The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 246 Human Propulsion Machine

Don Chaney quickly sensed that the Portland Trail Blazers had changed compared to the previous season.

The Clippers' three wins against the Trail Blazers last season weren't entirely due to luck. Don Chaney accurately targeted the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense weaknesses, using the individual abilities of Marquese Johnson and Smith to attack Vandeweghe and Paxson.

Like Riley, he knew how to avoid Gan Guoyang's strong defense, attack the Trail Blazers' weaknesses, and avoid playing fast-paced games with the Trail Blazers, instead slowing down the pace and playing more positional games.

The Clippers, with their star-studded lineup, are better suited to half-court offense, allowing their stars to handle the ball and solve problems, rather than losing their rhythm in a high-speed game – the Clippers are one of the slowest-paced teams in the league.

But this tactic didn't seem to work tonight. The Trail Blazers' defense was very solid, and Gan Guoyang was no longer the only solid shield.

The entire team plays a very tough defense, including Vandeweghe, and the Trail Blazers' backcourt height has become terrifying, with Paxson at 6'6" and Drexler at 6'7".

This combination was undoubtedly designed for the Lakers, but the Clippers suffered first, with Smith and Edwards clearly not adapting.

Furthermore, the Trail Blazers' defensive direction has become stronger, intentionally drawing Clippers players into double teams and marginal situations during half-court sets.

If players are not prepared, they will undoubtedly be hampered in their offense, especially since the Clippers' offense is dominated by the backcourt, and they need an inside pivot to help break the deadlock.

Don Chaney looked toward his bench, but Bill Walton was no longer there; in his place was Benjamin, a guy who didn't look very bright.

After joining the Clippers, he chose the number 00 jersey, a number that represents both his basketball IQ and his attitude towards the game.

Walton had played well in games against the Trail Blazers, but they lost him in the summer, along with Marquese Johnson.

With an owner like Sterling, Don Chaney himself felt disheartened, because Sterling would occasionally show disdain for black players.

Although he hid it well and was good at acting, it's hard for a person to keep pretending forever; clues will always be revealed in his words and actions.

For example, he would occasionally utter lines starting with "N," which shocked Chaney, one of the few black coaches in the league.

To make up for the loss of Marquez Johnson, Sterling "picked up" Jamal Wilkes, who had been discarded by the Lakers, in the free agent market.

The Clippers in Los Angeles are like clowns following behind the Lakers, but Sterling doesn't care. As long as he can make money, he doesn't care about honor, fame, loyalty, or a sense of belonging to the sport of basketball, etc., which he considers intangible things. But these are very important to the players; they can't just fight for money.

During the timeout, Don Chaney had to change the team's pace, asking them to play faster and avoid getting bogged down in positional play.

Perimeter players need to think more carefully when initiating offense with the ball; otherwise, they'll be in trouble if they get surrounded or trapped by the Trail Blazers.

He also specifically instructed Terry, "Melvin, grab more offensive rebounds and cause some trouble for the Trail Blazers' interior defense."

When you can't break through the opponent's defense, offensive rebounds are a good option, provided you can get them and score.

Although Turpin can't control his mouth, his talent is obvious to the naked eye: sufficient size, huge buttocks, and excellent positioning under the basket.

Last season, he averaged two offensive rebounds per game, and in one game against the Trail Blazers, he grabbed five offensive rebounds, which he did against Forrest Gump.

Turpin nodded, but to be honest, he felt somewhat powerless. There was no one supervising him on the Clippers, and he had gained too much weight during the offseason.

Besides positioning, agile movement is also very important for rebounding, especially offensive rebounds, which require a lot of speed.

The game continued, and the Clippers' offense improved slightly as Maxwell made a shot.

This low-key Finals MVP is a versatile player with exceptional offensive skills that even Larry Bird admires.

But he was always content to play a supporting role for the Celtics, serving as the sixth man when asked and making way for Kevin McHale when asked.

He can play as a power forward in the low post, a small forward in fast breaks, and also break through and shoot to score crucial points in half-court offense.

He thought he could retire with the Celtics, so he became complacent and rested on his laurels. Little did he expect to be traded to Los Angeles by Auerbach as a bargaining chip.

The Clippers hope that Maxwell can unleash his full talent with the Clippers and build their tactics around him, after all, he is only 30 years old this year, which is the prime of a player's life.

However, judging from his performance in the first two games, Maxwell did not seem to be ready, either physically or mentally.

Vandeweghe immediately broke through Maxwell's defense on offense, drove into the basket from the left baseline, and dunked with his left hand!

Maxwell continued his offensive run with the ball, dribbling a wide circle from the left corner to the right 45-degree angle before unleashing a powerful hook shot with his right hand!

It was a slightly flat arc, and the form wasn't very graceful, but the ball went in; it was a good goal.

Sterling clapped, hoping to see Maxwell play a great game.

The Clippers, having recovered thanks to the individual abilities of their players, gradually found their rhythm in the game.

The backcourt sped up their offensive pace, avoiding half-court sets, and with the Trail Blazers' shooting touch faltering, they capitalized on the opportunity to launch fast breaks.

Maxwell is a master of fast breaks and has a strong ability to seize opportunities under the basket; he scored 8 points in a row. However, when Gan Guoyang mismatched and came to guard him in the next possession, Maxwell was completely stumped.

I just got the ball, tried to break through, only to find myself facing Forrest Gump. I couldn't get past him with my first step, and I couldn't move him with my body either.

He cleverly passed the ball to Melvin Töppen, who then scored against Vandeweghe, prompting the Trail Blazers to double-team him.

When the ball was passed out again, the encirclement was lifted, but the outside shots still had no chance—the Clippers were stuck in positional warfare and became like headless flies.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to the frontcourt. Drexler received the ball, but the Clippers' defense retreated quickly, leaving no fast break opportunity.

But Gan Guoyang took advantage of the Clippers' unstable formation and cut into the middle. Drexler suddenly made a through pass to the basket. Gan Guoyang received the ball and drove straight to the basket. No one dared to stop him. He slammed the ball in with one hand!
The Trail Blazers maintained a lead of more than 10 points throughout the game, and both sides began to rotate their lineups. Benjamin came off the bench to replace Donaldson, and Valentine replaced Edwards. For the Trail Blazers, Walton replaced Mitchell Thompson, and Steve Colter replaced Paxson.

Walton received some applause when he appeared at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, after all, he had fought there for six years, although he spent three of those years recovering from injuries.

Walton's entry into the game means that Gan Guoyang will move to the power forward position, where he will be matched up against Melvin Tppin.

When Teping saw Gan Guoyang coming up to him during the attack, he felt a little nervous and thought that his teammates had better not pass the ball to him.

You guys shoot, I'll try to grab an offensive rebound.

When Valentine got the ball, he looked like he was going to set up Turpin on the outside, while shouting, "Melvin, Melvin!"

Teping thought to himself, "Who the hell are you on? You were teammates with him before, don't you know how good he is at one-on-one defense? Don't you know if I can beat him?"
Teping cursed inwardly, but he had to put on an act. He positioned himself low against Gan Guoyang to receive the ball, and Valentine passed it to him.

Upon receiving the ball, Tping acted as if he had a hot potato and immediately passed it to Derek Smith on the weak side.

Smith received the ball and immediately launched a mid-range jump shot, and it went in!
Tepin's assist was successful, adding another assist to his score.

"Good pass, Melvin! Your support has improved!" Gan Guoyang didn't expect Teping to pass the ball so quickly.

Teping has never been able to provide support or assists, averaging around 0.5 assists per game, which is mostly just an occasional occurrence.

Turpin gave an awkward laugh. Smith came over and told Turpin that he had made a good pass, which made Turpin even more uneasy.

As the first quarter was about to end, Walton had the ball high up the court and made a precise through pass to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang received the ball right in front of the basket. With Te Ping closely guarding him, Gan Guoyang suddenly executed a Chamberlain-style half-turn fingertip layup.

The shot was released so quickly that Tping didn't even have time to jump and block it. The ball bounced twice on the rim before falling into the net.

This scoring technique, which Chamberlain often used, is rarely used by NBA players nowadays. If someone suddenly pulls it off, it's really hard to defend against.

Tepin sighed inwardly, realizing that in just two short years, Forrest Gump, who had crushed them on Final Four, had evolved into something quite terrifying.

On the Clippers' last offensive possession of the first quarter, Tpin didn't want to receive the ball again; this time, his luck wouldn't be so good.

He simply stood on the outside, pretending to facilitate, and he didn't stand at the top of the key, because that position is too easy to receive the ball.

But Valentine circled around the perimeter and then passed the ball to Teppin for a quick pass.

Teping received the ball and prepared to pass it out, but Gan Guoyang stuck to him like glue.

Gan Guoyang suddenly intensified his close defense, catching Teping off guard outside the three-point line and causing him to lose the ball.

The ball ran towards the sideline. Gan Guoyang intercepted the ball but did not try to steal it; he simply knocked the ball away. Upon seeing this, Te Ping quickly chased after it.

Teping chased after the ball, and Gan Guoyang followed up. Teping barely managed to control the ball and forcefully threw it to his teammate.

He was standing on the sideline, his overweight body losing its balance. Gan Guoyang, who was catching up, couldn't stop and grabbed Teping as they rushed out of bounds.

Two centers, each weighing over 250 pounds, collapsed together onto the stands on the sidelines. Sitting there was none other than Sterling!
Sterling was completely unprepared for this sudden disaster; he was sitting with his legs crossed, watching the slaves on his plantation work diligently.

Sterling thought to himself that Turpin was a bit lazy. Although he had talent, he couldn't deliver. Sterling didn't understand why those geniuses stopped shining once they joined the Los Angeles Clippers.

As he was pondering this, Melvin Tuppin's enormous buttocks came into view. With his legs crossed, he didn't have time to get up and was slammed into by the impact with a scream.

If it were just Turpin alone, he might have been able to control or dodge it. However, Turpin was carrying a thruster. Gan Guoyang's speed and explosiveness, combined with Turpin's weight, directly crushed the metal folding stool under Sterling's buttocks.

As for Sterling himself? The weight of over 500 pounds pressing down on him, combined with the speed, shattered his brown aviator sunglasses, and he passed out!

The referee immediately blew his whistle to suspend the game, and medical personnel entered the court. The Clippers lost one of their owners in this game.

(End of this chapter)