The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 295 Demonic Whisper
"Welcome to CBS's live broadcast of the 1985-1986 NBA playoffs. Today is the first day of the season, and we bring you the Portland Trail Blazers hosting the San Antonio Spurs. This is a matchup between the first seed in the West and the eighth seed. I'm Dick Stockton, and our guest today is Tom Heinsohn."

"The Portland Trail Blazers have a record of 63 wins and 19 losses this season. Since the 1984 draft, they have risen rapidly with that quality second pick. Forrest Gump has played an amazing, MVP-caliber game. He is also the first scoring champion center since Bob McAdoo."

Dick Stockton's calm and magnetic voice came on screen during CBS's live broadcast of the NBA playoffs this year.

Tom Heinsohn then chimed in, "I think Larry Bird has a better chance of winning the regular season MVP, after all, the Celtics had the second-best record in history with 68 wins and 14 losses! Of course, we lost the playoffs in 1973 when we had 68 wins, but that doesn't affect the regular season voting!"

Tom Heinsohn, a Celtics basketball legend, was the head coach of the Boston Celtics team in the 1972-1973 season.

They achieved an astonishing 68 wins in the regular season, the second-highest in history only behind the Lakers' 69 wins, but lost to the New York Knicks in the playoffs.

John Havlicek's injury was the main reason, and failing to win the championship that year has always been a regret for Tom Heinsohn.

They were down 1-3, but their tenacious willpower forced a Game 7. Unfortunately, Havlicek's injury greatly affected his performance.

In the final decisive game at Boston Garden, an injured Havlicek came off the bench but only scored 4 points, and the Celtics suffered a crushing defeat at home.

The following year, in 1974, the Celtics won the championship. This year, the Celtics also achieved 68 wins, which makes Heinsohn somewhat worried. He hopes that this year will not be a repeat of 1973.

Stockton shifted the topic from the MVP award to the situation in the Western Conference this year, saying, "In the past six seasons, the Lakers have reached the Finals five times in the West, forming an absolute dominance. This season is a season that could break the Lakers' monopoly. When the Lakers can't get the top seed in the West, other teams have a chance, just like in 1981."

When the Lakers were mentioned as being in danger, Heinsohn immediately agreed: "That's right! As the defending champions, the Lakers have played quite well this year, but Maurice Lucas has not delivered a satisfactory performance or shown good chemistry. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is too tired in the paint, and their regular season record against the Trail Blazers is 2 wins and 4 losses, putting them at a significant disadvantage."

Stockton and Heinsohn have worked together for a long time and know how to guide and adjust the atmosphere. Although the commentators are expected to remain objective and neutral, it is impossible for anyone not to have any bias.

Especially for these former Celtics players, their emotional attachment to the team is far deeper than that of players from other teams, so it's perfectly normal for them to have a preference for the Celtics and a dislike for the Lakers.

"It's too early to say anything now. The Trail Blazers are still playing the first game of the first round, and their opponent, the Spurs, is getting old. But never underestimate the power of veterans! Okay, let's turn the camera to the game, it's about to start!"

After the opening ceremony, the players from both sides took to the field.

The Trail Blazers' starting lineup consisted of Gan Guoyang, Thompson, Drexler, Vandeweghe, and Jim Paxson.

After a season of adjustment, this is the Trail Blazers' most frequently used starting lineup.

Tall, strong, and extremely energetic, Drexler served as the point forward, while Vandeweghe and Paxson were the backcourt shooters.

This starting lineup is the most balanced in both offense and defense, with no obvious weaknesses except for the backcourt defense.

The Spurs' starting lineup consisted of Gil Moore, Alvin Robertson, Mike Mitchell, Wesley Matthews, and Dave Greenwood.

Their power forward, Greenwood, was acquired from the Bulls in the Gervin trade and is a close friend of Michael Jordan.

Before the game started, Gan Guoyang asked Greenwood, "Are you going to double-team me tonight? Have you guys devised a strategy to double-team me?"

Greenwood looked at Gan Guoyang and inexplicably thought of Michael Jordan; both were so confident and imposing.

The difference is that Gan Guoyang's eyes are colder, giving his opponents a chilling feeling.

Everyone in the League knows that when Forrest Gump starts talking to you, it's often when the devil begins to whisper.

"Answer me, Dave, how come you haven't adjusted from San Antonio to Portland yet? You didn't double-team me last game, are you going to let me off the hook this time too?"

Greenwood shrugged and downplayed the issue, saying, "I'm not going to match up against you."

"The train is a bit old, he's 36 years old, how can you bear to leave him to guard me alone?"

"Oh, Sonny, don't do this, for Michael's sake."

Before the game even started, Greenwood was already struggling to breathe under Gan Guoyang's pressure. He had no idea how to answer Gan Guoyang's question; whether to double-team or not was wrong.

Before the game, Cotton Fitzsimmons naturally devised a specific defensive strategy against Gan Guoyang.

It would be a crime to leave Gilmore to bear the brunt of Gan Guoyang's attack alone.

But Greenwood dared to suggest double-teaming? Forrest Gump immediately retorted, "We'll see," which is unbearable.

The Spurs are at a significant disadvantage against the Trail Blazers, and the Spurs players all know that beating the Trail Blazers is virtually impossible.

In the 1980s, the gap between super teams and playoff contenders was significant.

Therefore, there's basically no suspense about the eighth seed in the West defeating the first seed; don't even think about the eighth seed upset.

With the introduction of the Stern salary cap and the draft lottery, the gap between teams has gradually narrowed.

Greenwood just wants to finish the first round comfortably and not suffer a humiliating defeat.

But with Forrest Gump like this, Greenwood knew that he probably wouldn't have any good days ahead.

If you can avoid him, then avoid him. Everyone knows that avoiding Forrest Gump is the best option.

In the center circle, Gan Guoyang and Gilmore jump for the ball, and the game begins.

Gan Guoyang won possession of the ball, and the Trail Blazers began their attack.

"Gan gets the ball in the low post, turns and drives! He passes to Vandeweghe, who makes a jump shot and scores the first point of the game!"

Gan Guoyang easily bypassed Gilmore using his speed, and Greenwood reluctantly stepped forward to double-team him.

Gan Guoyang promptly passed the ball to Vandeweghe, who quickly made a shot.

At the start, the Spurs' defense collapsed very tightly, but they weren't fast enough to keep up with the Trail Blazers' movement and passing speed.

If they were fast, they wouldn't have finished eighth in the Western Conference during the regular season.

Mike Mitchell was the heart of the Spurs' offense, but on his first offensive possession, he discovered that the one standing in his way was not Drexler, nor Vandeweghe, but Forrest Gump.

"You're the Spurs' leading scorer, and I'm the Trail Blazers' best defender. Defending you shouldn't be a problem, right?"

When Gan Guoyang came to defend, Mitchell was immediately flustered, unsure of what to do next, and could only pass the ball inside.

The pass to Greenwood was intercepted by Drexler, and on the counterattack, Gan Guoyang received the ball, made a move hook shot, and scored!
Then the Spurs made another mistake on offense, Drexler capitalized on the fast break, and Vandeweghe received the ball and slammed it home with a dunk!

When Gan Guoyang blocked Gilmore's shot on defense, Cotton Fitzsimmons was already ready to call a timeout.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, took a step, faced the basket and drove hard against Gilmore, using his speed to get past the old train, and then dunked over Greenwood who was helping on defense!

The memorial stadium erupted in cheers as the referee blew his whistle, calling a defensive foul on Greenwood and sending Gan Guoyang to the free-throw line.

The Trail Blazers made the free throw, giving them a comfortable 9-0 lead over the Spurs.

Cotton Fitzsimmons called a timeout, and Gan Guoyang said to Greenwood, "If you were going to double-team me, you should have said so earlier. You're being dishonest, Dave."

Greenwood shook his head slightly, thinking to himself, "Just like Michael, you lunatics are all lunatics. Isn't playing against you guys a painful experience?"
(End of this chapter)