The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 432 More is Less
Both teams scored their lowest points in the series in the first quarter, resulting in a 21-21 tie.

Gan Guoyang scored 7 points and dished out 2 assists in the first quarter, which was unremarkable for him personally.

The game was somewhat ugly due to the intense competition and both sides' poor outside shooting.

This is a common phenomenon as the series progresses, and at this point, it often comes down to who can make some changes.

A key change the Lakers made in their last game was increasing Wesley Matthews' playing time, which allowed him to be more effective on offense.

It wasn't until the third overtime that Matthews finally exploded, helping the Lakers secure the victory.

At the start of the second quarter, the Lakers brought Matthews back in, letting this offensively strong point guard take over the point guard position.

After the break, Jack Ramsey patted Gan Guoyang on the shoulder and said, "Gan, stop drinking water and get on the court."

Gan Guoyang said, "Didn't I rest at the beginning of the second quarter?"

"You're not resting today, you're going to fight a lot, with Hornacek and Kossi."

Hornacek is a year older than Dell Curry and has a more traditional style, but he gradually gained Ramsey's favor towards the end of the season.

He took some playing time from Jim Paxson. The two are quite similar in their playing styles, but Hornacek is more modern, while Paxson's style is too classical.

Tonight, Ramsey decided to give Hornacek a chance to play, but with a newcomer like him on the field, Gan Guoyang definitely needs to be there to stabilize the situation.

Gan Guoyang sighed. In order to get fewer beatings, he had to fight more. Where the hell could he go to complain?

When Riley saw that Gan Guoyang hadn't left the court to rest, he felt a pang of anxiety and instructed Duckworth and Frank Blikowski to intensify their surveillance of Gan Guoyang.

He didn't plan to bring Kareem Abdul-Jabbar into the game early; Abdul-Jabbar needs to get enough rest. It's only the second quarter, so the Lakers have room for error.

Blikowski was the Lakers' management's replacement for Rambis; both are white big men around 6'9" with similar functions.

Compared to Lambis, he has two advantages: first, he is stronger, and second, he is not as afraid of Forrest Gump.

When the second quarter came back, the Trail Blazers' offense faltered, their positioning faltered, and Hornacek's inside passes were not decisive enough.

The Lakers stole the ball and launched a fast break. Wesley Matthews quickly advanced the ball and finally made a mid-range jump shot from the top of the arc.

The Lakers have taken the lead.

Gan Guoyang patted Hornasek and said, "Don't be nervous, be decisive, it's okay."

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang established position in the low post, spread out on all sides, received the ball and isolated Duckworth, and his turnaround shot drew a foul from Duckworth.

Duckworth was wary of Gan Guoyang's close marking during his shot, and Gan Guoyang used his skills to draw a foul.

Gan Guoyang stepped up to the free-throw line and easily made both shots, tying the game at 23-23.

After making the free throw, Gan Guoyang said to Hornacek, "I told you it was okay, we caught up quickly."

Gan Guoyang's confidence and encouragement calmed Hornacek down, making him less nervous as he stepped onto the Western Conference Finals stage for the first time.

Duckworth received a pass on offense, drove hard to the basket and scored with a hook shot. Gan Guoyang let the ball go, having learned his lesson and fearing a foul.

He needs to stay on the field for a longer period of time.

Gan Guoyang quickly inbounded the ball from the backcourt and passed it to Hornacek.

Also present were Jerome Kessy, Bill Walton, and Vandeweghe.

Porter, Drexler, and Thompson were resting on the bench, while the team on the court was a set-piece attacking combination.

Gan Guoyang's task was to lead them to execute better positional offensive coordination.

He pulled out to set a screen for Hornacek on the wing, then quickly turned and cut inside.

Hornacek capitalized on the open shot created by the screen and hit a mid-range shot.

With a precise and beautiful shot, the Lakers players' attention was all on Gan Guoyang, and they didn't expect this rookie to be so decisive.

The score is now tied at 25:25.

Duckworth tried to attack Gan Guoyang, but Gan Guoyang intercepted the ball directly.

The little ducklings are dreaming of eating two of Gan Guoyang's ducks.

Hornacek and Gan Guoyang ran a pick-and-roll on the wing again, but this time the Lakers were more cautious. Hornacek didn't get a shot off, and the ball was passed back to Gan Guoyang, who received it at the top of the key.

Because Gan Guoyang has the ability to shoot from mid-to-long range, the defense is very tight.

Duckworth was brought out, and Gan Guoyang delivered a high lob pass from the top of the arc to the basket.

Jerome Kossie receives the ball, turns around, and easily shoots a basket that goes in.

The pick-and-roll between Gan Guoyang and Hornacek drew away most of the Lakers' defensive resources, leaving the weak side defense vulnerable.

When Kossi drives deep into the paint, it becomes very difficult for the Lakers to defend him.

25:27, the Trail Blazers took the lead, and the Lakers immediately launched a fast break, with Wes Johnson making a long pass to the frontcourt.

Blikowski received the ball and went for a layup, but was blocked from behind by Kossi, and the ball went out of bounds.

Seeing that things weren't going well, Riley substituted Kevin Duckworth and put Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the game.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar caught the ball, turned, and made a hook shot, his first hook shot of the night.

The score was tied again. The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack. Vandeweghe received the ball and drove to the basket, but missed the layup. Kersey fought hard for the offensive rebound.

The ball was passed to Gan Guoyang at the top of the key. Gan Guoyang pretended to shoot, drawing the defense before passing the ball to Hornacek in the corner.

Hornacek takes a mid-range shot and makes it again!

Hornacek's second shot of the night was a very consistent one.

Watching him shoot is much more reassuring than watching Drexler shoot.

The Lakers' defense is gradually becoming confused.

On offense, AC Green attempted a strong drive against Cahill, but his layup attempt after turning and cutting to the basket missed.

Kexi grabbed another rebound, and on the fast break, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, quickly turned and cut to the basket.

Facing a double team, he made a clever pass through the gaps between the defenders to Walton, who slammed the ball down with one hand!

The Trail Blazers led by 4 points at 27:31, and their offense became increasingly fluid.

After the dunk, the Lakers didn't stop. James Worthy made a super long pass from the baseline to the frontcourt!
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had already run up to the frontcourt and was waiting. When he was about to come off the field, he really didn't look 40 years old; his legs and feet were still young.

However, on this seemingly sure-fire shot, Jabbar received the ball and went for a layup, but was interfered with by Hornacek from behind.

Hornacek was the fastest to catch up near the center line, so theoretically, his defense against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a complete waste.

But he didn't give up and rushed up to try to block Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. However, Abdul-Jabbar didn't dunk but went for a layup, but he went too far and missed.

Kossie grabbed the rebound, and the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack. Hornacek got the ball and made a long pass to the three-point line. Gan Guoyang jumped up to receive the ball, landed, turned around, and drove to the basket. He completely ignored Blikowski and dunked the ball over him!
Blikovsky was knocked out of bounds and lay on the ground for a long time without getting up.

As a result, the referee also called a blocking foul on Blikowski, and Gan Guoyang was required to take an additional penalty.

Riley shouted at Earl Stroom, but the overwhelming noise from the crowd drowned out his protest.

Gan Guoyang made the free throw, making it 27-34, extending the lead to 7 points.

Riley still didn't call a timeout, believing that a score within 10 points wasn't warranted.

But Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's attack still missed, and the Trail Blazers, having secured the rebound, launched a counterattack.

This time the ball didn't pass through Gan Guoyang's hands; he simply set a screen at the top of the arc and then went to the basket to draw the defense.

The ball was passed to the wing, and Vandeweghe received it and launched a three-pointer from the outside, which went in!
When the ball went in, fans in the Oregon area listening to the game on their radios could hear Bill Shawnley's exhilarating "Rip City!"

Pat Riley finally couldn't hold back any longer and called a timeout, bringing Magic Johnson back in.

The reason Riley didn't call a timeout earlier was that he wanted Gan Guoyang to play for a while longer and wear down his stamina.

Gan Guoyang didn't rest for a minute in the first quarter, and playing like that in the second quarter must have taken a toll on his body.

However, Riley didn't consider one problem: if the game continued as it was going, Gan Guoyang might be able to rest for the entire fourth quarter.

Back on the bench, Gan Guoyang high-fived his teammates. At that moment, he realized another truth: playing more might mean playing less, and it's best to finish the game early.

(End of this chapter)