The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 1796 - 59: Old Soldiers Never Die (Part 2)
O'Neal finally seized an opportunity, catching Kidd's pass under the basket and slamming it down with both hands.
The Trail Blazers relaxed their defense on this play, not fearing O'Neal's rampage inside as long as the Lakers didn't rain threes from the perimeter.
On the offensive end, the Trail Blazers leisurely slowed down the pace, seeking scoring opportunities while dragging out time.
Gan Guoyang continued to move around the arc and at 45 degrees, attracting the Lakers' defensive attention, but the ball control was in the hands of Kobe and other perimeter players.
At this moment, the Trail Blazers players were very relaxed, and Kobe started showing off fancy crossovers, followed by a beautiful mid-range jump shot!
Brick!
But Barkley grabbed the offensive rebound, threw the ball out, and reorganized the attack.
This kind of rebound deepened the sense of despair in the field, with time gradually ticking away.
The ball went to Gan Guoyang, who broke through with the ball, his skillful dribbles and steps confusing the Lakers players.
What would he do next? No one knew, but he managed to break through a three-man surround alone.
After getting to the middle, he made a bounce pass to Chris Mullin on a cut, and Mullin scored with a left-handed floater!
The veterans still had strong abilities to seize opportunities at the final moments.
McGrady missed again from the perimeter, O'Neal grabbed the offensive rebound, and Barkley fouled.
He made one of two free throws, at least O'Neal's score reached double digits, not looking too bad.
But the Lakers had already fallen into the abyss, their defense lost its aggressiveness.
Whenever Gan Guoyang got the ball, the Lakers' defense fell into chaos, unable to form a tight formation or sustain vibrant emotions, which proved fatal.
Kobe hit a mid-range shot, and the point difference stayed at 20, while some fans started leaving early.
For Los Angeles fans, it was another sorrowful night, thanks to Ah Gan once again.
The TV cameras constantly focused on Gan Guoyang, who hadn't taken a shot in the fourth quarter, maintaining a 100% shooting accuracy.
Yet just by staying on the court, standing there, he posed a huge threat and intimidated the Lakers players.
Consequently, the other Trail Blazers players played more fluidly, the defensive end no longer fully collapsing, and the teams exchanged baskets until the time dwindled away.
With four minutes left in the game, the Lakers finally gave up; the 18-point deficit left no chance of catching up.
After a dead ball, Phil Jackson substituted the starters, including Shaquille O'Neal who had scored 12 points, Kidd, McGrady, and others.
Seeing this, the Trail Blazers substituted Gan Guoyang, Barkley, Kobe, and other key players with bench players.
The seats at the Staples Center were already patchy and sparse, as die-hard Lakers fans knew they had once again been hurt by Ah Gan.
As Gan Guoyang left the court, the remaining fans still gave him a warm round of applause, just like the reception he received last year at the Great Western Forum Arena.
This was well-deserved, considering his incredible 21-out-of-21 performance, unimaginable for a 36-year-old veteran.
Gan Guoyang once again proved his standing as the NBA's greatest in history, unchallenged and unparalleled.
As the final buzzer sounded, the Trail Blazers players raised their arms and went to embrace Gan Guoyang one by one.
They advanced to the Finals for the third consecutive year, their 10th Finals appearance since 1985, once again dominating the Western Conference.
NBC commentator Bill Walton couldn't hide his excitement, saying, "Ah Gan's incredible performance once again leads the Trail Blazers to the Finals! It's been fourteen years, yet Ah Gan still stands on the highest stage, at the pinnacle of the League. This time, they face the same opponent as his first Finals, the Boston Celtics! Back then I was also part of the Portland Trail Blazers, those were my most cherished championship memories, thinking back over the years leaves me thrilled beyond words. Never did I imagine he'd remain so enduring, so powerful, leading the Trail Blazers to such great achievements."
Despite being an ardent Gan Guoyang fan, even Walton was at a loss for words to praise Gan Guoyang tonight.
With a perfect 21-of-21, Bill Walton once created a record of 21 out of 22 for 44 points in the 1973 NCAA Finals.
Walton's performance was also divine, practically unstoppable with his turnaround shots and hooks from the low post, single-handedly demolishing Memphis University's team.
"If Ah Gan missed one shot in the fourth quarter, it would've been a nice tribute to me, haha." Walton merrily cracked a joke.
"But I must say, what Ah Gan accomplished tonight is harder, much harder than what I did in the 1973 Finals," Walton sincerely added.
As the Staples Center emptied out, the Trail Blazers players returned to the locker room to celebrate this tough Western Conference Championship.
David Stern entered the locker room, still wearing a smile, handing the silver Western Conference Champion trophy to Gan Guoyang.
Now, whenever Gan Guoyang sees Stern's fake smile, it makes him nauseous; clearly, the guy wanted the Lakers to win the Western Conference title, and now, Gan Guoyang single-handedly demolished the epic yellow-green showdown, surely making Stern feel bad.
Taking the trophy, Gan Guoyang immediately turned to celebrate with his teammates, completely ignoring Stern's outstretched hand, leaving Stern rather embarrassed.
In just one season, their relationship went from "Thank you for your cooperation" to not talking to each other, unsure if Stern regretted switching sides too quickly.
In his eagerness to complete the transition, Stern sought to have new powers rise on the backs of old kings, heralding a new era.
But he underestimated the resilience of old forces, underestimated Gan Guoyang's toughness and patience, and despite enduring a grueling season, he still retained such immense energy. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺
Stern had mixed feelings—impressed by Gan Guoyang's prowess while disappointed with the Los Angeles Lakers; O'Neal's meager 12-point performance in Game 7 would be ridiculed all summer.
Of course, nothing is entirely settled yet; the Finals will introduce fresh strength in the form of the Boston Celtics.
If the Celtics defeat the Trail Blazers to win the championship, it would signify the dawn of a new era.
When David Stern took office in 1984, the NBA champion was the Celtics.
Back then, led by Auerbach, the green army was in full swing, seemingly poised to recreate a green dynasty in the 80s.
Unexpectedly, the golden class of '84, spearheaded by Gan Guoyang and Jordan, quickly toppled the old dynasty, paving the way for the resplendent "Red and Black" era.
The Celtics were strongly suppressed by the league at that time, with new regulations and new trading rules rendering Auerbach's old methods ineffective.
The green army once built nearly half of the league's management connections, but after repeated purges and eliminations, all turned to ash.
Ultimately, the Celtics could only cling to a shred of ancestral glory, crouching in New England's northeastern corner, a mere supporting role during the league's age of expansion since 1986.
Until 1997, when David Stern favored them with a good hand in the draft lottery.
Although the league would never admit any rigging in the draft lottery, with outcomes purely attributed to luck, many believed that without Stern's willingness, the Celtics would never've snagged the 1997 top pick.
With Tim Duncan's arrival, coupled with Bobby Berman's strong takeover, the Celtics quickly rose again, returning to the Finals in a mere three years.
More importantly, similar to the Trail Blazers in 1986, the core players are extremely young, in their early 20s, with bright prospects ahead.
The current Trail Blazers resemble the role of the Celtics in 1986; in fact, they are even older, with many veterans aged 35.
In this playoff, the veterans were central, as long as Gan Guoyang was there, truly proving that old soldiers never die, they merely fade away.
Carrying the Western Conference championship, the entire Trail Blazers team flew back to Portland that night, and after a brief preparation, they would fly to Boston.
According to the Finals schedule, the opening game at the Fleet Center is set for June 6th, giving the Trail Blazers only two days to rest.
This poses a huge physical challenge for the Trail Blazers veterans, especially Gan Guoyang, as Game 7 greatly impacted his physical energy.
He quickly fell asleep on the flight back to Portland, clutching his tenth Western Conference Championship trophy, drifting into a dream.
On the plane, he dreamt of a lion wandering on a white beach, ultimately charging into the sea, heading towards the sun, unwaveringly.
