The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 351 - 86 The Teacher

The game had completely entered the Blazers’ rhythm, and Fitch realized in horror that he was running out of cards.

The three victories had pretty much exhausted all the tactics Fitch had up his sleeve, which had been proven to be the most appropriate and victorious.

Now facing the sixth game on home ground, the Rockets should have been able to muster all their strength to decisively defeat the Blazers, claiming the 42 points for themselves and leaving the Blazers with 25.

But Fitch hadn’t expected that Ramsay still had an ace up his sleeve, able to play that smooth and fluid cutting and counter-running attack from the 70s.

What was different from the 70s was that they no longer relied on speed; even in a slow-paced half-court game, they could constantly attack the Rockets’ defense line with their passing and movement—because they had Ah Gan.

Ah Gan might be the best finisher in the league at the moment; when he got the chance to attack under the basket, he seldom missed, always managing to somehow get the ball into the hoop.

In fact, when Gan Guoyang first joined the Trail Blazers, Ramsay had positioned him as an excellent scoring ender on the offensive end, with a strong final touch.

But later, as Gan Guoyang’s one-on-one abilities improved, he gradually evolved from a finisher into a versatile playmaker, an initiator and a finisher of offense.

Earlier this evening, Gan Guoyang had reverted to the role of finisher, passing the offensive initiation to Walton, Drexler, Porter, and Vandeweghe, significantly reducing his own low-post play.

Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson immediately lost their defensive focal point; circling around Gan Guoyang was a waste of resources, but not marking him tightly posed the risk of him breaking out.

Fitch had no other option, so he changed the defensive strategy once more, demanding that Olajuwon guard Gan Guoyang one-on-one throughout the game, while Sampson had to seriously cope with Walton and the others.

"Hakeem, defeat Ah Gan, and we can win this series," said Fitch.

Bill Fitch didn’t repeat "We don’t necessarily have to beat Ah Gan, just the game."

If they wanted to win tonight, they had to tackle the issue of Gan Guoyang; double-teaming was no longer effective, they had to let their best player take on the opponent’s best player.

This is the NBA, where defensive rules and basketball culture dictate that games ultimately come down to a clash of heroics.

Meanwhile, on the Blazers’ bench.

"Everyone is performing well tonight, and I am surprised by your creativity, but the game is only halfway through. We cannot relax just because we are leading, a lead of a dozen points can be wiped out quickly. Everyone must stay focused," said Ramsay, shifting from his earlier critiques to now emphasizing encouragement.

Indeed, everyone was playing brilliantly, the defense was flawless, and the offense extremely fluid.

In a few rounds, he felt as if he were back in 1977, when under immense pressure they played marvelous basketball and turned the series around.

Pressure can break people, but if they withstand it, it can elevate the team, leading to a genuine metamorphosis.

Previously the Trail Blazers were strong, and Ah Gan was strong, but the performance of the others was only passable, with the occasional highlight.

Now, under the immense pressure from the Rockets, every player that took the court for the Blazers shone brightly.

"Ah Gan, how do you feel about this style of play? Isn’t it effortless and sharp?" Ramsay asked Gan Guoyang.

It had been more than a year since they had a direct basketball-related conversation, as Ramsay always used Adelman as a go-between.

Both had grown accustomed to this buffer and thought it worked well, but during this timeout, Ramsay didn’t go through Adelman.

Gan Guoyang nodded, saying, "Yes, it’s effortless and sharp. If we keep playing this way, I could score 70 points."

Gan Guoyang was finally beginning to understand why Ramsay had always held traditional team basketball in such high esteem.

When traditional team basketball flows well, it truly elevates one’s spirit; you become part of the team, with every member actively engaged in the game, creating an exhilarating sense of unity.

"Good, then keep it up. You won’t have any rest time this game. When Walton goes off, you have to carry the offense," said Ramsay.

"..."

So the old man had been lying in wait for Ah Gan all along, Gan Guoyang thought. No choice but to play on!

It was already the sixth game of the Western Conference Finals; time to work like a slave on a plantation and harvest with gusto.

As the timeout ended, Gan Guoyang continued to stay on the court while Walton went off to rest, and Thompson came on.

Vandeweghe went off to rest, and rather than bringing on Parkson, Ramsay subbed in Jerome Kossie.

Kossie, solidly built and physically strong, had an aggressive playing style that could withstand the Rockets’ fierce assaults on both the defensive and offensive ends.

In the backcourt, Terry Porter and Drexler continued to play; tonight their pairing was proving highly reliable.

Ramsay decided not to use Kolter, knowing that even a couple of unstable possessions could give the Rockets the chance to turn the game around.

This is the playoffs, where no mistake is tolerated; even the slightest lapse in detail could lead to ultimate defeat.

If you can play, and play well, then please keep playing until the end. All those breaks and rotations during the regular season were given so that come the critical playoff games, you cash them in.

The Rockets had Ralph Sampson sit out for a rest, and Fitch subbed in Mitchell Wiggins and Petersen, while Hakeem Olajuwon, like Gan Guoyang, had to continue fighting on the court.

With Walton taking a cooldown on the sidelines, Gan Guoyang once again became the focal point of the offense, and he and Olajuwon resumed their one-on-one battle.

"Fitch has given up double-teaming me? Sending you to your death again?"

"Cut the crap, Sonny."

By game six, the two men had dispensed with all pleasantries.

Olajuwon scored a jump shot over Gan Guoyang’s head.

On the return play, Gan Guoyang received the ball, turned around forcefully eating into Olajuwon, and made a left-handed hook shot.

This rare left-handed hook shot showed how well Gan Guoyang was playing tonight.

In the center duel, Olajuwon charged to the basket facing the rim and drew a foul from Gan Guoyang.

Both free throws were made.

After a pick and roll with Porter, Gan Guoyang took a mid-range jump shot and scored.

In the pick and roll game, Gan Guoyang was doing much better than Olajuwon.

Olajuwon didn’t like pick and rolls and screens; they hindered him from rebounding.

Petersen’s shot missed, and Olajuwon grabbed the offensive rebound.

Gan Guoyang, not daring to commit another foul, let Olajuwon dunk with both hands.

Another pick and roll, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the middle, faked Olajuwon with a move, broke through to the basket, and slammed a one-handed dunk!

And with that, he also drew a foul from Olajuwon, completing the and-one with a free throw.

CBS commentator Dick Stockton exclaimed, "This is the most spectacular center duel I’ve seen this year. The first and second pick of the 1984 draft, incredible inside, incredible youngsters, this is a clash of titans."

Through their ongoing battle, Olajuwon gradually found the knack, and his offensive skills were also improving.

He knew he couldn’t match Ah Gan’s strength, so he worked on his footwork. He came from a background in handball and soccer, boasting impressive hand and foot coordination.

He could do a hook shot near the mid-line or kick the basketball into the basket; Gan Guoyang couldn’t do that – he didn’t have such good footwork.

Olajuwon once again received the ball in the low post; he dribbled, turned his back, then suddenly stopped, turned back around, shifting Gan Guoyang’s center of gravity before turning inside again, passing along the baseline, and scoring a reverse layup!

Gan Guoyang didn’t expect that play; indeed, it was beautiful. The continuous turns and feints were very convincing, quick, and his footwork was clean, avoiding traveling.

"Beautiful footwork, Hakeem, truly impressive," Gan Guoyang generously praised his opponent.

Gan Guoyang took over the offense, imitating the same moves, but without dribbling, so on his third turn, he used burst and strength to squeeze through the small gap created by the feint to make a layup off the board!

"Hakeem, wasn’t that shot of mine pretty good too?"

Olajuwon knew he couldn’t outtalk Gan Guoyang, whether it was praise or provocation, so keeping his mouth shut was the best response.

In the latter part of the second quarter, the game turned into a one-on-one showcase between the two, captivating the live audience and viewers at home.

Both were completely focused, even transcending the game itself, engaging in a pure display of basketball offensive and defensive techniques.

By halftime, the score was 63:50, with the Trail Blazers still leading the Rockets by 13 points.

Gan Guoyang had already racked up 31 points, while Olajuwon had 20, both dominating the game.

The Olajuwon, who had always been considered the next Moses Malone, showed in this game that he had many qualities Moses Malone didn’t possess.

A soft shooting touch, outstanding footwork, and excellent coordination.

When returning to the locker room for rest, Sampson asked Olajuwon, "Those moves, how did you pull them off?"

Olajuwon shook his head and said, "I don’t know, I never practiced them. I was just... trying to dodge Ah Gan’s defense."

Olajuwon had not rigorously practiced these moves; it was purely the outburst of talent and genius under extreme pressure that made him perform moves he wouldn’t ordinarily make.

That’s a true genius.

Meanwhile, in the Trail Blazers’ locker room, Adelman asked Gan Guoyang, "Ah Gan, those moves were good. When did you learn them?"

Wiping his sweat, Gan Guoyang responded, "Just learned them, Hakeem is my teacher."