The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 314 The grudge-bearing person
The reason for the conflict between Porter and Sampson was simple: Porter scored two goals against Sampson in the second half.

When Porter attempted to drive inside for the third time, Sampson made a large collision with him.

The referee called a foul on Sampson, but Porter ignored it and got up to continue the game. He then stole the ball from Sampson on defense.

This steal caused Sampson to lose his temper. Later, when the Rockets were on offense, Porter was guarding Mitchell Wiggins, while Sampson ran forward and kept blocking Porter. Porter pushed Sampson away with his hand, and Sampson punched Porter in anger.

The two then started fighting, resulting in Potter taking a punch and suffering a swollen and red cheek.

And Hakeem Olajuwon's arm was twisted and very painful, but he wasn't injured—this was accidental injury.

Sampson's ejection means the Rockets have completely lost any hope of a comeback, and the game will go to a Game 7.

Gan Guoyang apologized to Hakeem Olajuwon on the court, saying that he had acted impulsively and was glad that he hadn't gone too far.

Hakeem Olajuwon broke out in a cold sweat, thinking how lucky he was that he had only joked with Sampson about a chokehold and a punch.

If he really does that, it'll probably result in one death and one injury. This kid really knows 'kung fu'. Chinese people are truly terrifying.

Actually, that was just an instinctive reaction of Gan Guoyang after practicing wrestling; he has done a lot of research on human joints.

Since it's the Western Conference Finals, the Rockets certainly won't give up easily, and both teams' key players will stay on the court to continue the game.

But Sampson's punches not only failed to boost the team's morale, but instead demoralized the Rockets.

Because you're so far behind, it's really beneath your usual standard that you can't stop the opponent from venting their anger on a small guard.

Hakeem Olajuwon was equally frustrated; his arm was aching, and Fitch complained to the referee that Olajuwon should be ejected.

However, the referee only gave Gan Guoyang a regular foul in the end. After all, Hakeem Olajuwon pulled Gan Guoyang first, and Gan Guoyang was just reacting normally and did not intentionally hurt anyone.

Jack Ramsey replaced Bill Walton; Walton couldn't be allowed to play any longer, his knees were practically burning.

Thompson and Gan Guoyang's partnership isn't particularly inspired, but it's a very stable and solid combination, and they should have no problem maintaining their remaining advantage.

As time ticked away, the Trail Blazers slowed down the pace, ultimately maintaining a point difference of over 15 points.

The score was 119-102, and the Trail Blazers pulled themselves back from the brink of defeat in Game 6.

A resounding victory; aside from an early deficit, the Trail Blazers quickly found their offensive rhythm.

The Walton-Gan Guoyang duo in the paint is more versatile than the Rockets' twin towers.

Gan Guoyang scored 47 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 4 assists.

This is the second time he has scored 40 points in the series, demonstrating a perfect combination of team and individual offense.

As the final buzzer sounded, Gan Guoyang and Walton shook hands and embraced, having played a perfect game together.

All the Trail Blazers players gathered in a circle on the sidelines, and Gan Guoyang addressed them, saying, "Only one game left. Back in Portland, we will definitely win, we will definitely take the victory! No one can stop us, not even God!"

Amid chants of "May the Bodhisattva protect us," the Trail Blazers players returned to the locker room.

The atmosphere wasn't cheerful, because everyone knew there was still a Game 7, and nobody knew what would happen in Game 7.

But the atmosphere was no longer oppressive and heavy; all the tension and anxiety were temporarily relieved by the away victory.

Jack Ramsey sat in front of his locker, his clothes soaked with sweat, clearly showing how nervous he was and how relieved he was after securing the victory.

Gan Guoyang put his arm around Ramsey's shoulder and said, "You didn't even play, how come you're sweating so much? I played for 48 minutes and I didn't sweat much."

Gan Guoyang played the entire game without a break, but for someone with exceptionally high stamina, it was just a piece of cake.

Ramsey's effective use of Gan Guoyang during the regular season, reducing his playing time, along with Walton's presence, ensured that Gan was not plagued by fatigue in the Western Conference Finals.

Ramsey rolled his eyes at Gan Guoyang and said, "Then you can continue in the next game, 48 minutes."

"No problem, that's what I do with all that money."

The next day, May 26, the entire Trail Blazers team flew back to Portland.

At Portland Airport, more than 3,000 citizens welcomed the Trail Blazers, creating a spectacular scene.

The airport parking lot was completely full of cars, and after getting off the plane and collecting their luggage, the Trail Blazers players found they couldn't get out.

Finally, the Portland Police Department urgently dispatched a group of officers to the scene to maintain order and clear a path for the Trail Blazers players, allowing them to board the bus smoothly.

Portland fans were even more enthusiastic than last season, with Memorial Arena and Paramount Theatre packed to capacity during Game 6 in Houston.

The staff broadcast the game live on radio equipment at the scene, and Bill Shawnley watched the game and provided commentary from the press box.

The fans behind Shawnley formed several circles, watching the TV together, while others who couldn't see the TV stood in their seats to listen to the sound. At first, everyone was very nervous, but as they heard "Sonny Gan layup, Sonny Gan shot, Sonny Gan hook shot" again and again, their hearts gradually calmed down, and finally they were completely relieved.

When the game ended, the cheers were deafening. Afterwards, Shawnley announced the Trail Blazers' schedule, and a large number of fans went to the airport to greet them the next day.

"I can't believe it, the Portland fans are crazy. If we hadn't won Game 6, things would have been so bad."

After boarding the bus, Drexler said that it was the first time he had truly felt what Trail Blazers fever was all about.

Last season, the Trail Blazers also made it to the Western Conference Finals, and the fans were just as enthusiastic, but not as crazy as they are this time.

"Don't worry, even if we lose the game, the fans will still support us next season. True fans are those who always stand by the team. Winning or losing is only temporary. There are no invincible generals, and there is no team that never wins."

Adelman comforted Drexler, saying he knew Drexler was still shaken because he hadn't performed well in this series.

The three losses in the middle were all related to Drexler's poor performance. If the Trail Blazers lose the series, Drexler will definitely be criticized.

They wasted Forrest Gump's outstanding performance, wasted Bill Walton's return, and so on. Now that they've dragged it to the seventh game, they finally have a chance to redeem themselves.

The Game 5 was scheduled for May 28th. By then, the Eastern Conference had already decided the winner, with the Boston Celtics easily sweeping the Milwaukee Bucks 4-0.

The score was very easy, but the process was not easy for the Celtics and Bird, as Bird had been plagued by a back injury since the start of the season, and it became somewhat serious against the Bucks.

After each game, Bird would have to undergo physical therapy in the locker room for an hour or even longer before he could leave the arena normally.

Because of back discomfort, Bird occasionally needed something to refresh himself and stay focused during games, such as a type of smelling salt called No. 148.

As a result, a lawyer-fan sitting behind the Celtics' bench filed a complaint with the league, alleging that Bird and the Celtics players used illegal drugs, possibly performance-enhancing drugs.

The league began to investigate, which made Bird very angry. At that time, the Celtics were leading the Bucks 3-0 and the Bucks had little chance, but they still had to pull this stunt.

He didn't sleep well all night, thinking about how to punish the Bucks and that lawyer fan in Game 4. That guy just holds a grudge.

So in the fourth quarter of Game 4, with the Celtics holding a slight lead, Bird hit three consecutive three-pointers, completely crushing the Bucks.

Bird was still not satisfied. With a large lead and the chance for the final shot, both sides gave up on offense and defense, and Bird held the ball and waited for the time to run out.

With time running out, Bird launched a long-range three-pointer. After releasing the shot, he immediately turned around and walked off the court. Just as he stepped out of bounds, the three-pointer went in, the lights came on, and the game ended.

Bird made 5 of 6 three-pointers in the game. The league's investigation concluded that the Celtics did not use illegal drugs, and they eliminated the Bucks to advance to the NBA Finals. Bird got his revenge.

After that, all they had to do was wait. They originally thought their opponent would be the Rockets, who had defeated the Celtics in 1981 to win the championship. Bird was looking forward to winning another championship in Houston.

But after Game 6, the Trail Blazers' chances of advancing to the Finals increased significantly, which made the Celtics a little nervous, as the Trail Blazers have always had a good record against the Celtics.

On May 28, the day of Game 5, the league announced the most prestigious individual award of the 1985-1986 season: the regular season MVP.

Of the 78 voters, 58 cast their first vote for Gan Guoyang of the Portland Trail Blazers, 19 for Larry Bird, and 1 for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Gan Guoyang won the regular season MVP award for the 1985-1986 season.

Upon hearing the news, Bird was receiving physical therapy at the clinic of physical therapist Dan Derek.

The treatment was nearing its end, but when the news was broadcast on the radio, Derek clearly felt Bird's back muscles tense up again.

"Larry, relax, relax a bit."

"Sorry, I feel like hitting someone, so my back is tense up."

Derek knew the reason; he knew Bird was a vengeful person.

Although he said he didn't care about this year's MVP, with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses, he deserved a three-peat for the MVP.

"It's okay, it's okay, you'll have a chance to kick his ass in the finals."

"I really, really hope that the Portlanders can make it to the Finals. I really, really hope so."

Bird lay on the treatment bed, his back muscles slowly relaxing, and he thought of the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump.

This guy and his teammates are really tough to deal with, very troublesome.

Bird, who was usually very confident, was starting to feel uneasy.

In 1986, when the Portlanders were about to reach the NBA Finals, we actually didn't want to face them; we just wouldn't admit it at the time.

—Excerpt from Larry Bird's autobiography, *Drive: The Story of My Life*, published in 1989.

Sorry, I accidentally fell asleep after watching the game...

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(End of this chapter)