The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 335 Unshakable
Upon arriving at Boston Airport, the quietness here contrasted sharply with that of Portland Airport.

Impressively, the slogans that had previously attacked the Portland Trail Blazers have all disappeared.

Airport staff looked at the Trail Blazers players with a sense of fear, but their attitude was tinged with respect.

This time, the Trail Blazers booked their own hotel, choosing the Sheraton Hotel on the South Shore, near the Boston Garden.

It's only a five-minute drive from here to Boston Garden, so you don't have to endure the city's evening rush hour traffic anymore.

When we arrived by car, the hotel staff were much more respectful, completely unlike their previous indifference and arrogance.

Jack Ramsey said, "Indeed, only fists and victories can teach people humility and politeness."

However, the Bostonians' arrogance only subsided slightly. On the night the Trail Blazers stayed, at 3 a.m., the fire alarm on the floor where the Trail Blazers were staying went off.

The Trail Blazers players, who had received the same treatment in Milwaukee, remained quite calm. After being woken up, they visited each other's rooms. Ramsey asked the hotel manager to bring some beer, and everyone gathered in small groups to drink and chat.

Under the influence of alcohol, the players' tension was further relieved, and then they went back to their rooms to rest and sleep.

This tactic no longer works on the Trail Blazers players; instead, it makes them even more contemptuous of the Boston team.

As Gan Guoyang said, only cowards, timid people, and those who can't stand losing would use such underhanded tactics against away teams.

The Bostonians have reached a point where they can't afford to lose. Last season, they were defeated by the Lakers at Boston Garden and lost the championship, breaking their history of never losing to the Lakers in the Finals.

This year, the Celtics swept the league with a record of 68 wins and 14 losses. Everyone was looking forward to a championship trophy, but they were once again pushed to the edge of the cliff. How could they not be afraid?

On June 12th, since everyone hadn't slept well the night before, Jack Ramsey decided to give everyone the day off to stay at the hotel.

The Sheraton has much better facilities than the previous Hyatt Cambridge, with a brand-new gym and swimming pool where the players swim, work out, and maintain their fitness.

Adelman approached Jack Ramsey, saying he wanted to talk to him about the starting lineup and player rotation for Game 6.

Ramsey told Adelman, "Didn't we discuss this on the plane? Let Forrest return to the starting center position and let Jerome Cahill start at the small forward position."

Adelman said, "That's what they say, but I feel..."

Ramsey interrupted Adelman, saying, "At this stage of the series, the coach's role is minimal; the players' mood and form are the most important. Some things are already predetermined, and excessive intervention will only lead to negative results. At this point, the coach is no longer the main character. Trust our players, trust Forrest Gump."

In Ramsey's view, a full season that went all the way to the Finals was like the end of a novel.

At the start of the season, much like the beginning of a novel, the coach acts as the author, defining the characters and laying the groundwork for the story, with everything unfolding under his direction.

By the end of the season, when the finals are reached, the novel is about to come to an end. At this point, the characters created by the author have their own souls and destinies, which are no longer entirely under the author's (coach's) control or influence.

If the author (coach) tries to force a turnaround, it will only cause the novel's logic to completely collapse and the team's momentum to come to an abrupt end.

All Ramsey can do is let things take their course, avoid making mistakes, avoid creating problems, give the players room to develop, and let them decide their own destiny.

In the 1977 Finals, in Games 5 and 6 of the series, Ramsey did exactly that, letting them play to their full potential and showcase their skills.

Ultimately, they created a miracle. Ramsey believes that even without Walton, Gan Guoyang will not be worse than Walton; he will only do better.

In the early hours of June 13, the fire alarm in the hotel did not sound again. It is possible that the mole in the hotel realized that this would not have any impact on the Pioneers, so he stopped doing this futile work.

After a good night's sleep to recharge, the Trail Blazers players took a bus to the Greek Academy's arena at noon for an hour of shooting practice and tactical positioning drills.

Ramsey held a brief tactical meeting, emphasizing some details of the game, including minimizing turnovers, reducing small movements during pick-and-rolls, and some good defensive habits.

It was all the same old stuff, just a few pointers for the players, and then the training session ended without much more elaboration. Everyone went back to the Sheraton Hotel together.

When it was time to head to the Boston Garden, everyone boarded the team bus, and Gan Guoyang suddenly noticed that Gan Youwei was sitting on the bus.

"Huh? Dad, when...when did you get here?"

“I just arrived this afternoon. Mr. Buckwalt kidnapped me here, saying he wanted me to come watch your match and cheer you on.” “What? He kidnapped you again? Didn’t you say you were busy at the shop and would only watch one game before heading back?”

"There was no other way; my son plays basketball here, so I had to come."

During Game 3 of the Finals, Gan Youwei went to Portland to watch a game, but then found the arena too noisy and his ears hurt. In addition, his store was busy, so he returned to San Francisco.

During Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Trail Blazers invited Gan Youwei to the arena to cheer on Gan Guoyang.

"This team is unbelievable. To win, they're taking their star player's family hostage... Thank you, Buck!"

Buckwalt couldn't understand their conversation. He had invited Gan Youwei out of good intentions, hoping to empower Gan Guoyang and allow his father to witness his son reach the pinnacle of success.

Upon hearing Gan Guoyang say thank you, Buckwalt smiled at Gan Youwei. Gan Youwei then said to Gan Guoyang, "Guoyang, could you get me some earplugs? My ears can't take it while watching the game."

Around 6 a.m., the team arrived at Boston Garden, and everyone's mood at that moment was completely different from a week ago.

This is also a drawback of the 2-3-2 format, as the time spent in away games is too long, and the situation of both sides often changes drastically.

Especially for home teams, the initial momentum may have been completely worn down during the long three-game away trip, and returning to their home ground feels like a completely different world.

On the contrary, the away team has a completely new look. The stuffiness and humidity of Boston Garden and the terrible locker room environment are no longer pain and torment, but rather a kind of tempering and a bit of hardship.

In the Trail Blazers' away locker room, an optimistic and positive atmosphere is spreading among everyone.

Gan Guoyang then launched into his famous speech: "I only brought three days' worth of clothes with me. After this match, I'll be shirtless and out of clothes! To make sure I don't go shirtless, I urge everyone to work hard tonight and win this victory!"

The locker room was filled with laughter, showing no signs of the tension before the big battle.

Because everyone knew in their hearts that as long as Forrest Gump was there, they could win.

This concept has gradually taken root in the hearts of every Trail Blazers player and staff member.

This is very important for boosting everyone's confidence.

At 7:00 AM Eastern Time, the players arrived at the stadium, and the game was about to begin.

Although Gan Guoyang was very confident in front of his teammates, as the competition approached, he still offered his most sincere prayers, asking for divine protection.

"May the Buddha bless everyone so that they all have a good shooting night, and that they don't miss every shot..."

With a sigh of relief, the competition was about to begin after the opening ceremony.

The Boston Garden was as crazy as ever, with fans bringing numerous signs and models in an attempt to insult and distract the Trail Blazers players.

However, the Trail Blazers players no longer cared. These off-court issues could not shake them in the slightest. Everyone had only one belief in their hearts: to win the game and take the championship.

Walton was unable to play due to an ankle injury, but he still insisted on sitting on the sidelines wearing a sports jacket and did a lot of preparation before the game. If he needs to play for even a minute, he will not hesitate.

The Trail Blazers' starting lineup consists of Gan Guoyang, Thompson, Jerome Kersey, Drexler, and Terry Porter.

Vandeweghe was largely benched after the second game due to defensive issues, but he did not complain.

In the final game, he still didn't start and was replaced by Kossie. Ramsey told Vandeweghe: "When you're needed, you have to go out there and do your job."

The Celtics still have a five-star starting lineup, but as Spoelstra said, Parish and McHale look exhausted.

To compete against Gan Guoyang, the donkey from the production team, the two had almost no rest during the match, with Parish averaging over 45 minutes of playing time.

When Parish stood in the center circle and saw Gan Guoyang looking radiant, as if he were ready to battle for 48 minutes, the veteran was truly on the verge of collapse.

The ball flew into the air, Parish was a beat too slow, and Gan Guoyang touched the ball first, and the sixth game of the finals began.

(End of this chapter)