The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 442 Conspiracy
The match was interrupted for 15 minutes due to the conflict, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the fans in the stadium.

Conversely, in the sweltering summer heat, the intense clashes of the finals ignited the passion of the Memorial Stadium, with fans chanting "MVP" to cheer on Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang taught Chuck Daly a lesson, letting him know that "those who wield the sword well will die by the sword." No matter how Daly packaged himself, Detroit's brutal playing style was created by him.

He cultivated an image of a wealthy and charismatic manager, both on and off the field, and then secretly plotted to use underhanded tactics to attack the opponent's key players in places where cameras couldn't reach, such as the locker room and training ground.

Fans probably don't care; most people watch games just for fun.

For the players, every game against the Pistons is a lot of pressure.

Some players are willing to risk injury, or even the end of their careers, to attack the Pistons' interior.

Although Gan Guoyang has been involved in numerous fights since entering the league, he rarely attacks other players and rarely uses dirty tricks.

He always clearly distinguished between playing basketball and fighting, unlike the Pistons players who would bring a ball into a fight and disguise freestyle fighting as a basketball game.

Since the league has not introduced relevant rules to stop this, Gan Guoyang can only act as a referee on the court, teaching a lesson to those who use underhanded methods.

Gan Guoyang knew that the Pistons wouldn't change; they had already tasted the benefits. But with Gan Guoyang around, they would be more restrained, rather than acting recklessly.

At least at Memorial Stadium, the Pistons have to play honestly.

As for going to the Silver Dome Center a few days later, that's another matter.

Gan Guoyang wouldn't mind going to Silver Peak for another fight, until they dared not fight anymore.

Earl Strom's assessment was correct; in today's NBA, only Forrest Gump is like the players of the 60s.

Melvin Tping counts as half.

Others who are rough and fight on the field are mostly bluffing or trying to save face.

For example, the two players pushed each other under the basket, and the situation suddenly became tense.

If one side doesn't step up and instead gives up, everyone will think you're a coward.

If the other party is attacked, it is even more unacceptable not to fight back; they must retaliate.

But when they fight, they often miss vital points. They push and shove each other, hug and cuddle, and then a group of people rush in and separate them.

If their teammates were even a second slower in charging forward, they would have separated and wouldn't have been able to continue fighting.

As soon as their teammates come up to stop them, they will shout and yell, pretending to rush over and fight to the death.

This is all an act for others to see, in order to save face.

Gan Guoyang is different. When he uses wrestling on the field, everyone knows that this guy is serious.

In fact, Gan Guoyang does control the level of intensity, and there is an element of acting involved, but his acting is so realistic that you have no power to resist.

Melvin Turpin watched helplessly as head coach Tom Daly was sent back to the locker room covered in blood. He shuddered at the memory of how he and Forrest Gump had "teamed up" to knock Donald Sterling to the hospital.

Forrest Gump is a player who makes very few mistakes. He hates making mistakes, and that soft pass just now was completely abnormal.

Therefore, Tuppin suspects that the pass was intentional on Forrest Gump's part.

He deliberately made a mistake, intentionally letting the ball fly towards the sideline, and then deliberately flicked the ball towards Daly.

Finally, a precise but not fatal, powerful impact dealt Daly a heavy blow.

It was exactly the same as the ball that knocked over Donald Sterling.

Turpin even thought it was fortunate that he saw Coach Daly brake.

If he hadn't braked and had gone straight for the ball, and Forrest Gump had pushed him from the side, he would have been the one to run into Coach Daly.
If something bad happens, wouldn't he have to take the blame again? Would he have to be traded again?

Tepin broke out in a cold sweat as he thought about it. Although it was all just speculation, Tepin knew that Forrest Gump was a meticulous and resourceful person.

Donald Sterling, Dick Bavetta, and others who were disliked by Forrest Gump off the court were not spared.

Off the court, you can get yourself arrested and charged with assault, but on the court, you can hit someone and only get a minor foul.

Teppin thought he had grasped the essence of it, but upon closer reflection, Forrest Gump was the true master.

The game continued, and Gan Guoyang remained focused on it as if nothing had happened.

On the Pistons' side, the players' mentality had collapsed; with their father absent, no one was there to unite them.

If they play against other teams, even without Daly, they can still hold their own with Laimbeer and Thomas.

But playing against the Trail Blazers, playing against Forrest Gump, and thinking of Daly's bloodied face, the players were already filled with fear. That's human nature; the Pistons players weren't afraid of being beaten or bleeding, after all, this is basketball.

The Pistons players were no longer able to muster the morale to attack their opponents with the desire to win.

Their souls, hidden deep within their bodies, were extracted.

The Pistons began to crumble, and Gan Guoyang started his mid-range show in the second half of the third quarter.

Gan Guoyang no longer plays with his back to the basket, as this makes him more vulnerable to being double-teamed.

He received the ball near the basket on the outside, spread out, and tentatively attacked Lambiel and Donaldson.

If you're close, I'll drive to the baseline; if you're a little further away, I'll pull up and shoot.

Gan Guoyang's pull-up mid-range jumper is as steady as a rock. In the Western Conference Finals against the Lakers, he used this move to score 28 points in a single quarter, leaving the Lakers helpless.

His strong physique gives him excellent resistance to interference and a stable shooting motion. His extremely rigorous daily training gives him a precise shooting feel.

Once he gets into a rhythm, he doesn't need to think much or aim; he just throws the ball based on his instincts, and his accuracy is quite high.

Every time Gan Guoyang makes a mid-range or long-range shot, the arc is always very high, the ball slowly falls, and finally "swish" into the basket, which is a real treat for the fans in the arena.

It was certainly torture for the Pistons players. Gan Guoyang scored in six consecutive possessions, with mid-range shots and free throws, leaving Donaldson's scalp tingling and unsure of what to do.

Assistant coach Dick Versace, who replaced Daly in charge of the game, was completely clueless. They had done a lot of contingency plans and preparations before the game, but the one thing they hadn't done was "what to do if the head coach is knocked out."

Who the hell could have imagined this? Forrest Gump could take down your head coach.

Versace's full head of white hair looked like a bird's nest or a wig, and he looked worried and didn't know what to do.

He called a timeout, rotated players according to the normal schedule, and tried to encourage the players to grit their teeth and hold on.

But he really couldn't hold on any longer. Even the usually optimistic Bill Laimbeer looked listless and his expression was grave.

Melvin Tuppin stared blankly, as if he had returned to the days when he was known as "Dinner Bell" in college.

Thomas kept biting his fingers, and all he could think about was: When am I going to get beaten up?

Daly's departure had a huge impact on the Pistons; they had no will to fight in this game.

They can still maintain a solid defense, but without the support of physical confrontation, they leave much more room for outside shooters to get shots.

Vandeweghe and Gan Guoyang found their shooting rhythm, and Porter and Hornacek came off the bench and also made shots.

Even Drexler was able to make his mid-range jumper!

After trading away Daly, the Trail Blazers went on a 27-10 offensive run against the Pistons.

The gap between the two sides was widened in one fell swoop, and the Pistons lost their ability to resist.

When the game was no longer in doubt in the fourth quarter, and Ramsey substituted Gan Guoyang off the court, the entire stadium chanted "MVP"!
Ultimately, the score was 101-121, with the Trail Blazers winning by 20 points at home against the Pistons, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.

甘国阳全场41分13个篮板球3次封盖，范德维奇拿到全队第二高的25分，还有7个篮板球。

After the match, Gan Guoyang apologized for the collision, saying it was unintentional and that he would cover all of Daley's medical expenses—Gan Guoyang could now afford to get himself a VIP room at Portland Hospital, just for the person he hit.

After examination, Daley was found to have a fractured nasal bone and several bruises, but overall he was not seriously injured.

The following day, Daley said in an interview that Forrest Gump was definitely unintentional, he accepted the apology, and praised Gan Guoyang's fighting spirit on the court.

Daly knew that Gan Guoyang was likely acting on purpose, but he couldn't say it. If he condemned Gan, how would he explain the Pistons players' "unintentional" violent actions?

In order for the Pistons to maintain this style and to preserve his own gentlemanly image, Daly had to swallow his pride, believe that Gan Guoyang's actions were unintentional, reconcile with Gan Guoyang, and take the step back that Gan Guoyang offered.

Daly finally understood how cunning this Chinese man was; his mind was far superior to that of the simple-minded black players on the team.

Before the second match began, Daley, whose nose was bandaged, shook hands and hugged Gan Guoyang, and posed for a photo in front of reporters, indicating that the two were on good terms.

Gan Guoyang said to Daley, "We are really sorry, this will not happen again."

Daly maintained his smile, but he knew in his heart that those words meant, "This is something I wanted to happen."

In the second game, the Portland Trail Blazers had a breakout performance, while the Pistons seemed to have lost their soul and failed to recover even with Daly's return.

103:142，开拓者39分的优势狂扫活塞，大比分2:0领先。

Next stop, Silver Dome Center.

(End of this chapter)