The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 822 Shake
At the end of the third quarter, the point difference between the two sides remained at 15 points.

Jordan returned to the bench with a somber expression. He couldn't help but yell at his teammates, criticizing their terrible defense.

The Bulls players remained silent. No one dared to talk back to Jordan's accusations. After Horace Grant left the team and the Bulls won three championships, no one on the team dared to disobey Jordan.

But everyone knows in their hearts, is it really that the players' defense was bad?

That's not true at all. Jordan himself was scored on by Ridley and Kobe in a row.

A former Timberwolves cancer, a notorious latecomer, and a second-year rookie, repeatedly scored against Jordan. Was it because Jordan's defense was bad?

Jordan's defense was certainly solid, but the Trail Blazers used clever screens, wide-space movement, and the playmaking and defensive presence of their big men to create many easier scoring opportunities for the perimeter.

The Bulls were already missing Pippen, and Jordan was struggling to cover the perimeter defensively.

Phil Jackson recognized Chris Mullin's importance to the Trail Blazers before the game started and tried his best to contain Mullin.

However, as the game progressed, Jackson realized that it wasn't Mullin who carried the Trail Blazers' offense, but rather that Mullin utilized the Trail Blazers' system to realize his value.

Locking down Mullin won't work. Mullin can disappear, and Isaiah Riddle can step in. If Riddle can't keep up, Kobe can step up.

The Bulls couldn't stop the Trail Blazers' offensive system at its source. The Forrest Gump and Domantas Sabonis duo, once the "socialist towers," were the Bulls' nightmare.

They are more mature, more in sync, and more unsolvable than they were in the early 90s.

Sabonis' four years in Spain not only allowed him to recover physically and mentally, but also improved his football skills.

This season, Sabonis is averaging 19.5 points, 7 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.8 blocks per game.

While his stats still aren't those of a superstar center, his points and assists have reached career highs with the Trail Blazers, and his blocks are the most since the 1990 season.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Sabonis replaced Gan Guoyang and partnered with O'Neal in the paint to lead the Trail Blazers' second unit offense.

In the final quarter, Larry Bird still trusted Sabonis more than Ben Wallace, and they needed to withstand the Bulls' final comeback.

Right from the start, Sabonis faced Longley's defense at the right corner and made a mid-range jump shot.

In the third quarter, Lang Li was knocked out of bounds by Gan Guoyang and landed on his buttocks, fracturing his tailbone. After being checked in the locker room, he was found to be unharmed and returned to the court.

Lang Li is considered a heavy center in the league, standing at 2.18 meters tall and weighing over 260 pounds, but he still couldn't withstand Gan Guoyang's brutal collisions.

However, Langley immediately responded on offense with a mid-range jump shot after receiving the ball from Sabonis.

The Trail Blazers' defense lacked depth, and with the triangle offense involving three passes and two setters, Longley quickly found himself with a shot opportunity at the top of the key.

But the Bulls can't turn the tide with Longley's mid-range game, and the Trail Blazers aren't afraid of Longley's shots.

Both teams wasted two more offensive opportunities – entering the fourth quarter, both teams' stamina and shooting percentage were declining.

Jordan and Gan Guoyang were both resting on the bench. Gan Guoyang experienced the fun of playing defense with his hands on his hips at the end of the third quarter.

He realized that if he continued playing like this, it wouldn't be a big problem for him to surpass Wilt Chamberlain's average playing time.

Wilt Chamberlain once set a remarkable record of 48.5 minutes per game in the 1961-1962 season.

His average playing time is longer than the full 48 minutes of a game because he plays every game, including overtime.

Even when he retired at the age of 35, he was still able to play an average of 43 minutes per game.

The NBA is now more intense and physically demanding, making Gan Guoyang a top-tier physical freak.

His playing time has been reduced to 38 minutes this season, giving more playing time to younger players and preparing them for the playoffs.

The Bulls watched as their second unit failed to effectively narrow the gap; the Trail Blazers couldn't score, and neither could the Bulls.

Once the Bulls scored, the Trail Blazers immediately responded. With their advantage in the paint, the Trail Blazers controlled the rebounds very well.

Dennis Rodman didn't gain much of an advantage against players like Forrest Gump, Sabonis, or O'Neal.

This is also a point of criticism against Rodman: his rebounding ability drops drastically when playing high-level games or in the playoffs.

For example, last season, Rodman and Gan Guoyang competed for the top spot in rebounds during the regular season, with Rodman averaging 16.1 rebounds per game, but this dropped to 8.4 rebounds per game in the playoffs.

This isn't just shrinking, it's diving.

Especially in the Finals against Karl Malone, they didn't gain any advantage on the boards.

The players who truly gave their all on the rebounds in the 97 NBA Finals were Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

Pippen led the team in rebounds with 8.3, Jordan averaged 7 rebounds per game and had three games with double-digit rebounds, while Rodman only had two.

Jordan and Pippen could out-rebound the Jazz's short backcourt duo, but you think you can compete with the Trail Blazers on rebounds? Are you kidding me?

In the 91 and 92 NBA Finals, the Bulls suffered a major setback on rebounds, which rendered their "crash-and-put-back" strategy largely ineffective.

Many second-chance opportunities were eliminated, leaving them with no choice but to go head-to-head with the Trail Blazers, ultimately resulting in repeated defeats.

This season, let alone the playoffs and finals, the Trail Blazers absolutely dominated on the boards in this Christmas Day game.

In the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers used rebounding to stall for time, missing their shots and then slowly building up the rebounds.

With time running out as the game dragged on, Jackson had no choice but to call a timeout and bring Jordan back into the game.

According to the original rotation plan, Jordan should have returned to the court with about 7 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

But not now. There are still more than 8 minutes left in the game, and Jordan has to go on, or he'll miss his chance.

Bird immediately substituted Gan Guoyang, who asked Bird with lingering enthusiasm, "Can I still play the small forward position?"

"Get to the paint and protect the rebounds," Bird snapped. Had this guy gotten a taste of success by standing with his hands on his hips?
Both teams fielded their key players, entering the final showdown, or rather, the Bulls' last struggle.

The Trail Blazers maintained dominance throughout the game, and they've done the same in all their previous games this season.

None of them were coming from behind, but the Trail Blazers must be careful against the defending champions.

The Bulls were indeed playing with a do-or-die attitude, and the entire United Center in Chicago was filled with deafening cheers.

Fans held up signs that read "27-1," hoping to end the Trail Blazers' winning streak here.

Jordan immediately drew a foul from Sabonis on his drive and went to the free-throw line, making both shots.

At this point, Jordan had already scored 28 points, and his individual offense was in no problem tonight.

During the Trail Blazers' possession, Blake dribbled the ball across half-court without being pressured by Harper.

The Bulls changed their defensive strategy, abandoning frontcourt defense because it was ineffective.

Instead, they used a swamp defense to lure the Trail Blazers' ball handler into their territory.

The Bulls' defenders all closely guarded the ball handler, allowing him to drive but not shoot, no matter who had the ball on the outside. They then used quick rotations and collapses to swarm him near the three-second zone.

The Bulls players created a swamp around the paint, with their forwards, guards, and center forming a dense defensive zone.

Anyone who enters this area with the ball may appear to be close to the basket, but in reality, they are in a crowd of players and will be blocked, have the ball stolen, or be bumped by Bulls players.

This move is a desperate defensive tactic employed by the Bulls in crucial moments. In particular, many teams and players have fallen victim to the Bulls' quagmire in critical situations.

The Bulls used this tactic again, with Blaylock choosing to drive through the middle, but the short player was immediately surrounded by taller players.

The ball was passed out, and Gan Guoyang, positioned high up, quickly passed it to Kobe on the other side—Kobe was still on the court.

Kobe chose to drive to the basket from the baseline, and he did have a chance, but after Jordan let him in, his layup was interfered with and he missed.

Kobe believed the Bulls player had fouled and was gesturing at the referee, arguing with his hands outstretched. Gan Guoyang yelled, "Stop fucking gesturing and get back on defense!"

The Bulls launched a fast break, and trailing, they needed to score quickly. Jordan received the ball, drove to the basket, and made a layup with a crossover.

He also drew a foul from Sabonis and made the free throw, allowing the Bulls to close the gap to 5 points thanks to Jordan.

Bird called a timeout to adjust, and when the game returned, the Trail Blazers used a small triangle play on the perimeter to pass the ball to Gan Guoyang at the 45-degree angle.

The Bulls immediately double-teamed, and Gan Guoyang passed the ball back to Sabonis in the middle. Sabonis tapped the ball and broke through in the middle, and the Bulls' defense collapsed again.

Sabonis calmly passed the ball to Brelock on the right corner, Brelock then passed it to Mullin on the right, Mullin passed it again, and the ball circled back to Gan Guoyang on the left.

Gan Guoyang was already prepared beyond the three-point line, and upon receiving the ball, he immediately fired a shot!
The ball was released with three seconds left in the 24-second countdown, and it went in perfectly!

This basket caused the Bulls' defensive momentum to falter.

They have perfected their defense: collapsing, double-teaming, spreading out, and covering – every move is excellent.

However, the Trail Blazers have much more offensive space than other teams, and Forrest Gump's threat is so great that it makes it even more difficult for the Bulls to create a swamp.

In this single possession, the Bulls were constantly being pulled back and forth by the ball during rotations and help defenses, leaving them exhausted from running around, and in the end, Gan Guoyang even managed to make the shot.

On the offensive end, Jordan still had to deal with Kobe's defensive entanglement, but by then Jordan was already in top form and couldn't care less about that.

Regardless of the difference in team strength or tactical gaps, he's determined to get the ball into the basket.

Facing the Trail Blazers' double-team, he first passed the ball to the outside, then turned and cut inside, received a pass from Kukoc, and attacked Gan Guoyang head-on!
In this head-to-head matchup between two of the greatest players in NBA history, Gan Guoyang prevented Jordan from scoring again, using a perfect aerial block to force Jordan to miss his layup.

After landing, Gan Guoyang pushed aside Rodman, who was trying to grab the rebound, and secured the ball.

The Bulls tried to steal the ball back on the spot, but the energetic Gan Guoyang certainly wouldn't give them that chance.

After dribbling the ball across half-court to stabilize the situation, Gan Guoyang came to the low post to attack hard in the half-court offense. As soon as he received the ball, the Bulls players swarmed him like wasps.

Amidst the crowd, Gan Guoyang protected the ball, found an opening to step on, jumped, and launched a small hook shot. The ball bounced on the rim and slid out.

He rose again, made a putback, and tipped the ball into the basket!
In crucial moments, Gan Guoyang remains a nightmare for the Bulls' interior defense.

Rodman, frustrated by being blocked by Gan Guoyang in two rebound attempts, slammed the ball against the basket.

No matter how much Rodman studied the landing point and positioning, or how exceptional his talent was in rebounding.

When it comes to high-intensity combat, the shortcomings of static talent become apparent.

No matter how smart or cunning you are, if you're standing, no one can reach your arm as high as you can, and you just can't get under the basket.

Gan Guoyang's height isn't outstanding for a center, but he's still better than you at 201cm, not to mention his excellent wingspan and strong hands.

Rodman could only rage helplessly. When it came to the offensive end, Jordan's consecutive turnaround jump shots missed off the backboard.

Rodman tried to grab the rebound, but Gan Guoyang blocked him again. Gan Guoyang didn't try to grab it and gave the rebound to Sabonis.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, and Rodman got angry and shoved Gan Guoyang from behind.

Gan Guoyang didn't stand on ceremony with Rodman. Before the referee could blow the whistle, he turned around and shoved Rodman back three steps, causing him to fall to the ground with a thud.

The fans in the stadium immediately became excited, and a commotion erupted, with some shouting, "Kill Forrest Gump!"

Rodman, having already gone this far, decided to go all the way and fight Forrest Gump to get him ejected.

However, when Rodman scrambled to his feet and saw Gan Guoyang brandishing his fist the size of a clay pot, his intelligence once again prevailed.

Forget it, think about Shaq, think about Thomas, why bother?

It's not worth it. We've been beaten before, and we can't repeat the same mistakes.

So, Rodman, who had just been so aggressive, turned and walked away, causing his teammate who tried to intervene to trip and fall. That feint was really clever.

Rodman received a foul, and Gan Guoyang received a technical foul.

Jordan made the free throw, helping the Bulls close the gap a bit.

Jackson actually hopes for more of these kinds of conflicts, otherwise it's really too difficult to fight.

But aside from Rodman, who else dares to even slightly provoke him?
Should we let Jordan play? Jordan wouldn't do that.

Although Jordan was extremely competitive and unafraid of conflict, he would not resort to underhanded tactics to win.

While it's not to say Jordan was completely incapable of hurdling, flopping, elbowing, malicious shoving, and diving under the basket—he might use these tactics sometimes when he was in a moment of rage—it was generally rare.

More often than not, Jordan was the one who was fouled maliciously, and he suffered a lot of physical blows in the matchup against the Detroit Pistons.

Faced with these setbacks, Jordan and Gan Guoyang took two different paths.

Gan Guoyang rose up in resistance, retaliating in kind, just like many of China's predecessors.

Jordan is more like Gandhi, responding in a non-violent way, using basketball as a method.

The two men's methods of resistance were not superior or inferior; they simply suited their personalities and circumstances.

In the ensuing defensive play, Jordan successfully stole the ball from Kobe.

But Kobe didn't give up and turned to chase after him. The two grappled and fell to the ground in midfield.

The referee called a jump ball, and Jordan started trash-talking Kobe.

If Jordan had stolen the ball and launched a counterattack, the situation would have been different.

Kobe ignored him, and the two fought for the ball, with Kobe jumping faster.

But Jordan was more composed and had better power, so he passed the ball to Harper for a set offense.

Jordan dribbled the ball and, like a Cavaliers player, launched another attack on the Trail Blazers' interior.

Jordan challenged Gan Guoyang again, and this time he shook off Gan Guoyang's defense and made a layup!

Gan Guoyang quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline, and the Trail Blazers quickly pushed forward into the frontcourt, where Kobe Bryant had the ball.

"Give me the damn ball!" Gan Guoyang shouted.

He saw that Kobe was still dawdling there, as if he wanted to take the shot himself.

At this moment, the passion of the "Gan-Qiao battle" flowed back into Gan Guoyang's mind.

Forget about fluid offense, to hell with it! At times like these, it's up to me to crush Jordan!
Kobe passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who immediately turned and got past Rodman.

He drove from the sideline towards the basket, avoiding the double team on the top line, and rushed into the three-second zone with his left hand.

Facing Lang Li's help defense, Gan Guoyang pushed past the big center in mid-air and forced a layup to score!

The valiant attack not only scored but also drew a foul from Langley, resulting in an additional penalty!

Jordan looked up at the video replay on the big screen, his sweat-drenched face full of helplessness.

Gan Guoyang chewed gum with a serious expression, stepped up to the free throw line, and made the extra free throw.

The atmosphere on the field suddenly became tense, and people seemed to see the scene of the fierce battle between Gan and Joe.

The Trail Blazers maintain a double-digit lead, and time is running out for the Bulls.

There are three minutes left in the game.

Jordan dribbled the ball quickly across half-court; he knew time was running out.

They didn't wait for their teammates to fall behind, and they didn't execute any triangle offense.

He pulled up at a 45-degree angle on the left and fired a three-pointer that went in!

After scoring, Jordan immediately began a full-court press.

Together with Harper, they surrounded Blaylock, who then passed the ball to Kobe.

Jordan immediately chased back to Kobe, and the Trail Blazers' backcourt faced the Bulls' relentless pressure.

Sabonis and Gan Guoyang both came over to provide support, but Rodman kept a close eye on Gan Guoyang.

Kobe passed the ball to Mullin, who was then pressured by Kukoc and Jordan—Jordan was practically everywhere.

Mullin lost the ball, Jordan intercepted it, and in the ensuing fierce scramble, the referee did not call a foul.

Jordan drove into the paint, using a series of crossovers to get past his defender, and then scored a layup over Kobe's defense.

Gan Guoyang leaped up from behind to block the shot, Jordan switched hands in mid-air, and made a difficult reverse layup!

Jordan used his signature move; the ball bounced off the backboard and missed.

Gan Guoyang's interference ability is still too strong. He jumps twice, taps the ball, jumps again, and taps it again!

Rodman and Kukoc tried to grab the rebound, but Gan Guoyang controlled the ball firmly like a seal pouncing on a ball.

A crucial defensive play; if Jordan had scored that basket, things would have been in serious trouble.

Gan Guoyang, having secured the rebound, was about to start his run, and Jordan had no choice but to foul him.

The high-pressing play in the frontcourt and the final layup attempt fell short, and the final crossover layup was just a hair's breadth away.

"Damn it," Jordan cursed inwardly. If it weren't for Forrest interfering from behind, that shot would definitely have gone in.

Jordan had to admit that he had indeed aged and was slower and more sluggish than when he was younger.

Although Forrest Gump is also slow and old, centers have an advantage in terms of physical attributes on the defensive end.

The Trail Blazers made substitutions, replacing Chris Mullin, who had a poor performance tonight, with veteran Porter Jr., using a three-guard lineup to ensure ball possession.

The challenge of inbounding the ball was left to Gan Guoyang. He kept his eyes on Porter, but passed the ball to Kobe with a fake pass.

Kobe dribbled quickly across half-court and wisely passed the ball to Sabonis at the top of the key, forcing the Bulls to contest it.

With his excellent vision and tall stature, Sabonis flicked his wrist and passed the ball to Porter, who was cutting to the basket.

Porter didn't go for a layup. Instead, he dribbled out, circled around the Bulls players, and then made a stealthy pass to Gan Guoyang on the other side.

On the left baseline, in Gan Guoyang's sweet spot, the one guarding Gan Guoyang was none other than Jordan, who had switched onto Gan Guoyang after repeated rotations.

The Bulls' defensive formation was already in disarray, and Jordan had no choice but to come up to meet him. Gan Guoyang took a tentative step, then pulled up and shot.

Jordan leaped high to try and block the shot, stretching his arms and fingers to their limit, feeling as if he was about to touch the ball in Gan Guoyang's hands.

But Gan Guoyang leaned back slightly in the air and released the ball before Jordan's hand touched it.

With a high arc, the ball spun rapidly and landed in the net with a stable trajectory.

This shot put the score back up to more than 10 points, with less than two minutes remaining in the game.

With Jordan double-teamed and passing to Kerr, Kerr missed a three-pointer, and Gan Guoyang regained control of the rebound, the Bulls lost their hope of a comeback.

The Trail Blazers ran out of their 24-second shot clock, and Jordan, not forgetting to make a final, determined layup, scored two points, his words filled with his frustration.

The intense battle between Forrest Gump and Jordan in the final five minutes was fleeting, and only fleeting.

Gone are the bloody battles of the past, gone are the adrenaline-pumping clashes.

It's not because the two players are old—their hearts have never grown old—but because this year's Trail Blazers are just too strong.

The Bulls played very well tonight, and every player performed well even without Pippen.

However, they were still completely dominated by the Trail Blazers from start to finish, never taking the lead for even a single minute throughout the entire game.

This is 1997, not 1987. This is not the Chicago Bulls team that was useless except for Jordan.

This is the Bulls team that, even without Pippen, could still rank among the top teams in the Eastern Conference, win three championships, and once achieved 72 wins.

Jordan, however, felt as if time had rewound 10 years, no, it was even worse than 10 years ago.

Ten years ago, Forrest Gump would at least have a good fight with him, and the two would go on a killing spree, fighting until the sky darkened.

Now? Forrest Gump only showed his fangs one last time before disappearing into the dark player tunnel with his teammates, carrying the victory.

The score was 110-97, with the Trail Blazers easily scoring 110 points against the Bulls.

Fans left the United Center disappointed on Christmas Eve, perhaps even more disappointed that they saw no hope of beating the Trail Blazers.

Jordan still managed to score 41 points, but it was to no avail; he couldn't stop the Trail Blazers' relentless offensive onslaught.

On the way back to the locker room, Pippen followed behind Jordan, saying that he would return in two weeks.

Jordan supported Pippen's "farce" and also thought Krause had gone too far.

During Pippen's absence, Jordan worked diligently, single-handedly carrying the team without any complaints.

But at this moment, facing the damage Pippen's absence caused to the team, and the fact that Pippen's absence made the team much weaker than the Trail Blazers, Jordan couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks:

What's the point of your comeback? Can you handle Forrest Gump?

Pippen blushed, and after a moment of silence, said, "I...I will try my best. You know I have been trying my best."

"I fucking told you a long time ago to sign a short-term contract, a short-term contract, but you never listen to me!"

Jordan knew it all stemmed from that terrible, low-priced contract. He had tried to persuade Pippen before, but Pippen wouldn't listen.

Everything we have today is the result of that contract that was the seed that was planted back then.

Pippen didn't expect Jordan to bring up something so far in the past; he knew Jordan must be furious about losing the game.

"You must be crazy, Michael! This happened so long ago. We should be thinking about the future, not dwelling on the past!"

The two had already reached the locker room, and they were still ignoring Jerry Krause; they had now completely broken off all pretense of civility.

Pippen pulled Jordan aside and said, "Michael, maybe we should leave here together. I feel like throwing up just looking at Jerry Krause's face."

Pippen continued talking about the future, while Jordan looked Pippen up and down, as if to say, "Are you serious?"

Pippen's eyes showed that he was serious; whether it was for money or for a championship, Chicago was no longer worth staying for.

"We should be thinking about the present. No matter what, we're going to go all the way this season, no matter how strong Forrest is or how many wins we get."

Jordan spoke to Pippen in a firm tone. Pippen didn't say anything more, but knowing Jordan as he did, he saw a hint of wavering in Jordan's eyes.

Yes, who wouldn't be swayed by a team like the Portland Trail Blazers?

(End of this chapter)