The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 834 You are qualified

time out.

Kobe sat on the bench, panting heavily.

His young and inexperienced face was full of resentment, and his right eye was slightly swollen.

The team doctor handed him ice, which he reluctantly accepted, but he didn't put it on his eyes.

He just got into a fight with Jalen Rose; the two got tangled up during the confrontation.

Kobe was annoyed by Rose's constant pestering, so he shoved Rose, only to be met with Rose's punch.

Despite Kobe's arrogant and disdainful demeanor, he was not a fighter.

He not only took two punches to the face, but his counterattacks also completely missed.

The live broadcast showed everything clearly to viewers across the United States.

Kobe's two punches both landed on thin air, lacking power and accuracy, completely outmaneuvered by Jalen Rose.

Jalen Rose, however, threw a surprise punch that landed squarely on Kobe, leaving him in a very awkward position.

The thought of being beaten in front of an American audience, and failing to land a hit in his own attack, left Kobe feeling very frustrated.

Gan Guoyang came over and handed Kobe a towel, saying, "Either you fight back with your fists, or you fight back with your basketball. Choose one."

Kobe took the towel and said, "I want to fight back."

Gan Guoyang said, "But you've already lost the chance to fight back with your fists, which isn't your forte. Focus on basketball, like Michael."

Gan Guoyang did not encourage Kobe to retaliate, knowing that Kobe was not the kind of kid who was good at fighting.

Jalen Rose, on the other hand, grew up in the slums of Detroit, surrounded by guns, violence, and drugs.

During his student days, he was a loyal fan of the Detroit Pistons and began his basketball career under the influence of the Pistons' violent basketball style.

His father was also an NBA player named Jimmy Walker.

Walker was quite successful in the 60s and 70s, and was selected as an All-Star twice. He was a very capable player.

But like most Black fathers, Jimmy Walker only contributed a seed, contributing nothing to Rose's development beyond basketball talent.

Even after Jalen Rose rose to fame in the basketball world, becoming one of the nationally renowned Michigan Five and being drafted high in the NBA, Walker did not come forward to acknowledge Rose, only exchanging a few phone calls with him.

In this respect, Kobe, whose father was also an NBA player, was much happier than Rose.

So Kobe's ruthlessness is only in basketball; if you really let him fight, his skill level would drop significantly.

Gan Guoyang sees this very clearly; Kobe and Jordan are the same in this respect.

If you can't play, then don't play; learn to respond with basketball.

Kobe remained silent in the face of Gan Guoyang's advice, it's unclear whether he understood what Gan Guoyang meant.

After a brief interruption, the game continued, with Kobe and Rose both being substituted off the court as the coach wanted them to rest and adjust their mindset.

The key players from both teams continued to battle on the court, and tonight was destined to be an intense contest. It seems that it won't be so easy for the Trail Blazers to win easily.

Miller continued to run on the court, drawing the Trail Blazers' defensive attention and creating better opportunities for his teammates.

A shooting guard who is good at positioning has great hidden value on the offensive end, even though his stats may look thin.

Because he's constantly running, his defender has to keep following him, which is very tiring, and other defenders also have to go and assist him.

Moreover, his constant movement back and forth along the baseline and at a 45-degree angle easily creates defensive misalignment and disrupts the defensive formation.

It's quite possible that he didn't even touch the ball during an offensive possession, yet he exhausted the opponent's defense and created offensive space for his teammates.

Therefore, Miller's stats have never been great. As the team's leader, he only averaged 19 points and 2.1 assists per game, which makes him seem like a second or third option.

But only those who have actually watched the Pacers play will understand how important Miller is to the Pacers' offensive system.

Best, who came off the bench, took advantage of Miller's stretching of the Trail Blazers' defensive formation to find an opportunity to drive to the basket and make a layup off the backboard.

Best had tried to break through like this before, but was blocked twice by Gan Guoyang. This time he finally caught the ball. The Pacers played very calmly and tenaciously.

On the Trail Blazers' side, Gan Guoyang didn't lose his composure and try to do everything on his own. It wasn't time yet, so he actively participated in the team's offense to create opportunities for his teammates.

Chris Mullin, who had a mediocre performance in the first quarter, used a screen to receive the ball, drive to the basket, and score a layup.

Mullin then grabbed another offensive rebound, returned to the perimeter, and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang in the low post.

Gan Guoyang received the ball, the Pacers double-teamed him, Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Mullin, Mullin received the ball and made another three-pointer!
Mullin scored 5 points in a row, helping the Trail Blazers establish an advantage, and the Trail Blazers slowly regained momentum.

Reggie Miller was closely guarded by Gan Guoyang, who would constantly sweep the perimeter, leaving the paint open to some extent.

Jermaine O'Neal and Domantas Sabonis protected the rim, and the Pacers capitalized on the opportunity to attack the basket more often.

This is a pure contest of player ability, a Cavaliers showdown in the paint.

When spear and shield collide head-on, whoever is tougher will win, making the competition increasingly fierce.

The Trail Blazers, with their tough interior defense, dominated the Pacers in the paint.

The Davis duo of Dale Davis and Antonio Davis didn't gain much advantage against the Trail Blazers.

The first half ended with the Trail Blazers leading the Pacers 53-50, a 3-point advantage, before the halftime break.

This was probably the most difficult half the Trail Blazers had played this season.

In the previous string of victories, many teams were overwhelmed in the first half, giving up early and surrendering directly.

The Pacers made excellent countermeasures against the Trail Blazers' offense in every aspect.

The Trail Blazers' Flow offense was not smooth, and they fell behind early, forcing Gan Guoyang to step in early to save the day.

The Pacers were unusually patient on offense, perhaps even too patient, which increased their offensive success rate and slowed down the pace of the game.

In the back-and-forth battle of offensive and defensive rhythm, the Pacers coaching staff, who knew the Trail Blazers very well, made thorough preparations, and their rotations and positioning were excellent.

The Trail Blazers' lead at halftime was purely due to their superior overall team strength compared to the Pacers, and their advantage stemming from individual player abilities in certain possessions.

After the halftime break, the two teams resumed play in the third quarter, and the Trail Blazers showed something new in the first possession.

Gan Guoyang and Brellock set a screen at the top of the arc. After cutting to the outside, Gan Guoyang received the ball and pretended to shoot, but Brellock made a direct pass to the basket.

Sabonis receives the ball and easily dunks it, connecting the twin towers!

The Trail Blazers started pulling out all the stops, determined to win this game.

The Pacers responded immediately. After several passes, Mario Elie got an opportunity in the right corner and hit a three-pointer from the zero-degree angle!

A crucial three-pointer from the old Trail Blazers; if this shot misses, the Trail Blazers will launch a counterattack and widen the score gap.

The shot went in, narrowing the gap to 2 points and putting pressure on the Trail Blazers.

In the 1996 NBA draft, Allie was traded to the Pacers along with Davis in exchange for a draft pick.

The Trail Blazers didn't want to trade Allie because he was too important at the small forward position; his defense and three-point shooting were always crucial.

If they had kept him, the Trail Blazers wouldn't have lost to the Jazz in the Western Conference Finals in the 1996-1997 season.

But there was no way around it; the Pacers knew how important Ellie was and insisted on including her in the trade.

Finally, Allie joined the Pacers and became an important piece of their puzzle.

The Trail Blazers then completed a twin-tower combination on offense, with Sabonis and Gan Guoyang employing a classic high-low post tactic.

Sabonis quickly lobbed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who caught it very close to the basket, which was essentially giving away a point.

He turned and easily scored two points with a hook shot.

In previous games, the Trail Blazers were able to defeat their opponents simply by relying on smooth outside play.

Starting tonight, they've been frequently using the twin-tower tactic centered around Gan Guoyang, clearly indicating they're getting serious.

The two sides were locked in a stalemate for several minutes on both offense and defense, with the Trail Blazers maintaining a 4-5 point lead throughout.

The turning point came during the Trail Blazers' first substitution, when Bird brought Kobe in place of Riddell.

Kobe leaped from the bench like an arrow, took off his jacket, and went onto the court.

Seeing this, Adelman also substituted Jalen Rose to match up against Kobe.

Adelman was quite cautious; such targeted substitutions are usually only used in the playoffs.

Kobe was still fuming about not getting revenge for the punch he received in the first half, and his eyes were filled with anger.

As soon as he entered the game, Kobe took the ball, used a double screen, drove to the basket and scored a layup, drawing a foul from Schmitz.

Kobe made the free throw, completing a three-point play.

The Pacers missed a three-pointer, Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and passed it to Kobe.

He could tell that Kobe had a strong offensive drive, and he was willing to give Kobe a chance.

It was another high pick-and-roll, with Gan Guoyang setting the ball for Kobe himself. Gan Guoyang's screens were exceptionally solid.

Kobe shook off Jalen Rose's defense, drove to the basket, pulled up near the free-throw line, and launched a jump shot that went in!
Kobe scored 5 consecutive points, helping the Trail Blazers widen the gap, prompting the Pacers to call a timeout.

But the timeout couldn't stop Kobe's scoring urge; the guy got hot.

Mario Elie missed a three-pointer, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

The Pacers had a chance on that play, but Ellie didn't capitalize.

The Trail Blazers had a chance to counterattack. Kobe ran to the right corner, and Gan Guoyang delivered a bounce pass to Kobe.

Kobe received the ball, aimed, and fired a three-pointer, which went in.

Jalen Rose tried his best to contest the shot, but Kobe still managed to sink the game-winning three-pointer.

Kobe scored 8 consecutive points, helping the Trail Blazers widen the gap.

In the third quarter, the Trail Blazers picked up the pace, and the Pacers seemed to be struggling to keep up.

After scoring, Kobe made a blowing gesture towards Jalen Rose.

He's on fire right now and needs to cool down the smoking muzzle.

In the subsequent game, the Trail Blazers gradually extended their lead to more than 10 points.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers led by as many as 15 points. NBC commentators remarked, "Portland and the Pacers were neck and neck in the first half, but in the third quarter, they pulled away and widened the gap. A 41-game winning streak is within their grasp."

Once the Trail Blazers take a lead of 15 points or more, it becomes virtually impossible for their opponents to come back from behind.

Bird breathed a sigh of relief. He thought the first half would be tough, but Kobe suddenly stepped up and exploded in the third quarter, helping the Trail Blazers establish an advantage.

Kobe scored 14 points in the third quarter, and neither Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Mark Jackson, nor Best could defend him effectively.

This guy has undoubtedly entered his territory. He can score no matter how he shoots, and his teammates support him, providing him with a constant stream of ammunition.

But Kobe didn't seem satisfied with such revenge.

In the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers could have continued playing methodically and crushed the Pacers, achieving the incredible feat of a 41-game winning streak.

However, Kobe, who was the Trail Blazers' savior in the third quarter, made a mistake after coming off the bench in the fourth quarter.

He first made a blind shot during an offensive decision, failing to get a chance to back down Jalen Rose, and missed the jump shot, allowing the Pacers to grab the rebound.

Then, during a defensive play, he elbowed Jalen Rose, which was caught by the referee and resulted in a technical foul.

Reggie Miller went to the free-throw line and made the free throw.

Miller hadn't scored in a while, and this free throw gave him a chance to regain his shooting touch.

Immediately afterwards, Miller used a screen and movement to receive the ball at a 45-degree angle on the right side and made a three-pointer!

They scored 4 consecutive points, reducing the gap between the two sides from 14 points to 10 points, and the Pacers saw hope of turning the tide.

Adelman then made a very bold decision – to substitute Dale Davis and play a lineup with one big man and four small men.

The "one big, four small" strategy was very rare in the 80s and 90s, but the Trail Blazers used it a lot back then, and they used it the best.

Adelman knew that using one big and four small units effectively could create miracles. Anyway, he was going all out tonight. If not now, when?
The Trail Blazers' interior defense remained dominant, and Gan Guoyang immediately scored two points. However, Kobe fouled Miller while chasing him down, and Miller took a three-pointer, resulting in three free throws for the referee!
A reckless foul led to Miller making all three free throws, bringing the score difference back to 9 points. The Trail Blazers' challenge has begun.

Gan Guoyang maintained his position under the basket. At this point, the Trail Blazers had a significant advantage in the paint. He received the ball, turned, and made a layup.

But the Pacers spread out with one big man and four small men, and the Princeton offense started running. Schmitz drove to the basket and then passed the ball to Elie in the corner for a three-pointer, which went in again!
Both teams were scoring, but the Trail Blazers were scoring two points while the Pacers were scoring three. They were closing the gap by one point on each possession, and the score difference was slowly narrowing.

This simple logic of "three points is one point more than two points" was a major weapon that allowed the Trail Blazers to dominate the league. They were the first team to develop the three-pointer extensively.

Adelman and the Pacers' coaching staff certainly understood this. The point difference had reached 8 points, and Bird called a timeout.

During the timeout, he harshly criticized Kobe, saying that Kobe's lack of composure on both ends of the court caused the Trail Blazers to lose momentum and be caught up by the Pacers.

Kobe didn't say anything, he just drank water silently. He is indeed a double-edged sword now, hurting others and himself.

With Kobe substituted out, Bird stopped holding back and brought in Jermaine O'Neal, preparing for a three-man lineup, and moved Gan Guoyang to the small forward position, aiming to dominate the Pacers.

However, Gan Guoyang stopped Bird, saying, "Larry, I think I should stay at the number five position."

Bird asked, "Why?"

“I always felt… it was a trap. Rick couldn’t be unaware that I was going to go for a three-guard lineup, and if we focused all our attention on three-pointers, our interior defense would be in trouble.”

Bird respected Gan Guoyang's opinions most of the time.

But when it comes to rotating players on the field, as the head coach, he still needs to maintain his authority.

He thought for a moment and said, "Your idea makes some sense, but we should still do as I ask."

Gan Guoyang looked up at the time; there were still four minutes left in the fourth quarter.

The Trail Blazers lead the Pacers 91-83, an 8-point advantage.

How many more pauses are there?

"Two more."

"Remember to call a timeout if things aren't going well, Larry."

"I know, have some confidence, okay!"

"I have confidence in myself, but I have little confidence in your arrangements."

After Gan Guoyang said that, Bird began to have some doubts. Was there really a problem with his rotation?
Judging from tonight's performance, Bird was indeed somewhat suppressed by Adelman, after all, Adelman was more focused on the opponent than on him.

The timeout ended and the match resumed, proving Gan Guoyang's hunch to be correct.

Although the Pacers couldn't defend against the powerful inside offense of the three big men, they used the space to keep attacking the Trail Blazers' basket from the back door, instead of continuing to throw up three-pointers as Bird had expected.

Three-pointers are inherently unreliable; attacking the basket is the most reliable approach.

The Trail Blazers' most reliable rim protector was pulled to the perimeter, and Jermaine O'Neal is still quite inexperienced.

He was fouled by Mark Jackson and scored a three-pointer, and then Schmitz scored a turnaround jumper after being mismatched.

The Pacers displayed extremely high offensive efficiency in the final stages, while the Trail Blazers seemed to lose focus on one aspect while trying to cover the other.

With two minutes remaining, the score was 95-90, and the Pacers were only down by 5 points.

Bird used another timeout, hoping that Gan Guoyang would return to the center position.

Gan Guoyang said, "We've already fallen into their rhythm. If I go back to center, they'll just keep shooting threes. Listen to me, don't make any random adjustments. I'll handle the game."

Bird, who was always proud and arrogant, had nothing to say at this moment; he had to listen to Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang asked Dick Hart to set up the defense, and then asked Rick Carlisle to design a serving strategy after the timeout.

The timeout ended quickly, and Gan Guoyang took the throw-in. The atmosphere in the stadium was tense; every round and every goal would determine life or death.

Gan Guoyang made a bold lob pass to the inside, past Davis, past Schmitz, and past Sabonis, and passed it to Riddell who was attacking the basket!

Riddell leaped high, caught the ball, and slammed it home with an alley-oop dunk!
This tactical design was very bold. The Pacers were on high alert against the twin towers, but unexpectedly, Riddell drove into the basket.

Gan Guoyang's pass was both skillful and daring, giving the Trail Blazers 2 points, but the Pacers immediately responded with their own inside game.

Reggie Miller received the ball, drove to the basket, and made a floater. This guy's offensive touch is on point; you never know if he'll go for a three-pointer or a two-pointer.

"I'm going to crush you tonight, just you wait, Sonny," Miller yelled at Gan Guoyang as he went inside.

Gan Guoyang remained silent, then made a strong drive on offense, drawing a foul from Schmitz.

Before the free throws even started, the Trail Blazers had possession of the ball. Gan Guoyang received the ball and drove hard to the basket, but the Pacers double-teamed him.

The ball was passed to Jermaine O'Neal, who dunked. Schmitz fouled again, and O'Neal went to the free-throw line.

As a result, a nervous Jermaine O'Neal missed both free throws! The Pacers had their chance!

Mark Jackson grabbed the rebound and quickly advanced the ball, creating an opportunity for Reggie Miller in the right corner.

He knew he had to act quickly before Forrest Gump took his position, or he would have no chance in positional warfare.

Mark Jackson passed the ball to Miller, who immediately shot! A three-pointer!
The ball traced a beautiful arc and went in!
The entire Indianapolis stadium exploded.

In front of the television, the fans were even more jubilant.

97-95, the Pacers are only down by 2 points!

They had a chance to make a game-winning shot and defeat the Trail Blazers, ending their 40-game winning streak!

But the Trail Blazers didn't call a timeout, and for the first time, the players on the court sensed the approaching doom.

Just like wildebeests on the grasslands tremble when they smell lions and crocodiles.

They haven't lost in so long that they've almost forgotten what it feels like to lose, which is a quality that every NBA player must possess.

The Pacers applied full-court press defense, passed the ball to Sabonis, who almost committed a turnover, and finally passed it to Gan Guoyang.

Only Gan Guoyang remained calm and composed, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as the Pacers attempted to encircle him.

Gan Guoyang didn't pass the ball; instead, he used a behind-the-back dribble to create distance and dribbled from the wing towards the middle.

He widened the distance between himself and the defender again, and then pulled up for a three-pointer from the top of the arc!
No one can interfere with him except himself; his own hesitation and fear will affect him.

But did he have such emotions? No, he was completely calm.

The ball, as cold as if it were only minus thirty degrees Celsius, passed through the net, causing the temperature of the entire court to drop even lower.

With the score at 100:95, the Trail Blazers returned to a safe zone, and the arena suddenly became much quieter.

The Pacers called a timeout. Adelman had planned everything perfectly, but he hadn't overlooked Forrest Gump's abilities.

The problem is, even if you figure it out, what can you do about it?

With less than a minute remaining, the Pacers still had a chance to pull off a miracle.

After the timeout, Reggie Miller used extensive movement to try and catch the ball for a three-pointer.

When Gan Guoyang tried to stop him, he pushed Gan Guoyang away forcefully!
Unable to push it away, he fell to the ground, and the referee blew his whistle, calling it Gan Guoyang's obstruction.

Gan Guoyang, unusually, roared at the referee, "He pushed me! He pushed me, he didn't push me, how did I commit a foul?"

The referee could see that Gan Guoyang, like an enraged lion, was also terrified, but the referee did not change the ruling.

The Pacers still had the ball, and they still looked for Miller, who received the ball at the left 45-degree angle and took a three-point shot!
The moment he released the ball, Gan Guoyang blocked it from the side, his fingers lightly brushing against the ball.

The basketball flew halfway before landing, and both sides scrambled for it, while time was running out.

In the final scramble for the ball, Sabonis and Mark Jackson engaged in a contest that ended in a foregone conclusion.

The Trail Blazers won possession of the ball, forcing the Pacers to foul and send the Trail Blazers players to the free-throw line.

102-95, the Pacers still haven't given up, and Miller finally found an opportunity to hit a three-pointer!
102:98, their tenacity kept the Trail Blazers from relaxing for even a moment.

Gan Guoyang made both free throws very steadily, and then on defense, he used a pressing interception to force the Pacers to lose the ball and commit a turnover.

This completely extinguished the Pacers' hopes of a comeback, setting the score at 102-98, with the Trail Blazers narrowly defeating the Pacers.

Halfway through the season, undefeated!

The moment the buzzer sounded, Miller came over and shook hands with Gan Guoyang.

Miller congratulated Gan Guoyang on this great achievement, while reminding him, "If you don't win the championship, you'll be in big trouble."

Gan Guoyang said, "Try to beat Michael, and you'll have a chance to win a game in the Finals."

Gan Guoyang's first hope in the Finals was that his opponent wouldn't be the Bulls, but the Pacers, because they deserved it.

(End of this chapter)