The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 500 Unexpected
After John McLeod took over, the Dallas team faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1988 season semifinals, and they caused the Blazers a lot of trouble.

People only remember Forrest Gump's 60 points in Game 6 at Reunion Arena, forgetting Blackman's 40 points in that game and how they almost upset the Portlanders in regulation time to force a Game 7.

If it weren't for Dell Curry's 4-for-5 three-point shooting and crucial assists, the Trail Blazers would have faced even bigger problems, as their home court has never been a strong point.

In Game 5, they were just one easy layup away from taking the match point, but no one could capitalize on it.

And then there were those heartbreaking three overtimes, with both Davis and Aguirre saying, "We're not the same as before once Dick left."

“I’m not targeting John McLeod,” Mavericks owner Carter said. “McLeod is a very good guy. But in the third overtime of Game 6, Aguirre hit the ball with his finger and bruised it. When Aguirre said he couldn’t play right away, John accepted that and put him on the bench.”

“Now, I assure you, if Dick Motta were still here that day, he would have pulled a knife out of his pocket, drawn a line on the wooden floor, and said, ‘Give me your hand, Mark, put your fingers here, I’ll heal you.’”

"With Dick on the team, believe me. We will beat the Trail Blazers, then the Lakers, and make it to the Finals."

Carter sighed, then suddenly remembered something and stopped talking.

—Excerpt from John Howard's article "Dick Motta is the oldest coach in the NBA, notoriously short-tempered and demanding. Why does he get along so well with the young Mavericks?" in the October 1995 issue of Sports Illustrated, Issue 10.

The sixth game between the Trail Blazers and the Mavericks was a thrilling affair.

After winning this game, the Trail Blazers have advanced to the Western Conference Finals for the fourth consecutive year.

This was their toughest run to the Western Conference Finals, even tougher than when Gan Guoyang played against the Nuggets in his rookie season in 1985.

Coincidentally, Gan Guoyang also scored 60 points in the competition that year, which shows that he really gave it his all.

Avia timely launched the "Skyscraper - 60-point Green Denim Commemorative Edition" in the summer, and the market response was quite good, stronger than the 60-point Rainbow Edition.

The three overtimes in Game 6 completely drained Gan Guoyang.

He was very excited during the competition, but when he returned to the hotel, he was so tired that he fell fast asleep.

To allow him to get proper rest, the Trail Blazers canceled his flight back to Portland the following morning and rescheduled it for the evening.

Gan Guoyang slept until noon, still half asleep, and turned on the TV to watch the report on last night's game.

In addition to the Trail Blazers and Mavericks, Game 6 of the Lakers-Jazz series also took place in Salt Lake City last night.

The Lakers were leading 3-2 at the time, and if they won Game 6, they would face the Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.

When the game between the Mavericks and the Trail Blazers ended, both teams had finished their games, but Gan Guoyang was too tired and almost fell asleep in the car, unaware of the game's outcome.

He switched to ESPN to watch the midday news, and the news of his 60-point performance undoubtedly became the headline of the day, something Gan Guoyang was already used to.

Gan Guoyang was surprised when the TV broadcast: "The Utah Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Lakers by 28 points in Salt Lake City, forcing a Game 7 in the series."

He glanced at the clock on his bedside table and wondered, "Did I sleep too long or did I wake up too suddenly?" The Jazz and the Lakers had actually made it to a Game 7.

Gan Guoyang picked up the phone from the bedside table, took out the phone book, and dialed the Stockton family home in Salt Lake City.

It wasn't Stockton who answered the phone, but Nada.

"Oh, isn't John home?"

"He flew to Los Angeles this morning to play Game 7."

"What a pity, I wanted to call him."

"John said you might call the next day and congratulate you on reaching the Western Conference Finals and scoring 60 points. See you in the Western Conference Finals."

"That's what I meant too. Thank you for passing on the message, Nada. How have you all been lately...?"

Gan Guoyang chatted with Nada on the phone for a while.

Stockton married in the summer of 1986, and Nada became pregnant in March 1987.

In January of this year, Nada gave birth to her and Stockton's first child, named Houston Stockton.

Houston is Stockton's middle name.

During the phone call, Gan Guoyang asked Nada some questions about parenting.

Nada, sensing something amiss, asked, "Is Fosse pregnant?"

"Oh, uh... I can't say for now."

Nada chuckled on the other end of the phone and said, "Okay, I understand. I'll have John call you back."

"No problem, I'm going back to Portland this afternoon. Good luck to you guys."

After hanging up the phone, Gan Guoyang felt much clearer-headed.

He decided to call Jordan again, after the Bulls were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the semifinals yesterday. They lost the series 2-4, marking the second time in Jordan's career that he had been defeated by Bird and the Celtics.

As usual, Gan Guoyang wanted to comfort his good brother.

The home phone is busy.

George called, but no one answered.

I tried paged, but no one answered!
"Damn it, this spineless coward, he pulls the phone line when he loses the game!"
-
The opponents for the Eastern and Western Conference Finals were all determined on May 22nd.

The Portland Trail Blazers and the Boston Celtics were the first to advance to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

Although the Celtics are getting old, their roster is a good counter to the Chicago Bulls.

The Bulls' frontcourt is too weak, with only the young Oakley carrying the team.

Young forwards like Pippen and Grant haven't matured yet.

Jordan's scoring spree was futile against the Big Three in the frontcourt.

Compared to 1986, although the relative strengths of the two sides have shifted, there has been no fundamental reversal.

The same situation occurred in the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz unexpectedly dragged the Lakers into a Game 7 in the semifinals.

In Game 6, the Jazz crushed the Lakers by 28 points at home, while the Lakers collectively lost their way in the Salt Lake City high-altitude environment.

The seventh game in Los Angeles was thrilling, with the Jazz taking the lead at one point in the first three quarters.

Until the fourth quarter, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson stepped up their game and scored consecutive points.

On the Jazz's side, Karl Malone, who scored 27 points in the first three quarters, suddenly went cold and missed several shots.

The key rounds determined the course of the entire series.

The Jazz lost Game 7 in Los Angeles with a score of 105-109.

Stockton unfortunately missed the chance to meet Gan Guoyang in the Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers secured a hard-fought victory, but the Western Conference semifinals exposed their underlying weakness despite their apparent strength.

They had a smooth run in the regular season, almost sweeping through the competition.

Especially in the first half of the season, Nelson's new system revitalized the Lakers.

But when the playoffs came, the Lakers players started to miss Pat Riley's tough and relentless style.

Just like how Mavericks players miss Dick Motta.

People only truly appreciate those who were strict with themselves in the past when they encounter difficulties and setbacks.

Fortunately, the Lakers won in the end, and as expected, they once again faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals.

But what was unexpected was the result of the final game of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 22, between the Bullets and the Detroit Pistons.

In a fierce battle between two powerhouses, Charles Barkley played all 48 minutes, delivering a performance of 29 points and 22 rebounds to secure the victory at the Silver Top Center, defeating the Pistons 4-3 in the series and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals!
The score was 80-79, with both sides scoring very low. Barkley made crucial free throws at the critical moment.

After the game, Charles Barkley hugged head coach Wes Unseld, and then together with Unseld, they lifted veteran coach Dick Motta up.

In Game 7, Dick Motta forced Barkley to stay on the court and play non-stop, putting pressure on the Pistons on every possession.

The Pistons collapsed as a result, and the combination of Bill Laimbeer and Melvin Tppin was completely shut down by Barkley, Malone, and Mahorn.

Isaiah Thomas failed to perform to his usual standard under Moncrief's constant one-on-one defense—his scoring against Moncrief had always been low throughout his career. During Moncrief's peak season in 1985, he held Thomas to an average of 16 points per game in five games.

Moreover, he always used his body to relentlessly attack Thomas on offense, putting pressure on him.

The Pistons' last-minute comeback failed, and all their efforts and confidence throughout the season went down the drain.

After the victory, Dick Motta, as always, was sarcastic, first praising Barkley, "You played fantastic!"

He then added, "Why don't you play like this every night? Play 48 minutes and get 30 points and 20 rebounds?"

Barkley shrugged and muttered, "I'm not Forrest Gump."

He added, "He got more money than me!"

The Washington Bullets have made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, aiming for a higher stage.

(End of this chapter)