The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 350 - 85: Team Player

In fact, in the pivotal game, Ramsay had already made a lot of adjustments and changes. The inside-out distribution system centered on Ah Gan’s offense was the result of Ramsay’s innovations this season.

Gan Guoyang scored 40 points in the paint, with Thompson and Walton fulfilling their roles in assisting, screening, and distributing the ball, easing the pressure on the Trail Blazers’ guard line. Many opportunities emerged for the perimeter players.

But sometimes sports competitions are about luck, and the Trail Blazers had their worst three-point shooting performance of the series. In the end, even Gan Guoyang stepped on the line for a three-pointer, with luck siding with the Rockets.

Bill Fitch knew that when Lady Luck favors you, you must seize the opportunity, or else victory could easily slip away.

The sixth game was the best chance to capitalize on morale and crush the Trail Blazers to advance to the NBA Finals, so Fitch was extremely cautious.

Seeing that the start wasn’t too good, Fitch called a timeout. He reminded the players to maintain pressure on the guard line and not to give the Trail Blazers any chances.

Olajuwon and Sampson sat together, having performed quite well in these three games. Defensively unified, they launched the most ruthless siege on Gan Guoyang.

Even so, all it did was slightly lower his shooting percentage, with the cost being a rib contusion for Olajuwon and a minor gluteal strain for Sampson, both playing through injuries.

Therefore, they couldn’t afford a Game 7; the Twin Towers might not hold up under the strain.

Fitch patted their shoulders and said, "Just like before, take good care of Mr. Gan, and embrace the host’s duty."

Both were full of confidence; they weren’t afraid of confrontations. Every match against the Trail Blazers was a wrestling match in the paint.

This kind of man-to-man battle was thrilling; true warriors dare to carve a bloody path inside the paint.

After the timeout, the game resumed, and the Trail Blazers players huddled on the sideline, discussing something.

It wasn’t until the referee signaled for the game to continue that they dispersed, with Gan Guoyang still facing off against Sampson on defense.

Sampson’s series average dropped to 15 points, Olajuwon to 20 points, the two of them together barely matched Gan Guoyang’s average.

On the sideline inbound, Sampson caught the ball at the top of the arc. Fitch had basically given up on having him launch attacks from the low post; that would be just a waste of time.

Sampson acted as a facilitator from the high post, receiving the ball at mid-range, responsible for drawing Gan Guoyang’s defense away, which surprisingly worked quite effectively.

If Gan Guoyang went to defend Olajuwon, the ball would go to Sampson, allowing him to attack the basket.

It was a way of avoiding Gan Guoyang’s strong defense—I’d rather nullify one of my Twin Towers than confront Ah Gan’s formidable defense.

A high-low pass to Olajuwon in the post, and facing Walton’s defense, Olajuwon used his footwork to create space. Finding his feint ineffective, he took a fadeaway jumper.

Walton defended it well, but the shot had a high arc and eventually swished through the net. The ball was in!

5:8, Olajuwon started off with a good offensive feel.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post on offense. As soon as he caught it, Olajuwon immediately doubled him.

But Gan shook off Sampson with a baseline move, throwing a hook shot that rendered Olajuwon’s double-team futile.

The shot went in quite easily, showing that Gan was getting more accustomed to their double-teams.

You do your double-team; I play my game; I’m not afraid of confrontation.

Fitch realized that the Twin Towers’ clamping force on Ah Gan was dwindling; they really had to tighten up.

Reed’s perimeter shot didn’t hit the mark. The Trail Blazers countered but they slowed down the pace.

Porter moved the ball across half-court swiftly with the use of a screen, passed it to Walton at the high post.

Suddenly, Gan made a backdoor cut to the basket. Walton lobbed the ball to the inside to Gan, who faked Sampson out with a move, then went for a layup drawing a foul on him.

Sampson miscalculated, thinking Gan would move to an outer low post outside the three-second area, but Gan turned and went under the basket, where Walton found the opportunity.

Now the Rockets faced a dilemma—with Walton handling the ball on the perimeter, Olajuwon couldn’t drop back to the paint.

Although Walton didn’t have three-point ability, according to the illegal defense rule, if your man is above the free-throw line, you must also be above the free-throw line.

Unable to sink back, Olajuwon gave Gan an opportunity for a backdoor play, resulting in Sampson’s foul and free throws.

This was an old Trail Blazers routine, one that Walton and the Trail Blazers’ guards used to play with great precision.

Gan made both free throws, with the Trail Blazers continuing to cling to the score. Their defense was a very basic half-court man-to-man.

They weren’t desperately ramping up the intensity, not acting as if it were a do-or-die battle against the Rockets.

On the contrary, they seemed relaxed, but Fitch and the Rockets players knew this was just a facade of the Trail Blazers being lax on the outside but tight on the inside.

Gan went to the basket, Walton moved to the high post to face off against Sampson, and Gan started to guard Olajuwon.

Sampson decided to go one on one, attacking from the high post with the ball and shooting, but the shot was a bit hasty, following the strategy but rushed. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Gan grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Rockets attempted an immediate steal, but Gan passed the ball to Walton. Walton raised the ball high for a pass to Drexler.

Drexler crossed half-court quickly, foiling the Rockets’ aggressive defense—last round the Rockets forced the Lakers into 92 turnovers in five games, averaging 18 per game.

Walton continued operating at the high post, with Gan Guoyang and Vandeweghe executing a cross-screen on the wing before Drexler cut from the baseline to draw the defense.

Suddenly, Gan Guoyang dashed under the basket, spreading his arms to seal off Sampson. Walton made the pass, and Gan Guoyang caught the ball, turned around pressuring Sampson, and easily made the hook shot.

Although Sampson was much taller, Gan Guoyang had the advantage in strength, completely overpowering Sampson, and with such proximity to the hoop, there was practically no way to defend against him.

As Olajuwon prepared to inbound the ball, Sampson exchanged a glance with him, both recognizing that Ah Gan was playing very differently that evening; his scoring was exceptionally savvy.

They were psychologically prepared for a do-or-die battle tonight, even thinking that if they got into a fight and were killed by Ah Gan, or tackled to the ground, it would be worth it.

But the Trail Blazers’ offense and defense at the start made them feel as if they were hitting cotton. You want to be aggressive, but Gan Guoyang doesn’t even give you the chance.

Once the Rockets lack defensive counterattacks, on-the-spot regain, and offensive rebounds, their offense becomes lackluster.

McGrady took the ball and raised his right hand to signal a play, Gan Guoyang mocked, "Raise your right hand for a Olajuwon solo, raise your left hand for a Sampson solo, right?"

The Rockets players said nothing, and with Sampson holding the ball at the high post, the play truly did go to Olajuwon at the left low post, from where he took a turnaround fadeaway shot.

Against Gan Guoyang’s defense, Olajuwon didn’t make the shot. Gan Guoyang turned around, secured the defensive rebound, and again he didn’t go to the post but instead set a cross-screen with Vandeweghe on the wing.

This time Gan Guoyang didn’t cut to the basket but instead ran to the left corner. Walton passed the ball again to Gan Guoyang, who took a long two-point shot, and made it!

11:8, the Trail Blazers were now up by 3 points. The problem for the Rockets wasn’t their offense, their set offense was designed to be straightforward without much flair.

The problem was defense. Gan Guoyang used a few clever plays to avoid the entanglement of the Twin Towers.

I’ve run to the wing to set a screen, and I’m cutting out, you Twin Towers can’t possibly run to the corner to trap me, right?

Gan Guoyang and the Twin Towers had battled furiously for three games, exhausting themselves, and he suddenly discovered, if you avoid me on offense, then I’ll simply avoid you too.

In the first quarter, Gan Guoyang’s tactical plays repeatedly succeeded; he naturally had the skills of a small forward, set effective screens, and his stamina was explosive, constantly circling the half-court and making the Twin Towers dizzy. The synergy of their prior double-teams dissipated.

At the same time, Terry Porter did an excellent job fulfilling his role as point guard, with no turnovers in the first quarter. Although some moments were dicey, his strong physique and guard’s savvy kept the ball safe.

He also made two shots, a three-pointer, and a two-pointer. His screening plays with Gan Guoyang on the wing were quite effective.

The Rockets’ offense looked as though it had been gutted, completely lacking the explosive energy and passion of the third and fourth games.

There was no option; morale desperately needed a boost from defense, but their attempts at pressing, double-teaming, and risky steals all failed in the first quarter.

Apart from Porter’s performance, Walton’s start was also crucial, as was Drexler, who played much better once he had the support of his teammates without having to bear the pressure alone.

At the end of the first quarter, the Trail Blazers were leading 28:17, an 11-point lead over the Rockets.

The 28 points might not seem much, but that’s because the Trail Blazers played a slow-paced game with few possessions, almost every offensive play was completed around 20 seconds.

Patience in passing, various screens, all neutralized the Rockets’ aggression and fierceness.

As the second quarter began, Olajuwon tried to trash-talk Gan Guoyang on the court to provoke him.

"You’ve been running all over, just running. What, don’t you have the guts to wrestle with us anymore?"

Gan Guoyang just smiled and said, "Hakeem, you want to try trash-talking? Forget it, man. You standing there are like trash, no need to talk."

Olajuwon wasn’t very adept at trash-talking, and Gan Guoyang’s response left his face stripped of its composure and ease.

Gan Guoyang continued to seamlessly integrate himself into Walton’s core Trail Blazers old-school pass-and-cut system, a system that hadn’t been forgotten; in fact, they often practiced it.

He reduced his positioning in fixed spots, knowing that whenever he settled in one place, the Twin Towers would have a strategy. They had studied the tapes.

So, he gave up those fixed positions and started receiving the ball further outside for shots, and cutting directly to the basket for attacks.

It’s very difficult for a team to suddenly change their play style in a series, luckily, the Trail Blazers had originally played that way, just that during this season they had gradually been led in another direction by Gan Guoyang.

But this didn’t mean all the past had to be abandoned. On the contrary, looking back revealed plenty of valuable elements, and if these could be combined, they could compensate for weaknesses and unleash maximum impact.

In the second quarter, Gan Guoyang continued to score. Free from confrontations and entanglements tonight, he was shooting incredibly well, and Walton’s passes and distribution were so comfortable. He repeatedly received the ball at the 45-degree angle and scored.

When Sampson attempted to come over to help defend against Gan Guoyang, Walton suddenly erupted at the high post, broke through to the rim, and slammed down a one-handed dunk!

42:25, halfway through the second quarter, the Trail Blazers had widened the gap to 17 points. Fitch called for a long timeout, arms crossed, with the word "frustrated" written all over his face.

Gan Guoyang patted Olajuwon on the backside and said, "I told you, I’m a team player, I play very sensibly."

That team player had scored 16 points in a half, with an impressively high shooting percentage, 7 out of 9, plus two free throws.

Most of his points came from catch-and-shoot opportunities, or cut-to-the-basket and feast-on-a-pass plays, with just one post-up play.

Any breakthroughs and hard-driving plays were handed over to Porter and Drexler for the night, which made the easy scores go to Ah Gan, and he felt fantastic.

Ramsay was slowly grasping how to use the new-style backcourt players, and he also began to use Gan Guoyang to draw away the defense, allowing others to avoid Hakeem and Sampson.

The old coach was just slow to learn because of his age, and with Adelman as an assistant coach, they should have played this way since the fourth game.