The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 369 - 102: A Pure White World

On the night of June 10, 1986, the Memorial Coliseum was packed inside and out, as the entire Portland, even all of Oregon’s nightlife came to a halt, with everyone’s attention focused on Game 5 of the finals.

According to statistics from the Nielsen Company, the fifth game of the finals reached an astonishing 97% viewership rate in Oregon, surpassing the 95% viewership record of the 1977 finals Game 6.

Gan Guoyang, the king of viewership ratings, had once again added a gem to his crown.

The history of Memorial Coliseum predates the Trail Blazers by a long margin and has witnessed many a societal extravaganza.

In 1965, the globally renowned Beatles came to America to preach rock and roll, holding two concerts in August at the Memorial Coliseum, affectionately known as the ’Glass Palace’.

John Lennon kissed the ground of Portland upon disembarking from the plane, and both concerts were sold out, with the famous 1960s American poet, author of "Howl," Allen Ginsberg, being one of the attendees.

After the concerts, he wrote the poem "Portland Sports Arena," which read:

"A million children, a thousand worlds, all leaping from their chairs, embracing those next to them with reckless abandon, pressing their thighs in excitement. Here it comes again, those screams and applause, we fuse into one beast in this great theater of the new world..."

Tonight’s scene at Memorial Coliseum was just like the one depicted in the poem, with people cheering and jumping for joy, rooting for the Trail Blazers before the game even started.

The crowd kept screaming and shouting, with waves of people coming one after the other; regardless of the outcome of the game, their revelry would never cease.

As the game approached, both teams had finished warming up, and Gan Guoyang spent most of his time sitting on the bench from the opening ceremony to the players’ official entrance.

He hung his head, breathed steadily, calming his heart amidst the tumultuous, fervent Glass Palace.

The cheers of the home fans always gave him strength, but tonight was different; that bit of strength was not enough to win the game.

He needed to perform better.

The Celtics were strong, especially after finishing the fourth game, Gan Guoyang could understand Jack Ramsay’s concerns.

Terry Porter and Drexler had not fully matured yet, with Porter visibly out of steam in the fourth game.

He could handle Danny Ainge, but facing the Johnsons, the young Porter was simply overwhelmed and couldn’t hold his ground.

In terms of experience, physical fitness, and court skills, the Johnsons were beyond Porter’s reach for the time being.

Drexler found it tough enough to handle one, and it was even more chaotic when he sometimes had to face Bird.

At certain moments in the game, Gan Guoyang himself felt a sense of despair, sensing that the Celtics’ new lineup was getting better and more difficult to defend.

The good news was that out of respect for tradition and hierarchy within the team, the Celtics only fielded this stellar lineup starting from the fourth game.

This lineup had certain issues with cohesion and understanding, with Bird, Dennis Johnson, and Ainge having a higher degree of synergy.

Marques Johnson seemed slightly detached from the Celtics system, especially in his overlap in function with Bird.

With Marques on the court, Bird did not play as comfortably as he did with Ainge around, sometimes Marques would usurp Bird’s role.

His origins from Los Angeles and his past as a member of the Bucks (who eliminated the Celtics in 1983) posed challenges for him in integrating with the Celtics.

It was not until they faced the predicament of being down 1:2 that KC Jones relied on Marques again, and Larry Bird no longer minded having his role usurped, as they cooperated to win the critical battle.

But whether they could continue to work seamlessly in Game 5 like they did in the fourth, with all three performing well, was yet to be seen.

Gan Guoyang knew the key to winning tonight’s game was not dependent on how well the Celtics played, but on the performance of the Trail Blazers and himself.

To hope for victory, one must focus on oneself, and to rely on the opponent’s poor performance and inability to play at their best is self-deception.

He attempted to rid himself of all distractions, blocking out the noise and clamor. Starting from this morning, he had refused all calls, avoiding communication with any reporter, friend, or classmate.

Wang Fuxi understood Gan Guoyang’s mood and helped turn down all the care and interview requests, driving him personally to the Memorial Coliseum. Now, she sat anxiously waiting for the game to start in a seat behind the bench, alongside Beelman, Fitz, and others.

She remembered the spring of 1984, in Seattle, during the NCAA finals, feeling just as tense as she did at the moment.

The meaningful Shui Zhong Team cap that she lost that day was knocked off by the crowd, but she managed to get another one and wore it today to the game.

She had asked Gan Guoyang what it felt like to make the game-winning shot that day.

Frowning in thought for a while, he answered, "It’s like... it’s like entering a serene, pure white world."

"A pure white world? Like a snowy field?"

"No, not a snowy field, but rather a kind... I don’t know how to describe it, like being on a thin plateau. It’s not a color, it’s just a kind of feeling."

Wang Fuxi, having played basketball and been a member of a women’s team, was far from Gan Guoyang’s level.

She could not understand what kind of feeling that pure white world he talked about was.

Now, with the game about to start, the noise in Memorial Coliseum had reached an irritating level.

Wang Fuxi looked at Gan Guoyang sitting on the bench, his broad back as tranquil as a mountain; she thought of the solidity and security he provided when they were together.

Wang Fuxi grew up in an environment that wasn’t exactly stable, with a father who was engaged in secretive work and a cold, eccentric nurse for a mother. She often wondered how such two people came together to have her, they didn’t match at all.

Inglewood was one of the most chaotic areas of Los Angeles, with various violent crimes being common, and Wang Fuxi had witnessed passerby being robbed and killed on the street, haunting her dreams for a long time.

After being with Ah Gan, Wang Fuxi’s heart had been like placed in a safe, never taken out to be weather-beaten again, and her originally somewhat impatient temperament had become nurtured to be gentle and calm.

At this moment, Wang Fuxi suddenly understood somewhat what "a pure white world" meant; it must be a kind of confidence, a state of providing everyone with a sense of security.

After the opening ceremony, the players from both teams made their entrance, with Gan Guoyang being the last to enter, which brought the decibels in the sports arena to their peak.

"The Portland Trail Blazers changed their starting lineup tonight, with Bill Walton replacing Vandeweghe, and Jack Ramsay set up a ’three-tower’ formation, which is often used during decisive moments of the game. It looks like the Trail Blazers are going all out from the start tonight!"

Bill Schonely began his passionate commentary; the do-or-die battle was finally about to begin.

The Celtics’ starting lineup was still the ’five-star’ lineup, and KC Jones had tasted success with it, indeed a formidable force.

Gan Guoyang faced Parrish at center court for the jump ball, Parrish furrowing his brow and wearing a pained expression—he had been tormented by Gan Guoyang for four games.

In those four games, it was only the last one where he scored in double figures, getting 15 points because Gan Guoyang had to divert his attention to dealing with Marques Johnson.

At the jump ball, Gan Guoyang touched the ball first amidst the cheers of over ten thousand spectators, and the two teams officially began their battle.

Terry Porter took the ball up the court to organize the offense, passing it to Gan Guoyang as soon as they crossed half-court, then Porter cut inside.

Gan Guoyang then passed the ball back to Walton at the top of the arc, or he could pass to Drexler, which was a basic move for the ’three-tower’ formation.

Next, Gan Guoyang could either position himself in the low post or set a pick-and-roll with Thompson. The latter was difficult against the Celtics because they had a tall frontcourt.

Gan Guoyang chose the low post, and Larry Bird was waiting in the paint, ready to double-team as soon as Gan Guoyang got the ball.

Marques Johnson was on the weak side, which significantly increased the difficulty of scoring for Porter and Drexler.

Walton pondered his next move when suddenly Gan Guoyang shouted, "Pass me the ball, don’t hesitate!"

Walton immediately lofted a precise pass to Gan Guoyang. Bird went for the double team, but Gan Guoyang caught the ball and immediately turned around for a jump shot without even looking at his defender.

At 22, Gan Guoyang’s legs were full of spring, and his heel pivot was incredibly swift. Parrish, already worn down over four games, couldn’t keep up with Gan’s spin. The shot was made, swishing through the net, a score.

The arena erupted in enthusiastic cheers, but the Celtics were in no mood to savor this shot, nor did they realize what it signified.

Parrish simply went to the baseline to inbound the ball quickly to Bird, who immediately sped up, throwing a long pass to Marques Johnson who had already charged past the midcourt line.

The Trail Blazers quickly fell back on defense, and the Celtics’ ball movement was also swift; Marques passed to Dennis, then to McHale under the basket.

After a few pivots to shake Thompson, McHale took a right-handed hook shot that scored the two points.

McHale’s performance in the finals had also been mediocre. Last year, he averaged 26 points in the finals, but this time his average had plummeted to 17 points per game.

This was a cliff-like drop, as he had maintained an average of over 25 points and high efficiency during the regular season and Eastern playoffs.

But up against Mychal Thompson and Gan Guoyang, his dominance in the post was greatly diminished, forcing KC Jones to shift the offensive focus towards the backcourt.

The Trail Blazers remained unhurried; Porter slowly dribbled past half-court, with Gan Guoyang back-posting in the same position, legitimately immune to double-teaming until he received the ball.

Walton passed to Gan Guoyang again, and with the same spin move, he took the shot, not even changing direction but going baseline to avoid Bird’s double-team, the ball going in once more.

The second shot was anything but fancy, with no elaborate tactics, but the Celtics continued to quickly inbound the ball, and this time their fast break was disrupted.

The ’three-tower’ defense in the paint was very tight. Dennis Johnson opted for an outside shot that missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound.

The Trail Blazers didn’t rush the counterattack either. Gan Guoyang posted up low for the third time, this turn on the right side. Porter made the pass.

Taking the ball, he went baseline again. This time, Parrish jumped early, but Gan didn’t shoot, instead using a fake to get past Parrish and slammed a one-handed dunk!

Bird and McHale gave up defending; attempting to block at that moment would have only resulted in free throws.

Bird had an uneasy feeling and, after passing the ball to Dennis Johnson, said, "Pass it to me."

Bird posted up against Gan Guoyang; he knew he had to respond.

Dennis passed the ball to Bird, but Gan Guoyang suddenly made a stealing move, and Bird stumbled without touching the ball.

The ball was intercepted by Gan Guoyang, and Bird looked to the referee in protest, believing he had been fouled, but the referee didn’t blow the whistle.

This was one of the benefits of playing at home; at the onset of the finals, referees were unlikely to call fouls on the home team’s star player too readily, as a foul on Gan Guoyang would have a significant impact on the rest of the game.

Moreover, the play was relatively clean, borderline, the referee gave them the benefit of the doubt, and with the steal, Gan Guoyang long-passed to Drexler.

Drexler took to the air in a glide, scoring with a fast-break dunk!

2:8, the Trail Blazers had a good start.

The Celtics called for a timeout, with Bird still debating with the referee.

If the foul on Gan Guoyang had been called, the situation would have been completely different.

Dennis came over to pull on Bird, "Hey, let’s keep playing, this is Portland."

Dennis Johnson sensed that Bird was getting anxious, lacking his usual composure.

"That should have been a foul, that kid... can’t let him play like that!"

Back on the sidelines, Bird was still hung up on that no-call, which seemed somewhat abnormal.

However, the Celtics players would soon realize that Bird wasn’t being abnormal; he was just too keen, sensing danger.