The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 804 Future Superstar
Gan Guoyang used the raw and brutal method of offensive rebounding to help the Trail Blazers establish an advantage.

This method is particularly effective at undermining the opponent's defensive confidence, while also strengthening the determination of one's own players to take the shot.

Go ahead and shoot, comrades! There are people inside helping you grab offensive rebounds, so feel free to shoot.

This was a strategy that Gan Guoyang often used in his early days, when he had a strong desire for offensive rebounds.

Every night, he relentlessly attacked the paint, destroying the opponent's defense with one offensive rebound after another.

As time went on, Gan Guoyang's offensive skills became more diverse and proficient, and his thirst for offensive rebounds became less obsessive, instead being based on actual needs.

During their three-peat era, the Trail Blazers had a deep frontcourt with players like Drexler, Thompson, and Karl who were quick to get back on defense and had strong interior defense, allowing Gan Guoyang to confidently attack offensive rebounds.

During their four-peat era, the Trail Blazers transformed into a center-guard duo, increasing Gan Guoyang's defensive burden. He often had to give up offensive rebounding and focus on getting back on defense, only grabbing rebounds in crucial moments.

The current Trail Blazers' perimeter defense is poor, with some players being too old and others too young. He can't worry about that anymore; he just wants to use whatever works quickly and effectively.

Therefore, Kobe's shooting percentage had to be sacrificed. This kid, aside from anything else, is good at disrupting the Rockets' defensive formation by weaving in and out, which gave Gan Guoyang an opportunity to take advantage of.

Tomjanovich immediately made adjustments, instructing his players to strengthen their defense on the defensive rebounds and collapse their defense, which gave the Trail Blazers more opportunities on the perimeter.

Kobe finally seized the opportunity, using Gan Guoyang's screen to draw the defense, then cut into the paint from the middle and slammed home a one-handed dunk!
After scoring, Kobe shook his head and swaggered towards the Houston fans on the sidelines. Gan Guoyang came over and slapped him on the head, saying, "Go back and play good defense!"

Young people are prone to getting carried away. Kobe immediately made a mistake on defense and was driven to the basket by Robert Horry. Horry tried to respond with a dunk, but Gan Guoyang blocked it from the front.

The ball fell into Chris Webber's hands, and Webber dribbled inside with one hand, then suddenly made a no-look pass to Kenny Smith, who was cutting in from the baseline.

Smith attempted a reverse layup off the baseline, but it was blocked by Gan Guoyang. Smith's performance has declined significantly in the past two years. He used to be able to participate in the dunk contest, but his speed and jumping ability have decreased a lot due to injuries.

Gan Guoyang used his exceptional rim protection ability in the paint to compensate for the weaknesses in the perimeter defense.

On the offensive end, he increased his efforts in rebounding, played simpler plays, and disrupted the Rockets' defensive setup.

After the third quarter, Gan Guoyang had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks, dominating the court on both ends of the court.

The Trail Blazers led the Rockets 78-69, a 9-point advantage, while the Rockets only scored 20 points in this quarter.

At this moment, Houston fans and coaching staff miss Hakeem Olajuwon very much. If Olajuwon were still here, Forrest Gump wouldn't be so composed.

Tonight, Gan Guoyang was constantly protecting the rim on the defensive end, blocking every Rockets shot that entered the paint.

He didn't face much pressure on low-post defense because he wasn't matched up against Chris Webber; the task of guarding Webber one-on-one was left to PJ Brown and AC Green.

In the first three games, Gan Guoyang matched up against Webber. Although he managed to keep Webber's shooting percentage low and score few points, Webber was able to help the team with his passing and playmaking.

What truly killed the Trail Blazers was the Rockets' three-point shooting from the outside and their various drives and close-range attacks from the wing players.

After the division of labor was redefined, the Trail Blazers' defense became clearer, forcing the Rockets to continue to increase their outside shooting.

Porter, Kobe, Aaron McGee, and others played aggressive defense, making it difficult for the Rockets to get easy shots.

Their three-point shooting percentage dropped significantly tonight.

The Trail Blazers' shooting percentage was also low, but Gan Guoyang grabbed offensive rebounds aggressively.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang did not rest on the bench, but instead came on to lead the second unit through the transition period.

This guy started using his unlimited stamina advantage again, bullying smaller opponents with simple and brutal rebounds and drives to the basket, destroying the Rockets' defensive line.

Since this Trail Blazers team is a half-finished product and Rick Carlisle's offensive system is immature, I might as well use the primitive method to defeat the opponent.

This strategy was successful. The Trail Blazers continued to dominate the boards in the fourth quarter, which kept the Rockets' defense on the line and severely hampered both their defense and offense.

Kobe, Porter, McGee, Riddell, and others all played better and better, with multiple players contributing. This had nothing to do with tactics, but rather with confidence. Forrest Gump gave them confidence.

Kobe made more drives, Porter hit a three-pointer, McGee drew a foul and made the free throws, and Riddell missed a layup but grabbed the rebound and shot again.

Although the Rockets relied on three-pointers to stay in the game multiple times, Chris Webber made several consecutive shots in the middle of the fourth quarter.

However, the Trail Blazers maintained a lead of over 10 points, and Gan Guoyang controlled the situation by rebounding and efficient low-post isolation plays.

Whenever the Rockets tried to gain momentum, Gan Guoyang was able to suppress them with rebounds and one-on-one plays, and tonight their turnovers were well controlled.

This is the winning rhythm the Trail Blazers are familiar with: an efficient offensive surge to gain an advantage, a steady and error-free back-and-forth battle, dominating from start to finish, and effectively suffocating their opponents.

The Rockets struggled until the last two minutes of the game. This was the playoffs, and the Trail Blazers didn't let their guard down. Gan Guoyang used a block and two offensive rebounds to stall for time, finally extinguishing the Rockets' chances of winning.

99：91，开拓者在客场8分的优势击败火箭，将大比分扳成了2：2平手。

This was the first time in the series that the Trail Blazers had not scored more than 100 points, but at the same time they held their opponents to under 95 points.

Gan Guoyang scored 24 points, grabbed 26 rebounds, and blocked 7 shots, outscoring his points and showcasing his prowess as the greatest rebounder in history.

Kobe scored 10 points tonight on 4-of-12 shooting, a 33% field goal percentage. Although his shooting percentage wasn't high, his shots were decisive, showing early signs of his potential.

Without Van Exel, the Trail Blazers scored less, but their defense improved, their teamwork became stronger, and they became more like the Trail Blazers of the past.

平庸了差不多一整个赛季的特里-波特今晚登场35分钟，三分球3中2，拿下15分7次助攻。

As they left through the players' tunnel, Gan Guoyang put his arm around Porter's shoulder and said, "You're still a very reliable brother."

Potter let out a long sigh and said, "You've really ruined me, Sonny. I was thinking of retiring, but now I have to risk my life with you."

Porter has had a lukewarm season so far. In fact, if Gan Guoyang doesn't return, Porter isn't planning to stay with the Trail Blazers.

He wants to go to a small club, where there's no pressure to win a championship, get a big retirement contract, use his championship experience to mentor newcomers, and play in the regular season.

He was almost finalizing a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks. He's from Milwaukee, and some people might think life there is boring because of the snow and ice, but it's Porter's hometown, and he likes it there. His personality is like the Milwaukee climate.

However, Gan Guoyang's comeback disrupted his plans. He couldn't refuse his friend's request and had no choice but to stay and continue his pursuit of the championship.

He was really struggling. His performance in the regular season was inconsistent, but in the playoffs, he finally found his form in this game.

Gan Guoyang said, "Come on, Terry, you're only 33! You're at the age where you should be making a name for yourself. Keep it up, buddy!"

Potter shook his head helplessly. At the same age of 33, people's state of mind and spiritual pursuits are indeed very different.

Stockton, who is 34 years old this year, is still striving for his first championship, while Porter is already tired of winning championships.

Of course, what really annoyed Porter was probably not the championship, but the fact that he found his stamina and skills were waning, making him unable to play the same important role in winning championships as he used to.

Porter was in a much better mood after his outstanding performance tonight, but he knew in his heart that he couldn't keep up with this kind of performance.
Can he still perform well against a young Cassell, or if he makes it to the next round and faces Stockton, or the even younger and stronger Jason Kidd?

I don't know, Porter didn't have much confidence in himself.

This is the complete opposite of Kobe, who would get three rebounds in a row and still dare to keep shooting, as if nothing had happened.

With this blind, overconfident confidence, Potter believed that this child was destined for greatness.

Porter was done for; he had a feeling he would falter in the next match, as this battle had taken a toll on him.

On May 13th, both teams had an extra day of rest before the fifth game, a crucial match point game, tipped off in Portland. Back at home, the Trail Blazers continued with the same lineup and playing style as the previous game; let's see how the Rockets respond.

Tomjanovich did not change the starting lineup; what he changed was the offensive strategy and defensive focus.

Chris Webber was instructed to handle the ball more and initiate attacks to target the Trail Blazers' interior defense.

The Rockets also sped up the pace of the game, with Sam Cassell trying to increase the speed and launch fast breaks whenever possible.

Tomjanovich has realized that going toe-to-toe with the Trail Blazers is a good option; he can't let the Trail Blazers slow down and grind out half-court sets.

The Rockets quickly gained the upper hand on the court. They played with great energy and fought hard for rebounds, denying Gan Guoyang many second-chance opportunities.

The Rockets started with a 5-point lead, which they maintained until the final stages of the game, when both teams entered a fierce battle.

Porter's self-assessment was correct; tonight he lacked the brilliance of Game 4, going 0-for-3 from three-point range, and he became hesitant to take shots after that.

Thanks to Gan Guoyang's one-on-one plays, as well as the patchwork of other players and their defensive persistence, the Trail Blazers kept the score close and dragged it into the decisive moments.

Trailing by 5 points, the Trail Blazers still passed the ball to their most trusted core player. Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned and cut to the basket, and scored with a layup!
With the score difference narrowed to three points, the key now is defense, and Gan Guoyang is still staying in the paint.

The Rockets kept trying to have Webber draw Gan Guoyang's defense, and then have Webber use his passing to break down the Trail Blazers' defense.

Gan Guoyang didn't fall for it; he simply refused to defend Webber, giving Webber the opportunity to score one-on-one.

In a crucial defensive play, Bird benched PJ Brown, who had been in poor form throughout the series and was arguing with management, and boldly used Jermaine O'Neal to guard Webber one-on-one.

Bird was going all out. If a rookie like O'Neal makes a defensive mistake in the crucial moments of the playoffs, he could very well ruin the entire series and all the hard work of the season.

But Jermaine O'Neal withstood the pressure. Mainly, in an important offensive possession, when the team had a lead, Webber did not choose to forcefully drive to the basket against O'Neal, but instead used a turnaround fadeaway jumper.

The ball bounced off the front of the rim and missed. Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and launched a counterattack without calling a timeout.

He dribbled the ball all the way down the court, cut into the middle, passed it to the baseline, Kobe received the ball, and without any hesitation, launched a three-pointer!

Gan Guoyang looked up at the ball, observing its flight path to judge whether it would go in, and if not, where it might go.

With 0.1 seconds to process the information, Gan Guoyang knew the ball would go in.

"Shh!"

A three-pointer from the corner, and it went in!
Kobe made his first and only three-pointer of the game.

A crucial three-pointer tied the game.

Compared to his previous game-winning shot against the Jazz, Kobe was much calmer this time.

He reminded his teammates who came to celebrate that the game wasn't over yet, it wasn't over yet.

With Cassell's last-minute winner missing, the two teams went into overtime.

In overtime, it's Forrest Gump's turn again, the hunting time for the athletic monster.

Gan Guoyang scored 11 points for the Trail Blazers in overtime, leading a run that broke through the Rockets' defense.

Ultimately, the Trail Blazers won the crucial fifth game 112-107.

With a 3-2 lead, the Trail Blazers have secured match point.

The Trail Blazers completed a comeback in the series, and the Rockets lost their fighting spirit.

Although they still had a chance to force a Game 7 in Game 6, the players were thinking most about where to go on vacation.

After all, they still wouldn't win in a tiebreaker if they went to the Rose Garden again. Without the persistence and belief in victory, a comeback is just talk.

On May 15th, the Trail Blazers defeated the Rockets 95-87 in Houston, ending the series with a hard-fought victory and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

Chris Webber played a brilliant series, but he was overshadowed by Gan Guoyang's dominant performance.

Another standout player in the series was Kobe. Although he didn't score many points, he contributed a crucial game-tying shot. His flair on both offense and defense showcased his superstar potential to many.

Apart from Gan Guoyang, everyone else on the Trail Blazers, including the management, coaching staff, Bird, and Tang, realized that Kobe's future was limitless.

Because the playoffs have always been a stage for superstars. The playoffs are where a true superstar can truly shine.

In another matchup in the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers were eliminated early, losing 1-4 to the Utah Jazz.

They only managed a narrow victory against the Jazz in their third home game, losing the other four decisively. This year's Jazz are undoubtedly quite strong.

They are fully capable of challenging the Portland Trail Blazers, a day John Stockton has waited 10 years for.

Therefore, he had to defeat his mentor Bobby Bellman in the semifinals, a defeat that also ended Bellman's Lakers career.

The day after the series ended, on the day of the pivotal Game 5 between the Trail Blazers and the Rockets, the Lakers officially announced that Bobby Bellman had resigned as head coach of the Lakers, ending their partnership.

Jerry West expressed his gratitude to Bobby Bellman for his coaching career with the Lakers.

However, most media outlets believe that Bellman's Lakers career was an extreme failure.

For most of the four years, they were tanking, winning only one series and accumulating no accolades.

He only received more failures, accusations, insults, more profanity, and a failed marriage than before.

After resigning, Bellman didn't call anyone, including Agan, because he didn't want to affect Agan's playoff run.

He understood that he had to walk his own path as a coach in the future, and could no longer rely on Forrest Gump or anyone else.

Everything he learned from Forrest Gump can help him succeed again.

For a coach, being in their fifties is the prime of their career.

With the Eastern and Western Conference Finals decided and the NBA Finals about to begin, another major event that will shape the future landscape of the league is underway.

On May 16, before the start of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, the league held a lottery to determine the number one pick in the 1997 NBA Draft, which, to put it bluntly, determined where Tim Duncan would go.

David Stern's lottery system has been influencing the league's landscape and dynamics over time, leaving the Celtics, who once held the league's rules in their grasp, bewildered and unable to compete.

Ultimately, the Boston Celtics abandoned their former arrogance and went all out for Tim Duncan.

With a regular season record of 15 wins and 67 losses, the team achieved its worst record in history, and all of this was for the man who most resembled Forrest Gump.

On May 16th, everything finally came to a conclusion. The teams with the best chance of getting the number one draft pick held their breath, awaiting their fate.

The results are in: Lady Luck has finally smiled upon Boston, who have been struggling for over a decade. The Celtics have secured the first overall pick in the 1997 NBA draft!
When the news reached Boston, the whole city cheered. Auerbach and the Celtics management celebrated with champagne and cigars, their tanking had paid off!
The Celtics have finally found their savior, but now they are missing a mentor who can help this savior showcase his talent.

Auerbach was determined to find a coach, an administrator, a successor, to entrust everything—everything about the future of the Celtics, including Tim Duncan—to him.

(End of this chapter)