The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 507 Best Center in Clutch Moments

Before Gan Guoyang and Michael Jordan, basketball was never a sport that one person could master.

Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, and David Thompson are all counterexamples; individual basketball is considered to be unable to defeat team basketball.

It wasn't until Gan Guoyang and Jordan appeared that people realized that, as long as that person is strong enough, in basketball, a five-player sport, one person can indeed be stronger than five people at times.

For example, in the fourth quarter of the playoffs when everyone is exhausted, the intensity of the game is extremely high, the more coordination there is, the more mistakes are made, and the role players are completely worn out.

If you have a superstar player who can handle everything with the ball, then that team will have the best fourth-quarter finish in the NBA.

The Portland Trail Blazers have consistently been one of the best teams at closing out the fourth quarter for the past few seasons.

When they fail to overwhelm their opponents with high-intensity defense and efficient offense in the third quarter, and the game drags into the fourth quarter, they rely on the NBA's best ball-handlers to finish the game.

"Data shows that this season, when the Portland Trail Blazers are leading going into the fourth quarter, their winning percentage is...97%."

How many games did you lose?

"We lost two games, one in overtime to the SuperSonics and the other in March to the Chicago Bulls."

CBS’s Dick Stockton provided a win/loss statistic for the Trail Blazers going into the fourth quarter during a Blazers timeout.

The Lakers were well aware of this, and Don Nelson repeatedly emphasized during the timeout that they should strengthen their defense against Agan at all costs.

If Gan Guoyang has any shortcomings compared to Jordan, it's that Gan Guoyang is a center and needs to be fed the ball.

Jordan could get the ball and launch an attack directly from the backcourt, which was something he did frequently.

Gan Guoyang also has this ability, but that wouldn't maximize his power.

If the opponent double-teams him early, Gan Guoyang faces a high risk of making a dribbling error.

Therefore, after the timeout, Jack Ramsey decisively substituted Jerome Kossie with Hornacek.

The Trail Blazers drafted so many guards specifically to orchestrate the game and pass the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Dell Curry's passing and three-pointers played a decisive role in the Western Conference semifinals against the Mavericks.

The "Agan + backcourt" style of play is gradually taking shape, but it is still a work in progress.

Ramsey grabbed a towel and placed it on the floor, then knelt nervously on the sidelines to direct the game.

He's done this much less this season; he's getting old and his knees can't take it anymore.

The game has reached its most crucial moment, potentially determining the success or failure of the entire season, and he can no longer afford to worry about his chronic leg pain.

In the first attack after the timeout, Drexler took the throw-in, and Gan Guoyang ran out to receive the ball.

This is a very cunning serving strategy. Gan Guoyang, as the center, comes out to receive the ball. Will your interior defender follow him?
If you don't follow, Gan Guoyang has the capability to attack from outside the lines; he can fire directly from the outside.

With the paint wide open, the Trail Blazers' guards are all good at cutting to the basket, and Hornacek and Porter could cut into the paint at any time.

The Lakers had clearly prepared a plan: they wouldn't follow, with Kareem Abdul-Jabbar staying firmly in the paint and Michael Cooper interfering.

Hornacek's cut and Porter's run failed, and Gan Guoyang couldn't find a passing opportunity.

At this point, most players would choose to pass the ball back to the defender and reorganize the attack.

But Gan Guoyang is not an ordinary player; he refuses to make defensive passes during the game.

If this tactic fails, passing the ball back to the defender to reorganize is a waste of time and gives the opponent a chance to settle their defense.

So when Gan Guoyang saw no passing opportunity, he drove straight down the middle and drove to the basket, drawing a foul from AC Green.

Ramsey breathed a slight sigh of relief. It was a bold and decisive choice, and a player's role on the field is defined by this kind of ball play.

This is what distinguishes Gan Guoyang from most inside players; he can attack with the ball and has a high success rate.

This makes his offensive routes very difficult to predict. Just now, he could have jumped and shot directly from the top of the arc, or walked to the baseline and finished with a hook shot.

Among interior players, it wasn't until many years later, with Karl Malone reaching a high level of skill, that his ability to attack from the perimeter came close, perhaps reaching about 70-80%.

In the 80s, this ability was incredibly advanced; no one could match it.

Standing at the free-throw line, Gan Guoyang made both free throws, tying the game at 92-92.

The Lakers once again passed the ball to their most reliable player, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, on offense.

Gilmore faced off against Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the court, and this offensive and defensive battle directly determined the course of the game.

Gilmore used a classic three-quarters fronting maneuver on defense, forcing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to use his left hand on the right flank.

Walton once said that defending Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is a systematic project that requires repeated pressure on the mind, body, and skills.

The rivalry and comparisons between Gilmore and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have lasted for more than a decade. In fact, in terms of statistics and performance, Gilmore is no less impressive than Abdul-Jabbar.

In 77 and 78, the two years when Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was at the peak of his personal strength, Gilmore held the advantage in his head-to-head confrontations with Abdul-Jabbar.

In scoring, rebounding, assists, and even head-to-head records, Gilmore surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar deserves the MVP award, and he also receives more publicity.

Until 1983, the two were evenly matched in terms of statistics, performance, and head-to-head record.

After 1983, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar began his third spring with the Lakers, while Gilmore gradually fell behind.

In the year that the old train was about to retire, he unleashed his powerful potential in the face of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

When Kareem Abdul-Jabbar used an unfamiliar right turn to finish the attack with a turnaround jump shot, he was mercilessly blocked by Gilmore!

Hornacek rushed over and controlled the ball before Johnson and Cooper could reach it, putting possession back in the Trail Blazers' hands. This was a crucial defensive play, and Ramsey couldn't help but clench his fist and shout, energizing the Trail Blazers' bench.

But Ramsey immediately shouted, "Calm down! Calm down!"

In the past, he would have shouted "Run! Run! Run!" and seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack and score points.

But things are different now. The Lakers' defensive transition is timely, and launching a counterattack haphazardly will only waste opportunities and may even give the Lakers a chance to counterattack.

Hornacek quickly dribbled the ball across half-court and immediately passed it to Gan Guoyang at the top of the key.

This is a new tactic for the Trail Blazers in crucial moments, allowing Gan Guoyang to receive support at the top of the key instead of being double-teamed in the low post.

Ramsey's tactical manual contains a hundred routines for a center holding the ball high up the post, but Gan Guoyang is not bound by these tactics.

He can initiate attacks himself, or immediately switch to low-post tactics, spreading out to attack one-on-one on all sides or throwing mid-to-long-range shots to the flanks.

This can be considered a combination of old and new tactics, or rather, a transitional period, a trial-and-error phase.

But whether you touch the stone or not, if you can win the game and score goals, then it's a good tactic.

Gan Guoyang held the ball and observed his teammates' movements. The person defending him was Michael Cooper.

Cooper glanced to his side and rear, trying to observe his teammates' positioning and the opponents' movements.

In that instant of distraction, Gan Guoyang suddenly executed a KiKi-step, retreating to the side and shaking off Cooper's defense to fire a three-pointer!
The moment the shot was released, Ramsey, Bobby Bellman, and the Trail Blazers players all felt their hearts leap into their throats.

You just did it like that? You just submitted it like that?

As a result, the ball traced a high arc and fell precisely into the basket.

Three point hit!

95-92, the Trail Blazers take a three-point lead!
The Lakers immediately called a timeout; that play was too fatal.

With one drive and one shot, he completely threw the Lakers' defense into disarray.

Everyone knows Gan Guoyang is good at fighting, but you don't know how he fights or when he fights.

The entire Great Western Forum arena fell silent as they recalled the terror of being dominated by Forrest Gump's three-pointers.

Gan Guoyang also demonstrated his incredible composure, daring to take a three-pointer under these circumstances.

He was a center after all; even guards wouldn't dare shoot three-pointers like that back then.

Back on the bench, Jack Ramsey couldn't help but ask, "Sonny, you really dared to shoot."

Gan Guoyang said, "What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, the score is tied. If we can't make the shot, we can just go back and defend one."

"What if we fall behind?"

"If I fall behind, I'll pass it!"

Everyone laughed, knowing that Forrest Gump was joking.

The more behind he is, the more daring he becomes; the more adversity he faces, the calmer he becomes.

At this point, Don Nelson made a substitution.

At a crucial moment, he substituted AC Green with Byron Scott.

They also played with three guards to counter the Trail Blazers' three-guard lineup.

This is a compromise: move Worthy to power forward and keep him on the court.

The problem is that the team's rebounding cannot be guaranteed.

If you're fine playing against a team like the Pistons that's weak in offensive rebounding, then playing like this against the Trail Blazers is very risky.

But Nelson had no choice; if he benched Worthy in crucial moments, he would be criticized regardless of the outcome.

During the attack, Johnson turned his back and sat inside, and Gan Guoyang took the initiative to come over to defend.

Johnson used a fake move, suddenly turned around at the baseline, and drove past Gan Guoyang for a layup, drawing a foul from Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang committed his fourth foul of the game, and Johnson made both free throws, making it 95-94, with the Lakers keeping the score close.

Then, during the offensive play, Gan Guoyang's mid-range shot missed, but Drexler grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket.

Drexler turned and drove into the paint, scoring a layup to make it two points and maintain a three-point lead.

Johnson dribbled the ball across half-court, and Worthy circled around the baseline to the basket, received the ball with his back to the basket, turned, and attempted a hook shot—a classic Lakers offensive move.

But Worthy was being guarded by Agam, and Worthy had no space to shoot, so he could only pass the ball out. Cooper received the ball and passed it to Scott on the other side.

After this back-and-forth, the offense was effectively shut down, and Scott was unable to get a shot off. He passed the ball to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the low post, who received the ball, turned, and quickly hooked it.

The Trail Blazers' defense was almost successful, but with 24 seconds left, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar made a difficult hook shot!

This is the true value of being called the greatest center of all time; he is the best center in NBA history to date in clutch situations.

However, his honorary title is destined to be surpassed by someone else.

Gan Guoyang held the ball high up the court, and Lakers players surrounded him. Gan Guoyang then made a direct pass to the basket.

Porter received the ball and went for a layup, but was interfered with by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and missed. However, Gan Guoyang broke through from the middle.

He leaped high, and over the heads of all the Lakers players, dunked the ball into the basket!

(End of this chapter)