The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 733 The Gap in Realms
The Chicago Bulls are just as exhausted as the Trail Blazers.

Starting in the 1989 season, the Bulls played more than 100 games in a single season for four consecutive seasons.

In terms of the total number of games played, only the Portland Trail Blazers, with one Western Conference Finals appearance and three NBA Finals appearances, have surpassed them.

Was Jordan tired? Yes, very tired.

Every player will experience a period of fatigue when they reach their eighth or ninth year, approaching their tenth year.

Just like a long-distance run, you may experience strong physiological reactions halfway through, which can be very uncomfortable.

This is what is known as the extreme point.

Those with low skill levels and poor abilities reacted after only a few steps.

If you can't keep running, end it, give up.

Those with high skill levels and strong abilities will reach their peak later.

If they can't make it through, they might give up and end the run.

If you can get through it, your body will feel more and more comfortable, and running will become easier and easier.

An NBA basketball career is a long run.

Those with low talent and poor skill levels will be eliminated after a year.

There are many more who can't even play for a year.

Those superstars are like runners with good physical fitness; they can keep running and deliver outstanding performances.

Postpone your mental and physical limits to maintain your enthusiasm for the competition.

But no matter how long you postpone it, you'll reach a critical point of accumulated fatigue when you're almost 30.

Jordan is at this critical point.

The two Finals defeats in 91 and 92 fueled Jordan's desire for a championship.

But as the saying goes, one should strike while the iron is hot, but then the momentum wanes, and finally the strength is exhausted.

1992 was the Bulls' best chance.

From every perspective, this is the perfect opportunity to defeat the Trail Blazers.

They did their best in the finals and delivered a brilliant performance.

No one expected that Forrest Gump would act like a Transformer, resorting to cheating.

They reversed the downward trend by using a completely new fighting style to achieve a decisive victory.

And then there was that missed dunk that Jordan would never forget.

Jordan had nightmares about it for two months.

Luck wasn't on the Bulls' side.

The only thing that comforted Jordan was that they beat Forrest Gump in Barcelona to win the championship.

But this championship was expected; it would be terrible if we didn't win it.

For Agan to lead the Chinese team to the finals is already a huge victory.

After the Olympics, Jordan repeatedly asked himself these questions:
"If I were to lead a team like China, could we reach the finals?"

No matter how you simulate it, the result is always negative.

Jordan was confident he could lead China to the knockout stage.

The gap between the two eventually widened to the point of creating a significant disparity.

Jordan looked up but could no longer see Forrest Gump's back.

He is widely regarded as the Wilt Chamberlain of the new era.

He scored exceptionally well, but couldn't beat Russell.

Chamberlain finally defeated Russell to win the championship in 1967.

When will Michael Jordan's 1967 arrive?

No matter how you look at it, it doesn't seem like 1993.

In the 1992-1993 season, both players fell out of the MVP rankings.

Since the All-Star break, both the Trail Blazers and the Bulls have had lackluster performances.

More importantly, they started losing some key matches against strong rivals.

The Heat, SuperSonics, Suns, and Jazz no longer seem so invincible.

But Forrest Gump received more public attention than Jordan.

In terms of brand awareness, advertising volume, and number of news interviews, Gan Guoyang has surpassed Jordan.

The late-night talk show joked on the show:

"If Forrest Gump were Black, he would already be God."

"What if Forrest Gump was white?"

"I'd be willing to pick cotton, just to watch him play ball."

"And what about Michael?"

"Michael? Michael is picking it right next to me."

The impact of two three-peats is unparalleled.

Even if Forrest Gump becomes the dragon this season, he is still the most popular, the biggest, and the brightest.

In fact, people didn't want to kill him, they just wanted to defeat him.

In this way, the dragon can regain its human form, and people can embrace him again.

Jordan was unable to evoke such complex emotions in the public.

He's just cool, awesome, and attractive.

After losing the 1992 Finals, he was destined to remain behind Forrest Gump.

For Jordan personally, physical and mental exhaustion, the disadvantage in public opinion, the frustration brought by defeat, mixed with an intense desire for victory and championship, tormented him repeatedly during the 1992-1993 season.

He was full of confidence and incredibly powerful on the field, delivering amazing performances.

For example, when facing the newly drafted number one pick Shaquille O'Neal, who was all the rage in the league, Jordan showed O'Neal what a super scorer was with a super performance of 64 points.

For example, when Dean Smith came to Chicago to watch him play, Jordan would use a full-court defensive effort to prove to his mentor that "I haven't slacked off."

This was a mindset that Jordan had ingrained in his bones at North Carolina, because Smith demanded that he always maintain defensive focus.

In such games, Jordan will perform as well as he has in previous seasons, or even better.

But in some games, Jordan would play so badly that it seemed like he had lost his soul.

For example, the first game against the Heat in December 1992.

Jordan scored only 15 points in the entire game against the Heat's strong defense.

The Bulls suffered a crushing defeat to the Heat, losing by a whopping 35 points.

Such a defeat is a disgrace; no one expected them to lose by so much.

For example, in January against the Philadelphia 76ers, he had a low shooting percentage and only scored 20 points.

The team lost to the bottom-ranked team in the league.

If it were just a normal lapse in performance, no one would say anything.

But soon reporters claimed that Jordan appeared at an Atlantic City casino in the early hours of the day of the game.

He gambled there all night, until his eyes were bloodshot, before finally going back to sleep.

I went straight to the stadium to play after waking up, and that's when I messed up the game.

It is said that the casino was opened by Tang Jianguo, the owner of the Pioneer Group.

Jordan was a super VIP there.

There was something else that was troubling Jordan after the All-Star Game.

Richard Eskinas, the guy who asked Jordan for money before.

He recently contacted a bookseller about publishing a book about the inside story of Jordan's gambling.

Jordan received the message from Nike and immediately called Richard.

Richard stated that he was short of money and needed to publish a book to alleviate his debt problems.

The manuscript is now complete; it's just a matter of when to publish it and which publisher will want it.

Jordan knew this guy wanted to squeeze money out of him.

Once the book is published, it will inevitably face public pressure before the playoffs begin.

Jordan is now not only a basketball player, but also a husband and father.

He endorses sports brands worth billions of dollars and has a large number of advertisers behind him.

Any blemish on one's personal image can result in a huge loss of US dollars.

Jordan didn't want to give Richard money; he wanted Nike to use its resources to keep the guy in check.

At least don't publish this book at this critical juncture in 1993 and cause yourself trouble.

But Richard was just as clever as before; he found the publisher behind Tang Jianguo.

Old Tang started publishing books in 1987, and later maintained a pace of about two books a year.

They published the book faster than the Trail Blazers won the championship.

His target audience is those who enjoy reading celebrity gossip.

Richard's choice to approach Old Tang was a perfect match, as he also recognized the influence of Forrest Gump and Avia behind the scenes.

If Donald and Forrest Gump wanted to sabotage Jordan, the publication of this book was a done deal.

With no other option, Jordan had to call Forrest Gump, hoping to give his brother another hand.

Gan Guoyang helped Jordan once before, but he didn't expect that he wouldn't be able to clean up the mess.

Adhering to the principle of seeing things through to the end, Gan Guoyang instructed the publisher to suppress the book.

In exchange for his future autobiography, Gan Guoyang agreed to transfer the copyright to the publisher, Random House.

Under these conditions, Random House readily agreed and temporarily threw Richard's manuscript into the wastepaper pile.

After all, Forrest Gump's autobiography is far more compelling than any gambling revelation by Michael Jordan.

Gan Guoyang also benefited, because Random House is a giant in the American publishing industry.

They have produced numerous celebrity autobiographies.

Entrusting the copyright of my autobiography to them is absolutely no problem.

To show their sincerity and finalize the deal, Random House was willing to pay Forrest Gump a signing bonus of five million dollars.

Gan Guoyang readily signed the contract. Five million US dollars—why not take it if it's free?

By helping Jordan resolve his issues, Gan Guoyang conveniently finalized his future autobiography.

However, he told himself that he still had at least ten more years to go, and an autobiography was simply out of the question.

Let's get the money and start spending it. My funeral company is expanding rapidly, and we're facing a tight cash flow situation.

On the evening of March 28th, at the Rose Garden Arena, the Trail Blazers vs. the Bulls.

Another battle between Gan and Qiao.

Gan Guoyang's absence last time has made this match exceptionally noteworthy.

As the regular season draws to a close, the competition for playoff spots and rankings has intensified.

Strong teams are gradually finishing experimenting with their lineups and tactics, and are bringing out their best strategies to prepare for the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers welcomed back Petrovic, who will start tonight.

He had a thick knee brace wrapped around his left knee to protect his partially torn cruciate ligament.

The coaching staff advised him not to return for this game and to wait.

Wait for a relatively weak opponent to practice against.

But Petrovich was stubborn; he was unwilling to wait any longer.

Or rather, he just wanted to provoke the Bulls' comeback.

Only a strong enemy can ignite his fighting spirit.

Throughout the entire Trail Blazers organization, Petrovic's ambition and fighting spirit were even stronger than Gan Guoyang's.

Gan Guoyang occasionally showed signs of fatigue and lethargy.

Petrovich, however, felt none of this.

He's only in his fourth year in the NBA, far from reaching his peak.

Although he has three championships, he lacks a lot in terms of individual honors.

Being selected as an All-Star this season is one of his greatest achievements.

The next goal is to make it into the best lineup.

Therefore, he didn't want to rest more, and he didn't want to miss a good opportunity to show his strength against the Bulls.

Faced with Petrovich's intense desire to fight, Berman had no choice.

Berman had watched Petrovich grow up, and he knew the kid's ambition.

When Petrovic reappeared at the Rose Garden Arena after a month's absence, wearing the number 44 jersey, he was greeted with enthusiastic applause.

With the regular season nearing its end, the Trail Blazers have gradually eliminated any injury concerns, and the entire team is currently in good health.

The starting lineup of Porter, Petrovic, Gan Guoyang, Lewis, and Sabonis has been finalized.

This is expected to be the Trail Blazers' starting lineup in the playoffs.

This lineup has a very sharp offense, especially its outside shooting.

All five players have shooting ability, which will pose an unprecedented challenge to the opponent's defense.

The defense has declined significantly compared to the past, and Petrovic is only so-so, not too leaky.

After Lewis moved to the small forward position, his advantages in height and wingspan were no longer present compared to the shooting guard position.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis will continue to play the power forward and center positions, with the decision on who plays the center and who plays the center/center position depending on the specific circumstances of the game.

Sabonis's perimeter sweeping ability has been affected by knee problems.

Gan Guoyang has been steadfastly guarding the paint this season, ignoring anything outside the three-second zone whenever possible.

This was the strategy devised by Bellman; they only needed to maintain a standard level of defensive efficiency.

Then, on the offensive end, overwhelm the opponent with firepower and score more points than them.

Playing in a competition is like losing weight; the key to losing weight is controlling your diet and exercising.

Controlling your diet is a form of defense; reduce your intake.

Taking action is an offensive tactic that increases energy expenditure.

Weight will decrease as long as energy expenditure exceeds energy intake.

The fundamental purpose is to create a heat difference between the two.

The Trail Blazers are now incredibly active, with a powerful offensive firepower.

So you can eat whatever you want without worrying too much about what you eat.

Ultimately, the goal is to consume more energy than you take in.

The Bulls' situation is very similar to that of the Trail Blazers.

In the first two seasons, they were able to overwhelm their opponents with their superior defense.

This season they have also started to rely more on offense.

Their offensive efficiency ranks third in the league, behind only the Trail Blazers and the Suns.

The defense has fallen to the middle of the league, and the players aren't playing as hard as they used to.

Bill Cartwright's legs are nearing their limit.

Buck Williams' playing time is getting shorter and shorter.

Role players are more focused on improving their offensive stats.

Defense is difficult to reflect in data tables.

And their next contract is often determined by these data.

After all, some managers genuinely don't watch game videos; they only look at the statistics tables.

Therefore, this regular season battle was destined to be an offensive affair from the very beginning.

The Bulls' starting lineup consisted of Jordan, Pippen, Pouto, Grant, and BJ Armstrong.

Armstrong replaced the aging John Paxson, becoming Jordan's reliable point guard and spot-up shooter.

Pudu, the big white center, replaced the older Cartwright, who was injured and would miss tonight's game.

This isn't necessarily bad news for the Bulls, because Cartwright treats Forrest Gump like he doesn't exist every time he faces him.

So whether he was injured and absent or not, it made no difference.

The game was about to begin, and Jordan looked to be in a good mood, with a big smile on his face.

Gan Guoyang helped him resolve Richard's troubles, and a huge weight was lifted from his heart.

Today he got to play against Forrest Gump again. Although losing was painful, the process always excited him.

Besides, Jordan was always confident of winning before each game against Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang looked at Jordan showing off his white teeth and said, "Do you know what's going to happen tonight? You're still in the mood to laugh?"

"What happened? I'm so happy to kick your ass to pieces."

"Michael, you're getting tougher and tougher. Come over to my house for dinner after you're done fighting."

"Oh no, never mind, I need to catch my flight back to Chicago."

"You can leave tomorrow. You can rest at home anyway. My dad will be making late-night snacks at home."

"Oh?"

Jordan hesitated when he heard that Gan Guoyang's father was at home.

He knew that Forrest Gump's father was an amazing cook, and Barkley would always boast at every gathering that Forrest Gump's father's burgers were the best in the world.

"I can think about it. If I'm in a good mood after the match, I'll go. I hope it won't bother him."

"He was watching the game live. It's unbelievable that he's a fan of yours; he didn't even know your name a while ago." This made Gan Guoyang very upset. Gan Youwei had only started watching basketball games in the past year or so.

His most supported star player is of course his son, Gan Guoyang, but his most admired star player is Michael Jordan.

When asked why, Gan Youwei gave a simple reason: "His playing style is elegant and beautiful."

"Am I not dashing? Am I not pretty?"

"You're too tall and strong, it detracts from the aesthetics."

Gan Youwei's honesty stung Gan Guoyang.

But to fulfill his father's wish as a fan, he still invited Jordan home for dinner.

Jordan smiled even more broadly when he heard that Gan's father was his fan.

"Whether I go out for dinner or not, I absolutely have to get his autograph and take a photo with him after the competition!"

“He has a really good eye, I admire him.”

The two chewed gum and chatted for a while.

Tonight's battle between Gan and Qiao was completely devoid of the tension of the past.

The way the two chatted before the match made it seem like they were about to play a friendly game.

But this was merely a polite exchange between old rivals; beneath the surface, undercurrents were surging.

The game had just begun when Gan Guoyang tried to take the lead.

He elbowed Pudu during the scramble for the ball, which deflected the ball.

The referee didn't blow the whistle, and Purdue suffered in silence.

The Trail Blazers launched their first attack.

Petrovic has the ball at the top of the key, facing Jordan's defense.

Gan Guoyang cut from the baseline to the basket, entering the Bulls' defensive encirclement.

Petrovic passed the ball to Sabonis, who came over to receive it.

Sabonis immediately passed the ball straight to the basket, where Gan Guoyang received it despite being surrounded by three Bulls players.

Protect the ball, turn around, and push past the defense.

Pudu was still a bit dazed after taking an elbow during the ball scramble.

Unable to hold on, Gan Guoyang easily scored a goal.

It was another aggressive start.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang patted Pudu on the shoulder and said, "The elbowing wasn't intentional; it was an accident."

"Otherwise, you'll have to take a break tonight."

Pudu remained silent and went to the baseline to serve.

He cursed inwardly, thinking that Cartwright must be faking his injury.

Otherwise, he was fine in the previous game, so why did he get injured and miss today's game against the Trail Blazers?

He was definitely afraid of facing Forrest Gump in the regular season; his Forrest Gump phobia had kicked in.

With Old Cartwright gone, I, Pudu, am left to suffer the consequences and take the hits.

The Bulls, on the other hand, tried to get Grant to score a basket in the low post at the start of the game.

After receiving the ball, Grant used his footwork to get past Sabonis facing the basket.

But his final hook shot went wide of Gan Guoyang's block.

Gan Guoyang turned and grabbed the rebound, and the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack.

Porter was blocked by the Bulls' outside shot and passed the ball back to Gan Guoyang who was following up.

Gan Guoyang is organizing an attack from the outside after receiving the ball.

This is how the Bulls were defeated in last year's Finals.

Phil Jackson has practiced defense many times in training this season.

Basically, it would require Jordan, Pippen, and Grant—three of the best defenders—to guard the defense layer by layer.

However, Gan Guoyang didn't rush to attack the ball and instead passed it to Sabonis in the low post.

Sabonis turned and hooked a two-pointer, giving the Trail Blazers an early lead of 4-0.

The Bulls struggled to get going, and BJ Armstrong attempted a three-pointer from beyond the arc.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound, creating another fast break opportunity.

Petrovic and Gan Guoyang set a high pick-and-roll, and Gan Guoyang rolled to the basket.

Petrovic didn't pass the ball, but instead drove into the middle and made a pull-up jump shot.

Petrovic played with great confidence against Jordan.

This was his first shot since his comeback, and he made it.

It's clear that he was very focused and highly engaged.

And even though he missed a month due to injury, he never missed a training session.

While maintaining his shooting touch through consistent practice, he also engaged in low-intensity competitive training with his teammates.

The person he was sparring with was none other than Mario Elie, with whom he had previously held a rather low opinion of each other.

The two players are in similar positions and are of similar age; one is offensive and the other is defensive, making them a perfect pair for training.

The lingering resentment I had in my heart has long since vanished as the season has progressed.

The two became good friends because of their shared love for basketball.

With the Trail Blazers scoring another 2 points, the Bulls desperately needed to get going.

Phil Jackson sat on the bench on the sidelines, shaking his head.

He hates this kind of start every time he plays against the Trail Blazers.

Once the Trail Blazers get into a hot hand and dominate, no team in the league can turn the tide.

Since Forrest Gump joined the Trail Blazers, they have had very few games where they were reversed.

Once they take the lead, they will absolutely dominate, making it extremely difficult for them to turn the tide.

Every time they beat the Trail Blazers, it was a combination of sheer skill, sheer grit, and a bit of luck.

This isn't the first time the Bulls have faced off against the Trail Blazers.

Before the match, I repeatedly told him to seize the initiative and take the lead.

Now look what's happened; after three rounds, I've dug myself a small hole.

That's just how competitions are; plans can never keep up with changes.

Faced with this situation, Jackson would absolutely not let it continue.

He, who usually prefers to let the players solve problems themselves, quickly called a timeout this time.

"We need to score, score, score! What are you guys doing? Didn't you listen to what we said before the game?!"

Jackson's voice was tinged with anger as he began to swear.

This season, his temper with the Bulls has grown increasingly worse.

What Zen master, what Buddhism? If you can't win the game or the championship, it's all bullshit.

Look at Bobby Bellman across the street; he could compile a whole book of profanities called "The Dirty Book."

By clinging to Forrest Gump's coattails, they won three consecutive championships and also took the opportunity to win a gold medal in Barcelona.

He's really lucky.

What Jackson didn't know was that Bellman had recently started studying Eastern philosophy as well.

It can only be said that people always see their own shortcomings in others.

After the timeout, Pippen drove to the basket and received a pass from Jordan.

However, his layup attempt was tipped out of bounds by Sabonis.

The twin towers will always be a sore point for the Bulls when facing the Trail Blazers.

The Bulls still had possession of the ball, and after much effort, Pippen finally managed to drive to the basket and score with a floater.

Gan Guoyang did not come over to help defend; during regular season time, he was no longer fixated on the gains and losses of a few points.

He immediately set a screen with Petrovic in the right corner, received the pass from Petrovic, and hit a three-pointer!
A quick and accurate three-pointer brought the score to 9-2, giving the Trail Blazers the advantage and an attempt to gradually widen the gap.

Jordan hasn't taken a shot yet; he's intentionally restraining himself and saving his firepower for later.

In the 91 and 92 Finals, Jordan was dragged into a war of attrition by Gan Guoyang more than once.

Every time Forrest Gump gets me into a scoring frenzy, I realize in the end that I can't out-score him.

It's not that Jordan's physical fitness was bad; his stamina was already at the very top level, bottomless.

But Forrest Gump is the best and still needs to go higher; his stamina bar seems to be infinite.

You can maintain a consistent pace and intensity, playing from the first quarter to the last.

Who can handle this? Who can keep up?
This time, Jordan kept his composure at the start.

He didn't rush to attack and turn the tide, but continued to organize attacks from the outside.

But the rest of the Bulls didn't play well tonight.

BJ Armstrong dribbled and fell down.

If Porter hadn't knocked the ball out of bounds, the Bulls would have committed another turnover.

Armstrong then received a pass from Jordan after his drive and made a mid-range jump shot.

"Stay calm and make the shots you're supposed to make!"

Jordan stabilized the situation with his playmaking, which shows that he has become more mature than before.

Immediately afterwards, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post and was double-teamed before passing it to Porter who was cutting to the basket.

Porter then passed the ball to Sabonis, who was open on the wing, and Sabonis was about to go for a layup.

Jordan suddenly flew out from behind and swatted away Sabonis's seemingly inevitable dunk!
As a guard, Jordan's threat to interior defense was unparalleled by any shooting guard in the past.

His rim protection, his powerful blocks, his steals and double-teams in the low post—his intensity was unprecedented.

Without exceptional focus and lightning-fast reaction speed, players would be at a significant disadvantage against Jordan in the paint.

The Bulls seized the opportunity to launch a counterattack. Pippen dribbled the ball all the way and passed it to Jordan, who was about to dunk.

However, Gan Guoyang strode forward, caught up from behind, and leaped into the air, the two clashing in mid-air.

Jordan tried to use his hang time to evade the defense, but Gan Guoyang had excellent body control.

In the end, they managed to disrupt Jordan's shot; the ball bounced twice on the rim but didn't go in.

Pudu grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to make a layup, but Gan Guoyang had already reacted.

He jumped up and blocked Pudu's putback, regaining possession of the ball.

Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball directly to launch a counterattack, with Lewis waving from the front.

Gan Guoyang made a pass to Lewis, who rushed to the basket, jumped up, and slammed the ball in with one hand!
After scoring, the two players high-fived; Gan Guoyang had given his all in both offense and defense on that goal.

This is a morale-boosting ball; we absolutely cannot let it go.

The cheering fans at the scene had lost count of how many times the two had played together like this this season.

After Gan Guoyang blocks a shot or grabs a defensive rebound, the center immediately pushes the ball up the court to launch a counterattack.

Lewis charged forward, received a pass from Forrest Gump, attacked the basket and scored, igniting the crowd.

Without a passer and point guard acting as a middleman, the Trail Blazers' dunks are even more explosive.

Moreover, every time Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball forward, the opponents dared not relax their defense.

You just focus on what's in front and ignore Agan; Gan Guoyang will just drive straight to the basket for a dunk.

The impact of this attack is comparable to that of the Lakers' Showtime era.

Therefore, even with a decline in overall performance and poor defense, tickets for the Rose Garden are still selling very well.

Seats are in high demand and every show is sold out, a trend that has continued for almost 20 years since 1974.

This offensive and defensive battle showcased the intensity of competition between the league's top offensive and defensive teams.

At that moment, Jordan knew he had to step up and score.

After the referee called a foul on the Trail Blazers in the paint.

Jordan used his footwork and positioning to create space at a 45-degree angle on the right side.

He received a pass from Pippen and made a clean mid-range jump shot.

The simple two points resulted in the same outcome as Lewis's dunk.

To counter Forrest Gump's seemingly inexhaustible stamina, Jordan's solution was to improve his own energy utilization efficiency.

This season, Jordan avoids dunking whenever possible, trying to complete his offense in the simplest and most effortless way.

His favorite shot is the mid-range jump shot, especially the catch and shoot.

Whatever the mid-air hand switch, dribbling breakthrough, or low-post toughness, use it only in crucial moments.

We usually use this power-saving mode to score points; there's no other way but to do this to beat Forrest Gump.

From this perspective, Jordan was at least two steps behind Gan Guoyang in terms of his level of understanding.

He is entering the realm of "a heavy sword has no edge, great skill is without artifice".

Gan Guoyang had already achieved this level of attainment in 1988.

His most notable achievement was the 1988 Western Conference Finals, where he defeated the Lakers with an unstoppable mid-range shot.

Now, Gan Guoyang has broken through this level and reached two more levels.

No wonder Jordan kept chasing and couldn't beat Gan Guoyang to win the championship.

After Jordan made a mid-range shot, Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball and organized the offense.

He knew that hitting the bull like that was painful for him, but he wanted to make the bull suffer.

Purdue and Grant had to stand on the outside, so Gan Guoyang turned his back and pressed inward.

Suddenly, a through ball was played into the low post and passed to Lewis, who had cut inside.

Lewis received the ball and went for a layup, but Pippen interfered and he missed.

Sabonis followed up and scored on a putback, adding two more points.

The Bulls' defense did its best, but the Trail Blazers' offense was a series of interconnected plays.

Gan Guoyang started the scoring, and Lewis got a good scoring opportunity.

Pippen and Jordan are both very strong on defense, but the Trail Blazers also have Sabonis as a backup option.

The Bulls started poorly tonight, and quickly fell behind against the Trail Blazers' aggressive offense.

Halfway through the first quarter, the Trail Blazers were already leading the Bulls 17-6 by 11 points.

It seems that Phil Jackson's timeout and profanity had no effect whatsoever.

Jackson made a personnel change, replacing Purdue with Buck Williams.

The Bulls are lowering their altitude and accelerating, aiming to go head-to-head with the Trail Blazers on offense.

Jordan has noticeably improved the pace of his ball-handling – this season, he has been handling the ball and orchestrating the offense extensively.

BJ Armstrong is more of a spot-up shooter, lurking in the corner looking for opportunities.

Facing Petrovic, Jordan easily pulled up for a jump shot from the top of the arc and made it.

Another easy score without much effort.

Jordan decided to use this method to stay close in the first half.

Gan Guoyang's three-point attempt from the outside missed.

Jordan grabbed the defensive rebound and orchestrated a fast break.

The Bulls were very fast, with Buck Williams and Grant both rushing into the paint.

Gan Guoyang naturally had to stay close behind, but Jordan passed the ball to Armstrong in the right corner.

Armstrong caught the ball and hit a three-pointer!
A crucial three-pointer.

The Bulls scored 5 consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 6 points.

If the point difference is allowed to continue to widen, this Bulls game will be over sooner or later.

It's clear that Jordan is becoming more mature.

Gan Guoyang, on the other hand, had long since matured.

The rivalry between the two lacked the passion and intensity of their youth.

He showed more composure, decisiveness, and foresight.

Both players were thinking about the second half of the race.

Gan Guoyang hopes to gain the upper hand as soon as possible.

Jordan, on the other hand, kept the score close while conserving his energy.

They all controlled the pace of the game according to their own plans.

Jordan used his playmaking and mid-range jump shots to slowly erode the Trail Blazers' advantage and stabilize the situation.

But at the end of the first quarter, Gan Guoyang seized the opportunity and hit two three-pointers from the top of the arc!
The gap, which had been narrowed to 4 points, suddenly widened to 10 points.

The Trail Blazers led at the end of the first quarter with a score of 23:33.

"Shet!"

Jordan patiently endured the whole quarter, but unexpectedly, Forrest Gump stuffed two more piles of shit into his mouth at the end.

Back on the bench, he slammed his towel down and then started berating Grant for not keeping a close eye on Forrest.

Grant didn't bother arguing with Jordan; he was thinking to himself, "I've had enough of being here."

This is your territory, say whatever you want. My contract is about to expire, I'm leaving.

This may be the difference in realm between a heavy sword with no edge and following one's heart without overstepping the bounds.

Jordan sat on the bench and raised his hand, making two shooting motions.

I was thinking to myself, how come this guy just casually shot and it went in?
(End of this chapter)