The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 649 Ending early
In 1991, Joe Bryant planned to play at least one more season in Italy, as he liked the place.

Kobe's attention was completely drawn to the 1991 NBA playoffs, and his father, to prevent him from turning on the TV early in the morning to watch the live broadcast, chose to record the game on a video recorder.

When asked later which game impressed Kobe the most, he said it was Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals, in which the Trail Blazers lost to Forrest Gump, and Gump missed his last long-range three-pointer.

Kobe said, "In that game I saw a basketball hero who dared to shoot and put the ball in the basket no matter how many people surrounded him."

"More importantly, most of them made it in."

"Although the last one didn't go, it added a tragic element and left a deep impression on me."

"I cried because of that ball, so I'll always remember it, always."

—Excerpt from "The Real Kobe," a Kobe biography by Roland Lazambi, published in 2017.

Watching Forrest Gump's last-second, game-tying three-pointer miss, Jordan sighed, shook his head, and turned off the TV.

He was currently in a hotel in Detroit, resting in bed while watching Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals between the Suns and the Trail Blazers.

The battle between Barkley and Forrest Gump was thrilling. Gan Guoyang scored 46 points in the game, but the team lost.

Jordan really wanted to call Gan Guoyang and say, "Gan, you've got your comeuppance too. You can't win one-on-one either."

However, Jordan held back, and the two did not speak on the phone since the playoffs began.

They focused intently on their series and waited for June to arrive.

The Eastern Conference Finals had a four-day gap between Game 2 and Game 3, and the games didn't start until Saturday, May 25, Memorial Day.

The Palace of Auburn Hills is not a place the Bulls like to play; since it opened, the Bulls have a record of 2 wins and 13 losses there.

With a dismal record, it will be difficult for the Bulls to win here. The Detroit team is full of confidence and looks forward to regaining their series form at home.

This time, however, Jordan felt very confident. He was confident that he could win here, and even eliminate the Detroit Pistons from the playoffs.

The Bulls have a very strong roster, and their frontcourt and backcourt are no less impressive than the Pistons'.

The Pistons' frontcourt remains as fierce and excellent as ever, but the arrival of Buck Williams allows the Bulls' frontcourt to directly compete with the Pistons.

Of the four teams that made it to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals this time, apart from the Trail Blazers, the Suns, Bulls, and Pistons all have a wealth of talent in their frontcourts.

Everyone knew in their hearts that this was all prepared for Forrest Gump.

That evening, the entire Bulls team arrived at the Palace Arena.

Unlike other NBA arenas, the visiting team's locker room at the Palace of Auburn Hills is divided into two rooms.

Jordan enjoyed a rare moment of quiet before the game alone in a small cubicle in the second room.

As the Bulls get closer to the NBA Finals, there's been a surge in discussions about Jordan and Forrest Gump.

In almost every recent interview, Jordan has mentioned Forrest Gump and the Portland Trail Blazers.

The feud between the two, which began in 1984, seems to be finally coming to an end.

At this moment, Jordan was unable to control his thoughts and stop thinking about the Finals.

On the contrary, he kept thinking about the scenario of meeting Forrest Gump in the finals.

To be honest, Jordan had already sensed the Pistons' weakness after the first two games.

They were old and frail, like wolves whose claws and teeth had been pulled out; apart from baring their teeth to scare people, they no longer had any real fighting power.

Not only Jordan, but the entire Bulls team no longer feared the Pistons.

The course of the game showed that the Bulls players were not afraid to go up against the Pistons and would not always turn to Jordan in crucial moments.

They dared to solve problems themselves and dared to confront and compete with the Pistons, so Jordan's performance in the first two games was not particularly outstanding, but the Bulls still won the game.

Jordan was happy to see this situation, although his relationship with his teammates was still strained, and they always clashed off the court, with a barrier between them.

But this does not affect their seamless teamwork on the field, nor does it prevent them from striving for higher goals.

"The best teams don't always get along. If everyone likes each other, it doesn't mean you'll win. It's just a game."

These are Jordan's honest thoughts during an interview with a reporter he was close to.

Phil Jackson agreed with Jordan's view, saying, "Only God can achieve perfection; we only expect excellence."

Excellence is more than enough to deal with the current Detroit Pistons.

The Bulls no longer have any psychological or physical obstacles.

At the start of the third game, the Bulls came out firing, quickly taking a 24-8 lead in the first quarter.

The Pistons' offensive struggles became increasingly apparent when facing the Bulls' defense, especially after the departure of Vinnie Johnson. The lack of a ball-handling offensive option in the backcourt made it extremely difficult for Thomas and Dumars to cope with the Bulls' defense.

They have to rely more on Melvin Tuppin's strong low-post offense and Bill Laimbeer's long-range shooting from the outside—yes, the Pistons are starting to need Laimbeer's long-range shots to score.

This is enough to show that the Pistons' offense has reached a very critical moment. They have no reliable offensive options to disrupt the Bulls' defensive setup, and the Bulls' defense is simply impregnable.

In the second quarter, the substitutes came on and Mark Aguirre led the second unit in a counterattack. They used the home crowd's momentum and tough defense to tie the score at one point.

If this had happened last season, the Bulls' morale might have collapsed. After being tied with such a large lead, their mentality would have been affected.

But this time he didn't. Horace Grant and Pippen used their defense to force consecutive turnovers by the Pistons, and the Bulls relied on the fast break to score a 6-0 run against the Pistons, widening the gap again.

At halftime, the Bulls led the Pistons by 10 points, a rare occurrence in past games between the two teams in Detroit.

The Bulls successfully contained the Pistons' comeback attempt and found their rhythm, breaking free from the Pistons' defensive quagmire.

As Phil Jackson watched the team's fluid transition offense and seamless teamwork, he knew that the team had evolved and reached a higher level.

The Pistons were no match for the Bulls; they were exhausted and worn out, a step behind on both offense and defense.

In particular, the Pistons seemed helpless and extremely frustrated when the referees controlled their rough playing style, which they used to employ as a weapon.

This made Jordan very happy. During halftime, he encouraged the whole team in the locker room, and they crushed the Pistons in the second half! This time, Jordan's words were met with a response from his teammates, who had indeed been holding back for too long.

Starting in 1987, they were eliminated by the Detroit Pistons three times, each time suffering greatly.

They suffered not only the pain of defeat, but also physical clashes and blows. Now they can finally settle the score.

The second half began, and the Pistons still had no way to beat the Bulls.

The old methods don't work, and we can't think of any new methods at the last minute, so we can only keep going by inertia.

The Pistons started using their bodies to attack the Bulls again, as they usually do. But this is Auburn Hills, where the referees will be more lenient.

Bill Laimbeer knocked Horace Grant down during a defensive play and then walked away as if nothing had happened.

At this moment, Jordan went up and hugged Grant, saying to him, "Don't argue with him, don't get angry, don't let him provoke you, go play the game, go back to the game."

This is the difference between Jordan and Forrest Gump. Forrest Gump would stand up for his teammates, even beat up Laimbeer, while Jordan would keep his teammates focused on the game and prevent the opponent from succeeding.

It's hard to say who's right and who's wrong; it's a difference in their personalities—they have many similarities, but also many differences.

As the Finals drew closer, people began to notice the differences between Forrest Gump and Jordan.

Jordan is more detached and focused on what he wants to focus on, so he doesn't get involved in conflicts on the court and doesn't get involved in politics off the court.

Forrest Gump is even more enthusiastic. While focusing on basketball, he also cares about the people around him. On the court, he will stand up for every teammate, and off the court, he actively speaks out for his community.

This is related to their upbringing and environment, which is why they are different types of team leaders.

At this moment, Jordan's decision to let Grant focus on the game was not a mistake.

In this series, Horace Grant outperformed veteran Buck Williams.

Buck is getting old and his physical attributes are not as good as Grant's. His contributions in help defense, rebounding, and fast breaks are not as good as those of the younger and stronger Grant.

Williams' contribution is more evident in areas where experience and data cannot fully reflect his abilities, but overall, Grant is performing better and better.

Therefore, in the Eastern Conference Finals, Grant's playing time increased, and he started playing earlier and earlier.

After regaining his composure, Grant rejoined the offense. His chemistry with Pippen and Jordan was excellent; he could finish, pass, and grab offensive rebounds for second-chance points.

With Grant's performance, the Bulls continued to extend their lead, reaching a maximum difference of 18 points, a scenario that the Bulls and Pistons had never witnessed before at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Detroit fans gradually broke down, feeling that the Chicago Bulls were unbeatable this year, the Pistons were getting old, and past and regular season performances could only be used as a reference and could not determine the final outcome.

Isaiah Thomas refused to give up, using consecutive three-pointers and putbacks to help the Pistons narrow the gap to 7 points, giving the entire Pistons team renewed hope.

However, in basketball, offense and defense move in waves. The two sides go back and forth. Once you launch an offensive, it is very difficult to continue because the opponent will target and counter it.

The Bulls tightened their defense, and on offense, their triangle offense allowed multiple players to score, with Jordan, Pippen, Grant, and Cartwright all finding the net easily. The Pistons' defense was becoming increasingly vulnerable.

Bill Laimbeer is really getting old; he can no longer ignite the team and disrupt opponents with his dirty tricks and passion like he used to.

Laimbeer played terribly in this series, with his scoring, rebounding, blocking, and assists all being extremely mediocre.

His former provocations and dirty tricks were no longer effective; the Bulls simply ignored him and let him perform like a clown.

Furthermore, Laimbeer's slow footwork and weak rim protection on the defensive end became fatal weaknesses when facing the Bulls' young and energetic frontcourt.

So in the fourth quarter, Laimbeer was simply benched by Chuck Daly. Now, the Pistons' true interior core is Tpin, whose excellent offense and defense have held up Detroit's crumbling paint.

But Turpin wasn't the type to turn the tide. Starting in the fourth quarter, the Bulls maintained a lead of over 10 points, and the Pistons couldn't find a way to come back or a way to explode.

The Pistons put up a desperate fight, with Rodman, Tpin, and Mahorn battling for offensive rebounds, which was their only advantage.

However, you can't score by getting the rebound; you have to put the ball in the basket.

Dumars and Thomas kept missing shots from beyond the arc until the last few minutes of the game when Aguirre finally made a three-pointer.

Then Turpin grabbed another offensive rebound on offense. Instead of passing, he drove to the basket and dunked, drawing a foul on Grant and getting to the free throw.

The Pistons scored six consecutive points, narrowing the gap to six points. With two minutes remaining in the game, the Pistons still had a glimmer of hope.

The Pistons' morale soared, and they blocked another Bulls attack in the following defensive play, which should be their last chance to turn the game around.

Jordan began to primarily guard Thomas, while Pippen was matched up against Dumars, a matchup where the players were not of equal size.

Thomas tried to break through Jordan, but Jordan completely blocked Thomas. When Thomas chose to pass the ball to Dumars, Jordan landed, but quickly joined Pippen to double-team Dumars!
Jordan was so fast that Dumars had no choice but to shoot, and there was no time left—he airballed the ball, and possession went to the Bulls.

The ball didn't go in, and the fans in the stadium were disheartened; they probably had no hope left.

Jordan then assisted Pippen to make a jump shot, stabilizing the situation, while the Pistons couldn't find a way to break through the Bulls' defense.

They could only vent their anger through small actions. Rodman pushed Jordan down and then shoved the ball into Jordan's arms during a timeout.

But Jordan was unfazed; he just smiled at Rodman as if he were an idiot.

Ultimately, the score was 117-107, with the Bulls winning Game 3 at Auburn Hills by 10 points, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

The Pistons' playoff journey is in jeopardy, as no team can win a series after being down 0-3.

It could even be said that the Detroit Pistons' 1991 season was over prematurely.

After the game, Jordan made no attempt to hide his disgust for the Pistons and his joy at the prospect of overcoming them to advance to the Finals.

This isn't arrogance; he suffered too much and endured too much hardship in Detroit. He went through a lot to get to where he is today, and he has the right to say something.

"People are happy to see a return to clean play, away from the influence of the Bad Boys. People don't want that kind of basketball, the dirty play, the malicious fouls, the unsportsmanlike conduct—it's bad for basketball. Forrest Gump used violence to stop the Pistons, but I want to say that we, the Chicago Bulls, will really take down the Pistons with basketball and make that style of play disappear from the NBA."

Jordan spoke frankly, even subtly criticizing Gan Guoyang's approach of using violence to combat violence, saying it didn't truly solve the problem and was merely treating the symptoms, not the root cause.

This guy is definitely getting a bit cocky.

When asked at the end how he was thinking about the next game, Jordan smiled and said, "Nothing much, I'm already thinking about my Finals opponent."

(End of this chapter)