The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 279 - 20 Human Flesh Propeller

Don Chaney soon felt that the Trail Blazers had undergone some changes compared to last season.

The Clippers’ three victories over the Trail Blazers last season weren’t entirely due to luck; Don Chaney had accurately targeted the Trail Blazers’ perimeter defense issues, using Marques Johnson and Derek Smith’s individual abilities to attack Vandeweghe and Paxson.

He, like Riley, knew to avoid Gan Guoyang’s strong defense, targeting the Trail Blazers’ weaknesses, and not rushing the play, deliberately slowing down the tempo to play a more positional game.

Ironically, the star-studded Clippers suited the positional game, allowing the stars to handle the ball and resolve the situation, rather than losing the rhythm of the match in high-speed play—the Clippers were one of the slowest-paced teams in the league.

But tonight, this tactic seemed ineffective; the Trail Blazers’ defense was tight, and Gan Guoyang was no longer the only solid shield.

The overall defensive solidity of the team had increased, including Vandeweghe, and the Trail Blazers’ backcourt height had become formidable, with Paxson at 6 feet 6 inches and Drexler at 6 feet 7 inches.

This height combination was undoubtedly prepared for the Lakers, but the Clippers were the first to suffer from it; Smith and Edwards obviously hadn’t adapted.

Moreover, the Trail Blazers’ defensive guidance had become stronger, intentionally drawing Clippers players into double-teams and trapping them on the edges during positional play.

If players weren’t prepared, they could undoubtedly be hindered in offense, especially since the Clippers’ offense was backcourt-dominated; they needed an inside pivot to help break through.

Don Chaney looked towards his bench, but Bill Walton was no longer there, replaced by Benjamin, who did not seem very bright.

Since joining the Clippers he had chosen jersey number 00, which spoke to his basketball IQ and his attitude towards the game.

Walton had performed well in the defeating the Trail Blazers, yet in the summer they lost him and Marques Johnson.

With Sterling as the owner, Don Chaney himself felt disheartened, as Sterling occasionally revealed his disdain for black players.

Although he hid it well and was good at acting, it’s difficult for a person to pretend all the time; small hints of his true feelings would slip through in his words and actions.

For instance, he would occasionally let slip phrases that started with "N," shocking Chaney, one of the few black coaches in the league.

To compensate for the loss of Marques Johnson, Sterling "picked up" Jamaal Wilkes, who had been discarded by the Lakers, on the free market.

The Clippers were like clowns trailing behind the Lakers in Los Angeles, but Sterling didn’t care; as long as he could make money, he was indifferent to honor, fame, loyalty, a sense of belonging to the sport of basketball, and other things he considered frivolous—but these were very important to the players, who couldn’t just fight for money.

During the timeout, Don Chaney had to change the team’s pace; he asked the team to play faster and to avoid getting entangled in positional warfare.

The perimeter players needed to think more when initiating the offense; once they fell into the Trail Blazers’ encirclement or traps, it would be troublesome.

He specifically told Melvin Turpin, "Melvin, grab more offensive rebounds to cause some trouble for the Trail Blazers’ inside line."

When the situation was difficult to open up, offensive rebounds could be a good option, provided that they could be secured and converted into points.

Although Turpin couldn’t control his mouth, his talent was visible: the right size, hefty buttocks, he was good at positioning under the basket.

Last season, he averaged two offensive rebounds per game, and in one game against the Trail Blazers, he secured 5 offensive rebounds facing Ah Gan.

Turpin nodded, but frankly, he felt more willing than able; nobody at the Clippers really supervised him, and he had put on way too much weight during the off-season.

Rebounding requires not just positioning but also agile movement, especially for offensive rebounds, where speed is crucial.

The game continued, with the Clippers’ offense showing slight improvement, as Maxwell hit a shot.

The low-profile Finals MVP was a versatile player with considerable offensive skills, even earning the admiration of Larry Bird.

But he was content to play a supporting role at the Celtics, taking on the sixth man role or stepping aside for Kevin McHale when asked.

He could serve as the power forward in low-post offense, lead the fast break as a small forward, or break through and score key points in positional play.

He had thought he could end his career with the Celtics, had become complacent, and rested on his laurels, never expecting to be traded to Los Angeles by Auerbach as part of a deal.

The Clippers hoped Maxwell could unleash all his talent with them, designing tactics around him as the core; after all, he was just 30, the prime age for a player.

However, based on the first two games’ performances, Maxwell seemed unprepared both physically and mentally.

Vandeweghe soon broke through Maxwell’s defense in offense, diving to the basket from left baseline and finishing with a left-handed dunk!

Maxwell kept the ball on offense, circling from the left corner to the right at a 45-degree angle, and then released a right-handed hook shot!

The arc was somewhat flat, and the form not quite elegant, but the shot went in—it was a good ball.

Sterling applauded; he wanted to see Maxwell play a beautiful game.

With individual players’ abilities kicking in, the Clippers gradually found some feel for the game.

The backcourt sped up the offensive pace, avoiding getting stuck in positional offense, and with the Trail Blazers slipping on their shooting, they seized the opportunity for a counterattack.

Maxwell was an expert at fast-breaks, with a strong ability to seize opportunities under the basket, scoring 8 points in succession.

However, when Gan Guoyang switched to guard him on the next play, Maxwell was at a loss.

He just got the ball, drove to the basket, but found Ah Gan in front, and couldn’t get past him on the first step, nor could he budge him with his body.

He was smart enough to pass to Melvin Turpin, but Turpin tried to go one-on-one with Vandeweghe, and the Trail Blazers double-teamed him.

Turpin passed the ball out again, breaking the double-team, but there was still no opportunity from the outside—without a set play, the Clippers were like headless flies.

The shot missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the defensive rebound, made a long pass to the frontcourt, Drexler received the ball, the Clippers’ defense got back quickly; there was no fast-break opportunity.

But Gan Guoyang, taking advantage of the Clippers’ disorganized formation, cut in from the middle, Drexler suddenly passed a through ball under the basket, Gan caught it and drove straight to the hoop; no one dared to block him, and he dunked the ball with one hand!

The Trail Blazers continued to maintain a lead of more than 10 points, and both teams started rotating their lineups, Benjamin came off the bench to replace Donaldson, Valentine took over from Edwards, on the Trail Blazers side, Walton replaced Mychal Thompson, Steve Colter replaced Parkson.

Walton received some applause as he took to the floor at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena, after all, he had fought here for six years, though he spent three of them injured.

With Walton’s entrance, Gan Guoyang moved to the power forward position, where he would face off against Melvin Turpin.

When Turpin saw Ah Gan coming up to him on offense, he felt nervous hoping his teammates wouldn’t pass him the ball.

You guys shoot, I’ll go for the offensive rebound.

As it turned out, Valentine got the ball and pretended to set up Turpin on the perimeter, even shouting, "Melvin, Melvin!"

Turpin thought, Who the hell are you playing for? You’ve been his teammate, don’t you know what level this guy is at when it comes to one-on-one defense? Don’t you know if I can handle it?

Cursing in his heart, Turpin still had to make an appearance, posting up against Gan Guoyang and calling for the ball, Valentine passed it to him.

As soon as he got the ball, like a hot potato, Turpin immediately passed to Derek Smith on the weak side.

Smith received the pass and took a mid-range jump shot right away; the ball went in!

Turpin notched an assist with his setup, "Nice pass, Melvin! You have improved your playmaking!" even Gan Guoyang didn’t expect Turpin to get rid of the ball so quickly.

Turpin has always lacked the ability to playmake or assist, averaging around 0.5 assists per game, purely by chance.

Turpin managed an awkward smile, Smith came over to say it was a good pass, and Turpin felt even more uneasy.

The first quarter was nearing its end, Walton had the ball at the high post, and delivered a precise through pass to Gan Guoyang.

Gan caught the ball facing the hoop, from such a close position, Turpin played tight defense, and Gan suddenly performed a Chamberlain-style half-turn fingertip layup.

The release was very quick; Turpin couldn’t even jump to block in time, the ball bounced twice on the rim before falling through the net.

This scoring move, commonly used by Chamberlain, is now rarely seen in the NBA; it’s quite hard to defend when it comes out of nowhere.

Turpin inwardly exclaimed that in just two short years, the Ah Gan who had blown up their team in the Final Four had evolved to an incredibly terrifying extent. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In the Clippers’ last offense of the first quarter, Turpin didn’t want to receive the ball anymore; he wouldn’t be that lucky again.

He simply positioned himself on the perimeter, pretending to playmake; he didn’t stand at the top of the arc where it’s too easy to get the ball.

But Valentine made a round on the perimeter and still passed the ball to Turpin to advance it.

Upon receiving the ball and ready to pass, Gan clung to him like glue.

All of a sudden, Gan ramped up his tight defense, and Turpin, caught off guard beyond the three-point line, had the ball stripped from his hands.

The ball rolled towards the sideline, Gan, after the steal, didn’t go for the grab but just slapped the ball away, and Turpin hurried to chase it.

As Turpin ran, Gan followed; Turpin barely got hold of the ball and desperately tossed it towards a teammate.

Standing on the sideline, his heavy body slightly losing balance, the advancing Gan couldn’t stop in time and ended up grabbing Turpin, carrying him out of bounds.

Two 250-pound centers tumbled together into the spectator seats at courtside, where none other than Sterling was seated!

Sterling was utterly unprepared for this sudden disaster; he was leisurely crossing his legs, admiring the hard work of the "slaves" from his plantation.

Thinking that Turpin was a bit lazy, although talented, he couldn’t understand why these geniuses stopped shining upon arriving at the Los Angeles Clippers; and while pondering this, Melvin Turpin’s ample backside appeared in his view, with Sterling unable to get up in time, amidst screams, he was harshly slammed into.

If it had just been Turpin, he might have been able to control the fall or dodge it, but Turpin had a booster on his back, with Gan’s speed and explosiveness plus Turpin’s weight, they crushed the metal folding chair beneath Sterling.

And Sterling himself? With over 500 pounds pressing down on him, plus the momentum, his tea-colored toad glasses shattered as he passed out!

The referees quickly blew the whistle to stop the game, medical personnel rushed onto the court, and the Clippers lost their owner for the game.