The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 222 Red Alert
After their humiliating defeat in the 1984 NBA Finals, the Lakers did not go on a winning streak in the 1984-1985 season as expected, but instead experienced a series of ups and downs.

The Lakers didn't come away empty-handed in the 1984 draft feast; they drafted the highly anticipated Earl Jones, who claimed to be a combination of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Jesus.

This 7-foot-tall, exceptionally talented Black center is considered an underrated gem. He failed to get into an NCAA Division I school due to poor high school grades and instead chose the Division II University of Columbia.

In 1982, he led his team to the NCAA Division II national championship, and he was considered to be exceptionally talented.

The Lakers felt it was time to find a backup for the 37-year-old Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, otherwise the constant influx of new giants into the league would wear down the old man, so they chose him.

But no one expected that Earl Jones would collapse much faster and earlier than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. This mentally challenged man, who couldn't even brush his teeth or do basic arithmetic, was even less capable of catching Magic Johnson's passes.

During practice, he was constantly hit on the head by Magic Johnson's passes. Then, after playing two games and committing one turnover in his rookie season, he suffered a leg fracture and was out for the rest of his Lakers career, spending the rest of his career in the hospital until he was waived by a very disappointed Jerry West.

Then the Lakers watched helplessly as Gan Guoyang rose to prominence in Portland, thrashing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Rambis at the Great Western Forum, while the Lakers had a poor start with a series of losses, falling out of the top eight in the West within two weeks.

The Los Angeles media continued to question him, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar constantly being told he was too old and should retire, and this year might be his last season. He appeared tired and slow when facing new beasts like Forrest Gump, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Sampson.

Magic Johnson paled in comparison to Larry Bird; his shooting was off, he made too many turnovers, and he couldn't save the game with a string of consecutive shots like Bird did.

James Worthy was considered a mistake in the 82 draft, followed by Dominique Wilkins and Terry Cummings. Rumors circulated that Magic Johnson wanted to trade Worthy for his good friend Mark Aguirre, which caused tension within the Lakers team.

Byron Scott was considered an unsuitable replacement for Norm Nixon; he was too young and lacked Nixon's star quality, and letting Nixon go because of him was a huge mistake.

As for the bench, 33-year-old Bob McAdoo's form is declining, while Jamal Wilkes, only 31, has missed most of the games due to a torn left knee.

Pat Riley, as head coach, had not yet truly proven himself. His 1982 championship was considered a legacy of McKinney and Westhead, and when Moses Malone joined the 76ers in 1983, he was powerless against them. He lost the Finals again in 1984. It seemed that he spent far more time on suits and slicked-back hair than on tactics and roster.

It was in this desperate and suffocating atmosphere that Riley gritted his teeth and overturned his initial ideas for the season, rearranged the roster, revised the tactical details, and placed great emphasis on training—the Lakers have the most dazzling tactical style of play, which is supported by Riley's devilish training.

He never gives players empty warnings or admonitions, such as "You need to work harder," "You need to cheer up," or "You need to run."

He enjoys hands-on practice and likes to incite players to attack each other during training. He rarely blows his whistle, allowing the players to trash talk, collide with each other, and even fight during training.

The Lakers players were battered and bruised in every practice session. Lai used this grueling training to push each player and prevent them from getting lost in the glitz and glamour of Los Angeles.

This kind of training actually makes the actual competition easier, and easier and easier.

Finally, March arrived, and the Los Angeles Lakers had become the most ferocious team in the league. They achieved an amazing record in the final stage, sweeping the league like a whirlwind, rushing to the top of the Western Conference and easily entering the playoffs. Then they swept the Phoenix Suns and the Utah Jazz in the first two rounds.

Last season, the Suns were able to put up a fight against the Lakers, but this year in the playoffs, they are no match for them at all.

The young Jazz are even less of a threat without Mark Eaton. The only serious opponent the Lakers face in the West is the Portland Trail Blazers and their superstar center, Gan Guoyang.

On May 11th, the first game of the Western Conference Finals, to exaggerate a bit, the Great Western Forum, and even the whole of Los Angeles, were on high alert.

When Gan Guoyang arrived in Los Angeles on the 10th, although the people here were not as arrogant and hostile as those in Boston, Gan Guoyang could clearly feel that every staff member in the hotel had a cold look in their eyes.

The waiters were less enthusiastic and generous than before, with a slight sense of unfamiliarity, as if they were afraid that being too enthusiastic would be seen as a traitor or a defector.

When the playoffs reach the conference finals, it's no longer a simple basketball game, but a war between two cities. Portland had won this war in the Western Conference finals before, which made Los Angeles wary.

Not to mention that Gan Guoyang has won so many times in Los Angeles, from high school to college to the NBA. He has dominated the city of Angels like Lucifer on the court, which terrifies Los Angeles fans.

The Lakers were well prepared. Pat Riley forced the players to watch the season opener between the Trail Blazers and the Lakers in the video room after practice, as well as the comeback game where Gan Guoyang hit 6 three-pointers. This allowed Lakers fans to relive the pain of being dominated by Gan, thereby boosting the players' morale and desire to win.

By the night of the 11th, the entire Great Western Forum was filled with a tense atmosphere, with everyone from fans to players on edge, determined to win the game.

On the contrary, the Trail Blazers were quite relaxed, because reaching the Western Conference Finals was already an achievement for them.

The players are still young. They have emotions about winning, losing, and championships, but they don't have a deep obsession with them.

The Trail Blazers, playing with a relaxed and uninhibited style, seemed out of place in the somber and noisy Great Western Forum arena, so they were hit hard by the Lakers right from the start. In the first quarter, the Lakers used speed and physicality to launch a 15-4 offensive surge against the Trail Blazers, forcing Jack Ramsey to call two timeouts to allow his players to make adjustments.

The noise level at the Great Western Forum was at least twice that of the regular season. Los Angeles fans are usually lazy and indifferent, but they become unusually crazy during crucial games.

Playing against a team like the Lakers in the playoffs is incredibly stressful; they can push themselves to the limit on both offense and defense.

The Trail Blazers committed 5 turnovers in the first quarter, 4 of which were converted into fast breaks by the Lakers, making everyone on the Trail Blazers very cautious.

This sense of pressure was completely different from when they played the Nuggets. The Nuggets didn't have this kind of pressure in the game, and by the fifth and sixth games, the Trail Blazers had taken control of the pace.

The Lakers are different; their desire to win is so naked and undisguised. The aging Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is completely different from his lifeless performance in the regular season.

He actively participated in the fast break, broke through the middle, received a pass from Magic Johnson, and slammed the ball down with one hand. After scoring, he pumped his fist in front of the audience.

This guy is hardly a 37-year-old veteran anymore.

At halftime, the Lakers led the Trail Blazers 49-65, a 16-point advantage, which practically sealed the Trail Blazers' fate at the Great Western Conference.

Gan Guoyang only scored 9 points in the first half. He couldn't focus on scoring like he did in the semifinals against the Nuggets, as the Lakers' offense was much more aggressive than the Nuggets'.

Especially when facing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's one-on-one defense, he can't just hand over the defense to his teammates at the end like he did against the Nuggets, or spread the defense evenly, guarding one spot here and one spot there, saving his energy for offense.

This time, the Lakers no longer avoided Gan Guoyang, but instead launched a full-scale attack on him, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's isolation plays, James Worthy's strong drives, Magic Johnson's strong drives, and Byron Scott's strong drives.

Despite such a strong offensive and defensive pressure, and the Lakers' almost frantic offensive and defensive transitions, as well as their suffocating half-court double-team defense, Gan Guoyang still managed to contribute 3 blocks, 2 steals, and 7 rebounds on the defensive end in the first half, while only committing 2 fouls.

During halftime, the rest of the Trail Blazers were completely bewildered, as if they had been boiled in hot steam. They all lost their energy and didn't know how to play.

Faced with such adversity, Gan Guoyang simply encouraged his teammates to start with defense, and then gradually close the gap from the third quarter onwards. The Lakers seemed to have overextended themselves, and faced with the Trail Blazers' fully collapsed defense, they missed several shots from the outside.

Jack Ramsey boldly used Steve Cort from the bench. With Valentine, Paxson, and others struggling to find their rhythm, Cort, who is usually quiet and unremarkable, suddenly exploded and scored consecutive points in the third quarter.

Gan Guoyang consistently provided offensive rebounds and remained steadfast in the paint. When the Lakers' offensive momentum waned, they suddenly realized that this rock hadn't moved an inch and was still firmly embedded under the basket.

第三节替补登场的科尔特单节拿下15分，甘国阳拿下11分5个前场篮板，开拓者一节追回了10分，双方以84：90进入第四节。

The Trail Blazers' resilience and willpower are amazing. Most teams would have collapsed long ago when faced with the Lakers' onslaught and such a terrifying atmosphere, but Gan Guoyang is the backbone of the Trail Blazers.

As long as he keeps going and doesn't fall, the Trail Blazers can persevere and continue to fight their opponents.

The Lakers were too impatient, wanting to crush the Trail Blazers early and end the game.

This mindset affected their performance, and they made many mistakes in the third quarter.

The biggest mistake was to intensify the defense and try to overwhelm the Trail Blazers with a full-court press.

Unexpectedly, Cort withstood the pressure, made no mistakes in the third quarter, and his tight defense caused the Lakers to have a big opening.

When the Trail Blazers scored easily through backdoors several times in a row, especially when Gan Guoyang received the ball in the middle, dodged the Lakers' risky steal, and drove to the basket for a one-handed dunk, Riley was sweating profusely.

In the fourth quarter, led by Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers' outside shooting blossomed, with Vandeweghe, Paxson, Drexler, and even Mitchell Thompson starting to hit mid-range shots.

In a fast break, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Drexler and hit a three-pointer from the left 45-degree angle, making the score 112-111. The Trail Blazers, who had been dominated all game, finally rose from the depths and breathed a sigh of relief!

After scoring, Gan Guoyang raised his arms high, his face as cold and stern as a sculpture, his eyes flashing with a chilling light that made almost all the fans in the stadium feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Is this newcomer, this Chinese man, already so terrifying that there's no way to stop him?
Sweat beaded on Riley's forehead as he thought to himself, "The red alert is really about to go off."

(End of this chapter)