The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 690 Non-human

Under Gan Guoyang's leadership, the pace of the game became unexpectedly fast.

Both sides quickly moved past the initial probing phase in the first quarter, with all players fully engaged in high-intensity offensive and defensive battles.

This was especially true for the Bulls, whose offensive and defensive strategies were disrupted when Scottie Pippen fouled out twice.

Phil Jackson brought in Horace Grant, who joined Buck Williams in a dual power forward formation.

This tactic works very well against teams like the Cavaliers and the Heat, making the team's defense rock solid.

Jackson thought that with Grant and Buck around, they should be able to contain Forrest Gump to the greatest extent possible.

However, this guy's matches are becoming increasingly unpredictable; he doesn't play by the rules at all.

In fact, not only Phil Jackson, but Bobby Bellman also couldn't understand how Forrest Gump thought and how he played.

His positioning was completely unpredictable, deviating from the usual tactical routes in daily training and games. His passes and shots were unpredictable, and every step was so unexpected.

But it makes perfect sense, because this guy can put the ball in the basket.

Gan Guoyang's sudden, aggressive style of launching attacks just past half-court, or even before, left the other nine players, including Jordan, somewhat stunned.

The first player on the Trail Blazers' side to react was Petrovic, who started actively moving around and looking for opportunities in the ghost position.

Gan Guoyang's rapid and wide-ranging attack patterns caused the Bulls' defense to begin to show weaknesses.

Pippen's departure made the weaknesses even more obvious. Although Cartwright and Grant were guarding the paint, Petrovic still seized two opportunities, receiving passes from Gan Guoyang and attacking the basket to score.

The Trail Blazers are extending their lead.

Jordan was the second to react. He knew he couldn't wait, couldn't try to slow Forrest down and then fight back defensively, because that would definitely result in a crushing defeat.

After conceding the point, Jordan immediately accelerated with the ball and drove the length of the court to the basket. He was immediately surrounded by three Trail Blazers players. Jordan passed the ball to Grant, who was following up in the middle, but Lewis intercepted the ball.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, with Gan Guoyang taking the lead. He received a pass from Porter and cut into the middle, starting from the free-throw line, taking a big step to the basket, and dunking with one hand!
Layup? Forget about it, it has to be a dunk. Layup is just playing with your shooting percentage.

The Bulls' defense was quick and their interference was very effective. If it were anyone else, they would either have lost the ball or miss their layup.

In the playoffs, the Bulls were very good at getting back on defense and stopping fast breaks, and many seemingly certain fast breaks were thwarted by the Bulls.

This is precisely what makes their defense so formidable, and it's also one of their strategies: forcing the opponent to fight a positional war, which is at least a safer option.

Only Gan Guoyang, with his strong physique, unstoppable momentum, and outstanding dribbling skills, managed to protect the ball and finish the game.

"Shet."

Phil Jackson cursed inwardly as he paced back and forth on the sidelines.

The Bulls' fast break defense has always been the best in the league, and it's also Phil Jackson's source of confidence.

In the semifinals against the Miami Heat, Drexler's fast break success rate was suppressed to a very low level by the Bulls.

In the first two games of the Finals, Reggie Lewis' fast break was also suppressed, which deprived the Trail Blazers of an important scoring option.

Jackson had thought that if they suppressed the Trail Blazers' counterattack, the Bulls would have a great chance of winning in the half-court game as long as Forrest didn't have a miraculous moment.

Unexpectedly, Forrest Gump didn't start with positional warfare or low ground tactics. Instead, he became the finisher, personally driving down the road like a truck.

Pippen was knocked off the court early, and we can't let Jordan get knocked down too. But losing points on a counterattack is a headache, as it hurts morale and points.

The real headache was yet to come. The game seemed to have turned back into the 1991 NBA Finals, with the Bulls and Jordan being dragged into chaos by Forrest Gump.

Jordan controlled the ball and orchestrated the offense. Grant received the ball in the middle, attempted a jump shot but had no chance, and then drove to the basket, only to have the ball knocked away from him.

The Trail Blazers launched another counterattack, and the Bulls showed almost no intention of grabbing the offensive rebound, quickly retreating on defense.

After losing the ball, Grant immediately tried to win it back to stop Gan Guoyang's counterattack, and Jordan also came over.

Gan Guoyang still managed to control the ball, followed by an extremely bold long pass.

The ball crossed the center line and flew into Lewis's hands, who then passed it to Petrovic.

Petrovic received the ball and pulled up for a jump shot on the wing, but he didn't drive into the paint to challenge Buck Williams and Bill Cartwright.

The ball hit the backboard, bounced into the basket, and made a mid-range jumper off the backboard!
A smart move and Petrovic's decisiveness helped the Trail Blazers extend their lead to more than 10 points.

Phil Jackson called a timeout, realizing the situation was heading in a confusing and unknown direction.

Is this how the Trail Blazers play basketball? Is this how Forrest Gump played basketball? What happened in those two days?
Jackson had originally expected the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump to take the game to a fever pitch, just like last year's Finals.

The Bulls were prepared to endure hellish torment, but they never expected that Forrest would bring the game into the clouds and fog.

"I don't know exactly what happened, but I know something's wrong. This isn't our plan! We can't let a center start the offense from midcourt, finish at the basket, and then run to the three-point line to organize... Everyone, keep your eyes on Forrest Gump, keep a closer eye on him than ever before, watch his every move, no matter where he is or what he's doing. Put pressure on him, you absolutely have to put pressure on him!"

Jackson didn't have time to figure out what had happened to Forrest Gump; he only knew that he had to restrain Forrest and control his tendency to attack at will.

After the timeout, the Bulls' adjustments paid off. Jordan first received the ball on the wing and made a mid-range pull-up jumper.

Then, from John Paxson to Jordan, and then to Buck Williams and Horace Grant, everyone had their eyes on Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang temporarily halted his offensive efforts, passing the ball to Reggie Lewis and Sabonis. His task was to draw the Bulls' defensive attention from the perimeter.

If the previous strategy had been followed, Gan Guoyang would have tried to get to the basket as much as possible and cause trouble for the Bulls by grabbing offensive rebounds; this was his classic style of play.

But Gan Guoyang didn't do that tonight. While offensive rebounds are certainly desirable, focusing on them in non-critical moments can easily lead to a slow transition on defense.

The Bulls' defensive rebounding was excellent, and Jordan's fast breaks were so sharp that when Gan Guoyang wasn't the primary scorer, he chose to position himself on the outside. This allowed him to retreat on defense in time and also gave the paint to Sabonis.

Sabonis's strong attack under the basket missed, and Jordan leaped high, grabbed the rebound, and dribbled across half-court with agile strides, observing for offensive opportunities.

Jordan's mind was racing; with Pippen off the court, he needed to take on more offensive responsibility.

The Bulls focused their half-court offense on the wings, with Jordan and Cartwright repeatedly setting screens and passing the ball back.

Ultimately, Jordan cut inside to draw the defense, then passed the ball back to Cartwright, who made a mid-range jump shot.

A beautiful two-man play; the Bulls played very patiently, and the point difference returned to 6 points.

Jordan chewed his gum, thinking as he went back on defense, wondering what Forrest Gump was doing.

The Bulls' defensive strategy failed, and Forrest Gump, who used to be their sweet spot, is no longer going there.

He received the ball near the midline again. In theory, a center receiving the ball in this position poses no offensive threat.

But now the Bulls players are considering whether to double-team or try to steal the ball early.

After a brief hesitation, Gan Guoyang launched an attack, making another long stride and dribbling breakthrough.

He drove straight into the paint from the middle, and all the Bulls players surrounded him. Gan Guoyang then made a pass.

Sabonis easily caught an alley-oop under the basket and slammed it home with a powerful two-handed dunk!

With a "smack," Phil Jackson angrily slammed the tactical board down in his hand.

Jackson was known for his composure and calmness, remaining unperturbed no matter what bad situations he faced.

However, before the first quarter was even over, this conceded goal infuriated him.

He doesn't mind the team conceding points, as that's inevitable; what he does mind is the team's defense being completely dismantled.

But what if a center forward makes a run down the middle and you can't take the ball from him?
Should we send Cartwright out to guard Forrest Gump? Or should we send Paxson to stop him?

Collapsing down the middle is the only option, and if defensive communication is poor at this point, an open basket is inevitable.

If a defender makes a run down the middle, surrounding him can block his path and passing vision.

Or a center receives the ball in the paint and passes it inside, and the guard, like Buck or Grant, can turn around and make a beautiful help defense.

But the current situation is that a 6-foot-10 truck with invincible strength charges head-on into the three-second zone and then passes the ball to a 7-foot-4 giant who can dunk with a simple lift of his hand.

In the first two games, the Trail Blazers' twin towers connection was as usual: Gan Guoyang in the low post and Sabonis passing the ball in the high post, allowing the Bulls to allow Sabonis to shoot to a certain extent.

This time the situation was different, and then Gan Guoyang used the same trick again.

He blocked Grant's layup under the basket and then drove to the basket himself on the fast break.

Sabonis desperately followed on the flank, and after Gan Guoyang drew the defense, he turned and passed the ball to Sabonis.

Sabonis caught the ball, dodged Jordan's slashing pass, and slammed it down with one hand!
The rim was almost broken by the dunk; the fast break from the two big trucks left no room for thought or courage to stop them.

Jordan tried to steal the ball from Gan Guoyang from behind and also tried to cut Sabonis, but both attempts failed. This kid's ball-handling skills are really no worse than many guards.

His dribbling was already very good back in the Olympic training camp, but now it's like he's been completely activated and he's unstoppable.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was 25-36, with the Trail Blazers leading the Bulls by 11 points.

The Bulls' 25 points was already a good offensive performance. Without Pippen, Jordan organized and orchestrated the Bulls' offense in a very orderly manner.

He is definitely not a lone wolf who can only attack but also pass and organize the offense.

But Forrest Gump on the other side had transformed into a mad wolf king, leading his pack of wolves across the rose garden floor.

In the wilderness and snowy areas of North America, wolf packs will chase lone bison over long distances, using tireless running and biting to wear down the tall and strong bulls.

The problem now is that this wolf is bigger than a cow.

During the break, Jackson was speechless for a moment. He didn't know what to say or how to arrange the defense.

His mind was in a mess, wondering what was going on, and whether the Portlanders had evolved at this moment.
Unsure, the game was still going on, so Jackson resorted to his old trick, asking Pippen to guard Forrest Gump one-on-one.

Just like in last year's finals, they started their full-court defense early on, targeting both offense and defense.

Pippen was so angry he laughed, thinking to himself, "I couldn't stop him last year, and now he's doing it again?"
Before the Finals began, the Bulls' strategy was clearly to play collective defense.

Control the tempo, learn from the SuperSonics' experience, and cut off the connection between the Trail Blazers' backcourt and Forrest Gump.

They focused particularly on suppressing Porter and Petrovic, and their aggressive double-teaming tactics were very effective.

At the same time, don't let Forrest Gump boost the team's morale; the only way to counter Forrest Gump's offense is to rely on Jordan.

Pippen played very well in the first two games, contributing significantly in scoring, rebounding, and assists; he was a very well-rounded player. Now, he's being used as cannon fodder again; his butt was sore from sitting on the bench for the first quarter.

At the start of the second quarter, Gan Guoyang rested on the bench, while Kersey, Cliff Robinson, and Curry led the team's second unit.

With Mitchell Thompson retired, Mike Sanders left, and Antonio Davis still inexperienced, the Trail Blazers maintained an eight-man rotation in the Finals.

The Bulls seized the opportunity to close the gap. Gan Guoyang, sitting on the sidelines, gulped down water and then told Berman, "Let me play on the next dead ball. I can't rest for too long."

"Sonny," Bellman said, "what are you doing? Who taught you to play like that?"

"I invented it myself."

Bellman nodded. "Good, good, you've invented your own playing style. You're amazing, you're awesome."

But he was used to it. Back in high school and college, Forrest Gump often invented all sorts of fighting methods and strategies.

I sometimes listened to Berman's instructions and sometimes I didn't. The coach was often just there for good luck on the sidelines.

Now Bellman knows that Forrest Gump has definitely made significant progress in both his basketball skills and his thinking.

Tonight's performance was so unrestrained and wild, like a gazelle hanging by its horns, leaving no trace and confusing both sides.

Whether we can figure it out or not is not important; what's important is that we must win tonight.

Gan Guoyang only rested for three minutes in the second quarter before returning to the court after an out-of-bounds ball, replacing Sabonis.

The Trail Blazers fielded a fast-paced lineup: Gan Guoyang, Robinson, Curry, Korsi, and Petrovic.

Gan Guoyang gathered everyone together and said, "Pete and Dell are lurking on the wing. Take three-pointers whenever you have the chance. Don't hesitate. I'll create opportunities for you. Jerome and Cliff, you two set screens for me."

Robinson and Kossie looked completely bewildered. "We're going to set screens for you?"
Don't you usually set screens and cut to the outside to receive the ball?
"You guys can screen too. I'll handle the ball. Don't worry, I'm good at protecting the ball, you've all seen that."

They did see it; in the first quarter, Gan Guoyang's dribbling was even better than Porter's.

Porter struggled and made mistakes when facing the Bulls' perimeter defense.

Gan Guoyang didn't make a single mistake. Of course, his ball control time was short and fast. Once he got the ball, he quickly launched an attack, not giving the Bulls a chance to surround him.

In the second quarter, the Bulls will definitely increase their defense against him, for example, by assigning someone to keep an eye on him. At this point, Gan Guoyang will need to provide cover.

Sure enough, as soon as Gan Guoyang entered the game, Pippen came right up to him; his task was to keep a close eye on Gan.

“Phil sent you here to die again,” Gan Guoyang said to Pippen.

The word "again" is the essence; Pippen's face was stretched out long.

Without the ball, Pippen began to harass Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang began to roam in his own half during the attack.

He can attack from anywhere.

Once he crosses the center line, he can receive the ball and launch an attack; you need to keep an eye on him.

Beyond the three-point line, he can drive to the basket or shoot threes; you have to keep an eye on him.

The flanks and low post are, needless to say, his strongest areas.

From 1984 to 1986, Gan Guoyang's dessert area was located along Zhonglu Road.

From 1986 to 1988, Gan Guoyang began to expand to both wings.

From 1988 to 1992, the low position, the two wings, and the top of the arc formed a very thick I-shape, which belonged to Forrest Gump.

In the 1992 finals, Gan Guoyang attempted to extend his area to the entire half of the court.

After several rounds, Pippen began to break down.

It wasn't that running around was what made him exhausted; being tired wasn't a big deal, everyone gets tired when playing in the finals.

What broke him was that no matter how hard he ran and how tired he got, he still couldn't stop you.

From the mid-court line to the three-point line, Korsey and Robinson will come over to screen.

Pippen was speechless. You, as a center, don't set screens for others, yet you expect others to set screens for you?

But in basketball, apart from traveling and kicking the ball, there's nothing you can't do.

Once there's cover and an opening in the middle, Forrest Gump begins his savage charge.

When the defense collapses, they pass the ball to the wings, where Curry and Petrovic shoot three-pointers, or they use fakes to attack the basket with the ball.

Without converging, take big strides to attack the basket; you'll either score or draw a foul.

Forrest Gump can still shoot three-pointers. In the second quarter, he hit two three-pointers in a row, forcing the Bulls to attack from the outside.

They lunged outwards, while Cauchy and Robinson began cutting inside; there's always a backup plan in store.

Instead, the low-post back-to-the-basket moves that Pippen was expected to fear, or the strong mid-range shots from the free-throw line or the baseline, did not materialize.

The reason is simple: these two offensive strategies are highly efficient for Gan Guoyang, but not efficient enough for the Trail Blazers as a whole.

They're more than capable of beating other teams, but they're struggling against this year's Bulls. Gan Guoyang needs to get the whole team motivated.

At this point, the Bulls became extremely passive on the defensive end. Their formation and strategies began to fail, and they could only rely on individual defensive abilities and luck.

The point difference quickly widened to 15 points, which was too fast because the Trail Blazers hit three three-pointers, and the score increased rapidly.

Phil Jackson substituted Jordan into the game, but unfortunately, Jordan's shooting touch wasn't good tonight.

After missing several mid-range shots, Gan Guoyang took the ball and launched a fast break. Jordan and Pippen began to double-team Gan before he even crossed half-court.

This barely slowed down the Trail Blazers' fast break, but the consequence was that Pippen and Jordan were exhausted on the defensive end.

The Trail Blazers, however, relaxed with a 15-point lead and made good use of their inside advantage and the Bulls' wear and tear.

"Sabonis's spinning hook shot goes in!"

"Cliff Robinson's low-post spin move missed, but he grabbed the offensive rebound and put it back in, drawing a foul and making the free throws."

"Curry's three-pointer missed, long rebound, Agan grabbed the rebound and passed it to Petrovic, whose layup attempt also missed, but Sabonis tipped the ball into the basket!"

"Jordan's drive and layup attempt missed. Michael's offense was really bad tonight, and the Trail Blazers rallied."

"Porter, a direct three-pointer, and it's in! Wow! That's the Trail Blazers' fifth three-pointer tonight!"

Porter received a pass from Gan Guoyang on a fast break at the end of the second quarter and quickly launched a three-pointer.

The shot extended their lead to 21 points, 49-70, and a disastrous outcome was beginning to take shape.

The Rose Garden Stadium erupted in cheers, and Tang Jianguo stood up and started dancing the cha-cha in his seat.

Against the Bulls, he scored 70 points in the first half, a truly astonishing offensive display.

Gan Guoyang's performance was even more brilliant, using unbelievable tactics to leave the bull completely bewildered.

Even after returning to the locker room at halftime, Jordan still looked completely bewildered, repeatedly saying, "Wait fuck..."

In every previous battle between Forrest Gump and Jordan, although Jordan lost more often than he won, he always believed that his performance was no worse than Forrest Gump's.

That's true; the two were always like fire and water, and in the first two fights, he even dominated Forrest Gump.

Therefore, Jordan has always been calm and composed when facing defeat or formidable opponents.

Victory is certainly cause for celebration, but defeat can also be met with joy.

Even if we lose this game, they will still have a large lead, and the advantage is on our side.

Moreover, this loss was part of the plan; a 3-0 victory over the Trail Blazers was virtually impossible.

But tonight, after only half a game, a sense of fear crept into Jordan's heart.

Because he realized that he might never catch up with Forrest Gump.

Throughout the entire first half, Agam did not score a single low-post back-to-goal goal.

But he scored 22 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks and 2 steals.

Furthermore, the data only shows a small part of what he did; he changed the offensive and defensive structure on the court.

Is this something a human could accomplish in a single series?

No one would play an unfamiliar style of play in the most important game.

"Has this guy been hiding and pretending all along? Now, he's finally stopped pretending?"

Jordan had no choice but to reasonably suspect that Forrest Gump had been suppressing his true abilities.

Because that's exactly what Jordan did; he dominated the game in the regular season and some playoffs.

But he shouldn't be like Forrest Gump, where that guy pressed him down so horribly, right?
"Michael, Michael!"

Jackson's voice interrupted Jordan's thoughts.

"Focus on Michael. Sonny played some incredible things in the first half, but we still control the series. In the second half, we need to come up with some countermeasures that will be effective!"

Jackson said a lot, but Jordan didn't listen to a word he said.

His mind was filled with the words Gan Guoyang had said to him in the first half: "Michael, you understand me less and less."

Yes, I understand him less and less. We started from the same point, and I'm the one catching up with you step by step.

Just when I thought I was about to catch up, I suddenly realized that I had only caught your shadow; you were still far away.

Jordan really wanted to pull Gan Guoyang aside and ask him for an explanation, but the break was over and the second half of the game was about to begin.

Forget it, let's go and experience it in the competition, experience this inhuman competition, there's no better way to communicate.

(End of this chapter)