The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 358 - 93: Powerful Opponent
The Trail Blazers didn’t have a good start, and aside from Gan Guoyang’s poor shooting touch, their backcourt was being pressured by the Celtics.
This was a major issue the Trail Blazers had encountered in the Western Conference Finals, and clearly KC Jones had made thorough preparations.
During video analysis in the locker room before the game, Jones repeatedly emphasized that the defensive focus should be on the weakest part of the Trail Blazers: the backcourt.
Houston had failed, but their three wins undoubtedly provided the Celtics with a good sample. Suppressing Ah Gan’s backcourt was the Achilles’ heel for Portland, an exercise in futility.
After all, Gan Guoyang was a center; even though he could dribble the ball himself to launch a counterattack and initiate offense from outside, his most threatening aspect was still his low-post game.
He wanted to receive the ball in the low post to attack the basket, and the outside pass was indispensable. Terry Porter and Drexler were both talented but inexperienced guards; the tough and cunning defense of Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge were likely to give them trouble.
Ramsay didn’t call a timeout. He had anticipated this situation before the match and believed his players could resolve the issue on their own.
Indeed, trailing 0:6, Gan Guoyang didn’t rush to the low post to forcibly demand the ball; instead, he moved up to set a pick for Porter, leaving the low post open for Mychal Thompson.
Porter passed the ball to Thompson, and Thompson, back to the basket, muscled his way against Kevin McHale in the low post—a reliable veteran for sure on the Finals stage.
"Thompson gets the ball—McHale’s defense is solid. Thompson has no shooting opportunity; he passes the ball out, Ah Gan sends it back in. Thompson turns and squeezes past McHale... McHale has fouled Thompson during the shot."
Thompson’s turn wasn’t quick, but it was decisive. He used his body to push past McHale from the baseline and looked for body contact while shooting, drawing the foul from McHale.
Both free throws were good, with the Trail Blazers’ first points in the Finals coming from Mychal Thompson.
Thompson’s steady free throws firmed up the morale of the Trail Blazers and somewhat dampened the Celtics’ momentum.
In the following five minutes, Mychal Thompson became the main offensive target for the Trail Blazers, hitting 2 out of 3 shots and making all four free throws, scoring 8 points.
In the tug-of-war of offense and defense, McHale fell short, making him somewhat impatient; subsequently, he took an ill-advised long shot in the offense.
The shot missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound. The Trail Blazers didn’t rush the counterattack but instead slowed down, crossing half-court to set up their offense patiently.
This was the Trail Blazers’ strategy: to slow down the rhythm of the game and not get entangled in a high-speed shootout with the Celtics.
Nevertheless, the Celtics still had the upper hand in the backcourt and resolutely refused to double-team Thompson. KC Jones knew that relying on Thompson alone wouldn’t defeat the Celtics.
Gan Guoyang once again tried to get the ball in the low post, this time choosing the 45-degree angle on the outside. He received the ball shallowly to avoid traps and turnovers and then proceeded with a Sigma Step facing the basket, suddenly breaking left. Following a slick spin move, he got past Robert Parish cleanly.
He took a big step under the basket, where he faced McHale’s defense and dunked the ball single-handedly into the hoop!
McHale avoided the contact; he was already carrying a personal foul and a second one would mean resting on the bench.
The Trail Blazers’ bench waved their towels, and the decibel level in the Boston Garden Arena dropped slightly.
Gan Guoyang made his first field goal of the Finals.
At that moment, in the distant San Francisco, it was still afternoon Pacific Time.
At Gan Guoyang’s alma mater, Beiqiao High School, the principal had organized all students to watch the Finals live broadcast in school.
Gan Guoyang’s dunk sent the entire school into a frenzy, desks in classrooms rattling thunderously under the students’ excited hands.
However, a beautiful spin dunk doesn’t add an extra point, and the Trail Blazers were still being suppressed by the Celtics on the scoreboard.
The Celtics had a solid offensive start, even without fast breaks; their set plays were still top-notch.
They had excellent offensive coordination; their ball handling was the least in the league, their ball release the quickest, and they boasted the league’s most unpredictable passers, all of which severely tested the Trail Blazers’ defense.
"Danny Ainge takes a shot from outside—it doesn’t go in. Bird grabs the offensive rebound... Behind-the-back pass from Bird! Parish makes the layup! Bird’s pass, just beautiful! The score is 10:18, the difference still 8 points, the Trail Blazers call a timeout."
Ainge’s long-range attempt didn’t connect, and the ball bounced far off, eluding the Trail Blazers’ players. Bird cut in sharply to snatch the rebound.
When he got the ball, his back was to the hoop; then, out of nowhere, he made a behind-the-head pass straight to Robert Parish in the key.
Trail Blazers players had focused on Bird, who had the ball on the strong side, and left Parish uncovered under the basket, resulting in an easy layup by the ’Chieftain’.
This play wasn’t about tactics; it relied on Bird’s supreme passing instinct and the Celtics players’ unspoken chemistry.
Ramsay felt the team needed to adjust their defense, so he called the first timeout of the game, and the entire arena applauded Bird’s brilliant pass.
Ramsay knew exactly what remedy to apply to the situation on the court. He substituted the well-performing Thompson, whose task was temporarily done, for Bill Walton. Walton went in to play center, Gan Guoyang moved to the power forward position to face McHale.
"Cut their passing lanes—they’re passing too easily, without enough pressure. Ah Gan, you talked big before the game, saying you’re the MVP, I want to see more of you in defense," Ramsay said, squeezing Gan Guoyang’s shoulder, reminding him to contribute more defensively.
Gan Guoyang nodded. He was slowly getting into the game, while observing and contemplating the Celtics’ weaknesses.
The Finals were a struggle for every possession, both sides putting forth their utmost effort, and every offensive and defensive play was a test of strength and wits.
Gan Guoyang was patient. He knew the Celtics were strong—very strong—but this team had its weaknesses, and he was waiting for those weaknesses to be exposed.
This required some time, a patient and tenacious wait; otherwise, you’d be taken down before the opponent’s weaknesses emerged, leaving no opportunity.
NBA playoff series often boil down to a contest of endurance and patience. You may play some spectacular rounds, even win a game or two, but to clinch four victories requires much more.
The timeout ended, and back on the court, the Trail Blazers players huddled together, once again rallying behind Gan Guoyang’s spirit for the game.
"We’re behind now, but we need to keep biting at the score. The third quarter will be the decisive moment. We need to continue slowing down the pace of the game, keep waiting, wait until they tire, wait until their set plays can’t easily score. That’s when our chance comes! We must hold on, don’t let their speed and intimidation throw us off. We are the best team!"
With a unanimous resolve, the players delved back into the game.
Gan Guoyang’s words were like a calming pill for everyone, as the greatest pressures in a game come from the score and the unknown.
Falling behind in score, and not knowing how the situation would unfold, could worsen a player’s performance.
At such times, if someone stands up and tells you it’s okay, just hold on now, we will turn things around later, the players’ mindset improves greatly.
Actually, even Gan Guoyang himself didn’t know what his performance in the third quarter would be like. Although he was dubbed the "King of the Third," in the NBA Finals, nobody could be one hundred percent certain that when a certain period arrived, they could play exactly as they wished. Gan Guoyang had his share of poorer third quarter performances during regular and postseason games.
But he had the confidence to say words that would reassure everyone, bearing the true unease all by himself.
After the timeout, the game continued, and Gan Guoyang came out to set a high screen for Drexler, who made a fast break to the basket and gently lobbed the ball in with his right hand.
Every time he faced the Celtics, Drexler’s performance was always outstanding and crucial because, although the Celtic’s backcourt was cunning and experienced, they lacked athleticism.
In the Western Conference Finals against the Rockets, Drexler’s mistakes were frequent due to the Rockets’ strong, fast backcourt and his old college teammate Olajuwon on the inside. But in the Finals, he suddenly found that he was the fastest and the jumpiest one.
Then, on defense, Dennis Johnson attempted to break through the middle, but Gan Guoyang suddenly stepped up to swipe the ball away, stealing it from Johnson.
After the steal, he dribbled and broke through all the way, passing the ball to Vandeweghe at the baseline, who caught it and hit the jump shot, helping the Trail Blazers catch up by 4 points.
14:18, the gap in the score gradually narrowed.
Facing Gan Guoyang, McHale could not attack effectively due to a back-to-the-basket position; the disparity in strength was too great.
He tried a face-up breakthrough instead, but his hook shot was blocked by Gan Guoyang and missed.
Parish grabbed the offensive rebound, attempted a hook shot, but it was again disturbed by Gan Guoyang and still did not go in.
The scramble under the basket was chaotic, but Walton finally got control of the ball and passed it to Porter, who took the ball and slowly pushed forward.
If it had been the Lakers, or the Celtics, they would definitely launch a fast break.
But the Trail Blazers did not; they believed in their set offense and refused to quicken the pace.
Walton received the ball in the low post, Drexler cut to the basket, received the ball for a layup but was blocked by McHale and missed.
Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound, dribbled out, and passed to the cutting Vandeweghe, but Vandeweghe’s layup still didn’t go in.
This time it was Parish who defended the shot, and the ball was knocked out again.
The Celtics’ interior defense wasn’t as ferocious as the Rockets, with blocks raining down one after another.
But the rim protection by Parish and McHale was very reliable; scoring an easy layup was not easy at all.
The ball was still in Gan Guoyang’s hands; he took a step back as Dennis Johnson and Danny Ainge came at him together.
Gan Guoyang immediately passed the ball to Terry Porter on the baseline, Porter took a three-point shot!
A great opportunity to close the score, but unfortunately, it didn’t hit, and Larry Bird grabbed the defensive rebound.
The Celtics went on to execute another fast break, Bird’s long pass cutting through half-court, Dennis Johnson catching the ball and scoring the layup!
14:20, the gap in the score returned to 6 points, and this margin lasted until the end of the first quarter.
Porter, who missed the crucial three-pointer, was quite disheartened. During the break after the first quarter, he apologized to Gan Guoyang.
Gan Guoyang patted Porter’s shoulder and said, "Be patient with yourself, if there’s a chance later don’t be afraid to shoot, if it doesn’t go in, it’s on me."
Gan Guoyang and Porter had both played the entire first quarter. The Trail Blazers were behind the Celtics by 6 points at 22:28, with both teams playing fiercely and physical confrontation intensifying.
The Trail Blazers displayed their strategic intent, which was to slow down the pace, and they executed some tactical plays. However, the final shot always seemed hard to make.
It wasn’t just a matter of touch and mentality; where the Celtics were more mature and astute than the Rockets was precisely here—they had good control over the last line of defense.
The Rockets’ first and second lines of defense were very successful, creating a strong sense of pressure, but once tactically breached, their final stand often failed, allowing the Trail Blazers players to successfully finish.
On the other hand, the Celtics’ defense was evidently more resilient; they might let you into the paint, their pressure might not be as strong, but scoring in the end wouldn’t be that easy.
Their defense was skillful, continuous, and never easily shaken, never revealing a significant flaw; there was always someone in front of you, always a hand.
If we were to compare blocking abilities, by the numbers, the Celtics averaged only 0.5 fewer blocks per game than the Houston Rockets and the blocks weren’t concentrated on just the Twin Towers, but spread across the entire team.
With five All-Star players, just in terms of individual capabilities, they were a very strong combination.
The second quarter began, with Marques Johnson replacing Larry Bird, bringing the same caliber of offense and defense to the Celtics bench as a starter would.
The real test was about to begin for the Trail Blazers.
