The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 297 Double Star
Because Portland is in the Pacific Time Zone, their game against the Spurs was the last game of the day.

By the time they finished their game, the other three games were already decided. The fifth-seeded Detroit Pistons and the fourth-seeded Atlanta Hawks were considered the most evenly matched series, with the two teams putting up a close battle in the first game.

Dominique Wilkins repeatedly attacked the Pistons' weak small forward defense, making all 10 of his free throws and scoring 28 points.

The Hawks' most impressive player was their 170cm Spud, the newly crowned Slam Dunk Champion, who came off the bench and scored 18 points while wearing Avia's "Spud" series shoes.

For the Pistons, Melvin Turpin excelled on both offense and defense in the paint, scoring 20 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and blocking 2 shots. His fierce defense and aggressive offense suppressed his fellow graduate Kevin Willis.

However, the Hawks, playing at home, ultimately defeated the Pistons 124-128, a four-point advantage, securing their first victory in the series.

The Pistons exposed their problems in one-on-one defense and their lack of rhythm in the game; they couldn't keep up with their man in crucial moments.

Another matchup was between the Denver Nuggets and the Dallas Mavericks. The Nuggets easily defeated the Mavericks with their fluid offense, with Calvin Knight and Alex English combining for 70 points, a truly astonishing display of firepower.

However, Gan Guoyang is most concerned about the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Celtics versus the Chicago Bulls, who just made it to the playoffs.

After resting for almost the entire season, Jordan unleashed his full potential in the playoffs, scoring a whopping 49 points at Boston Garden. However, the Bulls still lost to the Celtics 104-123 without any suspense.

That evening, Gan Guoyang spoke with Jordan on the phone. Gan Guoyang told Jordan, "It looks like 49 points isn't enough, so you should score a few more points."

Jordan agreed with Gan Guoyang's suggestion. As the team leader, if you always rely on other players to perform after losing a playoff series, what's the point of having a leader like you?

If the leader scores 50 points and still can't win, then to win the next game, you need to play even better and try to score 60 points, instead of saying the leader did his best and the teammates are NCAA.

"No problem, Sonny, I'll be waiting for you in the Finals," Jordan said confidently.

Although Gan Guoyang knew that the Bulls definitely couldn't beat the Celtics, this year's Celtics were incredibly strong.

Especially on the front line, with Marquez Johnson, who has been playing at an All-Star level this year.

But Jordan remained confident, and the two agreed to meet in the Finals.

If we don't meet this year, we'll meet next year; if we don't meet next year, we'll meet the year after. One day we'll face off on the highest stage.

After hanging up the phone, Gan Guoyang went to sleep, but Jordan couldn't sleep, so he got up and went to the hotel gym to train.

He tortured himself with physical exhaustion to forget the pain of losing and ignore external criticism.

Although he scored 49 points, commentators generally believe that his playing style is not enough to lead the team to victory.

"You have to be like Larry, leading your teammates to score, instead of just focusing on scoring yourself!"

Jerry Krause's words undoubtedly provoked Jordan, and this wasn't the first time Krause had done this.

He had previously said, "Michael, one day you will be as good as Earl Monroe. You remind me of Monroe and Elgin Baylor. You are a combination of them."

Jordan would simply scoff and say, "What Monroe? Screw Monroe!"

Jordan doesn't like being seen as "the second Michael Jordan"; he is the first Michael Jordan.

He also dislikes being compared to others, especially to players like Larry Bird whose style is completely different from his.

Of course, besides Forrest Gump, the only person Jordan truly respected was Forrest Gump.

On the second day of the playoffs, several other matchups also came to a close. The Houston Rockets, the second seed in the Western Conference, defeated the Sacramento Kings 107-87 at home, securing a 20-point victory and a winning start.

阿基姆-奥拉朱旺全场24投14中拿下全场最高的29分15个篮板外加4个盖帽，堪称全场之星。

The Lakers are second in the Western Conference standings, but due to the divisional rules, they are ranked third in the West, which means they will face a tough opponent like the Utah Jazz in the first round.

But the Lakers proved with their performance that the playoffs are a stage for the strong. The Jazz's twin towers were no match for the Lakers' powerful offensive lineup. The efficient defense they used against the Rockets' twin towers last season was nowhere to be seen. Magic Johnson led the team in a crazy offensive, and the Lakers' all-around outside shooting made the Jazz unable to lift their heads at all.

The Lakers opened their title defense with a resounding 96-131 victory at the Great Western Forum. Eight players scored in double figures, but only one player played more than 30 minutes. Magic Johnson had 18 assists, while Byron Scott led the team with 24 points.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in their prime, while their old rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, are in a completely different situation. In their first game on the 18th, they lost to the Washington Bullets 90-100, falling behind 0-1 in the series.

The 76ers, who only lost one game in the entire 1983 playoffs, were already showing signs of aging in just three years. Dr. J, Irving, made only 4 of 16 shots, a meager 3% field goal percentage, and scored a paltry 11 points.

Of course, the most important reason for their loss was Moses Malone's injury. He was injured in the game against the Bucks at the end of the season and was out for the rest of the season. This was a heavy blow to the 76ers. The already aging team lost their interior pillar and completely withdrew from the championship race.

Charles Barkley scored 28 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in this game, leading all scorers and rebounders.

He has become the decisive force in determining the outcome of the game.

In another game between the Bucks and the Nets, the Bucks easily defeated the Nets as expected, rendering Buck Williams' 27 points and 14 rebounds meaningless.

With that, the first game of the first round series came to a close, and the 1984 rookies began to shine on the playoff stage, becoming the pillars of their respective teams.

Gan Guoyang, Jordan, Olajuwon, Barkley, Stockton, Melvin Tppin, Sam Bowie, Sam Perkins, Kevin Willis—everyone had an outstanding performance.

This group of players who entered the NBA alongside David Stern are destined to become a generation that will be remembered in NBA history.

On April 20th, Game 4 of the first round began, with the Chicago Bulls continuing their challenge against the Boston Celtics at Boston Garden. Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers were preparing at Memorial Arena. As the players were getting ready in the locker room, team general manager Buckwalt suddenly entered and announced, "I have some news for everyone: Michael Jordan scored 54 points at Boston Garden, and the Bulls and Celtics are going into overtime."

Everyone looked at each other, their eyes filled with disbelief.

However, Ramsey said, "So what? Sonny scored 60 points before."

Buckwalt said, "Yes, I'm just saying, but this is definitely big news."

Just before the game was about to start, Buckwalt updated his news: the Bulls lost, but Jordan scored 63 points.

Although Gan Guoyang scored 60 points last season, he was facing the Denver Nuggets, whose defense was a liability.

After resting for almost a season, Jordan scored 63 points against the league-leading Celtics at Boston Garden, which was sure to drive the Boston sports media crazy.

Seeing Gan Guoyang's serious expression, Walton asked, "Sonny, how do you feel?"

Gan Guoyang said, "I don't feel anything. I can still get 60 points."

"You want to get 60 points tonight?"

"No, I mean, I can also score 60 points in Boston."

"Then tonight..."

"Tonight, we'll just play casually; winning is the most important thing."
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"Ladies and gentlemen, I have some news to share. On another court, at Boston Garden, Michael Jordan scored 63 points. Although they still lost the game, Jordan, in his second year, has already created a miracle, scoring the third 60-point game in NBA playoff history against the powerful Celtics. This is something even Chamberlain never did. However, Forrest Gump did."

Inside Memorial Stadium, Bill Shawnley also received the news during his commentary of the game, which had already begun.

In the era before cell phones and the internet, news of Jordan's 63-point game spread rapidly via radio, telegram, and telephone.

"However, let's get back to the game. Forrest got the defensive rebound, the Trail Blazers went on a fast break, Drexler missed a layup, and Forrest put it back in for a dunk! Oh my god, two rebounds and one point! Let's see, Forrest has already got 19 points and 22 rebounds! With 2 minutes left in the first half, Forrest has already got... his 23rd rebound! Robertson missed a shot, and Gan Guoyang looks like a vacuum cleaner!"

After the game started, Gan Guoyang showed amazing control on both offense and defense. He fought hard for every rebound and had already grabbed 23 rebounds by halftime, including 8 offensive rebounds, all of which were converted into points.

The aging Gilmore was no match for Gan Guoyang's onslaught. The Spurs' repeated loss of defensive rebounds rendered their defense ineffective, and the Train even committed three fouls as a result.

However, ever since being thrown by Gan Guoyang, Gilmore has redefined himself. No matter what situation he faces, this veteran can do his best to defend the basket.

Tonight, apart from Gan Guoyang, no one else could score against the veteran, who repeatedly blocked shots. Alvin Robertson also made consecutive steals, and the Spurs' defense was much better than in the last game.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Spurs 42-53 by 11 points. Both teams had low shooting percentages tonight, resulting in a lot of rebounds.

The Trail Blazers players could all see that Forrest played exceptionally aggressively tonight, with a very strong desire for possession of the ball. Drexler even stopped trying to grab rebounds and focused solely on fast breaks.

In the second half, the Spurs did not give up hope of catching up. Although the old car was being run over by the Trail Blazers, the old car could still run. Alvin Robertson, Mike Mitchell and Gilmore were all trying their best to keep up.

However, for a trailing team to mount a comeback, controlling the boards is crucial. Only by controlling the defensive rebounds can they launch fast breaks and score points, and only by securing the offensive rebounds can they win in the chaos. Otherwise, playing methodically against a leading opponent and struggling to catch up is extremely tiring.

Gan Guoyang was like a backboard vacuum cleaner, catching all the balls that bounced off the rim. In the fourth quarter, his one-on-one play also began to explode, and Gilmore, who had been battling him for three quarters, was starting to have trouble keeping up.

The Spurs' only reliable option right now is the outside shooting of Mike Mitchell and Wesley Matthews. Matthews had another outstanding performance tonight, scoring 30 points.

"Gan turned and squeezed past Gilmore, then slammed home a two-handed dunk! The Spurs called a timeout. Gilmore couldn't stop Gan anymore. The 36-year-old veteran looked exhausted. Tonight, Gan was wearing down Gilmore like a bulldog. 36 points, 38 rebounds. With 5 minutes left in the game, the Spurs were down by 7 points."

36 points and 38 rebounds – these are Gan Guoyang's stats at this point. A double-30 in the playoffs is already quite impressive.

The competition wasn't over, and Gan Guoyang's stats continued to climb.

After the timeout, Gan Guoyang returned to the court, grabbed another defensive rebound, and successfully put it back on during a fast break!
Tonight, Vandeweghe and Drexler became rebounding masters, with Gan Guoyang contributing 40 rebounds.

The audience couldn't sit still any longer and stood up one after another, because Gan Guoyang's rebound was just one step away from the NBA record.

The record for most rebounds in a playoff game belongs to Wilt Chamberlain, whose 41 rebounds in the playoffs are almost the total rebounds of a team in a single game today.

That was the record he set in the 1967 playoffs against the Boston Celtics, a great season in which Chamberlain focused on rebounds and assists, finally overcoming the Celtics.

"40 rebounds! Is this a miracle night? With 4 minutes left in the game, it seems unlikely they'll go into overtime. Let's see if Gan has a chance to break Chamberlain's record... Robertson's jump shot misses, Gan pushes past his opponent to grab the rebound! The forty-first rebound!"

When Gan Guoyang grabbed his forty-first rebound, the entire arena erupted in cheers; they witnessed the second miracle of the night.

"Crexler, Thompson screens, Crexler jumps, the shot is a bit rushed... but, Gan grabs the offensive rebound! He seems to know where every ball will land, he doesn't pass, a hook shot from 7 feet... and it's in! 40 points, 42 rebounds! 40 points, 42 rebounds! God just finished playing in Boston and immediately rushed to the West Coast, putting on the Trail Blazers' number 11 jersey! A new playoff record!"

The memorial stadium was filled with jubilation. Gan Guoyang stood in the center of the field with his hands raised high. His clothes were already soaked with sweat, and his hair was plastered to his forehead.

This rebound and hook shot sealed the victory for the Trail Blazers.

Bill Seanley gazed at the fiery scene, paused for a long moment, and slowly said, "Tonight, the sun god illuminates the night sky, Rip City~"

(End of this chapter)