The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 734 An Imperfect Ending
Over the years, Jordan has maintained a conservative attitude towards three-pointers.

Even when he scored only 5 points in the three-point contest and was ridiculed across the United States, Jordan did not bury himself in practicing three-pointers relentlessly.

Jordan had his own system of playing from a young age, in which the three-pointer was the least important.

Because during his childhood, whether in elementary school, middle school, or university, there was no three-point line on the basketball court.

Therefore, three-point shooting drills were not included in his various practice sessions.

To score more efficiently, guards mainly practice various breakthroughs, layups, and mid-range jump shots.

Long-range shots are always a last resort; even in the NBA, three-pointers are considered heretical.

By the time the league shifted and three-pointers became increasingly important, Jordan's playing style had already taken shape.

The shooting form and timing are different for two-point and three-point shots.

Of course, this doesn't mean that Jordan's three-point shooting was useless and that he didn't practice it at all.

Jordan's three-point shooting this season is already the best of his career.

Most field goal attempts per game (3), most field goals made (1.1), highest field goal percentage (36%).

All of this shows that Jordan put effort into his three-point shooting and didn't simply give up on it because he wasn't good at it.

However, compared to Gan Guoyang, his three-point shooting looks much weaker.

This season, Gan Guoyang has become the league's best three-point shooter.

Most three-point attempts (5.8), most made (2.5), highest three-point percentage (43%).

Although his high number of three-point attempts increases the inconsistency of his offense, he may appear to be inconsistent in some games.

This lowered Gan Guoyang's previously terrifyingly high hit rate and increased the fluctuations in his accuracy.

But it further enriched the Trail Blazers' offensive options, created more space, and made some games easier.

Gan Guoyang is different from Jordan; this guy is from another time and understands the importance of three-pointers.

From the moment he first started playing basketball, he practiced his long-range three-point shooting diligently.

I submit my work every day without fail.

His high-arc, non-bank shot style has been maintained since high school.

Except for layups after receiving the ball under the basket, where he will opt for a bank shot, he will never bank shot from any other distance.

This gives Gan Guoyang the advantage of shooting from all distances and at all ranges.

This guy is incredibly strong; theoretically, he's within range of attacks once the first half of the game is over.

Even before crossing half-court, he was quite confident in his long-range shots throughout the game.

This season, Gan Guoyang has made four three-pointers from long range.

More than all the other players in the entire league combined.

This kind of "foresight" is something Jordan lacked.

This is also one of the reasons why Jordan has always lagged behind Forrest Gump.

During the break, Jordan and assistant coach Bach discussed the three-point shot.

"Should I further improve my three-point shooting? A three-pointer only adds one point, but if you shoot more of them, it becomes really scary. I bet if Forrest Gump's three-pointers had been converted into two points in some of our games against Portland, he would have lost at least half as many games!"

"Three-pointers are definitely a good thing, but you can only improve gradually. You've been shooting very well this season, the best of your career."

"Forrest Gump is the greatest of all time."

"Our primary enemy is ourselves. Believe in yourself, Michael."

At the start of the second quarter, Jordan rested on the bench while Pippen led the second unit in a comeback attempt.

Gan Guoyang was also sitting on a bench, drinking Gatorade and chatting with Lewis.

Their conversation also focused on three-pointers.

Gan Guoyang believes that Lewis needs to further develop his long-range shooting.

"Your three-point shooting is worse than Jordan's," Gan Guoyang criticized.

Lewis sighed, thinking to himself that Jordan's three-point shooting this year was pretty good.

As for Lewis himself, he averaged less than one shot attempt per game with a shooting percentage of only 25%.

This shows that he only makes a move out of necessity, when he has no other choice, or when he has absolutely no options, so he throws one out.

Making only one three-pointer out of four games is practically equivalent to having no three-pointers at all.

“I’m trying, but some old habits are hard to break, Sonny.”

Unlike Petrovich's sharp and incisive nature, Lewis has always been very mild-mannered.

Some are even lukewarm and lack sharpness.

In terms of physical attributes, he can rival Jordan in some aspects.

In terms of playing style, he has many elements of classic strikers, while also moving towards the modern striker trend.

After signing a big contract with the Trail Blazers, he has been working diligently and steadily, taking one step at a time.

He strives to defend, diligently studies offensive techniques, resolves family issues, and lives a simple life.

However, Gan Guoyang always had higher expectations for him, hoping that he would be more outstanding.

Lewis respected Gan Guoyang, who had been a great help in dealing with his mother's issues.

Now his family lives a relatively harmonious life in Portland, allowing Lewis to focus on basketball.

"You should participate in the three-point contest next year; it'll give you some motivation to practice," Gan Guoyang suddenly suggested.

"A three-point contest? I...I'm afraid I'm not cut out for it..."

Lewis was surprised that Gan Guoyang asked him to participate in the three-point contest, and he was a little timid about a project he was not good at.

Lewis would be more likely to participate in the dunk contest.

"What are you afraid of? Michael participated and got 5 points! You can't possibly not get 5 points, right? With him at the bottom, you don't have to worry about losing face at all."

Gan Guoyang used Jordan as a shield again, and Lewis nodded silently, he took note of it.

Anyway, it's next season, so he has plenty of time to practice and develop his three-point shot.

Once Lewis develops a three-point shot, he, Petrovic, and Gan Guoyang will have the league's strongest outside firepower.

With their all-around, flawless offensive capabilities, no team will be able to stop them.

Lewis is only 27 years old this year, one year younger than Gan Guoyang and Petrovic.

The trio is reaching their peak together.

Therefore, some basketball experts say that as long as the Trail Blazers have a solid trio, their dominance of the league will continue for at least three to five years, and at most seven or eight years.

Each team should pray for the best. Big trades like those involving Hakeem Olajuwon and the Miami Heat, where star players team up, will likely become more and more common, otherwise they really won't be able to compete.

While the two were resting and chatting, Petrovic and Pippen were locked in a fierce battle on the court.

During the Olympics, Petrovic scored a lot of points against the Dream Team, and faced the defense of Jordan and Pippen alone.

Back in the NBA, with stronger teammates, he played even more aggressively when Forrest Gump wasn't on the court, like a sharp knife.

As the Bulls narrowed the gap with consecutive points, Petrovic seized the opportunity and drove hard to the basket on a fast break.

He used his incredible speed and a crossover dribble to drive to the basket, scoring with a reverse layup and drawing a foul from Pippen.

Seeing Petrovic's shot, Gan Guoyang shook his head, thinking to himself, "Does Pete have no legs or knees?"
Maintaining high speed while carrying the ball without slowing down or changing direction puts a lot of strain on the knees.

Petrovic is still wearing a thick knee brace on his left leg; his torn cruciate ligament is only temporarily relieved and has not fully healed.

This kid plays like he's out of his mind, he doesn't care about his health, he just keeps charging and hitting like that, what if he gets injured again?
"Fuck you, slow down a bit, Pete! Don't you want your knees anymore?!"

After making the free throw, Gan Guoyang shouted at the players on the court.

Petrovic just smiled when he heard that, and then continued to focus on the game.

In this respect, Petrovic is not as meticulous as Sabonis.

Sabonis is a long-time patient and knows very well how to protect his body.

When injured, Sabonis will control his movements and energy expenditure.

Sabonis has many injuries, mainly due to his large size and the aftereffects of unscientific training during his youth.

After coming to the United States to play in the NBA, he took great care in protecting and utilizing his body.

In the past two seasons, Sabonis has rarely dunked or participated in fast breaks, all in order to protect his knees and ankles.

Petrovic is different; he's full of energy as soon as he steps onto the field. He's been holding back for a month and absolutely refuses to slow down.

For the Bulls, Rodney McGrady received a pass from Paxson and made a mid-range jump shot.

The Trail Blazers countered, and Petrovic once again drove to the basket, setting up a pick-and-roll with Davis in the middle.

Petrovic accelerated past the Bulls' defense and drove into the paint, drawing a foul on the Bulls' defense.

He went to the free-throw line and made both shots, maintaining the Trail Blazers' lead of around 10 points.

Rodney McGrady received the ball in the low post, pushed inside twice, then turned and shot a jumper, which went in again.

McGrady was a major addition to the Bulls' bench last summer, providing offensive and defensive depth to the forward and guard positions.

His most glorious years were spent with the Houston Rockets, when people believed that the Rockets and the Trail Blazers would dominate the West.

With the passage of time and Hakeem Olajuwon's trade to the Heat, the remnants of the Rockets' Twin Towers era have completely disappeared.

Today, McGrady can still score points off the bench with his decent offensive skills, keeping the offense going.

At this point, Bobby Berman took advantage of the dead ball to bring on Bernard King in order to relieve Petrovic's offensive pressure.

After losing Cliff Robinson, the Trail Blazers' offensive firepower off the bench has indeed decreased significantly.

Kim Il-suk entered the game and created an opportunity on the left side of the court through screens and positioning.

PJ Brown set a good screen, and Petrovic passed the ball to King.

Kim received the ball and made a mid-range jump shot.

The score went up and down by two points each.

The Bulls' offense wasn't great tonight; not only did they have a poor start, but they also lacked some luck.

The Trail Blazers missed a three-pointer, Pippen grabbed the rebound and launched a fast break, resulting in a two-on-one situation between him and McGrady.

As a result, Pippen's seemingly sure-fire layup against Dell Curry under the basket failed to go in.

He grabbed the rebound and went back up, but still missed. Finally, the Trail Blazers got back on defense and the ball went out of bounds.

The score is now 31-41, with the Bulls still trailing the Trail Blazers by 10 points. The starters for both teams will be back on the court.

Gan Guoyang replaced PJ Brown from the bench, while Lewis replaced Petrovic.

Gan Guoyang patted Petrovich on the shoulder and said, "Take it easy, Pete, your knee isn't healed yet."

Petrovic just smiled; he always forgets his pain and gives his all during matches.

When he returned to the bench, he realized that his knee was slightly uncomfortable, and it seemed that he really needed to take it easy.

With Gan Guoyang on the court, Jordan naturally had to return to the game as well.

The competition between the two sides intensified in the second quarter, with the Bulls strengthening their defense on the Trail Blazers' perimeter.

Jordan drove to the basket and drew a foul from Davis, making one of two free throws.

In order to disrupt the Trail Blazers' passing lanes, the Bulls rearranged their defense.

They intensified their pressure on the 45-degree angle and the bottom corner to prevent slipping to the bottom line or using backdoors.

Instead, the previously heavily guarded middle lane was left unguarded, with Jordan left to guard only the middle lane, while the flanks were pushed to the bottom.

Davis had the ball in the middle and was completely open in front of him, so it was a clear shot opportunity for him.

Davis didn't dare to shoot, so he passed the ball to Lewis, who had come around to get it.

Lewis received the ball and cut in from the middle, but Jordan's defense was impenetrable.

Lewis tried to pass the ball to Bernard King on the wing, but McGrady stole it.

The Bulls launched a counterattack, and Jordan jumped in mid-air to pass the ball to McGrady who was following up.

McGrady takes a mid-range jump shot and makes it again!
McGrady scored 6 points in the second quarter.

The Bulls narrowed the gap to 7 points.

Although the Bulls' defensive efficiency has declined this season.

It's not that they lack ability, but rather that they often don't put their heart into it.

Once they get fully focused, the Bulls remain the best defensive team in the league.

Gan Guoyang knew that he had to make a move on to one of them.

He abandoned his activities on the periphery and moved to the low position on the left.

He received the pass from Lewis in his preferred flank area.

He was being guarded by Buck Williams at that moment.

The Bulls immediately double-teamed them, with three players surrounding them.

Gan Guoyang remained calm and delivered a bounce pass through the gaps in the crowd to Lewis, who was cutting into the middle.

Lewis catches the ball, leaps high, and glides in with one hand for a dunk!
When a low-post monster receives the ball in his familiar spot, his disruptive power on the opponent's defense is devastating.

The Chicago Bulls knew this was the price they would have to pay to defend Forrest Gump.

McGrady's fourth outside shot attempt missed this time.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, but Lewis's pass to Bernard King went too far.

Bernard King tried his best to retrieve the ball and pass it back, but it was still intercepted by the Bulls.

John Paxson initiated the counterattack, passing to Jordan who had caught up.

Jordan used a crossover dribble that wasn't particularly fast, but was full of deceptive moves, to drive into the paint.

After shaking off Gan Guoyang, he passed the ball to Buck Williams, who dunked with his hands uncontested!

This season, the Trail Blazers have made far more of these unnecessary mistakes than in the previous two seasons.

This is also why they lost more games; the team's discipline and caution declined.

The competition between the two sides intensified, and the Trail Blazers' outside shooting percentage gradually declined in the face of the Bulls' high-pressure perimeter defense.

However, Gan Guoyang's control of the boards and his strong low-post threat prevented the Bulls from completely suppressing the Trail Blazers' offense.

Once the score difference becomes slightly closer, Gan Guoyang will use low-post offense, playmaking, and offensive rebounds to score points and regain the advantage.

At halftime, Gan Guoyang had already scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, including 6 offensive rebounds.

Jordan gradually picked up the pace in the second quarter, but it was clear that he was still holding back. He had 10 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals in the first half.

The score was 54-60, with the Trail Blazers maintaining a 6-point lead as they returned to the locker room for halftime.

It's clear that even without Jordan exerting himself, the Bulls are still slowly closing the gap.

They eroded the Trail Blazers' significant lead established in the first quarter.

If Gan Guoyang hadn't hit two incredible three-pointers in the final stages of the first quarter, the score might have been tied.

Under the Bulls' tight defense, the rest of the Trail Blazers were affected to varying degrees, and their shooting percentage dropped all the way down.

At the same time, mistakes increased, and in the last few minutes of the second quarter, the game was chaotic on both sides.

You throw and I snatch, we chase each other, some shots go in, some miss and the opponent chases you down.

And this is a situation that the Bulls are happy to see.

Phil Jackson knew that the Bulls, with their methodical, half-court offense, were no match for the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers have Forrest Gump, an all-around killer weapon, and the best long-range shooting space in the entire league. You have no future in playing half-court offense against them.

The goal is to muddy the waters, disrupt the game's formation, and force both sides into a chaotic battle on the perimeter, at which point the Bulls will gain the upper hand.

Because the Bulls have better offensive and defensive resources on the perimeter, better ball handling ability, and greater individual offensive capabilities on the perimeter.

Of course, Jackson didn't want things to go this way; he simply had no other choice.

Having lost to the Trail Blazers in the Finals for two consecutive seasons, the Bulls have given it their all.

In the end, it wasn't a matter of fighting; it was just that Forrest Gump couldn't win, he simply couldn't win.

Since that's the case, Jackson simply shuffled the chessboard to see if he could weaken Forrest Gump's influence in this way.

The first half looked promising; the Bulls are gradually turning the tide, and the second half looks promising.

Jackson simply dislikes this style of play, where you dig a hole for yourself at the start and then desperately try to fill it later.

Back in the locker room, he still lashed out at the players, saying he didn't want to see such a bad start again.

Jordan then criticized his teammates, believing they were not focused enough.

"This is Portland. We've lost the Finals twice. We should win here!"

He tried to ignite his teammates' fighting spirit and inspire their desire for revenge.

However, it seems that Jordan's teammates on the Bulls don't really respect him.

Pippen sat on the bench chewing gum, not saying a word; he couldn't be bothered to argue with Jordan.

Horace Grant scoffed dismissively, muttering, "You only got 10 points."

The two were on the verge of a fight, almost coming to blows in the locker room.

In fact, the Bulls had the strongest desire for revenge last season.

They were in high spirits, having built up their determination during the regular season to bring down the Trail Blazers.

However, he was brutally beaten by Forrest Gump once in the regular season, and then defeated by Forrest Gump in the finals as if he were a god descending to earth.

After that, the Bulls' cohesive spirit began to dissipate.

They're still clinging to life, sustained by Jordan's stubbornness and Jackson's composure.

In this respect, the Bulls' situation is not much better than the Trail Blazers'; they both have their own internal problems.

Meanwhile, in the Trail Blazers' locker room, Gan Guoyang saw through the Bulls' intentions.

"They're going to drag the game into chaos!"

"We made too many mistakes on the perimeter. We had six turnovers in the second quarter, which is unacceptable!"

"Reduce passing the ball appropriately, increase individual attacks, and then we need to respond defensively."

"We can no longer rely on higher offensive efficiency to overwhelm the opponent like we do against other teams. We also need to control the Bulls' offense with our defense."

Gan Guoyang instructed the team to strengthen their defense in the second half and not to rely solely on offense for victory.

They need to apply pressure to the opponent on both offense and defense, just like they did in the playoffs.

Everyone agreed with Gan Guoyang's opinion, but can the defense really be improved in the second half?

Defense isn't something you can just talk about or execute like in a comic book where you shout out a move.

Throughout the regular season, the Trail Blazers' defensive efficiency hovered in the middle of the league.

This was achieved despite Gan Guoyang contributing the league's best defensive rebounding and rim protection in the three-second zone.

Doesn't Gan Guoyang understand these things?
He certainly understood this, but the slogans still had to be shouted.

The key to solving the problem is not to have teammates defend.

Instead, it's about being able to step up and take over some crucial plays.

There are some things that are better left unsaid to teammates.

Most people in the province will let their guard down, and it will be easy for everyone to lose focus this season.

Before the start of the second half, Gan Guoyang spoke privately with Petrovic and Porter, saying, "I will come out more to receive the ball." "If the game gets chaotic, throw the ball to me, or throw it towards the basket, and I will go for it."

Gan Guoyang's words gave the two men a bit more confidence.

As expected, Jordan started to exert his strength after the third quarter began.

On his first offensive possession, he faced Petrovic on the right side and made a strong shot, scoring two points.

In one-on-one situations, Petrovic had no way to stop Jordan and could score easily.

The Bulls desperately tried to front Gan Guoyang, preventing him from receiving the ball in the low post.

Porter opted for a pick-and-roll with Sabonis and took a mid-range shot from the top of the key, but it missed.

The Bulls grabbed the rebound and launched a counterattack, but Pippen was called for a traveling violation while dribbling the ball up the court.

His dribbling hand made a ball-handling motion, and the referee was quite strict about calling that at the time.

So far, Pippen has not been playing well, making too many unnecessary mistakes and missing some opportunities.

It seems that every time Pippen faces the Trail Blazers, there's a psychological hurdle he can't overcome.

Whether it was being dominated by Forrest Gump in 1991 or missing that crucial dunk in 1992.

These were like layers of stones, weighing heavier and heavier on Pippen's heart.

After being called for traveling, Pippen didn't complain to the referee at all and went straight back to his half to defend.

The Bulls started to exert their defensive strength in the third quarter, expanding their defensive range and increasing their defensive intensity.

Strengthen control of the middle, increase pressure on the ball handler, and disrupt the Trail Blazers' first pass.

Pay special attention to cutting off the Trail Blazers' perimeter players from the outside and the connection between them and Agan – this is the fundamental principle of defense when facing the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers missed three consecutive shots, and each time they forced their way onto the perimeter, allowing the Bulls to grab the rebounds and launch a counterattack.

However, the Bulls' counterattack also failed to succeed. Armstrong's three-pointer missed, and Jordan's breakthrough was blocked by Gan Guoyang.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang, who had control of the ball, launched a counterattack, advancing all the way from the middle.

First, he turned around and got past Pippen, then used his strong body to push Jordan away to prevent him from stealing the ball.

With the Bulls' defensive attention drawn, he made a bounce pass to Lewis, who was following up from behind.

Lewis leaped high and slammed the ball down with both hands!

Jordan was so angry he wanted to curse. He thought to himself, "That unlucky Pippen, why does he always go weak in the knees when playing against the Trail Blazers!"

Then, the Bulls missed another shot from beyond the arc, and the Trail Blazers launched another counterattack.

However, this time Jordan stole the ball from Petrovic.

He then drove to the basket with the ball, switched hands in mid-air, and dunked with his left hand!
Seeing Jordan's increasingly strong offensive desire, Gan Guoyang later said to him as he ran up the court:

"Michael, wanna join the scoring game?"

Gan Guoyang challenged Jordan to a duel, but Jordan did not respond.

"Play well, Sonny."

It wasn't that Jordan was afraid of scoring against Gan Guoyang, but rather that he knew this was another psychological tactic by Gan.

Once the two start scoring at each other, the trailing Bulls will definitely suffer.

Therefore, he must not fall for the trap, but remain calm, focus on defense, and engage in more chaotic battles.

Midway through the third quarter, the score difference reached 5 points, and the competition between the two teams became fierce.

Gan Guoyang finally started attacking with the ball beyond the three-point line.

The Bulls continued to employ a three-layer defensive strategy: Jordan on the perimeter, Pippen in the midfield, and Grant in the paint.

Gan Guoyang single-handedly tied down three of the Bulls' most important defensive resources.

He first faced Jordan and made a tough three-pointer!

This was his first three-pointer of the second half and his fourth three-pointer of the game.

Immediately afterwards, the defense blocked Armstrong's mid-range shot.

Armstrong thought Forrest Gump would stay inside as usual and not come out.

Who knew that this guy would rush out in a flash and catch Armstrong off guard.

Having gained possession of the ball, Gan Guoyang took long strides and charged forward like a truck carrying the ball.

His ball-handling and charging style was dubbed "the terrifying impact" by NBA players of the same era.

If you can't stop or intercept the ball, and you go up to defend, you'll most likely just give away a 2+1.

Then you'll get half-dead from the accident, losing both your wife and your money.

In the 92 NBA Finals, the Bulls were essentially killed by this terrifying impact.

This season, the Bulls still couldn't stop this truck.

They could only watch as Gan Guoyang charged into the paint and easily dunked for a score.

The Trail Blazers widened the score gap again.

However, Jackson did not call a timeout, and Jordan immediately hit a three-pointer from the top of the arc to stop the bleeding for the Bulls!

Jordan can really shoot three-pointers, and he's been especially good at it this season.

Gan Guoyang then made a terrible mistake.

He finally received the ball in the low post and tried to bounce it back to Sabonis on the other side.

As a result, the pass was not handled well, and the ball went directly out of bounds.

One mistake gave the Bulls a chance to close the gap, and Jordan certainly wouldn't let it pass.

Another clean and crisp mid-range shot from the top of the arc brought the score within 5 points!
The point difference has narrowed to 4 points, and the Bulls have shown their resilience.

On the next play, Gan Guoyang once again received the ball in the low post, and was double-teamed by three Bulls players.

This time, they finally managed to defend against Gan Guoyang's hook shot.

After all, Forrest Gump wasn't always 100% accurate.

The Bulls launched a counterattack, Jordan received the ball, and pulled up for a mid-range jump shot.

It's in! The Bulls have closed the gap to just 2 points.

The Trail Blazers didn't call a timeout. After a high pick-and-roll between Terry Porter and Sabonis, Terry Porter pulled up for a jump shot and made it.

This helped the Trail Blazers stop the bleeding, and both teams played better and better, becoming more and more focused.

Fans have noticed that this Gan-Joe battle seems a bit different from the past.

Both players became more restrained in their fighting, no longer engaging in passionate attacks from the very beginning as they had in the past.

They have become more mature, putting more effort into the less visible aspects of defense, organization, and support.

Although they still stand out, even without doing anything, just standing on the field attracts everyone's attention.

Jordan's mid-range jump shot was as accurate as a flying knife in the third quarter, and his decision to conserve energy in the first half was correct.

Gan Guoyang's efficiency dipped in the third quarter, but he came out more often to receive passes and organize play, drawing the Bulls' defense and creating better space for his teammates.

Porter, Petrovic, and Lewis all made consecutive jump shots, but missed. Gan Guoyang would grab the offensive rebound and pass the ball to his teammates for another shot.

Tonight, Gan Guoyang didn't attack the basket himself after getting offensive rebounds, but passed them all to his teammates. The Bulls couldn't afford to leave the basket undefended, and their attention was all on Gan.

Gan Guoyang used this kind of attention to make feints and occasionally launch a "terrorist attack" to catch the Bulls off guard.

The third quarter was truly spectacular, with the Gan-Joe battle evolving from its initial high-octane intensity to a more calculated and strategic affair.

The youthful impetuosity has faded, replaced by a greater sense of control and strategy.

Fans noticed this and at first glance, the game didn't seem as intense as it used to be.

But if you look closely, you can appreciate even more.

However, after the match, most fans in the survey said they still preferred the old Gan & Joe rivalry.

Especially in the mid-80s, when Jordan was still a hidden dragon in the abyss and Forrest Gump was just a soaring dragon in the sky.

Their single-minded duel filled the entire arena with heroic spirit.

One sword aura stretched across three thousand miles, another mad blade furiously cleaved through ten thousand feet of waves.

The two players scored over 50 or 60 points, making everyone else look like NPCs or spectators.

All the spotlights were focused on the two of them; nothing else mattered.

That feeling of intense passion seems to be gone forever.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was tied at 86-89, with the Trail Blazers leading the Bulls by 3 points.

Overall, the Bulls were closing the gap, and the Trail Blazers' defense simply wasn't up to par.

However, whenever the Bulls were about to catch up, Gan Guoyang always managed to lead his teammates in a counterattack to suppress the opponent.

The two sides entered the final offensive and defensive battle of the fourth quarter. Gan Guoyang stayed on the court, and the Bulls did not dare to let Jordan go off the court to rest.

The Bulls have learned this lesson the hard way more than once. The Trail Blazers took advantage of Forrest Gump's physical strength and played Jordan out of the game during crucial moments.

Then they widened the gap, and it was pointless for Jordan to come back on, and they would eventually lose the game.

So when Jordan saw Forrest Gump keep playing, he followed suit and kept playing too.

This once again proves that he conserved his energy in the first half, and that it was the right decision not to go toe-to-toe with Forrest Gump in the third quarter.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang received the ball with his back to the basket in a shallow position.

The moment the Bulls double-teamed him, Gan Guoyang passed the ball behind his head to Sabonis under the basket.

Sabonis turned and easily dunked, the two players' teamwork was so good that they didn't need to communicate at all.

Jordan immediately received the ball in the low post on the left and responded with a clean turnaround fadeaway jumper.

Jordan shot the ball incredibly fast; Lewis's double-team didn't even have time to react before Jordan had already released the ball.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in the same position again, and his shallow back-to-the-basket position gave the inside players enough space to cut in.

The Bulls dared not double-team anymore, but Purdue was so vulnerable against Forrest Gump that Gan Guoyang turned around and drove to the baseline, pushing Purdue aside.

After cutting to the basket, he scored despite the help defense from Pippen and Grant, and also drew a defensive foul from Pippen.

Looking across the league, only Forrest Gump and Shaquille O'Neal could head in a ball like that.

Despite both Pippen and Grant being forwards, their help defense and rotation abilities in the paint are top-notch.

Even traditional centers like Ewing and Olajuwon would struggle against a double-team.

Agan not only scored but also drew a foul, resulting in a 2+1 play. He made the free throw, bringing the score to safety.

Like Gan Guoyang, Jordan received the ball in the same low post with his back to the basket, but this time he chose to pass.

The Trail Blazers double-teamed him, then passed the ball to the side, to the weak side, where Purdue got the ball and was about to take a mid-range shot.

At that moment, Pudu made a beautiful pass to the basket, giving Horace Grant a good shooting opportunity.

However, Grant's seemingly inevitable layup was blocked by Gan Guoyang.

Pippen got the ball, went back up, and was swatted away by Gan Guoyang again!

This is Gan Guoyang's fifth block tonight.

The Bulls' prized duo of forwards were thoroughly dominated by Gan Guoyang on both offense and defense.

This may be the fundamental reason why the Bulls have never been able to overcome the Trail Blazers.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, and Porter passed the ball to Sabonis in the middle.

Sabonis easily passed the ball to Petrovic in the right corner with a no-look pass.

Petrovic received the ball and made a mid-range jump shot!

This play forced the Chicago Bulls to call a timeout, as Jackson couldn't stand the team's performance any longer.

At that moment, only Jordan could save the Bulls.

After the timeout, Jordan scored an incredibly difficult goal.

With the Trail Blazers having three players stacked in the mid-lane three-second zone: Agam, Sabonis, and Lewis.

Jordan drove through the middle with his left hand, and after getting close to the basket, he made a left-handed floater.

Not only did he score, but he also drew a foul from Lewis, resulting in an additional penalty.

Jordan clenched his fist after scoring; that shot was crucial.

After making the free throw, the Bulls hit another three-pointer to keep the score close.

On the defensive end, Grant finally managed to draw an offensive foul from Gan Guoyang.

The Bulls had a good chance to catch up, and this time Jordan moved to the right side during the fast break.

He faked out Petrovic with a shooting move and cut to the basket at a 45-degree angle!
Gan Guoyang let the ball go; he knew that rushing in would either result in a foul or a 2+1 play.

Jordan dunks with one hand!

The Trail Blazers' transition defense has been mediocre throughout the season.

Apart from Agan, no one in the middle of the field came back in time for that play.

They scored another 5 points in a row, making for a thrilling and intense game.

Then both teams missed their shots on offense, and the battle for the basket became a chaotic free-for-all.

The intense competition and running caused the players' touch to drop as their physical fitness declined.

The Trail Blazers maintained a lead of around 5 points throughout, suppressing the Bulls' comeback attempt.

With just over a minute left in the game, Jordan received the ball and slid into the basket from the middle.

At this point, Gan Guoyang had already committed five fouls. He dared not make any more moves and could only watch as Jordan paused in mid-air, maneuvered, and put the ball into the basket.

112:115, the two sides are now only 3 points apart.

Judging from the score, neither team's defense was very good tonight.

Most of their energy was focused on scoring points against each other, so the matches were very exciting to watch.

Actually, it wasn't particularly intense; it certainly wasn't as intense as the finals.

Last minute.

Gan Guoyang personally dribbled the ball across half-court, and Pippen kept his eyes on Gan Guoyang, constantly challenging him.

"Why am I having you guard me again? Is Jackson crazy? He doesn't care about you at all."

Faced with Gan Guoyang's incessant chatter, Pippen said coldly, "Stop talking nonsense, Sonny, it's useless."

Gan Guoyang didn't take the shot himself; instead, he passed it to Sabonis in the flank, following the tactical plan.

Sabonis turned around, squeezed past Grant and went inside, using his height advantage to hook the ball with his right hand and hit it!

112-117, the Trail Blazers regained a 5-point lead, leaving the Bulls with few opportunities.

Jordan seized the opportunity to attack. After dribbling the ball across half-court, he launched a three-pointer from the top of the arc, and it went in!

115-117, only two points behind, and this attack only took a dozen seconds.

Even if the Trail Blazers run out of steam on their next offensive possession, the Bulls will still have a chance to tie or win the game.

Bellman called a timeout to set up the decisive attack; if the Bulls scored, they would basically have no chance.

People were eager to see Gan Guoyang make the final shot, and the Bulls thought so too, believing that Gan would deliver the decisive blow.

Bielman brought on Mario Allie for Lewis, apparently to create more space.

All attention was focused on Gan Guoyang, and after the timeout, Jordan stared at him like a viper.

He had already mentally rehearsed several ways to launch a fast break after a successful steal.

However, in the Trail Blazers' crucial offensive play, the ball never even passed through Gan Guoyang's hands.

Sabonis received the ball high up the pitch, with Ali and Gan Guoyang lurking on the side. Petrovic came over and handed the ball to Sabonis.

Upon receiving the ball, Sabonis blocked Jordan, and Petrovic drove straight into the basket from the middle.

Facing Horace Grant's defense, he dodged in mid-air and scored a layup.

Petrovic sprinted out of bounds, and the ball fell into the basket, scoring.

This shot extinguished the Bulls' hopes of a comeback.

The game ended when Jordan missed another three-point attempt.

The Bulls' pointless foul only gave Petrovic another two points.

The Trail Blazers defeated the Bulls by 6 points at home, 115-121.

Gan Guoyang won the Gan-Qiao battle once again.

Tonight, Gan Guoyang recorded an amazing triple-double with 33 points, 21 rebounds, 6 blocks, and 10 assists.

Jordan scored 10 points in the first half and then exploded for 31 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough to salvage the victory; they lost again.

Jordan seemed somewhat numb to the losses to the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump.

When Jordan hugged Gan Guoyang after the game, he said, "You chickened out on the last possession, Sonny."

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "No, I'm not backing down. Winning is the most important thing."

“You weren’t like this before. I thought you would hit me.”

Gan Guoyang didn't say anything, patted Jordan on the shoulder, and the two said goodbye.

Jordan suddenly turned around and said, "See you in June, Sonny!"

This time, Gan Guoyang did not respond; instead, he went to the commentary booth for an interview.

Bill Shawnley asked Gan Guoyang a similar question: "How was the final play planned? Most of the key balls were given to you, but this time you didn't even touch the ball."

Gan Guoyang shrugged and said, "It's not like I have to take every crucial shot. Bill, do you remember? Back when Clyde was around, Jack would always instruct Clyde to drive with the ball, and I would follow up with a putback. Remember that?"

Seanley laughed and said, "Of course I remember. Back then, all the coaches in the league knew that this was our clutch play. But we just couldn't stop it. Your teamwork was excellent."

Gan Guoyang laughed and chatted with Sean Li for a while before taking off his headphones and returning to the locker room.

In fact, the key attack by Bellman was originally intended for Gan Guoyang to take.

Gan Guoyang refused, and instead asked Bellman to assign the task to either Pete or Lewis.

Back in the locker room, Berman privately asked Gan Guoyang why he refused to take the crucial shot.

"This is so unlike you, Sonny. I was shocked, and I think everyone was. Luckily, Pete handled the pressure."

Gan Guoyang took a sip of his drink and explained, "I just feel that if I were to throw the ball, it would definitely go in, and everything would seem too perfect."

"What? What are you talking about? Too perfect? ​​Isn't being too perfect a good thing?"

"Too much perfection often means that everything is about to end. A perfect ending."

"What nonsense are you spouting, Sonny? I think you're getting more and more out of control."

Berman shook his head, left the small office in the locker room, and went to the press conference room for an interview.

Gan Guoyang sat in his office chair while the outside world was bustling with noise; everyone was happy to have won the game.

Everyone jostled around, chatting and laughing, discussing what to do on their day off—training or going out for a drink.

Reporters were waiting at the door to conduct interviews, and soon many people would surround Gan Guoyang and ask him a lot of questions.

For a short while in the office, Gan Guoyang could enjoy some peace and quiet.

He took another sip of his drink, lost in thought, shutting himself out from the noise of the outside world.

However, the cup in his hand was actually empty.

(End of this chapter)