The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 506 The Most Intense Match
"Magic Johnson backs down Drexler... then passes behind his back! Worthy receives the ball and quickly makes a layup! Worthy scores the Lakers' second basket!"

On their first possession after the timeout, the Lakers scored a basket following Johnson's strategy, a familiar play for them.

Johnson, with the ball, backed down Drexler from the left three-point line and pushed his way in, while the Trail Blazers players' attention was all on Magic Johnson.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar came out to set a screen, and James Worthy suddenly cut to the basket, arriving just in time to receive the ball and score a layup.

Not just that one play, but soon the Trail Blazers' defense was put to the test by Magic Johnson's big butt.

Whenever the Trail Blazers' defense falters and the Lakers' teammates create opportunities for movement, Magic Johnson always manages to pass the ball to them immediately.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar kept moving, while Worthy, Green, and Scott repeatedly made runs, and Johnson was aware of all their movements.

This is Johnson's greatest strength; he is one of the few point guards who can still "find gaps" and make a lot of easy passes even under the high-intensity defense of the playoffs.

Many point guards can make flashy passes in the regular season, but they become clueless in the playoffs.

Unlike Johnson, he can use his passing to break through the opponent's defense multiple times, just like in the regular season.

The Lakers' offense started to flow smoothly, while the Trail Blazers' outside shooting became inconsistent, with Porter and Drexler missing consecutive shots.

The score went from 10-2 to 12-10, with the Lakers trailing by only 2 points. It was the Trail Blazers' turn to call a timeout.

Ramsey did not make any substitutions; instead, he devised a throw-in tactic, hoping to use it to help the team regain some attacking rhythm.

He also instructed Drexler to increase the defensive pressure on Johnson and asked Mitchell Thompson to pay some attention to Johnson.

"Give the inside to Agan, Agan, you need to prevent AC Green from offensive rebounds and cuts."

After the tasks were reassigned, the short pause ended quickly.

The Trail Blazers executed a clever tactical play, using baseline cuts to draw the defense's attention.

Porter ran to the top of the arc to receive the ball and suddenly unleashed a three-pointer, easing the situation for the Trail Blazers.

After adjustments, the Trail Blazers regained control of the game, with Thompson starting to double-team Johnson on defense.

AC Green was left wide open, and the Trail Blazers adopted a strategy of letting him shoot but not drive, letting him shoot whenever he received the ball on the perimeter.

If he drives in, Gan Guoyang will help defend, guarding two players under the basket while keeping an eye on Green and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

This move worked well, and the Trail Blazers quickly launched a counterattack, widening their lead again.

The two teams continued to trade blows, and before they knew it, the first quarter was coming to an end.

"Gan and Hornacek's pick-and-roll, Hornacek passes to Gan with a bounce pass... The pass isn't perfect, but Gan still manages to control the ball. He jumps! It goes in! Wow! A difficult jump shot! 27-22, end of the first quarter, Trail Blazers lead by 5 points!"

Gan Guoyang ended the first quarter with a difficult mid-range shot.

The pick-and-roll between Hornacek and Gan Guoyang was unsuccessful, and the Lakers' defensive pressure increased.

Despite almost losing possession, Gan Guoyang still managed to force a shot and score despite being guarded by two defenders.

Its robust core stability even impressed commentator Dick Stockton.

With a 5-point lead, the Trail Blazers controlled the game.

The Lakers played their offense very well, using their familiar offensive tactics.

But Gan Guoyang and the Trail Blazers players are all too familiar with this tactic.

At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang went to the bench for a rest, and Gilmore came on.

Jack Ramsey is somewhat worried that the Lakers will field a three-guard lineup.

Even if Johnson doesn't play, Nelson can play Wes Matthews.

The Trail Blazers only have one player, and they lack a mature and reliable strategy for dealing with a three-guard lineup.

If the Lakers stick to a three-guard lineup and insist on letting Johnson attack a lot, even if Gan Guoyang is assigned to defend, they might still suffer.

In a clash between superstars, you can't always have the upper hand. Once Magic Johnson finds the trick, especially with the help of the referees at home, and Gan Guoyang gets into foul trouble, the game will be in big trouble.

But what reassured Jack Ramsey was that Don Nelson didn't seem to be planning to use a three-defender formation tonight.

In the second quarter, Wesley Matthews entered the game, replacing Magic Johnson, and the Lakers' bench lineup used a standard combination.

As long as they use the standard tactics, the Trail Blazers don't need to worry too much; they can simply deal with whatever comes their way.

In terms of game performance and willpower, the Trail Blazers are not afraid of the Lakers; their desire to win is very strong tonight.

On another court, at Boston Garden, the Washington Bullets crushed the Celtics yesterday, taking a 3-2 lead in the series.

The NBA is entering a new era, and old-timers like the Lakers and Celtics should retire and be consigned to the dustbin of history.

Wes Matthews tried to lead the offense and use his speed to close the gap in the second quarter, but it didn't work.

Gilmore has been holding firm under the basket, and the veteran is getting better and better in this series.

In some situations, he was even better at protecting the rim than Forrest Gump, thanks to his tall stature and excellent wingspan.

He jabs into the three-second zone, and even without jumping, it's not so easy for his opponent to score over his head.

The Trail Blazers maintained their 5-point lead, and after a little over three minutes in the second quarter, Gan Guoyang returned to the court to replace Mitchell Thompson.

Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also returned to the court. Nelson knew that if you didn't put pressure on Forrest Gump on the defensive end, he would suddenly go on a scoring run and break you down on offense.

If the point difference widens to more than 10 points, the Lakers will be in trouble.

Nelson really wants to use a three-defender formation and a flexible, varied attack to quickly close the gap.

But this means going against Johnson and Worthy, and suppressing discontent within the team.

This sentiment had already begun to emerge after the fourth game, and it became even more pronounced in this game.

If Nelson had started coaching the Lakers in 1982 and nurtured Worthy and Johnson, he could have done that.

The problem is that this is his first year with the Lakers, and Johnson and Worthy have already won a championship together. Their teamwork and experience are considered effective.

If Nelson wants to prove his approach is correct, he needs more time and more wins.

But if we don't use his approach, how can we win against the Trail Blazers?
He found himself in a deep paradox, the problem of a coach taking over a championship team mid-season.

You have a great team and talent, but that also means they have a set of established habits and systems.

If you want to break this habit and system, you will take huge risks, possibly losing the support of the players or even provoking resistance.

When Pat Riley first took over the Lakers, he followed Westhead's approach and luckily won the 1982 championship.

After consecutive losses in 83 and 84, Riley finally left his mark on the Lakers in 1985.

Even without the Portland Trail Blazers, Nelson could have followed the same strategy, easily winning the championship in the Finals.

This year, apart from the Portlanders, no one can rival the Lakers.

Of course, without the Trail Blazers and without Forrest Gump, Riley wouldn't have been fired, and Nelson wouldn't have been able to coach the Lakers.

Nelson had heard that Riley was driven to the brink of collapse by Forrest Gump, and now he finally understood why Riley had broken down.

Because Forrest Gump was indeed far superior to everyone else in terms of competitive ability; he was everywhere and had amazing physical strength.

To defeat him, we must resort to extraordinary measures.

Nelson had many ideas, but none of them could be implemented in the noisy Great Western Forum.

In the stands, Bass and Jerry West kept their eyes glued to the game.

The Lakers have a good owner and a good manager. They care about the team a lot and are very deeply involved.

However, this also means that the coach's ideas will be stifled, and many of Nelson's imaginative strategies will not be recognized.

At this point, the situation on the court was quite unfavorable for the Lakers. After Gan Guoyang returned, he formed a twin towers inside with Gilmore.

The Lakers' defensive focus dropped, and Gan Guoyang started to receive the ball in the low post and score aggressively.

Once Gan Guoyang gets a chance to dominate in a one-on-one situation in the low post, it's basically a free point.

With consecutive successful low-post attacks, the Trail Blazers extended their lead to 9 points, prompting Nelson to call a timeout.

The two teams gradually transitioned from a high-speed transition phase to a phase of exchanging pieces.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began attacking from the low post and scored repeatedly over Gilmore.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar drew a help foul from Gan Guoyang and made both free throws.

At 41, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar remains a formidable offensive force, capable of stepping up to help the team when needed and stabilizing morale with his signature hook shot, a weapon he has used for two decades.

During the free throws, Jack Ramsey replaced Gilmore and brought Mitchell Thompson back in.

Thompson was in good spirits tonight, though his thoughts occasionally drifted away to worry about his wife and children.

The intense battle between the two teams continued throughout the second quarter, with the Trail Blazers maintaining a firm grip on the Lakers.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Lakers 59-54, a five-point advantage.

With their standard playing style, the Trail Blazers are indeed not too afraid of the Lakers.

Compared to other strong teams of the same era, the Trail Blazers were ahead of the league and ahead of their time in two aspects.

One is their three-point shooting; they take the most three-pointers and have the highest accuracy.

One advantage is their turnover rate, which is the lowest in the entire league and far below the average. More three-pointers mean higher scoring efficiency on offense.

Fewer mistakes mean fewer opportunities for the opponent to launch an easy counterattack in defense.

These two factors allow the Trail Blazers to consistently outperform their opponents in efficiency.

This hidden advantage stemmed from Bobby Bellman's meticulous mathematical design and Gan Guoyang's attitude of hating mistakes, which inspired the entire team.

Therefore, even though the Trail Blazers' defense has declined and the players' mentality is not as cohesive as before, they are still a level above other teams.

They seemed to be wearing invisible height-increasing insoles, secretly becoming a head taller than their opponents.

During halftime in the locker room, Thompson called the hospital and received the news that his wife had given birth to a son.

When Thompson shared the news, the Trail Blazers' locker room erupted in cheers, with everyone rushing to hug him and congratulate him on becoming a father.

Thompson smiled broadly and said, "Hopefully my child will bring us good luck, and we're going to win this game."

Since entering the playoffs, Thompson's performance has been getting better and better, and together with Gilmore, he has provided more and more help to Gan Guoyang.

A veteran is a veteran. He might slack off or underperform in the regular season, but he'll step up when it's time to play in the playoffs.

However, the situation on the field changed dramatically at the very beginning of the second half.

Gan Guoyang missed a mid-range shot at the beginning of the third quarter.

Magic Johnson led his team in a fierce counterattack.

"Magic Johnson drives through the middle, faces Forrest Gump's defense, and throws a right-handed floater! Goal!"

"The referee blew his whistle and called a foul on Forrest Gump. This is Forrest Gump's third foul."

"Magic makes the free throw."

"Cooper steals the ball, Magic Johnson launches a counterattack! No-look pass! AC Green dunks!"

In the second half, Nelson made a change, replacing Byron Scott with Michael Cooper in the starting lineup.

This move worked; Cooper stole the ball from Porter and the Lakers launched a successful counterattack.

"Crexler's shot missed, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to Magic Johnson, who then passed it directly to Worthy. Worthy dunked, and the Lakers took the lead!!"

In just two minutes, Magic Johnson and the Lakers, who suddenly surged ahead in the second half, turned the score around.

A 7-0 run brought the score to 59-60, and the Lakers instantly took the lead.

Jack Ramsey immediately called a timeout; the situation was changing so fast it was almost unbelievable.

Johnson unleashed a rapid, whirlwind offensive onslaught. The Trail Blazers seemed to be still caught up in the rhythm of the first half, and the Lakers suddenly accelerated, leaving the Trail Blazers far behind.

The Trail Blazers players were caught off guard, but they quickly recovered.

After the timeout, Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle, drew the defense, and then made a through pass to Thompson.

Thompson caught the ball and scored, drawing a foul from AC Green!
Men who become fathers are different; even their layups are full of power.

The free throw was made, making it 62-60, and the Trail Blazers regained the lead.

Then, the two sides engaged in a back-and-forth battle, with Magic Johnson passing the ball, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar making a hook shot, Worthy turning around and shooting in the low post, and Cooper hitting a three-pointer.

Gan Guoyang's mid-range and turnaround jump shot, Drexler's layup, Porter's pull-up jump shot, and Korsey's offensive rebound.

Both teams put in their best skills, giving it their all in a fierce battle.

The defensive intensity reached its peak in the third quarter, and spectators sitting courtside could hear the sounds of intense physical contact.

In a high-speed collision, a person could easily be thrown off the boundary.

The floorboards creaked underfoot, and a dangerous aura of male hormones filled the air.

The actions of both sides became increasingly aggressive, and Earl-Strom's whistle was blown more and more frequently.

There were constant pushing, shoving, and dirty tricks under the basket.

The Trail Blazers are a fairly upright team; they rarely resort to underhanded tactics.

At the same time, Forrest Gump has always been the team's protector, ensuring that everyone stays out of trouble and plays well.

But at this point, nobody cares anymore, and the Lakers players can't worry about anything else either.

So what if I get beaten up? If it can knock Forrest Gump out of the game, it'll be worth it.

James Edwards and Gan Guoyang almost came to blows under the basket.

Edwards put his hand under Gan Guoyang's arm, trying to stop Gan Guoyang from raising his hand.

Gan Guoyang simply grabbed Edwards' arm and threw him out of bounds with a back throw!

The referee immediately blew his whistle, and the fans in the stadium became excited, shouting "Get him out! Get him out!"

But Earl Strom didn't do that; he simply gave Gan Guoyang a technical foul.

"Stop doing that, Forrest Gump, you'll get kicked out."

“I know what I’m doing. If he tries to grab me with his arm again, I’ll break his arm.”

Edwards got up with the help of his teammates, but he soon realized that he had twisted his arm and had to go back to the locker room to rest.

The crowd booed, and Don Nelson yelled at Strom, saying that Forrest should have been ejected from the game.

Strom waved his hand, saying that this was a normal confrontation, not a malicious beating, and that Edwards had fouled first.

Nelson was very resentful, but he didn't dare to say anything more.

During last season's playoffs, Nelson yelled at Strom during a crucial game and was ejected from the game.

The Bucks ultimately lost the series.

Nelson almost attacked Strom at the time.

This game was crucial, and Nelson tried his best to control his emotions.

The competition gradually shifted from a contest of intelligence and tactics to a test of physical strength and willpower.

Basketball games are always like this: at the beginning, everyone is competing on tactical awareness, but by the end, even the coach doesn't know what they're playing.

So the players started competing on the day, using their individual skills, their cleverness, and who had better luck.

From the third to the fourth quarter, the Lakers fans' hopes for a dominant comeback never materialized, and they were unable to truly turn the tide.

Every time the Lakers had a good offensive run and looked poised to widen the gap, the Trail Blazers would always manage to shut them down with a swift and decisive counterattack.

The Lakers tried to capitalize on the fast break, but the Trail Blazers made very few mistakes and frequently hit three-pointers, allowing them to maintain their lead.

The long and intense third quarter ended with the Trail Blazers leading the Lakers 88-84, firmly suppressing their opponents.

The Lakers, from players to fans, are feeling anxious, unable to turn things around, and feeling like they're suffocating underwater.

By the fourth quarter, the game was no longer intense, but rather turned bloody.

AC Green elbowed Jerome Cahill in the eyebrow during an offensive play, causing him to bleed profusely.

Green didn't do it on purpose, but in the intense back-and-forth, the moves from both sides did become increasingly aggressive.

Two minutes later, Gilmore launched a locomotive-like collision, sending AC Green flying out of bounds.

The two sides were on the verge of a fight. The referees were now experienced, with one referee controlling the others and the other controlling Forrest Gump.

Strom hugged Agam and said, "Don't be impulsive, play the game properly, or I'll eject you!"

Forrest Gump said, "I didn't mean to hit anyone, calm down, Earl, calm down!"

When even Gan Guoyang started asking the referee to calm down, it was enough to show just how intense the match was.

At this point, the Trail Blazers made two defensive mistakes, with Porter double-teaming Johnson in the middle twice.

As a result, Johnson passed the ball to Cooper on the wing twice, and Cooper made both of his three-point attempts!
Actually, it wasn't a big mistake. Cooper's three-pointer could have been left unattended, but he made it.

The Lakers scored 6 straight points to take the lead again!
The Great Western Forum arena erupted in jubilation as Lakers fans saw a glimmer of hope for a comeback.

With the Lakers leading 90-92, the Trail Blazers immediately called a timeout.

The players sat on the bench, panting heavily. The intense physical contact, the fast pace of the game, and the immense psychological pressure had taken a toll on their stamina.

Gan Guoyang kept drinking water.

Fatigue makes it hard to concentrate; if a coach says 10 things, people may not listen to 8 of them.

Ramsey understood this, so he didn't make any complicated arrangements, only requiring one-on-one marking and no more random defensive support.

At the same time, the only requirement for the offense is, "Try to get the ball to Agam!"

At times like these, Gan Guoyang remains the most reliable one.

After four years of training, Jack Ramsey has broken through his own limitations.

He no longer hesitated, no longer wavered, and was no longer bound by basketball thinking.

In the most crucial moments of the most intense game, the key is to pass the ball to the best player!
(End of this chapter)