The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 739 Massacre
The consecutive home wins have given the SuperSonics a lot of confidence.

Before Game 5, George Karl told reporters bluntly, "We're here to win and end the Trail Blazers' dominance in the West. Otherwise, what's the point of going through such a tough season? Now we're on equal footing, and I think it's time for a change of the guard. Nobody wins forever."

When asked about Forrest Gump's accusations of verbal abuse in Seattle, George Carr denied it, saying, "I think it's utter nonsense! It's completely unfounded. If it were true, it would have happened long ago. Why is it only happening now?"

Having said that, Karl's point is quite valid.

But the outspoken man added fuel to the fire: "The Trail Blazers can't accept that their dominance might be overthrown. They've been winning all along, and winning so easily. They're like spoiled children in a greenhouse; they cry and complain about everything going wrong as soon as they get a little bit of wind and rain outside."

"The only thing that's not right is that they're not as strong as they used to be, and they can't win as easily anymore."

Seemingly in response to Gan Guoyang's bold statement that he would "score fifty points," George Karl spoke extremely boldly and with rather sharp words when facing reporters.

Karl's arrogance, as always, angered Trail Blazers coach Bobby Bellman.

Before the game, in an interview, Berman bluntly said, "George is a coward. He can only use some verbal tricks before and after the game to cover up his inner weakness. This is not the first time he has done this. He started to bluff when he first entered the league, using arrogance to cover up his lack of confidence."

"As opponents, we should respect each other off the court. The SuperSonics are a respectable team, but I think George needs to improve his character and skill level. Otherwise, respect for him will be as thin as the air at 30,000 feet. Of course, we'll have to see how things go in the game. We are still confident that we can win the game and achieve victory in the end."

"See you on the court, George. We can talk about it on the sidelines. I'm absolutely happy to oblige!"

In the pre-match verbal sparring, Berman's words were essentially no different from pointing fingers and insulting someone.

It's just that because he has to face the camera and microphone, Bellman has to mute some inappropriate words.

After Bielman finished his interview and returned to the locker room, everyone applauded the coach, thinking he deserved the scolding.

Berman gestured with his hand and said, "The camera limited my performance. When the game comes, I'm going to show George what mental pollution is."

After he finished speaking, most of the Trail Blazers players felt a chill run down their spines; Bobby's ability to hurl insults was truly impressive.

However, most of the time, Bellman is low-key and rarely shows off his profanity.

Although he has received numerous accolades, all of them are associated with Forrest Gump, which has led to Behrman being consistently underestimated.

In the eyes of professional sports commentators, Berman is more like an accessory to Forrest Gump.

A functional coach who needs Forrest Gump to succeed.

Forrest Gump's dazzling brilliance overshadowed Behrman's distinctive personality.

Or perhaps, in order to highlight and complement Forrest Gump, he buried himself in the sand.

Whether with the Trail Blazers or the Dream Team, Bellman never tried to steal the spotlight.

Unlike Riley and Daley, he doesn't dress smartly or endorse brands of suits and ties.

They also won't make any surprising statements at pre- or post-match press conferences to attract media attention.

He never appears on TV shows or talk shows; the most gossipy thing he does is have an ordinary romance.

One reason was for Forrest Gump's sake, but another reason was that Behrman had always felt somewhat inferior about his past.

His alcoholism, gambling, and expulsion from the university team remain stains on his life.

So many years have passed, and others no longer care, but Bellman does.

His father, Frank, was a submariner, and his mother was a Puritan, which gave him two extremely contradictory sides to his personality.

He learned the world's most vulgar and wildest swear words from his father, which was how submariners vented their emotions in the despair of the deep sea.

He inherited from his mother a sense of forbearance, self-control, and an obsession with cleansing himself of his sins—when he was very young, he would whip himself with a belt for making mistakes.

He has worked his way up to coach and is now passionately dedicated to basketball, trying to atone for his past mistakes.

Like Sisyphus endlessly pushing a ball through a valley, he exiles himself in endless repetition.

He concealed his sharp personality, especially his restraint in using profanity, and made himself much more polite.

Year after year, day after day, he worked hard alongside Forrest Gump and achieved what he could have accomplished long ago, clearing his name of wrongdoing.

It wasn't until he led the Dream Team to an Olympic gold medal in 1992 that the shackles on Bielman were finally lifted.

Soon, he chose to get married and bring his daughter to live with him, working and living like an ordinary person.

When Behrman saw Forrest Gump complaining about Seattleites in the newspaper, he knew he had to do something.

The situation is indeed quite dangerous; any event, whether on or off the court, could affect the outcome of the series.

So, faced with George Karl's arrogance, Bellman broke his silence and delivered a powerful rebuttal.

When both teams took to the court that evening to begin the game, George Karl's expression was noticeably stiff.

Karl lacked confidence in exchanging insults with Bellman, especially since this was Portland.

But Carl cannot back down or show any fear; he must hold on until the end of the match.

During the handshake session between the two coaches, Berman refused to shake hands with Karl, leaving Karl feeling awkward.

At 7:30 p.m., the game officially began, the crucial fifth game between the two teams, a game that would determine the course of the series.

Terry Porter remained sidelined, and the Trail Blazers made a starting lineup change, with Mario Elie starting at the small forward position.

Reggie Lewis returned to the shooting guard position, and Petrovic moved to the point guard position to handle the ball.

Berman is trying to strengthen the backcourt defense and solidify the team's perimeter game to prevent the SuperSonics from launching too many counterattacks.

Before the game, Berman gave Mario Allie the task of locking down SuperSonics guard Ricky Pierce.

The 1993 SuperSonics were building around young players like Payton and Kemp as their core, but judging from their performance on the court, Ricky Pierce on the perimeter was the more important player.

Especially on the offensive end, Pierce's outside scoring played a crucial role.

In the first four games, Pierce had a mediocre performance in the two wins the Trail Blazers made.

Back in Seattle, Pierce scored 24 points in Game 3 and 25 points in Game 4.

Moreover, many of Pierce's points were not tactical, but rather hard-hitting, decisive scores.

Pierce is not a super scorer, and at 33 years old, he is already in the twilight of his career.

When he was a substitute for the Milwaukee Bucks and won the Sixth Man of the Year award, he averaged 23 points per game.

His outside shooting ability and strong front-line penetration are what a versatile player like Payton lacks.

So whenever things got tough, it was Pierce who stepped up to score and stabilize the situation.

Bellman recognized the problem and was determined to contain Pierce on the defensive end.

Pierce is 6 feet 4 inches tall, which isn't particularly tall, and his wingspan is average, but he's very strong and has very solid skills.

Mario Elie, at 6'5", is taller than Pierce, is equally strong, and has a tenacious defense.

When George Karl saw that Bellman was starting Allie, he immediately knew that the Trail Blazers were going to target Pierce.

Ellie first rose to prominence during Karl's time coaching in the CBA, where he achieved remarkable results with Karl's team.

He was then noticed by the NBA and successfully entered the NBA, so Karl knows Ellie very well.

He knew that Allie was a very good workhorse player, and Pierce was likely to be in trouble tonight.

But Karl had no other options; the team was already lacking a top-tier one-on-one scorer.

Payton and Kemp are, in a sense, outliers, and their role as core players is flawed.

They can only rely on 33-year-old veterans like Pierce to provide points when tactics fail.

Paul Pierce's importance is self-evident. During his peak with the Bucks, Pierce was always the sixth man.

Upon arriving at the SuperSonics, Karl realized that his outside scoring was too important and he had to be placed in the starting lineup.

Now, Bellman has seized on this weakness of supersonic speed and is beginning to exert his full force to crush it.

In the first few minutes of the first quarter, the two sides played back and forth, and Gan Guoyang did not rush to exert himself.

He continued to coordinate with his teammates, organizing and passing the ball, seemingly having forgotten his vow to score 50 points.

The Supersonics continued to force turnovers with their tough defense and capitalize on fast breaks and energy to score.

As the series entered its fifth game, both teams got to know each other better and became more cautious in their play.

At the start of the game, with the score tied at 10:10, both teams went through a relatively slow warm-up jogging phase.

At this moment, Bobby Bellman got up from the bench and stood on the sidelines.

This seems to be a signal that the Trail Blazers are about to accelerate.

Gan Guoyang started calling for the ball in the low post, first moving to the left side.

On the outside, Petrovic passed the ball to Sabonis and ran inside to draw the defense.

Sabonis lobbed the ball to Gan Guoyang, and the SuperSonics immediately double-teamed him.

Gan Guoyang patiently passed the ball out, back to Sabonis, who then deliberately deflected it before passing it inside again.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang had already squeezed into a very deep position in the middle. After receiving the ball, he immediately turned around and hooked the ball.

Many SuperSonics players waved their hands nearby, but none of them could interfere with Gan Guoyang.

At such a close distance, it was practically a free point for Gan Guoyang, who easily scored two points.

After scoring the goal, Gan Guoyang did not immediately return to defense, but stayed in the frontcourt to press and defend.

This is yet another adjustment the Trail Blazers made in tonight's game.

You Supersonics like to use tight pressing defense, right? I'll give you a taste of your own medicine.

We will also apply intense defensive pressure early on, disrupting your first pass and making things difficult for you.

Gan Guoyang's defense against smaller players is extremely effective; when Payton dribbled the ball up the court, he felt like he was being trapped in a cage.

He habitually tries to use his body to squeeze the defender; this is his consistent strategy. He is taller and stronger than most point guards.

But this is Forrest Gump; if you keep slamming into things like that, it's no different than hitting a wall. As a result, Payton's dribbling became unstable.

Gan Guoyang quickly pounced on the ball, intercepted it, and immediately passed it to the frontcourt, where Petrovic was already charging ahead.

He caught the ball and quickly made a layup, scoring 2 more points for the Trail Blazers, making it 10-14. The Trail Blazers started to accelerate.

The Supersonics had to keep up, but then Gan Guoyang continued to put pressure on Payton, who had no choice but to pass the ball.

The ball was passed to Kemp, who came out to receive it. Kemp hesitated for a moment near the three-point line before choosing to dribble and drive inside himself.

His layup attempt was met with an offensive foul from Sabonis, which was essentially a turnover; his drives were too straightforward.

George Karl also stood up from the bench, knowing the SuperSonics were in trouble, and prepared to call a timeout.

But the Trail Blazers had possession of the ball. They inbounded the ball from the backcourt, and Lewis used Agan's screen to break through and immediately returned the ball.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc and immediately hit a three-pointer!

At 10:17, the Trail Blazers extended their lead to 7 points, prompting Karl to call a timeout.

In situations like this, the Supersonics become very reliant on Ricky Pierce.

Pierce hadn't scored a single point in his first game, struggling to even receive the ball.

Mario Ellie clung to Pierce like glue, making Pierce very uncomfortable.

The timeout won't change the situation; Ellie is destined to keep a close eye on Pierce tonight.

Pierce is not Jordan after all, and it was difficult for him to break free once he was entangled with him.

Even if they manage to break free and receive the ball to attack again, their rhythm has already been disrupted.

So after the timeout, Pierce repeatedly ran to get the ball, but failed to score against Allie in a one-on-one situation.

His shot after breaking through was contested and missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the defensive rebound.

The Trail Blazers, who were in the lead, didn't rush to counterattack. Instead, they settled into a half-court offense and passed the ball to Sabonis this time.

Sabonis turned and drove to the basket, faked a move, then turned and jumped to shoot, but missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound, missed the putback, grabbed it again, tried again, missed again, grabbed it again.

This time, Gan Guoyang didn't grab the ball; instead, he tapped it and put it into the basket.

One offensive possession resulted in three offensive rebounds, prompting George Karl to stomp his feet in frustration on the sidelines.

The SuperSonics quickly exposed their second major weakness: poor rebounding.

Centers Kemp and Perkins aren't great rebounders in the backcourt, so you can't expect the forwards and guards to grab rebounds.
Payton, as a point guard, often goes for rebounds, partly due to his playing style, and partly because the SuperSonics are really bad at rebounding.

They are among the worst in the entire league, with few players and a high rate of offensive rebounding, which has always been a headache for Karl.

But there's no way around it; the Supersonic SOS's tight defense makes it easy to lose rebounds, especially when you've pushed your players out of bounds.

It's okay if you run into other teams, but if you run into Forrest Gump, you're really in trouble.

In the first four games, Gan Guoyang had not yet exploited the weakness of the supersonics to the fullest extent.

In the fifth match, which became a fierce battle, Gan Guoyang showed no mercy.

Offensive rebounds have always been a powerful weapon for Gan Guoyang since he entered the NBA.

It's his trump card, simple and effective, and it always plays a crucial role in important matches.

From here, the Trail Blazers began to take the lead, and at the end of the first quarter, the score was 19-28, with the Trail Blazers leading by 9 points.

The situation was very bad for the SuperSonics, and George Karl sent out another key player, Glenn Rice, hoping to turn the tide on the offensive end.

The Trail Blazers, who had taken the lead, used a lineup with three tall players in the second quarter: Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.

When this lineup was announced, George Karl was dumbfounded. What do you mean by this? Bellman, you have no sportsmanship!

The Trail Blazers' intention with this lineup is very clear: first, Agan moves to the three position to cover the perimeter firepower of Rice, Pierce, McMillan, and McGee on the defensive end.

Secondly, PJ Brown and Sabonis in the paint fought hard for rebounds, exploiting the SuperSonics' weak backcourt rebounding, taking advantage of the fact that the team didn't have a center.

These two moves are ruthless, because these two problems are fatal flaws for supersonic speed, and they are issues that tactics cannot cover up.

After testing each other in the first four games to find their rhythm, the Trail Blazers finally showed their dominance, tearing at their opponent's most vulnerable wounds.

Gan Guoyang, much like Moses Malone, greedily grabbed offensive rebounds under the basket and then put the ball back into the hoop.

Without Porter, the Trail Blazers' outside firepower has dropped a level, which is actually a good thing for Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.

Just grab it, like a robber. Don't worry about tactics or strategies. Get the ball and put it in the basket.

The most basic and effective way to score on the basketball court is simple and touching in its simplicity. George Karl was so moved that he swore loudly during a timeout.

The Trail Blazers didn't go on any super offensive surges, but every two or three possessions they grabbed a rebound over the SuperSonics and scored on a second-chance opportunity.

By halftime, the SuperSonics couldn't hold on any longer, and the point difference was heading towards 20 points.

Giving up offensive rebounds not only leads to losing points, but more importantly, it also prevents us from launching our own fast breaks.

Both offense and defense are restricted.

After Forrest Gump moved to the small forward position, he became a disaster for the SuperSonics' outside shooting.

Rice and Pierce both got blocked by flying shots, making them hesitant to shoot.

Karl called two timeouts within three minutes in the second quarter because it looked like things were about to collapse, a complete collapse.

The bigger the boasts before the game, the more devastated they felt inside, and by halftime they were already trailing by 30 points.

How are we going to play in the second half? How are we going to jump out of such a huge hole?

Carl had no idea that his pre-match boasts would turn into sharp swords.

In turn, it made Karl feel extremely agitated.

To make matters worse, Bellman kept wandering around the technical table.

Every now and then it would yell a couple of times towards the supersonic speed, and you could tell from a distance that it was very dirty.

Bobby's swearing is as smooth as Forrest Gump's three-point shooting; how could Karl possibly be a match for him?

More importantly, the situation was completely suppressed, so there was no confidence in uttering trash talk.

At the end of the first half, Gan Guoyang had scored 22 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, including 6 offensive rebounds.

The score was 41-66, with the Trail Blazers leading the SuperSonics by 25 points. The Seattle team was blown out in the first half.

During halftime in the locker room, the entire SuperSonics team was in a daze.

The resounding victories in the third and fourth games felt like a dream.

They've completely forgotten how they won.

But that's how the NBA playoffs are; the teams can be completely different in the two games.

They played with great energy in the last game, but in a different place and at a different time, they become a limp fry.

This is closely related to the coach's tactical changes and the players' state switching.

The Trail Blazers are, after all, six-time champions, and their championship aura is not so easily broken.

The SuperSonics, relying on home-court advantage, have only won two games and are already trying to overthrow the dominance. It can only be said that George Karl is indeed too arrogant.

Arrogance comes at a price. In the Trail Blazers' locker room, Bellman was not going to let the SuperSonics and Karl off the hook.

"In the playoffs, don't give your opponents any hope, don't give them any chance! Being merciful to your opponents is being cruel to yourself. Once you relax, your opponents will find your weaknesses and let them discover your vulnerability. We must win these two games with all our might and not give the SuperSonics any room for illusions."

"In the second half, even if we're leading by 30 points, I won't just send in the substitutes. We'll keep attacking, crush them, scare them, and beat them to a pulp!"

In a rare move, Bellman issued a "massacre" order, intending to wipe out the entire force, leaving Supersonic and Carl utterly despondent.

Gan Guoyang drank water in large gulps without saying a word; he knew Bellman was right.

In ancient times, generals often resorted to massacring entire cities to vent the grievances of their soldiers and to demoralize the enemy.

For the Trail Blazers of previous seasons, there was no need for resentment; they had no grudges, they were a team of champions.

The situation is different now. The Trail Blazers need to use this tactic to suppress their opponents and boost the team's morale.

Besides, Gan Guoyang didn't want to rest; he had promised his father he would get 50 points tonight.

You can't go back on your word.

After the start of the second half, the Trail Blazers became increasingly dominant.

Gan Guoyang found his rhythm in grabbing offensive rebounds and kept catching the ball.

After receiving the ball, Gan Guoyang stopped passing it to his teammates and forced his way forward.

If you can't get ahead, just keep trying; the main strategy is to endlessly refresh the board and rack up points.

The SuperSonics simply can't compete for rebounds without a dominant center.

When Gan Guoyang grabbed his 10th offensive rebound of the game and made a layup, Shawn Kemp finally couldn't hold back anymore.

He shoved Gan Guoyang hard from behind, and Gan Guoyang only staggered slightly before turning to look at Camp.

"Do you want to fight, Sean?" Gan Guoyang asked politely.

Kemp didn't know how to answer; the resentment and anger that had been building up inside him vanished instantly.

Gary Payton, who was on the outside, quickly came over and stood between the two. He hugged Forrest Gump and said, "Forgive him, Forrest Gump, forgive him, he was immature."

Gan Guoyang patted Payton's big head and said, "I'm not blaming him, I'm just asking him. If he wants to, I don't mind."

The referee intervened to prevent a potential conflict, issuing a technical foul to Kemp, and Gan Guoyang was awarded free throws.

With the free throw made, Gan Guoyang's score reached 35 points, and the gap between the two teams widened to 30 points.

With such a large point difference, the SuperSonics became increasingly demoralized and lost the will to fight back.

In fact, when trailing by a large margin but still having plenty of time, it is essential to fight back.

Not only because a basketball game isn't over until the very last moment, but also because we need to think about the next game.

Even if you're far behind, if you can adjust and fight back, you can quickly find your rhythm in the next game, even if you lose this one.

Moreover, having experienced a crushing defeat in the previous match, they will be motivated to improve and will surely perform even better in the next one.

The worst thing is falling behind by a large margin, losing morale, giving up on chasing the game, and waiting for the next match to start again.

However, the momentum dissipated, and most importantly, they failed to find a way to counter their opponent's tactics by catching up.

The result was that they were still completely outmaneuvered by their opponent's tactics and continued to lose the game.

George Carr understood this principle, and so did Bellman.

Karl continued to make substitutions, while Bellman once again used the three tall players in the second half of the third quarter.

The Trail Blazers had a dominant trio of big men who swept the league in 1986: Walton, Gan Guoyang, and Thompson.

If Walton hadn't been seriously injured and lost his form early on, this combination would have achieved even more brilliant results.

Now, the center is still the one who was seriously injured, and Thompson has been replaced by rookie PJ Brown.

Gan Guoyang is now stronger and more well-rounded than he was in 1986.

He thrived at the small forward position, no longer staying in the low post but running all over the court.

Ghosts typically linger around the three-second zone, but can also pose a threat at 45 degrees.

He was everywhere, making the SuperSonics players constantly uneasy: Was Forrest Gump nearby?

His exceptional physical abilities allow him to run non-stop, contributing high-quality offensive and defensive performances.

In the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang stopped chasing offensive rebounds because it was no longer necessary.

He started attacking with the ball, using mid-range shots from the high post, mid-range shots from the 45-degree angle, and mid-range shots from the baseline.

Without a doubt, he's found his offensive rhythm, his touch is completely on point, and he's unstoppable!
The point difference started to widen, and finally George Karl couldn't hold on any longer.

The point difference reached 35 points, 40 points, 45 points, and is now heading towards 50 points!
Karl called a timeout, substituted his key players, and surrendered!
Karl substituted his starters for another reason: not only was the point difference approaching 50, but Forrest Gump's score also needed to reach 50 points.

At this point, Gan Guoyang had already scored 48 points and grabbed 24 rebounds, an astonishing statistic, but he was still 2 points away from 50 points.

Logically speaking, Karl substituting his starters is tantamount to surrendering, and the Trail Blazers should also substitute their starters.

Karl didn't want Forrest to score 50 points, otherwise, if he fulfilled his promise, the SuperSonics would be even more embarrassed.

Both Bellman and Gan Guoyang saw through Karl's intentions.

During the timeout, Bellman gave Gan Guoyang a look.

Gan Guoyang immediately understood, "I'll score 50 points before I leave the court."

Bellman nodded, determined not to give Carl any face.

So when the timeout ended, the Trail Blazers players returned to the court.

When Carl realized Forrest was still on the field, he shrugged towards the court.

His expression was one of shock, as if to say, "I've already surrendered, and you guys are still farming for points on the core?"

Seeing Karl's state, Gan Guoyang walked to the sidelines and said, "George! A man should keep his word. If you said you'd get 50 points, you have to get 50 points, not a single point less!"

Soon after, Gan Guoyang received a pass at the top of the arc and scored a 2-pointer, bringing his total to 50 points.

This shot went in, and not only did Gan Guoyang score 50 points, but the point difference between the two sides also reached 50 points.

76:126, the huge score difference left the SuperSonics players in despair.

The greater the hope before the game, the greater the despair now.

Payton and Kemp sat on the bench, their expressions suggesting they were about to break.

The game wasn't even over yet, and the SuperSonics were already down by more than 20 rebounds.

The SuperSonics' fatal weakness in rebounding is an insurmountable flaw.

What Payton and Kemp didn't know was that an even more thorny road lay ahead for them in the future.

The problems with their inside game will cause them a lot of trouble.

Once the outcome of the match is no longer in doubt, time flies by very quickly.

The game ended early, with the Trail Blazers dominating the Seattle SuperSonics 133-81 at home, a 52-point advantage.

The 52-point margin of victory set a new record for the largest margin of victory in the Trail Blazers' playoff history, just 6 points behind 58.

The Trail Blazers ruthlessly slaughtered the SuperSonics, showing no mercy and essentially killing any suspense in the series.

After suffering such a crushing defeat, no one from the SuperSonics, including Karl, could utter any harsh words after the game.

Let's keep all those talk about overthrowing the Trail Blazers' rule and making it the era of young people to ourselves.

As for what has already been said, let people criticize it as they please; when you're in the world of martial arts, you're bound to get hurt eventually.

This crushing defeat shattered the spirit of the young SuperSonics, while boosting the morale of the Trail Blazers.

From this game onwards, the Trail Blazers officially entered championship contention mode.

That evening, Gan Guoyang and Gan Youwei took a car home together, and Gan Youwei seemed very happy on the way.

Not only because my son won the game, but also because he scored 50 points.

"Dad, why are you so happy? I've never seen you this happy when I won the championship."

"Why wouldn't I be happy? I'm happy every time you win. Ever since you started playing in high school, I've been happy for days whenever you win."

"Really? Why didn't I see that?"

"Happiness doesn't necessarily come from seeing it."

"I could tell today. Look at you, you can't help but smile."

"Really? No, that's not true. It could also be because I've gained weight."

After arriving in Portland and leaving his restaurant job, Gan Youwei gained a considerable amount of weight.

Seeing that his father was gaining weight, Gan Guoyang felt much more at ease about his health.

As the saying goes, a relaxed mind leads to a healthy body; seeing Gan Youwei like this, the unease that had been troubling him throughout the regular season gradually disappeared.

Next, Gan Guoyang and his teammates traveled to Seattle to end this series.

The SuperSonics, who suffered a crushing 52-point blow, have clearly not recovered from the defeat.

The entire team was immersed in a lack of confidence and an atmosphere of the season ending and preparing for vacation.

That's how young teams are; they get excited after a big win and frustrated after a big loss, lacking resilience.

Of course, they have made great progress compared to last year and have caused the Trail Blazers a lot of trouble.

So much so that Gan Guoyang and Bellman had to resort to some underhanded tactics and engage in verbal battles with Karl.

In Game 6, the SuperSonics held on for half the game with the advantage of playing at home, but couldn't hold on in the third quarter.

Their rebounding was really bad, and this weakness was unsolvable in the latter part of the series.

The Trail Blazers are targeting your rebounding problem, using their three big men in rotation. No matter how tight your so-called SOS defensive system is, it won't work.

They defended it, but then lost the rebound. All their previous switching and pressure were for naught.

The Trail Blazers played better and better, and finally won Game 6 106-94 against the SuperSonics on the road.

They defeated their opponent 4-2 in a close call, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the ninth consecutive season.

This sets a new NBA record for consecutive Western Conference Finals appearances, and marks the Trail Blazers' tenth appearance in the Western Conference Finals, second only to the Los Angeles Lakers in the West.

The Trail Blazers' opponent in the Western Conference Finals was also decided on the second day. Charles Barkley hit a game-winning shot in Game 6 of the semifinals to defeat the Spurs.

The Phoenix Suns also defeated the Spurs 4-2, advancing to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year and setting up a showdown with the Portland Trail Blazers.

This time, Charles Barkley has matured a lot. When talking about the Western Conference Finals, Barkley said, "Forrest Gump is very strong, and the Trail Blazers are incredibly strong. It's very, very difficult to beat them. In the past nine years, only one team has done it twice, both times when the Trail Blazers were weak. Now they are not weak, which will be a huge challenge for us."

“I am willing to take on this challenge again because I am Charles Barkley.”

Before the 1993 Western Conference Finals, I said, 'I'm willing to take on this challenge again because I am Charles Barkley,' and damn, that was so cool!

I looked like the Terminator! I should have worn sunglasses and smoked a cigar! I was Charles Barkley! Hahaha! So cool.

Later, Forrest Gump said I was like an idiot. He was just jealous of me; he was jealous that I wasn't as handsome as him, and he was also jealous of my talent.

—Charles Barkley recalls events from 1993 after becoming a television commentator.

(End of this chapter)