The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 319 A powerful opponent

The Trail Blazers didn't get off to a good start. Besides Gan Guoyang's poor shooting, their backcourt was also suppressed by the Celtics.

This was a major problem the Trail Blazers faced in the Western Conference Finals, and KC Jones was clearly very well prepared.

During the pre-game video analysis in the locker room, Jones repeatedly emphasized that the focus of the defense should be on the Trail Blazers' weakest point: the backcourt.

Houston failed, but their three victories undoubtedly provided a good example for the Celtics. Portland's Achilles' heel is in the backcourt, and trying to suppress Forrest Gump is futile.

Gan Guoyang is, after all, a center. Although he can dribble and launch counterattacks and can attack from the outside, his most threatening position is in the low post.

He wants to receive the ball in the low post and attack the basket, so passing from the perimeter is essential. Porter and Drexler are both talented but inexperienced guards, and Dennis Johnson and Ainge's tough and cunning defense will make them suffer.

Ramsey did not call a timeout. He had anticipated this situation before the game and believed that the players could solve the problem themselves.

Sure enough, when trailing 0-6, Gan Guoyang didn't rush to force the ball in the low post. Instead, he went to the high post to set a screen for Porter, leaving the low post open for Mitchell Thompson.

Porter passed the ball to Thompson, who backed down Kevin McHale in the low post. The veteran is undoubtedly reliable on the Finals stage.

"Thompson got the ball, McHale defended very well, Thompson didn't have a chance to shoot, he passed the ball out, Agan passed it in again, Thompson turned and squeezed past McHale... McHale fouled Thompson when he shot."

Thompson's turnaround speed wasn't fast enough, but he was decisive. He used his body to push McHale aside from the baseline and actively sought physical contact when shooting, drawing a foul from McHale.

Mitchell Thompson made both free throws, giving the Trail Blazers their first point in the Finals.

Thompson's free throws stabilized the Trail Blazers' morale and slightly dampened the Celtics' momentum.

In the next five minutes, Mitchell Thompson became the Trail Blazers' primary offensive weapon, scoring 8 points on 2-of-3 shooting and 4-of-4 free throws.

In the offensive and defensive confrontation, McHale was at a disadvantage, which made him somewhat anxious. Subsequently, he took an irrational long-range shot during the offensive.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound. Instead of rushing to counterattack, the Trail Blazers slowed down and gradually moved past half-court to launch a positional attack.

This is the Trail Blazers' strategy: to slow down the game and avoid getting into a fast-paced offensive battle with the Celtics.

However, the Celtics still have an advantage in the backcourt and are determined not to double-team Thompson. KC Jones knows that Thompson alone cannot defeat the Celtics.

Gan Guoyang tried to get the ball in the low post again. This time he chose to receive the ball at a 45-degree angle on the outside, in a very shallow position to avoid double-teaming and turnovers. After receiving the ball, he faced the basket with his Sigma step and suddenly broke through with his left hand. He then made a beautiful back turn and pressed down on Parish, passing him cleanly.

He took a big step to the basket, and facing McHale who was helping him defend, he dunked the ball into the hoop with one hand!

McHale dodged the ball, but he already has one foul on his record; another foul and he'll have to leave the game.

The Trail Blazers' bench waved towels, and the volume in Boston Garden dropped slightly.

Gan Guoyang scored his first goal in the finals.

At this moment, in faraway San Francisco, it is still afternoon Pacific Time.

At Gan Guoyang's alma mater, Beiqiao Middle School, the principal organized all students to watch the live broadcast of the finals on campus.

Gan Guoyang's dunk caused the whole school to erupt in cheers, and the students slammed their fists on the desks in the classroom.

However, a beautiful spin dunk doesn't add a single point, and the Trail Blazers are still being outscored by the Celtics.

The Celtics started the game with a fantastic offense; even without fast breaks, their positional offense remained top-notch.

They have excellent offensive coordination, the fewest dribbles in the league, the fastest ball movement in the league, and the most unpredictable passers in the league, which poses a great challenge to the Trail Blazers' defense.

"Danny Ainge missed a three-pointer. Bird grabbed the offensive rebound... Bird's behind-the-back pass! Parish made a layup! Bird's pass was beautiful! 10-18, the score difference is still 8 points, the Trail Blazers called a timeout."

Ainge missed a long-range shot, the ball bounced far away, and the Trail Blazers players failed to grab the rebound. Bird then cut in from the side and stole the ball.

When he received the ball, he was facing away from the basket, and suddenly made a behind-the-back pass, sending the ball flying directly into the hands of Robert Parish in the paint.

The Trail Blazers players were focused on the strong side where Bird had the ball, leaving Parish under the basket unattended, resulting in the Chiefs easily scoring a layup.

This play had nothing to do with tactics; it relied on Bird's exceptional passing instincts and the excellent teamwork between the Celtics players.

Ramsey felt the team needed to adjust their defense and called the first timeout of the game, prompting a thunderous applause from the crowd for Bird's brilliant pass.

Ramsey responded to the situation on the court as usual, replacing the outstanding Thompson, his task temporarily completed, and bringing on Bill Walton to play center, with Gan Guoyang moving to the power forward position to face McHale.

“Cut off their passing lanes. Their passes are too easy and too stress-free. Forrest Gump, you were all talk before the game, you're the MVP, and I want to see more of you on the defensive end.”

Ramsey patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder, reminding him to contribute more on the defensive end.

Gan Guoyang nodded, slowly getting into the zone while observing and thinking about the Celtics' weaknesses.

Every round of the finals was a battle of wits, with both sides giving their all in every round. Every point was a contest of skill and intelligence.

Gan Guoyang was very patient. He knew the Celtics were very strong, extremely strong, but the team had its weaknesses, and he was waiting for those weaknesses to be exposed.

This takes time and requires patience and perseverance. Otherwise, if you are crippled before the opponent's weaknesses are exposed, you will have no chance left.

NBA series are often a battle of endurance and patience. You can have some spectacular plays and even win a game or two, but to win four games requires much more effort. After the timeout, back on the court, the Trail Blazers players huddled together, with Gan Guoyang once again conveying the spirit of the game.

"We're behind now, but we need to stay close. The third quarter will be the decisive moment. We need to keep slowing down the game and wait until they get tired and can't score easily in set plays. That's our chance! We must hold on and not let their speed and intimidation get us off track. We are the best team!"

The players united as one and continued to dedicate themselves to the game.

Gan Guoyang's words reassured everyone; the biggest pressure in the match came from the score and the unknown.

Falling behind in points and not knowing how things will develop can cause players to perform poorly.

If someone steps up and tells you, "It's okay, just hang in there, we'll turn things around later," the players' mentality will be much better.

In fact, Gan Guoyang himself didn't know how he would perform in the third quarter. Although he was known as the King of the Third Quarter, in the NBA Finals, no one can be 100% sure that they can play however they want at any given time. Gan Guoyang has had poor performances in the third quarter in both the regular season and the playoffs.

But he has this confidence that he can say things that reassure everyone, while bearing the real anxiety alone.

After the timeout, the game resumed. Gan Guoyang set a screen for Drexler at the high post, and Drexler made a high-speed breakthrough straight to the basket, gently flicking the ball up with his right hand.

Drexler always plays exceptionally well and is crucial whenever facing the Celtics, because while the Celtics' backcourt is cunning and experienced, they lack athleticism.

In the Western Conference Finals against the Rockets, Drexler was repeatedly forced to make mistakes by the Rockets' strong and fast backcourt and his old classmate Hakeem Olajuwon in the paint. In the Finals, he suddenly realized that he was the fastest and most athletic player.

Then, during a defensive play, Dennis Johnson attempted a drive down the middle, but Gan Guoyang suddenly cut in and grabbed the ball, stealing it from Johnson.

After stealing the ball, he dribbled all the way to the basket and passed it to Vandeweghe on the baseline. Vandeweghe caught the ball and made a jump shot, bringing the Trail Blazers within 4 points.

At 14:18, the score difference between the two sides gradually narrowed.

McHale was unable to attack Gan Guoyang, who had his back turned; the difference in strength was too great.

He switched to using a basket to break through, but his throw was blocked by Gan Guoyang and missed.

Parish grabbed the offensive rebound and attempted a floater, but was again interfered with by Gan Guoyang and missed again.

A chaotic scramble for the ball under the basket ensued, but Walton eventually regained control and passed it to Porter, who then slowly advanced the ball.

If it were the Lakers or the Celtics, they would definitely launch a fast break.

But the Trail Blazers didn't; they believed in their half-court offense and didn't try to set the pace.

Walton received the ball in the low post, Drexler cut to the basket, received the ball and went for a layup, but was blocked by McHale and missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound, dribbled out, and passed the ball to Vandeweghe who was cutting to the basket, but Vandeweghe's layup still missed.

This time, Parish blocked the ball, but it was hit back out.

The Celtics' interior defense wasn't as aggressive as the Rockets', with blocks coming one after another.

But Parish and McHale provide very solid rim protection, making it extremely difficult to score an easy layup.

The ball was still in Gan Guoyang's hands. He took a step back, and Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge joined forces to surround him.

Gan Guoyang immediately passed the ball to Terry Porter on the baseline, and Porter took a three-pointer!
A good chance to close the gap, but unfortunately missed, and Larry Bird grabbed the defensive rebound.

The Celtics launched another fast break, with Bird's long pass penetrating half-court, and Dennis Johnson caught the ball and made a layup!
At 14:20, the score difference between the two sides returned to 6 points, and this score gap remained until the end of the first quarter.

Terry Porter was frustrated after missing a crucial three-pointer, and he apologized to Gan Guoyang when he went to the bench for the first quarter.

Gan Guoyang patted Porter on the shoulder and said, "Be patient with yourself. Don't be afraid to take the shot if you have another chance. If you miss, it's on me."

Gan Guoyang and Porter both played the entire first quarter. The Trail Blazers trailed the Celtics 22-28 by 6 points. The two teams played extremely fiercely, with the physical confrontation becoming increasingly intense.

The Trail Blazers executed their strategy of slowing down the pace and executing some tactical plays, but they consistently missed the final shot.

It's not just about touch and mentality; the Celtics are more mature and skillful than the Rockets in this respect—they have excellent control over the final stage.

The Rockets' first and second lines of defense were very successful and applied a lot of pressure, but once their tactics were broken down, they couldn't finish the game and the Trail Blazers players were able to close out the scoring time repeatedly.

The Celtics' defense was clearly more tenacious. I could let you drive to the basket, my pressure wasn't that strong, but if you wanted to score in the end, it wouldn't be so easy.

Their defense is very skillful and consistent. They never fall for fakes and never make any big mistakes. There's always someone in front of you, always someone with their hands.

If we're comparing shot-blocking ability, statistically speaking, the Celtics average only 0.5 fewer blocks per game than the Houston Rockets, and these blocks aren't concentrated in the twin towers, but rather distributed throughout the team.

Five All-Star players—just based on their individual abilities alone, they make a very strong combination.

At the start of the second quarter, Marquez Johnson replaced Larry Bird, and the best sixth man led the Celtics to continue playing the same offensive and defensive game as the starters.

The Trail Blazers are facing a real test.

(End of this chapter)