The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1832 - 71: My Suns

In the fifth game, Bobby Berman finally unleashed his gambler's instinct.

He changed the team's starting lineup, placing Ilgauskas on the bench.

Cliff Robinson started at the power forward position, moving Tim Duncan to center.

This was a more offensively inclined lineup, a last-ditch effort by the Celtics.

Previously, Beelman was a master of gambling, with his unique style when it came to betting money.

Initially, he was always very cautious. For example, when entering with ten thousand US Dollars, he would carefully probe at different venues, using his experience and calculation ability to gradually build his bankroll.

If he kept winning or had little more wins than losses, Beelman could continue playing cautiously, slowly snowballing and ultimately accumulating small victories into a substantial win, making a steady profit.

However, once luck turned for the worse and the bankroll dwindled to or below ten thousand US Dollars, Beelman would not choose to cut his losses and leave. Instead, he would find a way to play a big hand.

He would go all-in with ten thousand US Dollars on one project, aiming for double or multiple returns.

At this moment, his gambling nature would be fully exposed; to put it bluntly, he was losing his head.

And often, the result was losing everything, with only occasional lucky moments of double or multiple returns.

This was a flaw in Beelman's character and his inherent contradiction.

Only under the protection of Ah Gan, this flaw could instead become an advantage.

Because, unlike gambling, when you place all your bets on Gan, you manage to win instead.

And win big.

In the fifth battle, Beelman played his final card: an all-out offensive lineup.

It blatantly declared to the opponents, we're going all out, no more playing it safe.

Tonight, the Celtics are the enemies of the world; it's unknown if they are ready to face this challenge.

On the Trail Blazers' side, everything was normal, with the starting lineup featuring Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, Little O'Neal, Kobe, and Brellock.

This lineup had been stable since the playoffs began, regardless of the opponent, the Trail Blazers played the same way.

Gan Guoyang could switch freely between the small forward, power forward, and center positions, and occasionally control the ball as a point guard.

Rick Carlisle had given Gan Guoyang the highest degree of freedom; he was an undisputed free player on the court.

Seeing the Celtics opt for an all-out lineup, Gan Guoyang realized that Beelman was going all in.

Gan Guoyang thought little of it, knowing that being aggressive was the right approach. If you go all out, I will too; at this point, there's no room for hesitation.

At midcourt, Duncan jumped faster than Sabonis, giving the Celtics possession to start the highly anticipated fifth game.

On the sidelines, Gan Guoyang's former coach, now a commentator for the TV station, Jack Ramsey, was partnered with his prized student, Bill Walton, to cover this special match.

"The Celtics having Cliff Robinson start shows clearly that Bobby has decided to go all out."

"I see it, Bobby is gambling. He truly is a great coach; he's achieved everything but always seeks to prove himself."

Compared to their retirement over a decade ago, both appeared much older, though they looked spirited. Being invited back to Portland for live commentary, both were excited.

It could be said that tonight, both inside and outside the arena, was filled with people from Gan Guoyang's past. Even the opponent's head coach and starting forward were once close comrades.

The Celtics began their offense fiercely; Duncan scored the first basket in a one-on-one with Sabonis, showcasing his refined skills and shooting touch under the basket with consecutive spin moves followed by a small hook shot.

Throughout the finals, Duncan had actually been getting better with each game.

Despite the Celtics losing the last game, it wasn't due to combat errors; Duncan's performance was impeccable.

He had gradually overcome the fear of Gan, being able to confront him directly.

Indeed, in the ensuing plays, Duncan continued to deliver outstanding performances.

He blocked Kobe's layup on defense, and on offense, nailed a top-of-the-arc mid-range jump shot.

Then, on defense again, he disrupted Gan Guoyang's hook shot, grabbed the rebound, and pushed the fast break.

Duncan dribbled coast-to-coast past half-court, passing to Fox on the wing, with Fox then feeding to Robinson in the corner.

Robinson hit the three-pointer, giving the Celtics a 7-0 lead over the Trail Blazers at the start, cooling down the heated atmosphere of the Rose Garden Arena.

Carlisle immediately called a timeout to make a simple adjustment, allowing the players to ease out of the off-court excitement and get into the game quickly.

"Regardless of the outcome, this is a basketball game, and we must score more and allow fewer points. That's something we must never forget!"

Carlisle's mindset aligned with Gan Guoyang's; no matter how significant the game was, it was ultimately a basketball game, and they had to play it calmly.

There were no tactical changes; the timeout was just to reassure everyone. Soon, both sides returned to the court, with Gan Guoyang receiving the ball in the low post.

The confrontation in the low post between Tim Duncan and Gan Guoyang had the fans cheering.

Duncan's low-post defense was excellent, particularly against back-to-the-basket play, which Gan Guoyang admitted was challenging.

However, Duncan's face-up defense was considerably average, and his technical details in this area were far less refined than his back-to-the-basket defense.

Therefore, whenever facing the Celtics and Duncan, Gan Guoyang would increase his face-up attacks.