The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 261 Devil
Although an 18-point gap is significant, the Lakers have faced similar disadvantages before. If they can unite, they can definitely come back in the third quarter at home.

But the problem lies in this lack of unity. Tonight, the Lakers were filled with arguments and frustration, and the game was out of control from the start. And it all started when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was completely outplayed by Gan Guoyang.

In the locker room, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar maintained a stern expression. The video of the first quarter had already been edited by Riley's assistant and was being played in the locker room.

Riley did exactly that when the Lakers suffered a crushing defeat to the Celtics in Game 1 of the Finals. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar learned his lesson and performed exceptionally well in the following games, winning the Finals MVP.

However, using the same method again does not guarantee the same effect, especially since it is the regular season and the season has just begun, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has not yet fully entered the game.

To Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Riley's approach was less of an encouragement and more of an insult; he remained silent throughout and offered no response to Riley's encouragement.

Lakers players feel that Riley has changed. When he first took over from Westhead, he was such a warm, low-key, friendly coach who was good at communicating with players.

He listened to Magic Johnson without question, he was extremely respectful to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and he was humble towards other players. Everyone recognized him and thought he was a good coach.

Four years have passed, and they have won two championships and made it to the finals every year. Riley's temper and ambition have also increased with the increase of honors.

He used to drink beer and eat fried chicken with reporters, sit down and open up about his basketball philosophy and tactical strategies, and ask the editors to report on and promote the Lakers.

Conversely, this publicity will reach the players' ears, helping them understand Riley's basketball philosophy, which is a great teaching method.

Now he acts like a vigilant dictator, demanding that all players be wary of interviews and treating anyone near the locker room who is not a player or coach as a suspicious intruder.

This is his kingdom, and not just anyone can pry into it. Now he charges $1 for a motivational speech, and clothing companies are approaching him to endorse their suits.

He refused to participate in the Coach of the Month award selection because the award was sponsored by the Farah Pants brand, and he would have to wear the brand's clothing for the photo shoot to receive the award, which he didn't like.

He became increasingly harsh and impatient with the players, demanding that they strictly adhere to his plans and rotations, and began to question their loyalty.

That's right, he needs the players' loyalty. If he thinks you're not loyal enough or don't support his tactical ideas, he'll bench you.

Maurice Lucas still has a chance to play because he was a summer signing by Jerry West, and Riley doesn't want to tarnish West's reputation for judging talent.

This shows that Riley still has some self-awareness and clarity, so he won't lose his temper with Magic Johnson, but he is no longer Johnson's sidekick, and he will refuse some of Johnson's offers during the game.

In short, during the fifteen minutes of halftime, the Lakers did nothing but get worse.

When the players returned to the field, and when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar faced Gan Guoyang again, he smelled a strange fragrance on Gan Guoyang.

"Do you have a fragrance?"

"You smelled it? I had some tea during halftime, which I brought from China. If you want some, I'll save some for you after the game."

"no thanks."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar declined Gan Guoyang's offer, but after saying a few words, he felt much more relaxed.

He suddenly realized that Riley shouldn't have been so hostile towards Forrest Gump at all. The Forrest Gump rule had long been clear: don't provoke Forrest Gump.

But Riley got carried away and stopped adhering to the principles he had set for himself. He tried to create conflict and manipulate people's hearts, and in the end, it was Lambis who got hurt.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sympathized with Rambis. He knew Rambis was an oddball, a very stubborn white striker. His breakdown wasn't because he was weak, but rather because he was too competitive.

He couldn't accept being knocked down by Forrest Gump time and time again. In their duel, Rambis received no positive feedback and no support from Riley. He was like cannon fodder, suffering physical and mental trauma.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still remembers Rambis hiding in a corner in despair after losing the 1984 Finals, like a weak and pitiful cat.

He is almost exactly the same now as he was back then. Lucas's arrival has shaken Lambis's position, and his efforts are not being valued by Riley.

Furthermore, he had to face Forrest Gump's attacks and assaults time and time again, and endure sudden bursts of anger. Even Jabbar himself felt somewhat desperate, let alone Rambis.

At the start of the third quarter, the Lakers' offense revolved around Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and they engaged in half-court offense against the Trail Blazers.

This was clearly a mistake. The Trail Blazers' half-court defense was much stronger than last year, and Gan Guoyang was no longer the only shield.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made some shots, but he couldn't lead the team. The Trail Blazers stuck to one-on-one defense and didn't double-team him.

Conversely, in the Trail Blazers' offense, Riley instructed Cooper and Worthy to double-team Gan Guoyang, but he passed the ball very quickly, and the Trail Blazers' ball movement was also very fast.

Ramsey is a master of offensive play in the frontcourt. He is very good at using the high and low post to create space, break through the opponent's double-team defense, and create shooting opportunities for his teammates.

With Walton, Thompson, and Gan Guoyang, any two of them can be paired together to support a positional attack.

If all three are on the court together, the Lakers have absolutely no idea how to deal with it—they can't match up against Forrest Gump.

Worthy will struggle against Agan, but he did his best and managed to score over Agan.

Walton's defense against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was as solid as ever; he's experienced and knows how to deal with his senior. Thompson, on the other hand, is Pat Riley's most desired player—a versatile power forward he's always dreamed of—but unfortunately, he's with the Trail Blazers.

The Lakers' only advantage is Magic Johnson, so by the end of the third and fourth quarters, the Lakers were essentially playing Johnson one-on-one against Drexler.

This is the last thing the Lakers want to see: Johnson can't lead his teammates' offense and has to do it all himself, and in 1986, his offense had many flaws.

Drexler let him shoot, shoot however he wanted. In several defensive plays, the Trail Blazers had already adopted a zone defense. Riley shouted "illegal defense" from the sidelines, but the referee ignored him because it was difficult for the referee to make the judgment.

And isn't the Lakers using it too? Otherwise, how could Kareem Abdul-Jabbar always be sitting in the paint without moving?

The Trail Blazers toyed with the mouse like a cat, maintaining a lead of more than 15 points throughout.

Whenever the Lakers tried to gain momentum through defense, Gan Guoyang would shut them down with a basket.

Midway through the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers led 118-100, still holding an 18-point advantage.

The Lakers have little hope left. Gan Guoyang scored 41 points, and the Lakers can neither find a good defensive strategy nor dare to use physical force.

Watching Gan Guoyang ravage the 38-year-old veteran with various offensive techniques, Jack Nicholson on the sidelines shook his head, unable to bear to watch.

Riley, however, showed no sign of giving up, keeping Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the court to continue his dogfight with Gan Guoyang. Gan Guoyang even said, "Kareem, you should take a break. This isn't a Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. We've lost to you guys by a large margin before, it's nothing. Has Riley gone mad?"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also thought Riley had gone mad, so he called a timeout and substituted himself out of the game.

Back on the bench, Jabbar questioned Riley, asking why he was still keeping him on the field to suffer humiliation when the game was already hopeless.

Riley said, "I just want you to pick yourself up, like you said in the Finals, you have to live up to this game!"

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did say something like that during the Finals, and then he exploded, helping his team win the championship.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar forced out a sentence through gritted teeth: "You know, it's the Finals."

"Treat every game like it's the finals!"

"You're completely unreasonable."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar threw down the towel in his hand, and the Lakers' bench fell into dead silence.

The outcome of the game was no longer in doubt. In the end, the Trail Blazers, relying on Gan Guoyang's performance of 43 points, 19 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 blocks, easily defeated the Lakers 128-110 on the road and took the top spot in the Western Conference.

This game has led Los Angeles media to question whether the Lakers can even get past the Trail Blazers this year. They played terribly.

Riley declined all interviews, locking himself in the recording studio to meticulously analyze the Trail Blazers' offense and Gan Guoyang's performance that night.

He worked until the early hours of the morning. Josh Rosenfeld, the Lakers' media relations director who was working alongside Riley, brought him a cup of coffee in the morning and said, "Pat, take a look at today's morning news."

"What's wrong? It's just that we suffered a crushing defeat to the Trail Blazers. It's just a regular season game. It's nothing serious. Everyone will be fine after a good night's sleep. We've experienced all kinds of defeats before."

"It's not about the game, it's about you."

"what about me?"

"An interview with Forrest Gump was broadcast live on CBS last night and it's on the news now. You can take a look."

So Riley found the recording of last night's CBS live broadcast, watched the player interviews that were interrupted, and heard the compliments that Gan Guoyang said.

These words might not seem like much at first, but given the Lakers' current situation, the tense atmosphere within the team, and the strained relationship between Riley and the players, these words undoubtedly added fuel to the fire.

For a fleeting moment, Riley watched the scene on TV where Forrest Gump was being interviewed by Barry, and he felt as if he saw Forrest wink at him and say, "Pat, you're dead."

Riley grabbed a stool and smashed the monitor in front of him with a bang. Rosenfeld was startled and exclaimed, "What's wrong, Pat! My God, what are you doing?"

Riley slumped back in his chair and said, "I...I'm a little disoriented, like I'm having some...hallucinations."

"You're working too hard. You should get some rest. You can't keep working all night like this."

Rosenfeld was speaking from the heart, because Riley is a complete workaholic. Apart from games and training, he spends most of his time here watching videos, looking at data, and studying tactics manuals.

As the head of the media department and Riley's de facto assistant, Rosenfeld was often tormented by him.

Seeing Riley in this state, Rosenfeld felt a little smug. He rarely saw Riley being tormented like this; usually, he was the one tormenting others.

This Forrest Gump is truly a devil.

(End of this chapter)