The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 316 Western Champion
According to later statistics, the viewership rating for Game 7 between the Trail Blazers and the Rockets reached an astonishing 83% in the Oregon area, second only to Game 6 of the 1977 NBA Finals at 95%.

While 95% in 1977 was terrifying, not many families owned televisions back then.

Ten years had passed since 1977, and television penetration had greatly increased by 1986. Therefore, the value of an 83% viewership rating was no less than that of a 95% rating.

This is still the Western Conference Finals, not even the NBA Finals yet, but the Trail Blazers are already this dominant in the Oregon region.

With such high levels of attention, the Trail Blazers played somewhat cautiously at the start of the game, while the Rockets' defense was very tight and their physicality was very high.

Drexler and Vandeweghe's two attacks on the basket were both blocked by Olajuwon, and the Rockets launched a counterattack, scoring consecutively and taking a 4-0 lead at the start.

When Walton had the ball at the high post, his defender changed from Ralph Sampson to Robert Reid.

The Rockets learned from their previous game and can no longer easily allow Sampson or Olajuwon to be moved out by Walton. The two big men must stay in the paint to block Gan Guoyang.

The Rockets' defense was very tight, and Gan Guoyang couldn't get the ball. Walton passed the ball to Vandeweghe, who drove from the baseline and made a floater, but it missed. The Rockets got the rebound again.

During the counterattack, McGrady missed a shot, but Olajuwon grabbed the offensive rebound and tipped the ball into the basket, giving the Rockets another basket.

The audience at the stadium and those watching on television were very tense. The Trail Blazers had a bad start, and Gan Guoyang's low-post shot also missed.

Sampson grabbed the rebound, and the Rockets launched another counterattack. This time, Sampson gently flicked the ball to Olajuwon on the other side, and Olajuwon slammed it home!
The Gan Guoyang-Walton lineup relies on a high success rate in positional warfare. If they miss consecutive shots and are countered, Walton's weakness in movement speed will be exploited.

Ramsey called a timeout. Instead of adjusting the lineup, he reminded the players to relax and play their best. He said, "I believe you can do it. You have to believe in yourselves too. Don't put pressure on yourselves, guys. This is going to be our night."

Ramsey isn't the kind of coach who likes to give players pep talks or make grand pronouncements. He's very intelligent, sometimes strict, and sometimes humorous.

He doesn't quote classical texts like Pat Riley, nor does he give passionate speeches or do outrageous things to encourage players like Doug Mo. He's very down-to-earth.

When he lost, he remained silent, unable to speak to anyone, more heartbroken than anyone else. When he was thinking, his bald head gleamed, and his thick, caterpillar-like eyebrows fluttered up and down.

When he started motivating the players, the effect was better than a coach who just gave them pep talks every day. The players calmed down, and then Ramsey re-planned the tactical details.

Gan Guoyang went to the top of the arc, Walton came to the low post and forced Olajuwon to come out. Then Gan Guoyang passed the ball directly to the basket, and Walton turned and hooked the ball over Sampson!
The entire Memorial Stadium erupted in cheers. Walton's shot had opened up all the pent-up emotions, releasing the full force of the crowd.

Then Olajuwon was one-on-one with Gan Guoyang in the low post, trying to shake him off with his footwork. After a series of dribbling turns, his right hook shot was blocked by Walton who came over to help defend!

Gan Guoyang defended this play very well, blocking Olajuwon's other routes and leaving only the top line for him to squeeze in, but Walton blocked the shot.

The veteran player's crucial offensive and defensive maneuvers opened up the team's chances.

Terry Porter, after receiving the ball, did not rush. He slowly dribbled the ball across half-court. Gan Guoyang received the ball in the high post and passed it to Walton in the low post.

The moment Walton received the ball, he passed it to Vandeweghe, who was cutting to the basket. Vandeweghe caught the ball and dunked it with his left hand!
With Olajuwon moved away, the Rockets' interior defense lost its best shield, and the Trail Blazers scored two more points.

The memorial stadium gradually caught fire, but the Rockets maintained their lead, and Sampson made a three-pointer.

Both sides began to engage in positional attacks. Gan Guoyang persisted in receiving the ball at the high post. When Reed became his defender, Gan Guoyang changed his pace in the middle and made a strong drive, followed by a move hook shot that went in.

This forces Olajuwon to stick with the team, otherwise Gan Guoyang can launch an attack directly from the outside, which also has a high success rate. The Rockets are facing a dilemma.

The Rockets played well offensively in the first quarter, maintaining their shooting percentage under immense pressure. The score was 28-25 at the end of the first quarter, with the Trail Blazers trailing by 3 points.

But the Rockets had a hidden crisis. They shot very well in the first quarter, with Sampson, McGrady, and Reed all hitting accurate mid-range shots. Lloyd even made a three-pointer.

However, they couldn't score inside. Hakeem Olajuwon was blocked, Sampson was stripped of the ball, and their outside drives were completely shut down. The Trail Blazers' defense was as solid as iron, and the Rockets simply couldn't break through.

If the Rockets' outside shooting percentage drops in the second and third quarters, their offense is likely to collapse in a short period of time, and a decline in shooting percentage is inevitable in such an intense game.

When Walton went to the bench to rest, the Trail Blazers entered the period of Gan Guoyang's control. At the beginning of the second quarter, he had a good screen and play with Thompson, and mismatched Peterson.

How could Gan Guoyang possibly pass up the opportunity of mismatch? He made a quick turn and drove to the basket, slamming the ball in with both hands!
This also drew a foul from Peterson, resulting in an extra free throw for Peterson, tying the game.

Peterson was stunned by Gan Guoyang's power and speed; this was the first time he had faced Gan Guoyang in the series.

Because Gan Guoyang rarely plays, Olajuwon also rarely plays, leaving Olajuwon to deal with him.

Peterson saw that Olajuwon was being heavily suppressed by Gan Guoyang, but he didn't truly understand the situation.

He realized after that last play that if he were to defend for the entire game, he would definitely get beaten to death.

When the score was tied, the Rockets' mentality shifted. Unable to find a way to counter the Trail Blazers' offense, they began to get impatient. The Rockets are essentially a defensive team; they need relentless defense and physicality to overwhelm their opponents, gain an advantage, and secure victory.

Once their defenses are repeatedly breached and they are forced into positional warfare, their offensive efficiency will deteriorate further without counter-attacks.

The Rockets' shooting percentage began to decline, while the Trail Blazers started to play more and more smoothly, with Drexler repeatedly breaking through to the basket and scoring layups.

When things start to turn in his favor, this kid always has the sharpest instincts, runs the fastest, and charges the furthest.

The Rockets gradually couldn't hold on any longer. Game 6 shattered their morale, and the whole team has been in a daze for the past few days.

Bill Fitch tried his best to find a solution, but he really couldn't. The twin towers thought that containing Forrest Gump would be enough, but little did they know that the entire Trail Blazers team had evolved.

At the end of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers had an 11-point lead, and the Rockets' offense and defense were starting to falter.

In the third quarter, Drexler became the protagonist on the court. In Shawnley's words, he was going to make up for all the shots he had missed in the previous games.

Vandeweghe also played exceptionally well; when he hit a three-pointer, it meant the Rockets' tough defense had crumbled.

The rocket, lacking both favorable timing and location, was like a small boat adrift in a raging storm in the noisy Memorial Stadium, utterly helpless.

This is the feeling of being at odds with the world, but unfortunately they have lost the courage to do so.

The point difference widened, gradually approaching 15 and 20 points, and the Rockets couldn't find the rhythm they had in the third, fourth, and fifth games.

The Trail Blazers are galloping across this new arena, and their teamwork and cohesion have reached a new level.

"107 to 89, an 18-point lead, with 3 minutes left in the game. The Portland Trail Blazers are so close to their second Western Conference title since 1977. From 1977 to 1986, it's been almost ten years. How many decades does one have in a lifetime? To see the Trail Blazers reach the NBA Finals twice in Portland is a perfect experience for me. The Rockets have substituted Olajuwon and Sampson; they've given up!"

With just over two minutes remaining in the game, Bill Fitch decided to substitute the Rockets' starting lineup, meaning they had given up on the game.

At this point, a small incident occurred on the field. Granville Waiters, who had come on as a substitute for Hakeem Olajuwon, walked to the sidelines and pointed at Olajuwon, implying that the two should switch places. However, Olajuwon remained unmoved and stood on the field, unwilling to leave.

Vitesse was now in a dilemma, standing on the sidelines unsure of what to do. The referee, seeing this, blew his whistle and asked Fitch whether he wanted to make a substitution.

Urged on by Fitch, Olajuwon walked off the court with his head down. In this game, Olajuwon scored 26 points and 10 rebounds. He played well, but it was not enough to turn the tide.

Before the series, Hakeem Olajuwon was determined to defeat Gan Guoyang. He was once very close to this goal, just one win away.

But fate seemed to be testing him far from over. Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers used a brilliant turn to get past the twin towers and cut to the basket to end the game.

After leaving the field, Hakeem Olajuwon wrapped a towel around his head and refused to watch the game, but he could still hear the cheers of the fans in the stadium.

甘国阳同样被替换下场，今晚他只得到19分9个篮板，距离20+10只差1分1个篮板，可他不在乎。

Tonight, the Trail Blazers teammates all played exceptionally well, with Drexler being a "god of the wind," capable of everything from fast breaks to drives, scoring a game-high 33 points and adding 8 assists.

Sure enough, the glider needed to fly with the wind; without the engine, it would flip over if it flew against the wind.

There was a "buzz" sound.

As the fourth quarter ended, the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the game.

Red streamers rained down from the sky, and all the Trail Blazers players embraced each other, creating a scene of jubilation.

Nine years later, the Trail Blazers once again stood atop the Western Conference, earning the right to compete with the Boston Celtics for the ultimate honor.

Not only Memorial Stadium, Paramount Theatre, University of Portland Stadium, Willamette Riverfront, the whole of Portland, the whole of Oregon were cheering.

In this series, the Trail Blazers were pushed to the brink of elimination, but they miraculously recovered and finally earned the right to step onto the highest stage.

For every player on the Trail Blazers, this experience is a valuable asset in their careers. After going through such a series, they can be said to have undergone a transformation, a transformation that comes from their spirit, their fighting spirit, and their willpower.

From this moment on, regardless of how they viewed basketball before, they will now have the heart of a champion.

"This is a great ending, but also the beginning of another journey. See you at the finals in June! Rip City!"

Shawn was so excited he couldn't contain himself; everyone was eagerly anticipating the start of the finals.

(End of this chapter)