The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 633 Really Want to Win
Gan Guoyang and Jordan both took this game very seriously.

In their first matchup of the season, the Bulls conquered Portland's home court.

Jordan really wanted to win this game and sweep the Trail Blazers this season.

If he does it, it will be the first time in his career that he has swept Forrest Gump in the regular season.

Previously, Gan Guoyang had mostly defeated Jordan twice, and in some games, the victory was completely uncontested.

Things are different now. Gan Guoyang doesn't want to be swept by the Bulls, which will affect their mentality in the upcoming finals.

Both players were very serious before the match, and instead of joking and laughing as usual, they warmed up with their respective teammates.

Just before going on stage, Gan Guoyang took a piece of chewing gum from Karp, unwrapped it, and put it in his mouth.

Petrovich sat on the bench, holding a freshly opened bottle of Gatorade. He was a little thirsty and was about to take a sip.

Gan Guoyang crumpled the chewing gum wrapper into a ball and threw it toward the bottle opening before Petrovich could lift it up.

The small piece of paper landed squarely into the Gatorade bottle. Petrovich paused for a moment, feeling as if something had fallen into the drink.

Gan Guoyang reminded Petrovich, "Change the bottle, Pete! This one's contaminated!"

Petrovich glanced into the bottle; a crumpled piece of tinfoil was floating inside—Forrest Gump had thrown it in.

Once on the court, Gan Guoyang stood in the center circle and jumped for the ball with Cartwright.

Since returning to the center position, Gan Guoyang has personally taken on the jump ball duties.

"Bill, I've heard your elbows are getting really bad lately. Can I have a look?"

Before the jump ball, Gan Guoyang said to Cartwright that the whole league knew about Cartwright's big elbowing incident a while ago.

Gan Guoyang was puzzled. Why was Cartwright playing so well and cleanly during the Trail Blazers vs. Bulls game?
Could it be that everyone has wronged him?

I later found out that Cartwright was being treated differently.

Gan Guoyang dislikes being treated differently and prefers to be treated equally.

Cartwright shook his head and said softly, "The league will punish me."

"It's okay, I can pay your fine, I have money. And if you elbow me accurately, I'll even give you a bonus, how about it?"

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang pointed to his temple, gesturing for him to come this way.

Cartwright didn't dare to respond; she knew what Forrest Gump was capable of.

His elbow to Isaiah Thomas only caused a minor cut to his eyebrow and a little bleeding, but Forrest Gump's elbow almost disfigured Thomas and sent him to the hospital.

Cartwright is already 33 years old this year. His old bones can't withstand Gan Guoyang's torment. He still wants to play a few more seasons.

Sports competitions are like a jungle society; sometimes it's very simple: it's about who's toughest.

If you're ruthless, no one will dare mess with you; if you're not ruthless enough, everyone will come and kick you while you're down.

Many people now understand why Forrest Gump was so fierce during his rookie season, using wrestling and other fighting skills to fight back against those who provoked him.

As time goes on, people realize that the blood shed and suffering endured in the early days were meaningful, and of extraordinary significance.

Seeing that Cartwright dared not respond, Gan Guoyang sneered: "Keep your arm to yourself, or I will blame you if any of my teammates suffer any misfortune."

At this moment, the referee interrupted the two players' conversation, checked his watch, and the game was about to begin, so the two sides jumped for the ball.

Cartwright, whose morale was lower, was unable to compete with Forrest in the ball-grabbing contest, and the Trail Blazers gained possession of the ball at the start of the game.

The Trail Blazers' offense at the start of the game focused on Agan, a point that Gan Guoyang had requested before the game began.

He needs to get off to a good start and gain an early advantage so he can outlast the Bulls.

The Bulls are a very physically demanding team. In their last matchup, the Trail Blazers were worn down by their defense.

By the time the Trail Blazers regained their momentum, it was too late, and the margin for error was too small.

Gan Guoyang rarely uses psychological warfare at the start of a game anymore. Tonight, he threatened Bill Cartwright in an attempt to break down this tough guy in the three-second zone of the Bulls.

The Bulls' starting frontcourt consisted of Cartwright and Buck Williams, both experienced and tough traditional big men, making their defense quite solid.

The two players' weaknesses are that Cartwright is a bit older and Buck Williams is a bit short, so Gan Guoyang focused on these two aspects at the start.

He started the game by using a screen to run and receive the ball at the baseline. He then faced off against Buck Williams at a zero-degree angle and made a mid-range shot.

Then the Bulls missed a shot on defense, and the Trail Blazers didn't launch a fast break, sticking to half-court offense. Gan Guoyang then attacked Williams in the same position again.

Williams stayed close to Gan Guoyang, who faked a move and drove to the baseline, then drove hard against Cartwright for a layup, drawing a foul from Cartwright.

The Bulls' star center picked up his first foul just one minute into the game, which made Phil Jackson very unhappy with the referee's calls.

He knew this was a dangerous sign. Cartwright was very important to the Bulls on both offense and defense, and if he got into foul trouble too early, the Bulls would definitely be in trouble.

However, considering that Cartwright has always contributed very little against the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with him playing poorly or leaving the game early.

With that thought, Jackson felt relieved. He exchanged a few words with the referee and then went back to the bench to meditate and chant sutras.

Gan Guoyang made both free throws, giving the Trail Blazers a 4-0 lead and a great start.

On the other hand, Jordan remained calm and did not rush to compete with Forrest Gump just because Forrest had fired the first shot.

Jordan played very much like a team player, like a regular shooting guard: receiving the ball, passing it around, making runs, using his off-ball skills to draw the Blazers' defense and create opportunities for his teammates.

The Bulls' first basket came from Pippen, who received a pass from Jordan on the right side and made a mid-range jump shot.

The triangle offense offers a high degree of freedom, which can be quite challenging for defenders.

Bobby Bellman consistently employed one-on-one defense against the Bulls—including against Michael Jordan.

From the start of the game, Reggie Lewis kept a close eye on Jordan, and no matter how Jordan moved, Lewis stayed with him like a shadow.

This made Jordan feel a bit uncomfortable, while on the other side, Gan Guoyang continued to attack the Bulls' interior. Neither Cartwright nor Buck Williams could stop Gan in the low post.

The Bulls attempted to cut off the connection between the Trail Blazers' other players and Gan Guoyang, which was their consistent defensive strategy: high-intensity pressure from the perimeter, starting to harass him before he even crossed half-court.

Having learned from the previous loss, Sabonis stepped up and became an important hub on the perimeter, constantly setting screens for the backcourt players and facilitating handoffs.

Sabonis may not be considered a playmaker, but he has a very strong tactical awareness and can effectively organize the game and relieve local pressure on the ball.

Once the Bulls apply pressure to the ball handler in a certain direction, Sabonis will immediately move over to provide support, setting a solid screen to get his teammates out of trouble.

After receiving the ball, he can also provide support at the top of the arc. He is tall, has a strong ability to protect the ball, and can pass the ball quickly and accurately.

As the Bulls applied pressure outwards, Sabonis, like a tower, stood on the outside, feeding ammunition inwards to Forrest Gump.

Once the ball is in Gan Guoyang's hands, the rest is none of the Trail Blazers' business. Let Gan handle it; he'll always find a way to put the ball in the basket.

Gan Guoyang scored 12 points in the first half of the quarter, helping the Trail Blazers take a 16-10 lead over the Bulls. Phil Jackson called the first timeout of the game to make adjustments.

Faced with Forrest Gump's powerful offensive, Jackson knew he had to stop him; expecting Forrest to cool down and shut down on his own was unrealistic. He was a cannon that could keep firing at all times, a tireless siege machine. Betting on him going into a cooldown period would be a terrible mistake.

Jackson replaced the underperforming Cartwright with Purdue, while also asking Jordan and Pippen to surround Forrest Gump.

Buck Williams will have to face Sabonis, who is much taller than him, and the Trail Blazers will most likely let Sabonis take on the one-on-one situation.

"It's better to let Sabonis take one-on-one shots than to let Agam keep scoring. If Sabonis gets the ball in the high post, let him shoot. If he gets the ball in the low post, steal it from him!"

For years, league coaches have been battling Forrest Gump, and Pat Riley wrote "The Forrest Gump Rules." Coaches from various teams brainstormed and came up with many strategies to deal with Forrest Gump.

Ultimately, when all the strategies were put together, one point of consensus emerged: when dealing with Forrest Gump, it's better to guide than to block.

In other words, the best way to make Forrest Gump ineffective is to make him not want to fight.

When does he not want to play himself? Naturally, when his teammates have the opportunity to play.

This contradicts all other defensive principles, which emphasize that you must never allow your opponent to score in all areas.

It's better to let scorers like Jordan and Chamberlain do the work themselves than to let them carry their teammates.

But this golden rule doesn't apply to Forrest Gump. He's the kind of player who, if you let him hit the ball, can completely crush you on his own.

It's not just one or two occasional outbursts, but the vast majority of matches. If you indulge him, he'll make you taste the punishment for your impulsiveness.

It was this super offensive power, surpassing that of Jordan and Chamberlain, that led NBA coaches to abandon conventional defensive strategies and instead avoid his edge.

Phil Jackson employed a combination of blocking and opening up. On one hand, top perimeter defenders like Pippen and Jordan joined the effort to contain Forrest Gump, forcing him to seek other opportunities.

On the other hand, you should deliberately create an opening, letting Buck Williams guard Sabonis to create a mismatch, and Agam will most likely still pass the ball.

Gan Guoyang is a player with a strong sense of teamwork. If his teammates have a good opportunity during regular time, he will definitely pass the ball.

As long as the ball leaves Agan's hands and gets into someone else's hands, whether it's a mismatch or an open shot, it's a good thing for the defense.

At this point, Jackson naturally had other ways to curb the scoring efficiency of the other Trail Blazers players—at this moment, it was a battle between the Trail Blazers' offensive efficiency and the Bulls' defensive rotation.

At the same time, Jackson also had Jordan as an offensive weapon, which could to some extent offset Gan Guoyang's fierce firepower.

Before the game started, Jackson told Jordan that if he wanted to, he should go all out and play his own way.

Jordan scoffed and said, "You're afraid to play Forrest Gump? You don't dare use your own strategies and you want me to save the world?"

Jackson shook his head, not wanting to compete with Jordan. "This guy, play however you want."

After the timeout, the Bulls' strategy did work, and Gan Guoyang faced the most severe double-teaming.

Sabonis frequently created opportunities in both the high and low positions, and Gan Guoyang would pass the ball to Sabonis in a timely manner.

However, the Bulls' defense, which seemed to have a weakness, would disappear the moment the ball reached Sabonis.

Their defensive rotations are quite fast, their help defense and rotations are timely, and Buck Williams' ability to guard bigger players is underestimated.

Although he is much shorter and weaker than Sabonis, he has excellent defensive skills, is very tough, and is good at getting ahead and disrupting opponents with physical contact.

Sabonis didn't gain much of an advantage against Buck under the basket, scoring two baskets but also missing two and committing one turnover.

A 40% success rate is considered a very good defensive result by the Bulls.

At the same time, Jordan finally started to exert his strength. He did not hold the ball to challenge one-on-one, but continued to entangle Reggie Lewis off the ball, and took the shot immediately when he found an opportunity, without any hesitation.

Jordan scored consecutive baskets, and amidst the huge cheers of the United Center fans, Jordan stole the ball at midcourt and attempted a classic fast break dunk, but Reggie Lewis caught up from behind and poked the ball out of bounds.

A brilliant defensive chase; if the Bulls had made that shot, the score would have been tied.

It's clear that Lewis really gave it his all when defending Jordan tonight.

This is the highest level of competition in the league, and every round is breathtaking.

The Bulls had a ball out of bounds. Jordan received the ball and drove to the basket. Facing Forrest Gump's defense, he passed the ball to Pippen, who was cutting to the basket.

Pippen received the ball and was about to dunk, but incredibly, Forrest Gump landed, turned around, and jumped again, blocking Pippen's layup in mid-air—Kursey's guarding of the ball also played a crucial role, otherwise Pippen would have dunked the ball.

"Shit, another one against two."

Jackson spat on the sidelines.

Gan Guoyang has made many incredible plays like this, defending against two opponents.

In fact, this is the result of talent plus hard work; Gan Guoyang's reaction speed under the basket is very fast.

He can adjust immediately after the opponent passes the ball, turn around and jump again after landing. His body control is unmatched in the league - only Jordan comes close to him.

After each high-intensity layup and various moves, Jordan always landed smoothly and rarely flew out of bounds, demonstrating his excellent body control.

Gan Guoyang, who blocked Pippen's shot, regained possession of the ball and passed it to Porter. The two teams then engaged in several more high-quality offensive and defensive possessions, making it very difficult for either side to score.

Neither Gan Guoyang nor Jordan substituted off the court for a rest.

Gan Guoyang was originally scheduled to leave the game with about two minutes left in the first quarter, but tonight he didn't want to rest for too long and insisted on playing the entire first quarter.

With Forrest Gump on the Trail Blazers side, Jackson wouldn't dare let Jordan out; both sides were going to fight from start to finish.

With just over 20 seconds left in the first quarter, Jordan received the ball and faced Lewis on the perimeter, dribbling to run down the clock.

At this point, the score was 22-21, with the Trail Blazers leading the Bulls by one point.

The Bulls' defensive strategy was effective.

Jordan had a chance to help his team take the lead in the final moments of the first quarter.

With five seconds left, Jordan launched himself, using pure speed and explosiveness to blow past Lewis in one step!
He drove into the paint and faced Forrest Gump. With plenty of space to jump, he was fearless. In mid-air, he dodged Forrest Gump's block and put the ball into the basket with a left-handed layup!

Score! The Bulls took the lead in the first quarter, 22-23, leaving the Trail Blazers with only one second left.

The United Center erupted in jubilation; the Bulls had turned the tide.

However, Gan Guoyang signaled to his teammates to serve, and Mitchell Thompson understood immediately and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang took a big step forward with the ball and launched a long-range shot just before the lights came on—he was still some distance from the center line.

The ball flew towards the basket like a cannonball, the light for the end of the first quarter came on midway, and the ball then bounced off the backboard and into the net.

The referee raised three fingers high, declaring the goal valid, and it was a three-pointer.

25:23, the Trail Blazers have regained the lead!

Jordan stood with his hands on his hips, looking at Forrest Gump, thinking to himself, "This guy really wants to win tonight."

How much did he not want to be double-killed by me?

(End of this chapter)