The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 741 My Sun
On the day he won the regular season MVP, Charles Barkley reached the pinnacle of his basketball career.

He raised the MVP trophy, but his face didn't show much expression; there was no triumphant smile, nor did he make any exaggerated faces.

He was unusually somber as he shook hands with David Stern, said some usual words of thanks, and then put the MVP trophy back in his locker.

He didn't want to look at it again until the series was over.

Barkley knew in his heart that the MVP trophy wouldn't increase his chances of winning the Western Conference Finals.

On the contrary, it will decrease because he can feel Forrest Gump's gaze and hear the voice in Forrest Gump's heart.

How long have they known each other? Almost 10 years, starting from the Olympic training camp in 84.

Barkley admired Forrest Gump's frankness and nonchalance; his sincerity and naturalness were something Barkley greatly envied.

Barkley knew perfectly well how much of his nonchalance and unruliness was an act.

He often needs to act in order to cover up his Alabama poor guy persona.

He acted recklessly and had a bad temper because he didn't want to be looked down upon or suffer strange looks because of his skin color and background.

People covered in thorns often have a very soft and fragile body. Barkley had never been taught how to protect himself by a real man since childhood.

Barkley's father left him and his mother when he was one year old. At that time, his mother was not yet 20 years old. They were just children when they got married, having just graduated from high school.

Driven by hormones, couples form families casually. The men are unable to shoulder the responsibility of supporting the family and raising children after marriage. They run away, separate, and divorce, leaving a young black mother under 20 years old to raise her crying child alone.

Such things happen every day in the Black community in the United States. Many Black children grow up without fathers and do not become fathers themselves, continuing the things their fathers did—acting impulsively, leaving a child behind, and running away.

Charles Barkley was an exception; he particularly hated irresponsible men because he lacked paternal care.

He lived in Leeds, a poor place in Alabama, one of the poorest areas in the United States.

In the 60s and 70s, the area was relatively safe and was not overrun by crime and drugs.

Barkley lived with his mother, grandmother, and stepfather in a small town that retained the moral character of a pre-industrial Southern countryside.

Neighbors help each other; people help each other take care of children, and children can freely eat or sleep at other people's homes.

Growing up in that environment, Barkley was introverted and mild-mannered, completely unlike his aggressive and combative self on the court.

When he was little, many people gave him nicknames, calling him "Big Head" or "Coward".

Barkley was always shy and never spoke to girls. Even when he reached dating age, he remained single.

In high school, Barkley was popular with many girls because of basketball, but he wasn't interested in women at the time.

When he was a teenager, Barkley was already the breadwinner of his family. He did housework and was very clean.

Especially as a boy, he would tidy up his room every day, keeping it spotless.

He changes the sheets twice a week and does all sorts of housework except washing dishes: washing floors, cleaning cabinets, and unclogging sinks.

He then neatly stacked all the dirty dishes in the kitchen sink, covered them with a clean towel, and his job was done.

He would take care of his two younger brothers (one from the same father and mother, and the other from the same mother but a different father), and tell them not to bother their mother when she returned home exhausted from working two jobs.

The most outrageous thing he ever did was jump off a roof wearing a red cape like Superman's, landing face-first and covered in blood, but he didn't die and recovered quickly.

So when Barkley entered the NBA and acted like a thug on the court, trash-talking, fighting, waving elbows, and looking menacing, his mother could hardly believe that this was her son.

“This isn’t my baby Charles,” Chase May said when she first watched her son’s NBA game live.

In this respect, Barkley is more like his grandmother, a tough woman who worked in a meat processing plant when she was young.

So Barkley learned to be aggressive to protect himself, just like those poor women who had lost their husbands.

A woman's toughness is often a disguise, an armor that life forces her to wear.

When Barkley met Forrest Gump, he experienced for the first time how a truly tough man could stand tall.

His every move and word was intimidating; his confidence and composure had nothing to do with his height or strength.

Barkley remembers wanting to wrestle with Forrest Gump in his room. He wanted to beat Forrest because Forrest's attitude made him very uncomfortable.

At that time, he didn't know what was wrong with him, or why he felt angry at a player. Was it because of his skin color?

Or is it the innate competitive spirit among basketball players? Barkley couldn't figure it out, and he didn't want to think about it anymore; he just had to do it.

Then he lost badly, and was no match for either the wrestling ring or the basketball court.

Over the next 10 years of friendship, Barkley gradually learned what was really going on, especially after he had his own family and children.

At that moment, Forrest Gump stood there, in the center circle, ready to jump for the ball with Mark West.

He was still as tall and handsome as ever, as composed and confident as ever, exuding self-assurance rather than arrogance.

His eyes were as focused as they were 10 years ago, completely uncorrupted by fame and fortune, and his love for basketball had never faded.

Barkley was determined to defeat him, to defeat his longtime role model, his true sun.

It was for the championship, for basketball, and even more so for the values ​​he believed in.

The referee tossed the ball into the air, and Gan Guoyang and Mark West jumped at the same time, and the game began.

The ball was tipped to Terry Porter, who paused for a moment before orchestrating the Trail Blazers' first offensive play.

In the past, Porter would have tried to score quickly, but in this series, Porter's first priority in ball handling is consistency.

His calves were constantly sore and his muscles were tense, which made it difficult for him to exert force, resulting in a lack of explosiveness and speed, thus reducing his offensive capabilities by half.

Before the game, Bellman told Porter to try to get the ball to Agam as much as possible, as Agam would handle the ball and organize the offense more often.

Porter's primary task is not to organize the offense, but to make those crucial shots.

In the first game, Porter only scored 8 points and missed all three-pointers, failing to provide the offensive firepower the team needed.

As expected, Agan came out to assist, and the Suns adopted a firm man-to-man defense. Paul Westphal was not interested in illegal defense or early double-teaming tactics.

For the Suns, as long as their defense isn't too bad, maintaining basic stability and a baseline is enough. Double-teaming in crucial moments is the limit of their strategy.

They are an offensive team; their focus is not on limiting their opponents' scores, but on scoring as many points as possible themselves, overwhelming their opponents with a relentless barrage of attacks.

Gan Guoyang had the ball at the top of the arc, facing Mark West one-on-one, but his shot missed, and Barkley grabbed the rebound inside.

The Suns immediately launched a counterattack. Kevin Johnson received a pass from Barkley, quickly dribbled across half-court, and broke through from the middle.

But Forrest Gump caught up from behind and snatched the ball from Johnson's hands. Johnson was knocked to the ground, but the referee did not call a foul.

Full of confrontation and unexpected steals, Lewis took possession and launched a counterattack, rushing to the basket but not directly attacking the rim.

There were three Suns players under the basket. He turned around and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who caught up and took a mid-range jump shot.

The shot went in perfectly; it was an unremarkable mid-range jumper, but it seemed to be sending some kind of signal to the Suns.

Barkley received the ball at the high post, and Sabonis became his defender—Bellman didn't want Forrest to waste too much energy guarding the Suns' starters anymore.

The Trail Blazers are currently short of defensive resources, so Agan needs to return to the center position where he has the greatest impact and the heaviest workload.

Barkley drove through the middle but didn't find a good opportunity, passing it to Kevin Johnson on the wing.

Johnson receives the ball and drives hard to the basket, aiming for a dunk!
As a result, Gan Guoyang blocked the shot.

Johnson had a blast in the last game, scoring the highest points for the team.

Now that Forrest Gump is guarding the paint, scoring through the dribble isn't so easy anymore.

The Trail Blazers retaliated again, this time with Petrovic breaking through the middle.

The Suns collapsed into the paint, and Petrovic passed the ball to Agan, who had moved to the corner.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and took another mid-range jump shot, which went in again!

After missing his first attempt, Gan Guoyang quickly adjusted his aim and hit several shots in a row.

The Suns felt the pressure, and Charles Barkley began to attack with the ball.

Facing Sabonis at the top of the key, Barkley took a probing step and squeezed into the middle.

If Gan Guoyang comes up to cover at this point, Barkley will pass the ball to Mark West behind him.

West attacks the basket directly or performs an alley-oop dunk.

If Gan Guoyang doesn't make a move, Barkley will opt for a jump shot.

Gan Guoyang didn't make a save, and Barkley, just inside the free-throw line, took a leaning shot.

He evaded Sabonis's interference and scored two points off the backboard!
The West Coast Arena started to buzz with excitement, and everyone realized that this match was likely to be a showdown between Forrest Gump and Barkley.

A battle between a former MVP, the defending champion, and this season's newly crowned MVP.

Gan Guoyang frequently appeared at the top of the key during offense, rather than in the low post, leaving the Suns' interior defense vulnerable.

Gan Guoyang made a sudden, attacking pass to the inside, and Sabonis leaped high, catching the alley-oop and slamming it home with both hands!

This is the tacit understanding built up over many years of cooperation, and the Suns' defense will face a major test tonight.

Paul Westphal paced back and forth on the sidelines, already anticipating the Trail Blazers' tactical objectives for the game.

They're going to go head-to-head with the Suns!

Forrest Gump will be firing on all cylinders; tonight it's all about who can score more points and have a more efficient offense.

Westphal wasn't too worried about this because he had confidence in the Suns.

He knew that the burden of the Trail Blazers' offense would most likely fall on Forrest Gump's shoulders alone.

The Suns are different; Barkley and Johnson are the core, but the other players can also shoulder a lot of responsibility.

In this playoff run, the Suns' other players are in much better form than the Trail Blazers.

From Ceballos to Dumas, Marley, and Ainge, this year has been the Suns' most united and powerful year.

In the last match, Dumas was briefly absent due to injury, and Ceballos replaced him in the starting lineup, yet they still won the game.

With Richard Dumars returning for this game, the Suns' roster is more complete and deeper, which is where Westphal's confidence comes from.

As expected, the Suns' third offensive possession didn't go through Barkley and Johnson, but rather Dumars cut in from the middle and made a floater.

The ball sailed over Agan's fingertips and went in with a high layup, showing that the Suns players were in great form tonight.

Gan Guoyang tried to pass the ball to Lewis for a shot on the wing, but Lewis made a mistake when he turned around.

Dumars stole the ball, the Suns launched a counterattack, Kevin Johnson received the ball and advanced the ball, then passed it back to Dumars.

Dumars drove to the basket and dunked, scoring 2 more points, and the Suns quickly tied the score at 6-6.

Richard Dumars was selected 46th overall in the 1991 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, but was suspended in his first season for violating the anti-doping agreement.

Therefore, this season is Dumars' rookie season, and he has successfully made it into the team's starting small forward position with an average of 15.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, and has become a member of the All-Rookie Second Team.

He possesses many of the qualities that teams need at the small forward position—energetic on both ends of the court, doesn't demand the ball, can do a variety of things, and is good both inside and outside.

However, when he tried to keep up with Forrest Gump on defense and disrupt his catch-and-shoot attempts, he found it to be completely futile.

Gan Guoyang moved to the right outside and received a pass from Porter before taking a mid-range jump shot.

The Trail Blazers' offense was quick and concise, with Dumars mismatched against Agan. His attempt to reach out was futile; he could only watch helplessly as the ball swished through the net.

Gan Guoyang scored all 8 of the Trail Blazers' points at the start of the game, which is a dangerous sign for the Suns.

However, Paul Westphal is not planning to make any adjustments.

To reiterate, the Suns are an offensive team; if you score more points, I'll try my best to score more than you.

Kevin Johnson was double-teamed on the wing, but he passed the ball out.

Marley-Dumars-West was ultimately awarded to Barkley on the weak side.

A series of smooth passes gave Barkley an opportunity under the basket, and he forced his way past Sabonis to score a layup.

He drew a foul from Sabonis and made both free throws, keeping the score tied.

At this moment, Petrovic stepped up to relieve the pressure on Forrest Gump. He and Forrest set a screen and then drove into the basket from the wing.

He drew a foul from Mark West and made both free throws.

During the free throw, Gan Guoyang did not forget to check on Petrovic's knee.

Does your knee hurt?

"It hurts, but it doesn't affect anything."

"Less driving, more shooting, buddy."

"If we can't aim, we'll just have to charge in."

Knee pain affects the power of shooting, so the shooting percentage will naturally be low.

So Petrovic had to drive in and get closer to the basket.

The Trail Blazers players are indeed not at their best for various reasons.

But their fighting spirit has never been extinguished; in fact, it becomes even stronger in the face of difficulties.

Both sides scored early on, demonstrating excellent attacking efficiency.

Richard Dumars then received a pass from Barkley under the basket.

He used a fadeaway jumper to evade the defense and scored two points.

The two teams were like tennis players playing a long-range game, going back and forth, and it was a matter of who would lose their grip and hit the net or go out of bounds.

Gan Guoyang repeatedly set screens for Terry Porter at the top of the key, once, twice, but Porter couldn't find an opportunity to shoot.

He slowed down, and the Suns' lack of targeted defense doesn't mean their players aren't playing defense.

In the Western Conference Finals, every player will fight tooth and nail on defense; no matter how bad their defense is, they won't lose their attitude.

Porter had no choice but to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang, who then drove to the high post and stopped abruptly after taking a step inside.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang rushed to the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound, and scored on the putback!
Gan Guoyang has already scored 10 points in just five minutes of the first quarter.

However, the Suns didn't linger and immediately launched a fast break by inbounding the ball from the backcourt.

Taking advantage of the fact that Forrest Gump had just scored and couldn't immediately get back to the basket, Kevin Johnson received the ball and drove aggressively to the basket.

He dribbled between his legs, broke through to the basket, and scored a layup!

The timing of this shot was excellent.

If he had been even a fraction slower and allowed Gan Guoyang to get back under the basket, Johnson would have had no chance of driving to the basket for a layup.

The Suns were fast, and the Trail Blazers were fast too. Petrovic, enduring the pain in his knee, launched a rapid attack.

The ball was passed to Lewis, who was also on a fast break, and Lewis caught the ball, pulled up and made a jump shot!

They also took advantage of the Suns before they could establish a firm foothold.

The two teams were chasing each other like ghosts, getting faster and faster as the game progressed.

The score reached 14-12, at which point the first turning point of the first quarter occurred.

The Trail Blazers suddenly changed their defensive rhythm, switching from one-on-one defense in the half-court to collapsing their defense and surrounding the paint.

This gave the Suns a great open shot opportunity on the perimeter. Kevin Johnson received a pass from Barkley, took a look, and launched a three-pointer!

If this shot goes in, the Suns will take the lead, and more importantly, it will boost their morale and confidence.

However, the shot missed and hit the rim, allowing Gan Guoyang to grab the rebound—with Gan on the court, offensive rebounds became extremely difficult for the Suns.

This is a huge, albeit unseen, contribution from Gan Guoyang on the defensive end. The opponent will have very few second chances, and their offensive efficiency will be significantly reduced.

Another benefit of consistent defensive rebounding is that it allows forwards to confidently launch fast breaks.

Reggie Lewis is already on his way to the finish line, and Gan Guoyang makes a super long pass from a great distance.

Lewis received the ball and drove to the basket, with Richard Dumars close behind, trying to steal the ball!

But Lewis leaped high and slammed the ball down with both hands, drawing a defensive foul from Richard Dumars.

The Suns missed their own three-pointer and then conceded a three-pointer to their opponent, a huge loss for them.

Richard Dumars is still young and a rookie, and his recent scoring spree on offense has made him overconfident.

On the defensive end, he charged forward recklessly, resulting in a foul and giving the Trail Blazers an extra point.

Lewis made the free throw, putting the Trail Blazers up 17-12, bringing the deficit to 5 points for the first time.

Paul Westphal wanted to call a timeout, but Barkley told the coach to calm down and not rush things.

Barkley called for the ball in the low post, using his side to block Sabonis and create space for himself to cut inside.

Sabonis is already a giant among giants, but Barkley, who is only 198cm tall, still held his own and created space for himself to receive the ball and drive to the basket.

Marley lobbed the ball to the low post, Barkley caught it, turned and drove to the basket, facing Agan's defense head-on.

The two players battled in the air, and Gan Guoyang blocked Barkley's layup, but the referee blew the whistle and called a foul on Gan Guoyang.

Barkley didn't dodge the ball; if he had, it would have been a solid block, with absolutely no room for negotiation.

Because of their willingness to challenge each other, the two made physical contact, but the referee still gave Barkley a chance to shoot free throws.

Gan Guoyang didn't complain to the referee; he didn't want to waste any emotion. Barkley made both free throws.

The Trail Blazers lead 17-14, with only three points separating them.

If Barkley had missed that shot, that turning point would have dragged the Suns into an even deeper deficit.

But Barkley saw that the Trail Blazers were seizing the opportunity, and he had to step up and fight back so the Suns could catch their breath.

As expected, Gan Guoyang drew the defense in the middle and passed the ball to the wing, where Terry Porter hit a three-pointer!

After Porter was relieved of the heavy responsibility of organizing the offense, his physical condition and leg injury improved, and his shooting touch returned.

With the score at 20:14, the difference reached 6 points. At this point, only half of the first quarter had passed, and both sides entered an official timeout.

The Suns' offense was already very sharp, but the Trail Blazers' offensive efficiency was terrifying, scoring on every possession.

If they continue playing at this success rate, the Suns will definitely be trailing by a large margin at halftime.

During the timeout, Paul Westphal encouraged his players, "Portland won't be this accurate all the time. We need to be patient and play our own strategy and tactics. We're doing well, but we need to be more careful on defense and control our fouls. Also, we need to attack the Trail Blazers' interior and force them to foul!"

Westphal realized that both of the Trail Blazers' key big men were carrying fouls.

If either player commits another foul in the first quarter, they will have to go to the bench to rest, and they will need to be even more careful in the second quarter.

All of this is thanks to Charles Barkley, whose drives to the basket caused trouble for the Trail Blazers.

This is the value of an MVP, and Charles Barkley truly deserves this Most Valuable Player award.

The first quarter continued, and after the timeout, Barkley received the ball, turned around, and made a jump shot!
At 20:16, the Suns continued to stick tightly to the Trail Blazers, not giving them a chance to pull away.

The Trail Blazers didn't expect to defeat the Suns in one quarter; they were prepared for a long battle.

After the timeout, Bellman made substitutions, replacing Terry Porter with Dell Curry.

Bellman knew that Porter's calf injury had not fully healed, so he needed to control his playing time and make the most of Porter's role.

That three-pointer was the key to Porter's significance.

The Trail Blazers opted to pass the ball to Sabonis for a one-on-one play.

With his back to the basket and facing Mark West, Sabonis turned and hooked the ball in.

No player on the Suns can match Sabonis in terms of height or size.

At the start of this game, the Trail Blazers need to focus on Sabonis and put pressure on the Suns' interior defense.

The Suns launched a quick counterattack, with Richard Dumars advancing the ball up the court and immediately pulling up for a jump shot.

hit!

"Richard, Dumars! Wow! Another point!"

Even the Suns commentators at the West Coast Arena were amazed, saying that Dumars was in great form tonight.

If it were any other team, it would be hard to imagine them letting a 46th overall pick, in such an important game, take the ball and drive forward, without passing or penetrating, and instead choose to pull up for a jump shot.

With the Jazz, Dumars had already been berated by Jerry Sloan to the point of being unable to lift his head, and then sat on the bench until the end of the game.

But with the Suns, Paul Westphal gave players that power, allowing them greater freedom to make offensive choices.

The Trail Blazers continued to utilize their height advantage with long passes and high balls. Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Sabonis under the basket.

He missed the turnaround shot, but immediately grabbed the offensive rebound and scored on the putback!

Charles Barkley slammed the ball hard against the floor.

Losing rebounds in the backcourt and being unable to block shots are major weaknesses in Barkley's defense.

When Richard Dumars got another chance to shoot from the outside, he didn't hesitate to take the shot.

But this time he missed, the ball went wide, and Gan Guoyang once again secured the defensive rebound, denying Barkley a second chance.

This is the difference between ordinary players and star players. Once a star player gets into form, they can score goals continuously.

Ordinary players can score two or three goals in a row, but after that, even without defensive pressure, they still can't score.

The Trail Blazers didn't counterattack. Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, facing Barkley with his back to the basket, a head-to-head confrontation between two superstars.

Gan Guoyang used a very classic offensive technique: after turning around, he took a step and then launched a skyhook!
This was clearly taking advantage of Barkley's short stature. The ball arced high and went in accurately, scoring another 2 points!
24:18, the score difference has gradually widened to 6 points, and the Trail Blazers have taken control of the game tonight.

They stopped following the Suns' lead and instead focused on the Suns' multi-core offense.

In the end, the sun's rays spread out in multiple directions, and the Trail Blazers' leaky defense could no longer contain the sun's radiant light.

Then let's focus our energy on offense and use our Suns to overwhelm your Suns.

(End of this chapter)