The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 592 Smooth Criminal
[It's not that I'm incapable of dirty fighting techniques, but rather that I use them too heavily, and my punches and kicks become uncontrollable.] — Gan Guoyang
In this Finals series, the Trail Blazers and Pistons had both old and new grudges against each other, so the first quarter of Game 1 was extremely intense.

Earl Strom's whistle blew frequently, and both sides started committing fouls in the first quarter. By the end of the first quarter, nine out of ten players on the court had fouls.

The Pistons' fouls are rough and aggressive; when they decide to stop you with unconventional moves, they won't hesitate or beat around the bush.

They'll definitely go all out; if they're going to fight, they'll take you down completely and won't let you get a 2+1 score.

The Trail Blazers players are also very tough; players like Porter, Hornacek, and Korsey are all veterans who have faced the Pistons.

They were not afraid psychologically; they withstood the pistons' brute force and put up a counterattack.

However, the Trail Blazers are ultimately a very clean team, and they are a rhythmic offensive team, so intense and brutal physical contact is not good for them.

Compared to 1987, the Pistons are more mature, more shrewd, and more cunning.

Bill Laimbeer resolutely refused to confront Forrest Gump directly, instead using all his weapons on Sabonis.

Sabonis was completely out of sorts in the first quarter, failing to score on either offense or defense, and picking up two early fouls before being substituted by Mitchell Thompson.

When Gan Guoyang returned to the center position, Laimbeer shamelessly surrounded him, constantly trying to draw offensive fouls from him.

He always wore a cynical expression, an expression that could also be seen on Dennis Rodman's face, which was telling his opponents: We are reckless, we are scoundrels.

He acts like a Tianjin thug: "Go ahead and kill me if you dare. If you can't, I'll disgust you to death."

Laimbeer even wished Forrest would punch him so that Forrest would be ejected. Without Forrest, the Trail Blazers would be nothing more than fish on a chopping board.

The two teams were tied 21-21 in the first quarter, with the Trail Blazers leading by as much as 7 points midway through the quarter.

But after Sabonis left the game, Isaiah Thomas suddenly erupted, scoring 8 points with a combination of drives and shots, helping the Pistons tie the game with the Trail Blazers in the first quarter.

In the Eastern Conference Finals against the Bulls, the Pistons won the game, but Thomas's individual performance was not on the same level as Jordan's.

He averaged only 18 points per game with a shooting percentage of less than 40%, which can be described as a disastrous performance.

In the Finals against the Trail Blazers, the Trail Blazers' backcourt defense was clearly inferior to that of the Chicago Bulls, giving Thomas a much-needed break.

When Forrest Gump had to stay in the paint, the Trail Blazers' perimeter defense lacked pressure.

Thomas found his offensive rhythm.

During the break, Bobby Bellman was carefully considering how to use the rotation.

Gan Guoyang was substituted off the court for a rest, and Divac came on. Bellman reminded Divac to be careful of the Pistons' defensive moves and to be careful not to foul under the basket.

In the defense, he replaced Jonathan with Petrovic.

Berman wasn't confident in Petrovic's defense, but in Game 1 of the series, he wanted to give the players as many opportunities as possible and see how they performed before deciding how to use them in the future.

With forward Kossi rested and Sanders coming on as a substitute, the team's offensive pressure fell on Petrovic and Divac.

This doesn't seem like a good decision, even though the Yugoslavian duo had put on some amazing plays and performances in previous matches.

However, there is a prerequisite: they can cooperate well when they are relaxed in a winning situation, but they do not show the ability to help each other in adversity.

The finals will be a huge test for them.

The two teams are currently evenly matched. If the bench players fall behind, the Trail Blazers will be at a disadvantage, and the starters will be under a lot of pressure.

Bellman was very bold in his personnel decisions: he didn't use those he doubted, and he trusted those he used.

Bobby Bellman is a foul-mouthed man, but he has always been ahead of his time in terms of coaching philosophy.

As a Texas Hold'em master, he believes in the power of planning, data, and time. He doesn't care about the gains or losses of a single game or place, but rather looks at the entire game and series from a comprehensive and long-term perspective.

Bellman believes that the Trail Blazers' offensive efficiency will eventually reach a point in the series that the Detroit Pistons cannot withstand, and then the Pistons will collapse.

He never instructs players to commit fouls intentionally, nor does he, like the older coaches of the 60s and 70s, keep players who are good at hitting and fighting in the team.

He always insisted on using basketball methods to win basketball games; he was a gambler, not a madman.

Before the game, Bellman made careful preparations, knowing that the Pistons were a very united team.

Brutalism is their tactic, but behind that ruthlessness, the players are willing to dedicate themselves and make sacrifices.

Like Mark Aguirre, who was originally the star player of the Mavericks, but became a slave to the Pistons after joining them.

Last season his scoring plummeted, but he played diligent defense. This season, he has simply become the sixth man, serving as Dennis Rodman's backup.

Chuck Daly is a more old-school coach who believes in willpower, teamwork, and creating mental terror.

Chuck Daly had always been plotting how to destroy Forrest Gump like he destroyed Jordan. He never lost his belief in revenge. He always thought that if the Trail Blazers' coach was Jack Ramsey, he would find a way to slap Jack in the face in the Finals.

At the start of the second quarter, Mark Aguirre hit a three-pointer from the corner, helping the Pistons take the lead 24-21.

Divac attempted a mid-range shot from the right 45-degree angle but missed, which wasn't a good offensive option, but the Pistons' defense was indeed impeccable.

They used that turtle-shell formation, a fake zone defense, forcing the opponent to pass the ball around on the outside, and in the end, they could only rely on their shooting touch.

Forrest Gump is the Trail Blazers' only sledgehammer to crack the shell, and Bellman hopes that Petrovic can become the sharp blade to assist Forrest.

Petrovic still needs time to grow. He's done well this season, but it's far from enough.

The Pistons launched a counterattack, with Ricky Green using his speed to overpower Petrovic and then making a strong shot from the middle.

The Trail Blazers continued to solve problems with shooting. Petrovic's mid-range pull-up jumper missed, and Tpin grabbed the defensive rebound.

The Trail Blazers are struggling offensively, having never encountered a defensive lineup like the Pistons in the Western Conference.

The Pistons launched a counterattack, and Aguirre attempted another three-pointer, which missed. John Salley grabbed the offensive rebound and reorganized the offense.

After Ricky Green dribbled for a while, Vlade Divac came over to block him. Green then passed the ball to Melvin Tppin, who made a mid-range shot.

26:21, the Pistons have turned the tables and are now leading by 5 points.

Seeing that things were going badly, Bellman got up to call a timeout.

Gan Guoyang grabbed Behrman's hand and pressed him down.

"Sonny?"

"Don't rush, Bobby, give them some time."

"But…"

"It's okay, I'm here. They've been playing too smoothly in the West, without experiencing any adversity. Today is only the first game, we should put some pressure on them, otherwise they won't grow."

Bobby Bellman nodded slightly and sat back down on the bench.

No team would think of using the Finals as a training ground.

The Trail Blazers have the confidence to do this because they have long valued training newcomers.

When they won their first three-peat, they were both decaying and growing; the old was gone and the new quickly emerged.

Because they have Forrest Gump as their anchor.

Gan Guoyang's performance in the first quarter was unremarkable.

He only took two shots and two free throws, scoring 4 points, contributing 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.

Most importantly, Gan Guoyang did not commit any fouls in the first quarter; he was patient.

"Bobby, do you remember the game we played against Duke in the 1984 NCAA National Championship?" Gan Guoyang asked Bellman.

"Of course I remember. Everyone said Duke was dirty, and we were all worried about being influenced by them. Then you suggested that we strike first. We played even dirtier than Duke in that game... Sonny, what do you mean?"

"It'll be my turn to play later. I'll partner with Arvidas. They'll handle the offense, and I'll handle the defense."

"Sonny, what are you trying to do? Calm down, this is the Finals. Play normally, we can beat the Pistons, we don't need to follow their path."

"Don't worry, Bobby, I know what I'm doing."

Every time Gan Guoyang said, "I know what I'm doing," Bellman felt very reassured.

Because Forrest Gump is truly trustworthy. From high school to now, almost 10 years, Gan Guoyang has never let Behrman down.

But tonight, looking at Gan Guoyang's calm and composed face, Behrman's heart pounded, and he felt a little scared. What was Gan Guoyang up to?
Behrman had a vague feeling that Forrest Gump was about to go on a killing spree.

The Pistons, a cockroach-like team, have disgusted all the teams in the league for years.

And yet they succeeded, winning the 1989 championship, and will surely leave a significant mark on NBA history.

No one wants to not want to crush them, but they are indeed very powerful, extremely powerful, which makes people feel helpless.

With this roster, the Trail Blazers were indeed unbeatable in the regular season and the Western Conference playoffs, but Bellman knew in his heart that they were a bit overweight.

Needless to say, the regular season saw the Lakers unexpectedly eliminated in the West, and then the Trail Blazers' style of play countered the Nuggets, Suns, and Spurs.

With Agan in such explosive form in the West that no one could stop him, the young players played with ease under his protection.

The Pistons have laid a trap for Forrest Gump, but can the others provide him with enough support?

Mike Sanders' shot still missed, and Petrovic had a chance to grab the offensive rebound.

However, in the confrontation with Dumas, he was completely outmatched physically, and despite being in a favorable position, Dumas forced him into a mistake, causing the ball to go out of bounds.

The Pistons still had possession of the ball. Ricky Green received a pass from Dumars on the perimeter and made another mid-range jump shot!

With the score at 28:21, the Trail Blazers were already down by 7 points, and the fans at Memorial Arena were starting to get anxious.

Bill Shawnley was also puzzled, "The Trail Blazers' second unit isn't performing well, why hasn't Bobby called a timeout yet? Forrest should be back by now."

But even though Gan Guoyang held him back, he didn't call a timeout and continued to let the substitutes solve the problems on the field themselves.

Bellman is now more concerned about Forrest Gump's next move: "Don't be impulsive, Forrest. The series is still a long way off. Don't go down the path of crime."

Gan Guoyang said, "It's precisely because the series is still early that I need to set the tone for this series and teach the Detroit people a lesson. I know they won't repent, but I can't let them get arrogant and continue to suppress us with shameless means. This is about the morale of the series. I'm not Michael; I won't let them run rampant. This is Portland."

"So, who are you planning to... take down?"

"I have six more fouls left, exactly six."

"This...this isn't right...Referee! Time out, I want to make a substitution!"
-
While Gan Guoyang and Bellman were talking, the Trail Blazers finally scored.

Petrovic dribbled the ball and drove to the basket, using his slender frame to force his way into the Pistons' paint.

He was knocked out of bounds by Sally, and the referee called a foul on Sally – Sally’s first foul of the game.

The Pistons players capitalized on their first foul to attack the Trail Blazers players.

Petrovic did not back down. He got up from the ground, stood at the free-throw line, and made both free throws.

Divac then defended against Tpin's low post attack, and on the counterattack, Sanders drove to the basket and scored a layup.

Immediately, Tping drove to the basket and scored a layup. His offensive skills are quite comprehensive, and it is said that he learned a lot from Aguirre.

With the score at 30:25, the Trail Blazers trailed by 5 points. Bellman called a timeout, and Gan Guoyang took off his jersey and returned to the court, replacing Mitchell Thompson.

Hornacek replaced Terry Porter, while Sanders remained on the court, giving Kossie more rest time.

During the timeout, Gan Guoyang told everyone, "We'll show the Detroit guys what's what later. What you guys need to do is pass me the ball when you need to, and don't hesitate to attack when you need to. I might go back to the locker room to rest at any time."

The Trail Blazers teammates exchanged glances, knowing they were in for a good show.

The Pistons also made a substitution, with Bill Laimbeer returning to the game and Tpin going to the bench for a rest.

Thomas returned to the court, Dumars took a short rest, and Aguirre stayed on as the main attacker.

Rick Mahorn replaced Sally, and Daley saw Forrest Gump return and knew it was Mahorn's turn to play.

As the game progressed into the second quarter, both teams gradually found their rhythm, and the air was thick with the smell of sweat.

The noisy stadium, with waves of cheers and boos, stimulated every nerve of the players.

Everyone was becoming more aggressive and fierce, and the people of Detroit were always proud of this because they were the strongest fighters in the league.

They are all masters of dirty tricks, able to cleverly use certain movements to attack their opponents silently without being ejected from the game.

Mahone, Lambiel, Rodman, Turpin, and Thomas were all graduate students or even doctoral students in the field of subtle physical actions.

Mahone's secret weapon was his buttocks, a massive rear end comparable to Barkley's, which often proved invaluable in battles.

For example, a "light" nudge can make your opponent stagger, or when you jump up for a layup, an unintentional hip thrust can send you tumbling in mid-air and give you a humiliating groin fall.

Even if the referee calls a foul, Ma Hong will look innocent and say that he didn't do it on purpose, that he was born with a big butt and that he bumped into him.

Mahon particularly enjoys playing the "removing the chair" game when facing players taller than himself, and Ewing has suffered many losses against Mahon.

Every time the straightforward Ewing would awkwardly stick his butt out and try to push in, Ma Hong would suddenly pull out a chair to serve him, catching Ewing off guard.

If you stumble and get blown off balance, that's fine, but if you accidentally fall flat on your face and break your knee, that would be a real problem.

After the pause, Ma Hong stared at Agan one-on-one. He didn't dare to punch or hit Agan, but he kept making all sorts of small movements.

He grabbed Gan Guoyang's clothes and kept pushing forward with his knee, as if he wanted to push Gan Guoyang out of the three-second zone.

Gan Guoyang knew that although Ma Hong seemed to be pushing forward, he was actually probably thinking about removing the stool so that Gan Guoyang would fall flat on his face.

Gan Guoyang called for the ball on the left low post. Hornacek passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, but instead of his signature quick turn, Gan Guoyang observed the ball for a moment and then slowly dribbled inwards.

Ma Hong took two steps back, and after finding Agan's rhythm, he pulled the chair away!

Gan Guoyang lost his balance and turned to fall, but at the same time he elbowed Ma Hong in the ribs.

Before falling, Gan Guoyang threw the ball towards the basket, and the ball bounced twice on the rim before actually going in.

Two points are valid.

Ma Hong, however, bent over, clutching his ribs. Agan's sneaky elbow had caused Ma Hong excruciating pain. How could it not hurt when the hardest elbow hit his ribs?
Strom didn't call a foul, and there was no video replay. When Mahon gave Strom an innocent look, Strom shook his head.

The Pistons players' innocent looks were seen as acting by the referees.

Ma Hong could only suffer in silence, gritting his teeth as he ran forward to continue the game.

Lambiel noticed something was amiss and complained to the referee.

Stromb looked at him with disbelief and said, "You're saying Forrest Gump used the Dark Elbow? Are you sure?"

"I'm sure, it was me too...I...I saw it with my own eyes!"

Strom shook his head, signaling for the game to continue.

As the person Forrest Gump beat the most, Lambiel had an extremely keen sense of smell.

He knew that Forrest Gump was always very honest and straightforward on the court, and would never resort to dirty tricks.

He wants to fight fair and square, the kind of sacrificial fighting style that takes both sides out of the game.

Forrest Gump actually knows how to use such dirty stuff as "hidden elbow"? And he uses it really well.

Taking advantage of the moment he lost his balance and turned around, he propped himself up with his arms to pretend to maintain his balance and then hit Ma Hong.

His movements were smooth and natural; could it be that he wasn't doing it on purpose?

Lambiel will soon find out whether Forrest Gump did it on purpose.

A master criminal has his eye on him.

Meanwhile, on the Trail Blazers' bench, Berman nodded at Anthony Mason, who was sitting at the end of the bench.

"Anthony, get ready to play, the team will need you."

Mason was surprised. He hadn't gotten many playing opportunities throughout the playoffs, so why was he being asked to play in such an intense final?

However, when Mason saw Lambiel pinch Sabonis during defense, causing the two to clash, he began to understand.

"I understand, I will complete the mission."

Berman nodded. Since Forrest Gump had decided to go head-to-head, he, as his coach, would definitely support him.

(End of this chapter)