The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 650 is too long

"Michael must be crazy to say something like that."

"No, Michael isn't crazy, he's confident."

"Overconfidence is never a good thing."

“That’s right, but normal confidence is understandable. Just like I’m confident I’ll beat you in this game, Charles.”

Before Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, Charles Barkley and Gan Guoyang chatted on the court and commented on Jordan's comment the day before about "considering the opponent in the Finals".

Both are Jordan's friends, and they both long to meet Jordan in the Finals. What a spectacle that would be! A clash of geniuses from 84, a duel between a generation of superstars.

While everyone is looking forward to Jordan vs. Forrest Gump, Charles Barkley really wants to take that spot. He's already faced Forrest once in the Finals, and now it's Jordan's turn.

The victory over the Trail Blazers in Game 3 at home gave Barkley and the entire Suns team a lot of confidence, as well as Phoenix fans.

They played five games against the Trail Blazers this regular season and only won one. The Portlanders are just too hard to beat; they are as solid and stable as a rock.

Now, they seem to have found a crack in the stone, and they believe that if they keep striking along the crack, they can definitely break the stone.

Upon hearing Gan Guoyang's boastful words, Barkley retorted, "Sonny, basketball isn't a one-man show. Maybe you can beat me, but the Suns can beat you!"

Barkley's ability to say such things shows that he has truly matured and puts himself in the team's shoes, prioritizing the team's victory over his own.

“Charles, you’re right, but you still can’t beat us, I guarantee it. I told you, you won the last game because you rigged the basket, you won’t have a chance this game.”

Gan Guoyang insisted that there was a problem with the Suns' home court basket. Before the game, he contacted the technical department to file a complaint. After inspecting the basket, the technical department found that the cushioning pad that secured the basket had indeed disappeared.

Therefore, before the game started, the technical department requested that the Suns' home arena install cushioning pads on the rims to ensure their elasticity.

Despite this, the Suns firmly denied that it was intentional, saying that no rims were added to either side, so it was fair to both teams.

Gan Guoyang countered, saying that the Trail Blazers shoot more and better, while the Suns prefer fast breaks and the paint, so a cushioning effect isn't that important.

"If the rim hadn't been so hard, my last long-range three-pointer would have gone in, and I would have crushed you in overtime."

Gan Guoyang insisted on saying this to Barkley, but Barkley smiled and said, "Sonny, I just realized that you can't stand losing either~ It's all in the past, the score is fixed, why are you still holding a grudge?"

These words really left Gan Guoyang speechless, as if he really couldn't accept defeat.

So, Gan Guoyang stopped arguing with Barkley and said, "Let's see on the court."

Bobby Bellman emphasized the issue of the second core player in the previous game after the match.

He spoke with Sabonis, demanding that he step up and become the tactical pivot when Forrest Gump was caught in a pincer movement.

Sabonis, Porter, Lewis, Kossi, Petrovic—these are all excellent players capable of executing brilliant tactics.

“Sometimes you have to pretend Forrest Gump doesn’t exist, pretend he’s dead! That he’s not there anymore! And then you still have to win the game! Got it? You bunch of idiots…”

Berman was furious about the loss in the third round. He started swearing and delivered a swearing performance that was comparable to the instructor in "Full Metal Shell," leaving everyone speechless.

Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "If you want to fight properly, then fight properly. Why are you treating me like I'm dead?"

The Trail Blazers are definitely under pressure; if they lose this game, they'll have to go back to Portland for Game 5.

This is not what the Trail Blazers want to see, especially since the Chicago Bulls' advancement to the Finals is already a foregone conclusion. The Trail Blazers just want to finish the Western Conference Finals as soon as possible and start preparing for the Finals early.

The Portland media has already begun to build hype for the first major showdown between the Trail Blazers and the Bulls, and between Gan and Joe.

The truly calm person was still Forrest Gump. When he saw Jordan making outrageous remarks on the news, Gan Guoyang didn't take it to heart.

He knew Jordan needed to vent; a simple victory was no longer enough to quell Jordan's past anger. He had to use this method to humiliate the Pistons and Isaiah Thomas.

The two teams are no longer just opponents on the field; they are also enemies off the field, attacking and hating each other.

The Bulls lost so many times, and each time they were specifically targeted by the Pistons, suffering a double blow to their physical and mental health.

Victory is within reach, and he will not be able to quell his anger until he has thoroughly crushed the Pistons.

Once the series is over and everything is settled, there's no point in saying anything more.

These words will only provoke the opponent to the greatest extent while the series is still ongoing.

Gan Guoyang understands Jordan; if he were in Jordan's shoes, he would have done the same.

Unfortunately, no team has ever been able to stop the Trail Blazers like this before.

Since there were none, Gan Guoyang naturally had no need to hate anyone.

Despite the team being affected by the other series and their mentality being shaken, Gan Guoyang remained focused on the Western Conference Finals and on the Suns.

Before the team took the court, Gan Guoyang reminded everyone: "What happens in the East has nothing to do with us, Michael Jordan has nothing to do with us. Our mission is to beat the Suns. I'll take care of Charles Barkley, and incidentally, Sam Bowie and Mark West. What you guys need to do is follow Bobby's advice and play a reasonable and beautiful offense even without me. Actually, we all know in our hearts that the Phoenix Suns are no match for us. As long as we are focused and patient, victory is beckoning to us!"

After a final pep talk, the Trail Blazers' slightly agitated team gradually calmed down.

Gan Guoyang is right. The entire Trail Blazers team is seasoned veterans, having honed the Princeton offense throughout the season, and the players have excellent chemistry.

Their offensive efficiency is higher than last season, their defensive intensity is stronger than last season, and they are the best team in the league, bar none.

Of course, confidence comes not only from words, but also from actions.

At the start of the first quarter, Gan Guoyang hit consecutive mid-range shots from the top of the arc.

Gan Guoyang took advantage of Charles Barkley's height disadvantage, catching the ball and shooting immediately.

Gan Guoyang made four consecutive shots over Barkley, who got anxious and stuck to him even tighter. On the fifth shot, Gan Guoyang chose to drive to the basket and faced Bowie. He made a stylish move-hook shot and scored two points!
Just a few minutes into the first quarter, Gan Guoyang went 5-for-5, scoring 10 points and overwhelming the Suns, prompting Fitzsimmons to call a timeout.

Gan Guoyang's opening move was very clear: I won't go into your encirclement; I'll attack the basket with mid-range shots and hook shots, using my good touch to catch them off guard and crush them.

Fitzsimmons knew that once Gan Guoyang got into his rhythm, the game would be over.

One of the key reasons the Suns were able to win the last game was that their defense kept Gan Guoyang's shooting percentage below 50%.

This shows that the Suns' defensive strategy was indeed quite successful; the triple-team of Sam Bowie, West, and Barkley was really effective.

If Forrest Gump's offensive efficiency picks up tonight, the triple-team won't hold, and then other points will be opened up, the Suns will face a crushing defeat.

Fitzsimmons had already sensed the bloodshed ahead, so during the timeout he decisively adjusted the defensive matchups, asking Barkley to guard Sabonis and handing Agan to Bowie.

"Sam, go and deal with Forrest Gump. Stop him from throwing like that, it's too dangerous."

Sam Bowie nodded. He had been asked to handle Forrest Gump since his rookie season, and now he knew he simply couldn't.

All he could do was try his best to keep Forrest's shooting percentage low, avoid making mistakes when defending him, and not give him offensive rebounds.

Barkley seemed a little reluctant, saying, "Coach, I can do it, last game..."

"The last game is the last game, and this game is this game. Your responsibility is more on the attack. Also, Sabonis is not easy to deal with. You need to go around him and not give him a chance to receive the ball."

For the Suns, figuring out how to match up their inside game against the Trail Blazers has always been a major problem.

Barkley's height is a source of amusement for fans; at 6'6", he can play inside and is also a great rebounder.

For coaches, this is often a big problem, as the defensive gaps caused by height are often difficult to fill.

Fitzsimmons didn't want to rush Mark West before their defense was completely dismantled.

Putting Barkley at the small forward position is not a good idea; it would significantly reduce the Suns' offensive efficiency.

In short, one of the two cups of poisoned wine had to be drunk. The third round proved that if one of the cups was drunk, there was still hope if one struggled a bit.

The Trail Blazers don't need to make any adjustments; they just need to follow the original plan and rotate their players as usual.

After the timeout, when Bao Wei took the lead in defending Gan Guoyang, Gan Guoyang decisively abandoned the mid-range shot and started to attack hard in the low post.

Tonight, the Trail Blazers' offense revolved around the central axis of Gan Guoyang and Sabonis. Gan Guoyang was in the high post, Sabonis was in the low post, and when Gan Guoyang went to the low post, Sabonis would go to the top of the key to receive the ball and facilitate and screen.

They reduced backdoors in the Princeton system and made extensive use of the most variable low-position series in the Princeton system.

The advantage of the low post series is that it can launch the Princeton offense, using both the high and low posts to create scoring opportunities for other players.

At the same time, when the game is close, the low post series can be directly transformed into a one-on-one system, allowing the power forward (position 4) to feed the ball to the center (position 5) and directly attack the paint.

In the intense defensive playoffs, the Princeton offense often fails to create open shots or backdoor opportunities, so players still need to rely on strong attacks.

Gan Guoyang had an excellent shooting touch in the first quarter. Facing Sam Bowie, Gan Guoyang made consecutive hook shots, scoring 17 points in the quarter and helping the Trail Blazers lead the Suns 37-25 by 12 points.

The Trail Blazers showed their strength, while the Suns showed their resilience.

Despite trailing by a large margin in the first quarter, the Suns did not give up but instead slowly fought back.

Barkley did not give up on the pincer attack on Gan Guoyang. He, along with Bowie and West, continued to surround and intercept him.

Tonight, Gan Guoyang changed his strategy, cooperating more with Sabonis, and the two constantly switched between high and low positions.

Sabonis outmaneuvered Barkley under the basket and scored repeatedly, while Barkley responded with mid-range and three-pointers on offense.

Barkley's three-point shooting percentage was unusually high in these two games, which allowed the Suns to withstand the pressure.

In the second quarter, the Suns capitalized on the moment when Gan Guoyang was off the court and the Trail Blazers' defense was lax, using fast breaks to narrow the gap to 5 points.

Kevin Johnson and Dan Mali orchestrated the comeback, with Johnson's performance in this series remaining consistently poor.

For some reason, Kevin Johnson's skills always seem to be reduced by 30% when facing the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump, and he can never perform at his best.

His height disadvantage was magnified against the Trail Blazers' tall forwards and guards, as well as their fast-rotating defense; his only asset was his speed.

As the Suns closed the gap, Sabonis stepped up for the Trail Blazers, using his playmaking abilities to help Petrovic and Lewis score in the paint.

Then, midway through the second quarter, Sabonis and Curry combined on the left side at a 45-degree angle, set a screen, cut to the outside to receive the ball, and hit a three-pointer!
The Trail Blazers' most crucial three-pointer in the first half widened the gap with the Suns back to more than 10 points, stabilizing the situation.

After that three-pointer, the Suns called another timeout, and Gan Guoyang returned to the court to replace the outstanding Sabonis.

Sabonis remained calm, sitting back on the bench and quietly drinking water, closely watching the situation on the field.

Sabonis is an understated player, but he has experienced big games.

The level of competition in the Olympics and World Championships may not be as high as in the NBA, but the atmosphere and intensity are absolutely top-notch.

In games like these, Sabonis can't turn the tide with his outstanding scoring like Gan Guoyang, but he can withstand the pressure and do everything a center can do.

Rebounding, defense, playmaking, passing, and some crucial scoring—the Soviet team's success was inseparable from Sabonis's pillar-like role on both offense and defense in the paint.

With the Trail Blazers, Sabonis's star always seemed somewhat overshadowed by Forrest Gump's presence. Many times, his highlight performances were not as good as Lewis and Petrovic's. After all, his scoring explosiveness was not strong, and he often did a lot of auxiliary work that could not be reflected in the statistics.

In fact, Sabonis's role in the Trail Blazers this season is second only to the Blazers, a fact that Bobby Bellman is well aware of.

Sabonis's role became particularly prominent when Mitchell Thompson was getting old, Divac was traded away, and Davis, Bryant, and Pinkney were temporarily unable to take on the main responsibility.

When Sabonis was off the court, the Trail Blazers, lacking a pivot and playmaker, changed their offensive and defensive style. They played faster, relied more on fast breaks, and didn't easily get bogged down in half-court battles with the Suns.

Porter, Lewis, and Petrovic pushed the pace very fast, while Gan Guoyang and Cliff Robinson partnered in the paint, both capable of shooting, and the two sides began to engage in a fast-paced offensive battle.

The Suns were happy to see this, and Barkley, Johnson, and Mali, among others, got to work, engaging in a high-scoring shootout with the Trail Blazers. Both sides were scoring very quickly.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers led the Suns 66-58 by 8 points. This score was quite different from the relatively low score in the Eastern Conference Finals, indicating that West Coast teams still prefer offense.

In the decisive third quarter, the home team Suns launched a furious counterattack, with Barkley and his team launching a relentless offensive against the Trail Blazers.

Barkley and Kevin Johnson repeatedly drove to the basket, drawing fouls from Gan Guoyang and Sabonis, which shifted the momentum in the Suns' favor.

Drawing fouls and causing injuries at crucial moments has always been a very effective way to turn the tide of a game.

The Suns narrowed the gap to 4 points at one point, and they saw hope of tying the game.

At this moment, when the Suns' attention was entirely focused on Forrest Gump, Gan Guoyang used a combination of feints and real attacks, first hitting a three-pointer to stabilize the team's morale.

Then, on defense, when guarding Barkley one-on-one, he pretended to be fooled by Barkley's fake move, then turned around and blocked Barkley's floater.

The Trail Blazers launched a fast break. Gan Guoyang received the ball at a 45-degree angle and seemed to be going to shoot a three-pointer, but instead he made a direct pass to Reggie Lewis under the basket, who dunked with his left hand!
The 4-point deficit suddenly widened to 9 points, the sun's burning flames cooled, and it had to rally again.

After that, every time the Suns narrowed the gap, Gan Guoyang was able to respond immediately with an answer ball.

As the so-called one-shot, and then decline, three and exhausted.

Once they closed the gap to 4 points, they couldn't get past that initial hurdle, and it became difficult to overtake them later.

Furthermore, because the Suns and Trail Blazers were playing an offensive game, the Trail Blazers players were able to get into a shooting rhythm.

Porter, Petrovic, Curry, Sabonis, Robinson, and Forrest Gump—they all hit their outside shots; they can shoot anything.

In Game 3, the Suns focused their offensive efforts on shutting down Forrest Gump, and their strategy of throwing the other players into disarray clearly didn't work anymore. Sabonis and Porter Jr. organized the offense very well.

In the fourth quarter, the Suns began to collapse. The Trail Blazers started with a 7-0 run, forcing the Suns to call a timeout. They were starting to falter.

Barkley barely rested tonight, because Forrest Gump didn't rest either; he was on the court the whole time.

After two consecutive high-intensity matches against Gan Guoyang, Barkley was a bit exhausted. Gan Guoyang's defensive style was suffocating, and you had to be fully focused and give it your all.

It was already a miracle that they managed to win one game in the third round. In this game, a sense of despair began to spread.

Moreover, apart from Barkley, the other Suns players couldn't keep up with the intensity and pace.

Kevin Johnson, Mali, and the players on the bench are all still young.

With only Angie as an old hand, he couldn't be of much help at a time like this.

When defending Petrovic, Ainge was helpless against his pull-up jump shot.

Fitzsimmons urged his players not to give up, and Barkley also rallied his spirits, encouraging his teammates to fight to the very end.

Fitzsimmons wanted him to rest, but Barkley disagreed because Forrest Gump was still on the court.

"Forrest Gump's physical abilities are simply beyond human comprehension; you shouldn't continue to entangle with him," the coach reminded Barkley.

But Barkley didn't care. As soon as the timeout ended, Barkley attacked the basket, and Gan Guoyang deliberately created an opening for Barkley to cut into the basket.

Then, a big block from behind slammed down Barkley's dunk attempt, and Barkley fell heavily to the ground—exhaustion slowed his reaction time and left him feeling weak in the legs.

The referee didn't call a foul on Gan Guoyang. Gan Guoyang received the ball and made a long pass to the frontcourt. Jerome Cahill and Lewis executed a wall pass and dunked! The Suns' defense collapsed.

Gan Guoyang stayed in the backcourt. He reached out to help Barkley, who had fallen to the ground, but Barkley refused to take his hand and waited for his teammates to help him up.

Gan Guoyang chuckled and patted Barkley's backside, saying, "Relax, Charles, it'll be over soon, and you'll be able to rest soon."

"Fuck you, Sonny, fuck you!" Barkley was furious; he really wanted to win and didn't want to lose.

Gan Guoyang could feel tears welling up in Barkley's eyes. With this defeat, the Suns' chances of survival in Portland were slim.

But that's how cruel the NBA is; there can only be one winner. Even if they are good friends, Gan Guoyang still has to take down Barkley and the Suns.

After the second half of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers defeated the Suns 133-118, a 15-point advantage, taking a 3-1 lead in the series and one game away from the Finals.

Like the Bulls, both teams only need one more win to meet in the Finals.

People have waited for this moment for far too long, far too long.

(End of this chapter)