The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 821 The final trump card
Jordan returned to the court, but seeing that Forrest Gump was not moving, Jordan felt uneasy.

In the past, every battle between Gan and Qiao was not like this. The two would be evenly matched from beginning to end, and neither dared to relax easily.

The game started off well tonight, but as it went on, especially in the second quarter, the Bulls couldn't keep up with the pace.

This is the first time in three seasons that Bulls players have felt they can't keep up with their opponents.

After Jordan returned, the Bulls regained their composure. He made two consecutive drives, scoring one layup and drawing a foul from Ben Wallace, making both free throws.

Then, on defense, Jordan stole the ball from Kobe one-on-one, the Trail Blazers retreated quickly, and the Bulls slowed down to play half-court offense.

Jordan made his third drive to the basket, avoiding the blockade of Jermaine O'Neal and Ben Wallace, and passed the ball out to his teammate in the corner after reaching the baseline.

Finally, the ball fell to Steve Kerr, who hit a three-pointer, and the Bulls, led by Jordan, responded with a 7-0 run against the Trail Blazers.

At that moment, Jordan glanced at the Trail Blazers' bench and called out, "Sonny, aren't you going to play?"

Gan Guoyang remained calm and replied loudly, "It's not my turn yet. We have people who can deal with you!"

In the past, Gan Guoyang would have already stepped onto the court and started competing against Jordan, attacking each other.

This time, however, neither Gan Guoyang nor the Trail Blazers are in a hurry.

With the team's offense stalled and Kobe himself being stripped of the ball by Jordan, he still dared to receive the ball on the wing and face Jordan with his back to the basket on the next possession.

He imitated Jordan and Forrest Gump's back-to-the-basket style, using his back to sense the defense, and then relying on his explosiveness to suddenly turn around and shoot a fadeaway jumper.

The ball traced a beautiful arc and hit the target accurately!
"Beautiful! Beautiful!" Gan Guoyang applauded Kobe's goal.

Subsequently, Ben Wallace and Jermaine O'Neal combined to intercept Jordan's drive and pass in the paint.

The Trail Blazers lacked fast breaks, while the Bulls' defense retreated quickly, making it easy for them to get into disarray during counterattacks.

The ball was still given to Kobe, and this time Jordan's one-on-one defense was more meticulous and aggressive.

Kobe protected the ball, Jermaine O'Neal came over to set a screen, Kobe used the screen to drive to the left side, and Jermaine cut to the basket.

Kobe made a high-profile pass to the inside, and Jermaine O'Neal leaped high, caught the ball in mid-air, and slammed it into the basket with one hand!
After scoring 4 consecutive points, Kobe led the second unit's offense, holding off the Bulls' powerful comeback.

Subsequently, the Bulls missed their shot, and the Trail Blazers also failed to score, leading to another back-and-forth of missed shots from both teams.

Time ticked by, and in the middle of the second quarter, during a timeout, Gan Guoyang was about to return to the court.

The Bulls clearly don't have as much depth in their rotation as the Trail Blazers, and their second unit lacks the talent and strength of players like Kobe and Jermaine O'Neal.

With Pippen absent, the gap in strength between the two teams has become apparent, which made Jordan, sitting on the bench, feel even more conflicted.

Why did the peak performances of the two teams diverge so much after 95?
Starting in 1995-1996, the reborn Bulls became incredibly powerful and set the standard for the league.

Under the leadership of Jordan and Jackson, they perfected their defense and perfected the triangle offense.

Throughout the game, the Bulls maintained a leisurely and unhurried pace, ultimately easily defeating their opponents.

They were once unstoppable, able to tie the game with normal, steady offense and defense without much effort.

In the 1995-1996 playoffs, Jordan and the Bulls never pushed themselves to 100% in any game from the start of the season until their victory in the Finals, let alone pushing themselves to 120% like they did against the Trail Blazers in 1992.

They were far superior to other teams, maintaining a performance level above 80%, and thus easily won the championship.

In the Eastern Conference, whether facing the Orlando Magic or the Miami Heat, the Bulls swept their opponents with ease, eliminating them as if it were nothing.

In the finals, facing the SuperSonics who had made it to the finals for the second consecutive year, they took an early 3-0 lead, making the series a foregone conclusion.

This Finals saw Jordan's worst performance in terms of stats, which some attribute to the Payton + SuperSonics system's ability to contain him.

That makes some sense, but the main reason is that Jordan didn't exert himself at 100%; he just played casually and won the championship, so his stats naturally wouldn't be that great.

In the 1996-1997 season, the Bulls largely maintained their invincible form from 1996, only struggling slightly in the Finals due to injuries and morale issues.

This season was the one when Jordan and the Bulls were most confident and had the best chance of defeating the Trail Blazers and Gan Guoyang in the Finals. Unfortunately, the Trail Blazers were defeated in the Western Conference Finals.

By the 1997-1998 season, the two sides had shifted in strength, and the Bulls were caught in a series of difficulties and conflicts, including injuries and management struggles, which visibly damaged the team's strength.

The Trail Blazers suddenly became invincible.

Before the game, the Bulls were full of confidence and hoped to end the Trail Blazers' winning streak.

When the game came down to a head-to-head matchup, the experienced Bulls players knew that defeating the Trail Blazers was not impossible.

But they knew even better that with Forrest Gump as their core player, the Bulls wouldn't stand a chance if the Trail Blazers got going.

Jordan knew exactly what was going on, and he did his best to keep the Bulls moving forward, tolerating Pippen missing a lot of games.

Faced with the hostility from Klaus and Reinsdorf, he tried to control himself and focused all his energy on the field.

The goal was to achieve a three-peat, and more importantly, to defeat the Trail Blazers in the Finals.

But after playing for more than a quarter tonight, and in one close encounter, Jordan realized that the Trail Blazers were like an iceberg, with a huge part hidden beneath the surface.

Forrest Gump was hidden among them, coldly staring at the Bulls and the entire league like a giant from the North Sea.

Jordan was very resentful. Why was the Bulls in such a bad situation this year?

Why didn't you come back sooner, Forrest Gump? Why didn't the Trail Blazers make it to the Finals last season? Why are you coming back for revenge this season?
Jordan and Gan Guoyang have been entangled for more than a decade. In the early years, regardless of winning or losing, Jordan was open-minded. Even if he lost the game and did not win the championship, he felt that his career was complete.

But people change. As time went by, when Jordan won one, two, and three championships, his mindset changed.

He had already won the championship, but he felt that his career would be incomplete if he couldn't beat Forrest Gump in the Finals.

Humans are contradictory like this. They once felt that they would have no regrets if they didn't win the championship, but after winning the championship, they had higher expectations.

A person who once had nothing believes that having a house and a tiled roof is enough to make a living.

Once they achieve great success, they start thinking about conquering the world and are no longer satisfied with their current achievements.

In this respect, Jordan and Gan Guoyang are the same, except that Gan Guoyang seems to be luckier.

After a timeout midway through the second quarter, Gan Guoyang returned to the court, replacing Ben Wallace and partnering with Jermaine O'Neal in the frontcourt.

After a long period of silence, Gan Guoyang began to attack the paint, scoring repeatedly under the basket and drawing fouls from the Bulls' interior defense.

Although the Bulls managed to keep the score close thanks to two consecutive three-pointers from Yad Buchler, Gan Guoyang had already significantly damaged the Bulls' interior defense.

Rodman committed two fouls in a minute, and Luke Longley was knocked out of bounds by Gan Guoyang's buttocks, suffering a tailbone injury and having to leave the game.

When Gan Guoyang can free up his hands to focus on one or two things on the court, the situation becomes quite formidable.

Whether it's focusing on shutting down a particular player's offense or launching continuous disruptive attacks in the paint, it will create immense offensive and defensive pressure on the opponent.

This is a natural advantage for an inside player, something Michael Jordan couldn't match. Even though Jordan had reached the pinnacle of his position as a shooting guard, the difference in positional influence gave Forrest Gump a far more terrifying impact on the court.

The center forward is a natural focal point on the court, an presence that the spotlight cannot ignore.

In any other position, such as small forward, it is already very important, but when defending, you can still stand by with your hands on your hips and watch the show, or when attacking, you can crouch in the corner and wait for an opportunity to pass the ball to your teammates.

It's impossible for a center; the center position is the busiest on both offense and defense.

Even if you don't have the ball on offense, you still need to grab rebounds under the basket, right? And you need to set screens for your teammates, right?
Needless to say, on the defensive end, no team's center can just stand by and watch; the responsibilities of defense under the basket, rebounding, and rim protection are extremely heavy.

Blue-collar centers like Luke Longley don't have much ball-handling or offensive possession; they're constantly on the go, with no rest.

Needless to say, Gan Guoyang was deeply involved in every round of offense and defense; there was so much he could do.

Now, with strong teammates and a well-developed system, he is more focused. In the latter part of the second quarter, the Bulls seemed to be struggling and were about to fall behind by a large margin.

Of course, the Bulls didn't panic. In many previous games, the Bulls had fallen behind by a large margin, from ten to twenty points, but then relied on their deep inner strength to gradually catch up and eventually successfully turn the tide.

Jordan immediately stepped up when facing the onrushing Gan Guoyang, using his breakthrough to attack the basket and try to draw a foul from Gan Guoyang.

After 95, Jordan drove to the basket less and less, and finished with more and more shots.

Jordan was getting old, and knee inflammation also affected him; his breakthroughs no longer had the explosive power of a Black Panther like he did in his 20s.

In today's games, Jordan mostly relies on shooting to complete his offense, and only when he needs to get going will he drive hard to draw fouls.

Gan Guoyang didn't go head-to-head with Jordan, allowing him to score on both defensive plays. He didn't want to waste fouls on Jordan, as the game was still long.

Then, Gan Guoyang received a pass from Mullin on the right baseline and made a mid-range jump shot, bringing the score to 51-41, with the Trail Blazers maintaining a 10-point lead.

With key players like Sabonis and Brelock gradually entering the game, the defensive intensity of both sides reached its peak in the final three minutes of the first half.

The Bulls' full-court press defense began to take effect, with Harper guarding Blaylock from the frontcourt, attempting to disrupt the Trail Blazers' offensive rhythm once again.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis both moved to high positions to receive the ball. Sabonis received the ball and immediately passed it back to Brelock, breaking the defensive shackles back and forth.

As the Bulls moved in, Gan Guoyang set a screen, executing a pick-and-roll from a high position, forcing the Bulls' defense to extend outwards, stretching their formation into a strip extending beyond the three-point line.

Sabonis had already cut to the free-throw line. Gan Guoyang received a pass from Brelock and immediately passed it inside. Sabonis turned to receive the ball, and like a volleyball setter, he didn't even touch the ball, but instead passed it to Riedle, who was cutting from the baseline.

Liddell managed to shake off Jordan—Jordan hadn't anticipated the Trail Blazers would spread out like that.

Riddell received the ball, drove to the basket, and easily dunked it with both hands!

The Trail Blazers' offensive strategy has a resemblance to the Princeton offense of yesteryear.

But it's not entirely Princeton, because the formation used when the attack is launched is not from the Princeton tactics manual.

This is how the Trail Blazers incorporated the Princeton offense into their fluid offense, using seamless teamwork to break through even the tightest defenses.

Jordan immediately responded with a strong mid-range shot, but the Trail Blazers immediately countered with their twin towers supporting from the high post.

The Bulls opted for a collapse this time, and Gan Guoyang received the ball and hit a long-range three-pointer!
Gan Guoyang's exceptionally long shooting range is unmatched by anyone else in the league, and this powerful deterrent gives the Trail Blazers a great deal of tactical flexibility.

Subsequently, Gan Guoyang teamed up with Riddell to double-team Jordan on defense. Jordan then passed the ball to Rodman, who had no offensive ability.

In the end, Rodman could only attempt a long-range shot, which missed completely. Sabonis got the ball, and the Trail Blazers calmly began their half-court offense.

A series of pick-and-rolls at the high post, Brelock drives, passes, Mullin receives the ball, drives again, passes again, and Riddell receives the ball for the third time, drives, and passes.

After a series of drives and passes, the Trail Blazers' formation remained intact, while the Bulls' resilient defensive system began to falter.

Gan Guoyang received a pass from Riedel on the wing and made another shot from mid-range!

At this point, the Bulls' defense was showing signs of collapsing, but with the first half almost over, they didn't give the Trail Blazers a chance to further widen the gap.

The halftime score was 65-51, with the Trail Blazers leading the Bulls by 14 points. The lead would have been even larger if Jordan hadn't hit a buzzer-beating two-pointer at the end of the first half. The Trail Blazers scored 36 points in the quarter, relying heavily on half-court offense rather than fast breaks, but they utterly dismantled the Bulls' formidable defense.

Of course, Pippen's absence was one of the reasons. During the first half, Pippen sat on the sidelines in a suit, watching the game with a serious expression, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Without Pippen, the Bulls' offensive and defensive systems are missing a big piece, but against an offense like the Trail Blazers', would having Pippen make a difference?

During halftime in the Bulls' locker room, Jordan was unusually silent, neither encouraging his teammates nor loudly discussing how to turn the tide.

He just sat there deep in thought, pondering many questions he wouldn't have considered before.

Jerry Krause came to the locker room to try to boost the team's morale, but Jordan made no attempt to hide his disgust.

He got up and walked past Klaus without saying a word, indicating his complete disregard for Klaus.

Krause was in a very awkward position; the Chicago Bulls were now completely out of his control.

Krause originally thought that given the team's current situation, they might consider making some additions to compete with the Trail Blazers.

Seeing Jordan like this, Krause changed his mind and decided to do nothing and let the Bulls continue like this.

"I don't believe you can beat Forrest Gump, Michael Jordan!" Krause thought viciously to himself.
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The halftime break ended quickly, and the Trail Blazers played according to their established plan in the first half.

In the latter part of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers got into the game and their offense became incredibly fluid and unstoppable.

The Trail Blazers' use of "space" has always been unmatched in the league.

Even back in Jack Ramsey's time, they had an excellent understanding and use of space.

Based on Gan Guoyang's shooting ability, the Trail Blazers have maintained a high level of offense for more than a decade.

Even though players have come and gone, with Gan Guoyang on the team, the Trail Blazers' offense will never lack space.

Despite the Bulls' solid defense and precise rotations, gaps still appeared in their wide-spread system.

After the start of the third quarter, the Bulls further increased their intensity, especially by strengthening their immediate counter-attacks and pressuring the ball handler.

The Bulls are very good at directly attacking and pressuring the ball handler in the frontcourt, disrupting the opponent's offensive rhythm and first pass, and interfering with the opponent's offense from the root.

However, unlike the SuperSonics, the Bulls' interior defense rarely extended outwards. Longley and Wennington would firmly occupy the area under the basket, and Jordan, Pippen, and others were also very good at helping defend the interior.

Therefore, the Bulls' defense is typically tight on the outside and inside, with a slightly looser middle.

In the past, when facing such a defense, the Trail Blazers often relied on Gan Guoyang to break through it one by one.

Especially when Gan Guoyang gets into his rhythm, he can sink the Bulls in close-range battles.

Tonight, the Trail Blazers are different. They're going to go all out against you, but I'm just relying on tactics to outmaneuver them.

This demonstrates the Trail Blazers' strong tactical confidence. Facing the Bulls' tense defense, the Trail Blazers' continuous, fast, and stable passing rendered the Bulls' pressing ineffective.

Mullin, who was targeted in the first quarter, completely switched to the C&S route, no longer holding the ball to pass first and second passes, but instead becoming a finisher, providing fixed-point vitality on both wings.

Gan Guoyang and Sabonis set up a high tower in the middle, and the Trail Blazers constantly carried out high and low post screens and passes around them.

This was a rare offensive combination in the NBA at the time; most teams lacked both the necessary equipment and shooting ability, as well as the tactical concept.

While Jordan unleashed his offensive prowess and scored repeatedly, Gan Guoyang integrated into the Trail Blazers' offensive system, gradually overpowering them with the strength of the team.

Two players received the ball at the high post, Blaylock cut to the basket, Gan Guoyang made a direct pass to the basket, and Harper blocked the shot from behind with all his might.

As a result, Sabonis rushed up a bit and scored on the putback.

Still using the double high post, Riddell used a screen to drive through the middle and pass the ball.

Sabonis received the ball, passed it hand-to-hand to Mullin, and Mullin passed it back to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang, the volleyball setter, passed the ball to Brelock, who was crouching in the left corner.

Blake made a three-pointer.

On the defensive end, the Trail Blazers stuck to one-on-one man-to-man defense.

No matter the rotation, no switching, no double-teaming, let Jordan play his way.

I'm not afraid of your Jordan-like scoring spree, because we're confident our offensive efficiency is higher than yours.

Jordan was on fire, driving and shooting from both sides, and repeatedly swarming the ball handler on the defensive end, trying to disrupt the Trail Blazers' offensive rhythm.

But the effect was not obvious; the Trail Blazers' offense was as steady as a mountain, and their ball movement was as smooth as water.

With Jordan scoring 8 consecutive points, the Trail Blazers also scored 9 consecutive points, suppressing the Bulls.

Gan Guoyang did not score; his contributions were all assists and playmaking, while also drawing the defensive attention.

Jordan tried to provoke Gan Guoyang, saying, "Sonny, are you really that spineless? Where is the King of the Third Quarter?"

Gan Guoyang smiled and said, "Michael, I don't even need to lift a finger to beat you up now."

The two teams battled fiercely in the third quarter, but the Bulls were unable to catch up, and the point difference gradually widened.

Every five or six possessions, the Trail Blazers score one more basket than the Bulls.

Halfway through the quarter, the Trail Blazers' lead had widened to 19 points, approaching 20.

In the 1997-1998 season, this point difference was fatal; it was too difficult to catch up.

Phil Jackson paced back and forth on the sidelines, trying to find the key to solving the problem, but he couldn't.

If it were any other team, and their offense was so smooth that they created such a large gap, Jackson would still be confident of turning the game around.

He would call a timeout, give Rodman some tasks, disrupt the game, and regain control of the rhythm.

Or, by increasing the defensive pressure, the opponent is forced to make mistakes, allowing for a series of counterattacks to turn the tide and lead to a decisive battle in the fourth quarter.

But not against the Trail Blazers. Rodman once told Jackson, "I can do anything for the team, guarding Forrest Gump is no problem, but if you ask me to fight him and play tricks, sorry, I won't do it."

"I'm here to work, not to risk my life."

Even though Rodman was dissatisfied with Gan Guoyang, he didn't dare to use dirty tricks against him.

The only way to deal with the Trail Blazers and Forrest Gump is to defeat them head-on and fairly; don't try any underhanded tactics.

But in the current situation, what can be done without resorting to underhanded tactics? Are we just going to wait for the Trail Blazers to fall into disarray?

Jackson kept whistling to remind the players to stay focused, especially on the defensive end.

The Bulls have always been top-notch in forcing turnovers, and coincidentally, Gan Guoyang's team is also top-notch in controlling turnovers.

What makes Gan Guoyang most happy this season is that the team's turnovers have been greatly reduced, and they have finally brought the damn number of turnovers under control.

The Trail Blazers went into a brief blackout, and the Bulls seized the opportunity to score 5 straight points, prompting Bird to call a timeout.

With a 14-point lead and the situation not secure, Bird still substituted in the young Jermaine O'Neal, Ben Wallace, and Kobe.

“We have a 14-point lead, which could be squandered quickly if you’re not careful. But I’m still putting you on the court to withstand the pressure.”

Bird wanted to win, but he also wanted to develop his young players, who needed to play against strong opponents like the Bulls, in high-profile games and crucial moments.

This demonstrates Bird's strong confidence. With only a few minutes left in the third quarter, and the Bulls closing in so closely, he dared to make a large-scale substitution, bringing in his second unit.

Just to be on the safe side, Bird left Gan Guoyang on the court as a stabilizing force, but Gan Guoyang said, "I should rest."

"No, you can't rest, keep playing."

"You've already gone all out with Jermaine and the others, what am I supposed to do?"

"You play position 3, haven't you always been good at it?"

"I weigh 275 pounds, why would I play small forward?"

"For the small forward position, ability matters, not weight. Go for it, you get the highest salary."

"I'm tired."

"No, you're not tired. Show some respect in your Christmas game against Jordan!"

"How do you want me to fight?"

"If you're really tired, just stand there with your hands on your hips on defense and quickly step off the court on offense. Your presence on the court gives the younger players confidence."

Gan Guoyang knew that Bird wanted to use this opportunity to further hone the newcomers.

Bird did this very well; Kobe, Jermaine O'Neal, and Ben Wallace all developed very well under Bird's coaching.

Bird had the confidence and composure to back it up; he wasn't the kind of coach who was obsessed with win records and desperately used his starters to improve his winning percentage.

But Bird didn't want to waste such a great opportunity, so he kept Gan Guoyang on the court to keep the team in check.

Of course, Bird had another motive: he wanted to see how Gan Guoyang would perform at the small forward position.

After all, this kid has moved to the offlane position more than once before to annoy his opponents.

Like the formation of the "Three Highs" in 86, and the outside shooting that crushed the Bulls in 92.

If needed, Bird hopes this will be the Trail Blazers' final trump card and trump card this year.

Even with a huge advantage, you still need to keep a trump card up your sleeve.

After the timeout, Gan Guoyang, Kobe Bryant, Jermaine O'Neal, and others returned to the court.

Once he moved to the small forward position, Gan Guoyang quickly got into character, standing on the perimeter with his hands on his hips watching Jordan drive to the basket.

Jordan scored, but the Trail Blazers quickly inbounded the ball from the backcourt after conceding a point. Porter received the ball and made a long pass from an extremely long distance to the frontcourt.

Gan Guoyang wasn't defending under the basket, so he took off running towards the frontcourt, just like an NFL running back.

At 275 pounds, no one can stop him when he charges, and Porter and he have had a tacit understanding for over a decade, so their passes are incredibly accurate.

Gan Guoyang received the ball and quickly broke down the court. He didn't need to dribble after receiving the ball; he took two steps and suddenly launched himself into a one-handed dunk!
Jordan's two points from his drive to the basket were easily wiped out. After the basket, Gan Guoyang thought to himself, "This is really good."

He suddenly realized that if he got older and couldn't keep up in the paint, losing some weight and focusing on the small forward position might be a good option.

(End of this chapter)