive highs while minimizing their lows.

The Trail Blazers, playing away, tied the game after a run. After a Mavericks timeout, they were clearly going all out for a comeback. At that moment, Forrest Gump withstood the pressure, using his ruthless shooting and hook shots to gradually neutralize the Mavericks' comeback surge.

When the Trail Blazers were still leading by one point at the end of the third quarter, Ramsey breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the game was probably in the bag.

As for Gan Guoyang's final step-back mid-range game-winner, it was icing on the cake. Ramsey is no longer surprised by any technique Gan Guoyang uses.

If he makes a six-step layup one day, and it goes in, even if the referee doesn't call it, Ramsey will applaud him.

Gan Guoyang's maturity, composure, and rationality in the face of adversity surprised Ramsey, who had expected at least one setback.

As a result, this kid only became a source of frustration for others.

Now it's time to seriously consider their next opponent. Barring any surprises, the San Antonio Spurs, another Texas team, will not be a match for the Denver Nuggets.

The score is currently 2-1, with the Nuggets leading the Spurs.

If it's a matchup against the Nuggets, it will undoubtedly be a grudge match.
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When the Trail Blazers returned to Portland, they were greeted and welcomed by many fans at the airport.

Gan Guoyang was right to bring fewer changes of clothes; he didn't need to carry much luggage and could relax and enjoy himself with just a travel bag.

Seeing the slogan at the airport, Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "Anyone who doesn't know better would think we've won the championship. It's only the first round, why are we being so enthusiastic?"
Adelman told Gan Guoyang, "Portland fans are just that passionate. You can imagine what it would be like if we won the championship."

As Oregon's sole representative, the Trail Blazers hold a special place in the league, and the team is symbolic for Portland.

When Gan Guoyang went to Dallas, although the fans at the reunion stadium were very enthusiastic and crazy, he hardly felt the playoff atmosphere outside the stadium.

Dallas's iconic team is the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, known as Team USA, which established itself in the city in 1960 and won the Super Bowl in 1971 and 1977.

The Mavericks need to work harder in Dallas to gain the recognition of this cowboy city.

The Trail Blazers are Portland's Dallas Cowboys, and tickets for the first two games at Memorial Arena were sold out before their playoff opponents were even decided.

Many fans arrived early at the stadium to set up tents and queue up, just to buy a playoff ticket for a Trail Blazers game.

However, to the surprise of Trail Blazers and Portland fans, the Nuggets and Spurs went all the way to Game 5.

2：1领先的掘金队在圣安东尼奥被马刺扳平了比分，迈克-米切尔用21投17中，全场37分的表现让双方回到了丹佛。

In Game 5 on the 28th, the entire Trail Blazers team watched the playoffs live in the training facility's video room to see who their semifinal opponent would be.

Before the game, everyone favored the Nuggets, and sure enough, the Nuggets led the Spurs 45-65 by 20 points in the first half, making the outcome of the game a foregone conclusion.

When the fourth quarter was halfway through and the score difference was still 20 points, and the game was entering garbage time, Ramsey turned off the TV.

"Get ready for training, prepare for the Nuggets, your old friend, your former team."

The Trail Blazers players all had rather complicated expressions, and Vandeweghe even sighed.

Gan Guoyang asked, "What, do you still have feelings for your ex?"

Vandeweghe shook his head and said, "No, I just hate playing against the Nuggets, it brings back some...not-so-good memories."

The Trail Blazers and Nuggets have faced off four times this season, with a record of 2 wins and 2 losses, and the wins were hard-fought while the losses were decisive.

Everyone knows each other too well, especially the Nuggets who know the Trail Blazers better. The only one they don't know is Forrest Gump.

Both of the Nuggets' losses were due to Gan Guoyang.

Vandeweghe has consistently underperformed against his former team this season, being severely hampered.

Gan Guoyang said to Vandeweghe, "It's okay. After this series, it will become a fond memory for you."

(End of this chapter)