The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 692 God's Hand

After the fourth game of the finals, the score was tied 2-2, which was expected by many.

Because it would be very difficult for the Bulls to beat the Trail Blazers 3-0, or even 3-1.

Both sides will most likely be back to square one, vying for the championship point in the fifth game.

But the course of the games was unexpected; the Trail Blazers won the third and fourth games far too easily.

It wasn't that the Bulls were in bad form, nor that the Trail Blazers were playing like gods; rather, it was that the Trail Blazers had tactically suppressed the Bulls.

Once a generational gap emerges between the two teams' tactical systems, and the Bulls can't find a way to counter it, the game becomes one-sided.

With the Trail Blazers playing at home, the arena, referees, and fans were all on their side, and the players were shooting well, resulting in two big wins and a complete turnaround in the series.

After the game, sports magazines and programs across the United States were enthusiastically discussing Forrest Gump's "evolution." No one expected that Forrest Gump would transform into a player who was more of an outside player, facing the basket and attacking the basket.

Sports commentators have said this could represent the future direction of players, but as it stands, it seems that no one but Forrest Gump can do these things.

The most basic dribbling skill alone is enough to deter even the tallest interior players; without talent and hard work, it's simply impossible.

The media are just watching the spectacle, while other NBA teams and college coaches are looking at the bigger picture; some have already sensed the signs of change.

Privately, Bob Knight, Newell, Takanien, Coach K, and others called Bobby Bellman after the game to inquire about the details of this tactical system.

Bellman answered honestly, "I don't know."

"This wasn't my design; I'm still learning."

“I didn’t understand the details at all, I just listened to Forrest Gump.”

"I really don't know, my main function right now is to call pause."

Bellman was helpless; no one believed him, thinking he was hiding something.

Actually, he really didn't know; he had been studying more diligently than anyone else these past few days.

The team organized a training session early the next morning after the third game.

During training, everyone communicated with Forrest Gump, reviewed the basic points of the system, and gradually improved the details.

Berman has coached many games, including the NCAA Finals and the NBA Finals, so he should have a wealth of experience.

But he had never encountered anything like this finals where he had to learn on the spot and cram at the last minute; he had to learn everything from the tactics book on the spot.

And he learned it from the players on the team; who would believe that?

But that's the reality. The Trail Blazers, a championship team that had been working together for many years, managed to come up with a completely new strategy in a short period of time.

In Game 4, with the Bulls still unable to find a reasonable solution, they once again easily broke through the Bulls' defense.

In the Bulls' past defensive system, if a power forward received the ball on the left side at a 45-degree angle, he usually didn't need to be bothered; he could simply stay inside the three-point line and maintain the formation.

The current situation is that if Forrest Gump gets such an open shot in this position, it's basically a free point, and a three-pointer at that.

The Bulls certainly wouldn't leave Forrest Gump open; they've been guarding his three-pointers closely throughout last year's Finals.

This year, however, with the Trail Blazers adopting a new starting lineup, all five players have mid-range and long-range shooting abilities, creating more spacing.

By creating space, the Bulls' one-on-one defense could keep up, but this left the middle open, allowing Gan Guoyang to start powerful drives instead of slower, low-post isolation plays that required passing around.

Now, the Bulls' rotation couldn't keep up. Their tight mid-court defense and their precise and powerful perimeter help defense were completely disrupted, which was the most frustrating thing for the Bulls.

With their defensive system collapsing, the Bulls' only remaining reliance was Jordan's isolation plays. They had to rely on Jordan to score 40 or 50 points to carry the team on both offense and defense.

But you're facing the Trail Blazers, who also have players like Forrest Gump who can score 40 or 50 points. When they go head-to-head, the Bulls fall behind.

After Game 4, the Bulls were in a very low mood.

Losing is not a big deal, and being tied by a large margin is also normal. What is truly worrying is not being able to find a solution.

Having no direction is the most terrifying thing.

The fifth match will also take place in the Rose Garden.

The Trail Blazers will definitely continue with their strategy in Games 3 and 4.

If the Bulls can't find a way to break the deadlock and continue with their previous defensive formation, it's highly likely they'll be breached.

In the unlikely scenario that the Trail Blazers' outside shooting goes cold and their players perform poorly, the Bulls could bounce back and snatch a crucial victory.

The problem is that Phil Jackson must not pin his hopes for victory on his opponent's poor performance.

This is a negative mindset, like hoping in war that the opponent's commander will suddenly die of illness. Such things have happened in history, but if victory depends on such a thing, it means you are very, very close to defeat.

On the eve of Game 5, the entire Bulls team practiced at the Portland University gymnasium, spending three hours practicing defense.

Jackson and his defensive coaching staff watched video footage all night, repeatedly studying the details of Forrest Gump's new playing style.

Ultimately, the Bulls decided to fight to the death and adopt a full-court defense.

In this case, the person who was assigned to defend Gan Guoyang was changed from Pippen to Jordan, and Grant was responsible for help defense.

This was the most effective defensive strategy that Jackson and the coaching staff could think of.

With Jordan leading the defense, he can disrupt Gan Guoyang's dribbling to the greatest extent. His lower center of gravity makes him a greater threat to steals from taller players.

Grant's role is that of a meat shield; he is heavier and taller than Pippen and Buck, which is crucial for stopping Forrest's long strides down the middle.

During practice, Jackson had Pippen simulate Forrest Gump dribbling the ball from the backcourt across the entire court.

As a result, Jordan and Grant were always able to shut down Pippen near the mid-court line, forcing him to pass the ball or even make a mistake.

"No, Scottie's dribbling skills are not good enough. He can't protect the ball. Forrest Gump won't easily lose possession or pass the ball."

After several successful defensive plays, Jordan complained that if they could have played like that in games, they wouldn't have lost the third and fourth games at all.

"Then why don't you just invite Forrest Gump over to be your sparring partner?" Pippen complained.

Pippen made a great sacrifice in how he dealt with Forrest Gump.

In the third and fourth matches, he was beaten to a pulp again, and it still didn't have much effect.

Jordan's words made him somewhat unhappy.

"The important thing is not that the steal is successful, but that this strategy can effectively delay Forrest Gump. If we can force him to make more mistakes in a game, then this kind of defense is feasible."

Phil Jackson intervened in time to prevent a potential argument between the two.

He muttered under his breath, "God, can anyone tell me why we're stopping a center from dribbling past half-court in practice?"

Encircling Gan Guoyang to control the Trail Blazers' first pass is only one part of the defense.

How to deal with Sabonis's hard drives and passes in the low post, how to deal with the defense of Petrovic and Reggie Lewis on the perimeter, and what kind of performance Porter would he make if Jordan didn't help defend him?
A tactical change at one point can lead to a change in the entire team.

The more Jackson practiced during training, the more anxious he became. He suffered from insomnia the night before Game 5.

Because he realized that they were at a significant disadvantage in this matchup against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Jackson had a great fondness for Eastern culture. He knew about Go, where a single brilliant move could completely change the course of the game.

After taking a 2-0 lead, Jackson believed the Bulls had the upper hand.

Even if the score is tied 2-2, the Bulls can still win a road game in Game 5 by making adjustments, and then return to Chicago to win the championship.

He sensed the Trail Blazers' fatigue; from the regular season to the playoffs, they were no longer as perfect.

Princeton's offense was ineffective in most situations, and the team increasingly relied on Forrest Gump's isolation plays.

In 1987 and 1988, the Trail Blazers were able to win championships through Forrest Gump's one-on-one play because their opponents were the Detroit Pistons and the Washington Bullets.

The overall strength of these two Finals opponents is far inferior to that of the 1992 Bulls.

It seems unlikely that the Trail Blazers will be able to rely on Forrest Gump's domineering style to escape unscathed and achieve a three-peat.

Jackson himself had even considered how he would break the deadlock if he were the Trail Blazers' head coach.

To be honest, he couldn't believe it. He thought winning the third three-peat was incredibly difficult, and it wasn't something that could be achieved simply by motivating the players and making a few adjustments. Especially a second three-peat, with only one season in between.

The long journey was exhausting, and the joy and passion of winning the championship had been completely worn away.

At this point, victory is merely a kind of inertia, a mechanical muscle memory, while defeat seems to become a reward, meaning that you can finally fall from the altar and return to the good old days for a break.

They also have to face the Chicago Bulls, who are full of revenge and determined to win the championship.

In Jackson's mind, this year's Bulls are close to perfect, even more perfect than the New York Knicks of 1970 and 1973.

A more mature Pippen, Jordan, and Grant trio.

Inside players Cartwright and Buck Williams are at their peak performance level.

The outside shooters delivered their best performance of their careers.

They can also contribute their strength at the end of the bench.

Jackson was confident that they could easily win 70 games in the regular season if they wanted to.

The shadow cast by Forrest Gump during the regular season vanished completely in the first two games of the Finals.

Jackson really couldn't imagine how the Trail Blazers would turn things around.

But the Trail Blazers, or rather Forrest Gump, did something divine.

A change in position and playing style completely turned the tide.

After the third game, Jackson was still a little dazed.

After the fourth game, Jackson began to feel a little scared.

Before the fifth game, Jackson couldn't sleep after thinking things through.

He made a phone call and managed to get some leaves through some means. He then hid in the bathroom, turned on the exhaust fan, and started running it continuously to calm himself down.

When Game 5 officially started at the Rose Garden Arena, Jackson felt like he was floating on clouds.

He was quite excited and kept encouraging the players. Before the game, he had everyone meditate together in the locker room, burning sage to ward off evil spirits and eliminate bad luck.

He tried various methods to get the players focused and win the game.

The Bulls were indeed focused; they remained highly motivated and possessed formidable fighting spirit.

For the Trail Blazers, winning Game 5 will be anything but easy; at this point, the effectiveness of their system and tactics diminishes.

Moreover, the Trail Blazers were only making last-minute preparations, catching the Bulls off guard.

By this time, the Bulls must have figured out some ways to deal with it.

The Bulls changed their starting lineup, with the young and tall Horace Grant replacing Buck Williams as the starting power forward.

He began to team up with Jordan to deal with Gan Guoyang, who had transformed into a monster of outside attacks.

And it really works.

A strong, small player with excellent stealing ability was constantly threatening to foul him.

Behind him, a small, mobile, and heavy bodyguard provided a secondary cushion, successfully blocking Gan Guoyang's relentless drive to the basket in the first quarter.

The Trail Blazers finally slowed down, allowing the Bulls to set up their formation and compete with the Trail Blazers at a more familiar pace.

The Bulls dominated the Trail Blazers on both offense and defense, taking a 24-21 lead in the first quarter.

This is a good start. The Bulls are all encouraged, and they can finally contain the Trail Blazers' new offensive strategy.

Jackson was in a daze, floating on the sidelines. When he saw his team take the lead, he was unusually excited, gesturing wildly.

During the transitional phase of the second quarter, both sides played lukewarmly, missing shots repeatedly and having low offensive efficiency, only managing sporadic attacks.

For the Bulls, Jordan's offense was mediocre; his focus was entirely on defense.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang sat on the sidelines, constantly drinking water and exchanging words with Bellman.

The score was low, the defense became increasingly tight, and the game gradually became ugly.

At this stage of the series, no one wants to make a mistake. They would rather give up some offensive opportunities than make a mistake and give the opponent an easy chance to score.

With 11 seconds left in the first half, the score was 44-42, with the Bulls still leading by 2 points.

Bobby Bellman called a timeout to plan the final play of the first half.

Both teams scored very low, and both were very cautious. The Trail Blazers' open and aggressive strategy seemed to be failing.

Once Forrest Gump is suppressed, it becomes difficult for other players to step up and launch effective, continuous attacks to overwhelm the Bulls.

Of course, the Bulls' offense wasn't great either; Jordan made only 3 of 11 shots in the first half, a very low shooting percentage.

His energy was completely tied up in defending Gan Guoyang. He had already committed two fouls against Gan Guoyang by the halftime. In the latter part of the second quarter, he was very cautious and dared not make any moves on either offense or defense.

Gan Guoyang's performance wasn't necessarily much better than Jordan's.

With the defensive duo of Jordan and Grant, plus the tight defense from the rest of the Bulls, his full-court offensive style was severely limited.

Of course, he didn't change his strategy and went back to playing the center position to go head-to-head with the Bulls.

Because he knew that both sides were currently using unfamiliar strategies to wear each other down.

This is a fierce battle; whoever can outlast their opponent will be the winner of this match, and even the entire series.

At halftime, his stats were 3-for-9 shooting, 10 points, 7 rebounds, 4 blocks, but also 4 turnovers.

He committed four turnovers in the first half, setting a new playoff turnover record for himself.

But those four turnovers only allowed the Bulls to score on one fast break.

He managed to recover the remaining three times by desperately chasing back on defense.

Like Jordan, he was also playing defense with all his might.

The closer a match gets to the life or death, the uglier it often becomes.

Throughout the first half, Gan Guoyang and Jordan did not exchange any trash talk.

No time, no energy, no mood.

The timeout ends, and the Trail Blazers launch their final attack of the first half.

11 seconds.

Petrovic served the ball from the sideline and passed it to Sabonis, who was positioned high to receive it.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang was positioned even further out than Sabonis, attracting the attention of Jordan and Grant.

As a result, Sabonis pretended to set a handoff screen for Forrest, then turned and drove into the middle with the ball.

It's one thing for Forrest Gump to act like this, but you, Sabonis, who's 7'4", also have to come!
But Sabonis has always had that ability, and the Bulls' mid lane is already empty.

Pippen could only come to help defend from the wing, and Sabonis passed the ball to Porter on the bottom side.

Pippen returned to defense, and Porter passed the ball to Reggie Lewis at the 45-degree angle, where Jordan came over to help defend.

Lewis passed the ball to Forrest, who was facing him, and Grant was about to go under the basket to position himself for the rebound.

Gan Guoyang was open, received the ball, and took a three-pointer from the front!
Phil Jackson clutched his head as he watched the ball fly and fly, breaking through the ceiling of the Rose Garden Arena and soaring to a very, very high place.

Then it fell like a shooting star, passing right through the center of the net.

hit!

The lights came on, signaling the end of the first half.

44:45, the Trail Blazers successfully took the lead.

(End of this chapter)