The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 489 - 106: Open Strategy

The game was suspended for 15 minutes due to the conflict, but this did not dampen the enthusiasm of the fans at the scene.

On the contrary, in the heat of summer, the fierce finals conflict made the Memorial Coliseum’s blood boil, and the entire crowd began chanting "MVP," cheering for Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang gave Chuck Daly a lesson, letting him know "those who live by the sword shall die by the sword." No matter how Daly packaged himself, the barbaric playing style of the Pistons was his own creation.

He portrayed himself as a gentleman coach, with immaculate behavior both on and off the court, then plotted with underhanded tactics to attack the opponent’s key players in places where cameras couldn’t see, like locker rooms and training grounds.

Fans might not mind, most people watch the game just for enjoyment.

For players, though, every game against the Pistons brings a lot of pressure.

Some players risk injury, even possibly ending their careers, when they challenge the Pistons’ interior.

Since joining the league, Gan Guoyang had fought countless times, but he rarely initiated attacks on other players, and he rarely played dirty.

He always made a clear distinction between playing basketball and fighting, unlike Pistons players who turned scuffles into a free-for-all under the guise of basketball.

With the league having no relevant rules to stop it, Guoyang could only act as a judge on the court, teaching those who played dirty a lesson.

Gan Guoyang knew the Pistons would not change; they had already tasted success, but with Ah Gan around, they would restrain themselves somewhat, instead of being completely unrestrained.

At least in the Memorial Coliseum, the Pistons would have to play fair.

As for a few days later at the Silverdome, that would be a different story.

Gan Guoyang didn’t mind going to the Silverdome to fight another battle, playing until they dared not play rough anymore.

Earl Strom was right in his judgment; in today’s NBA, the only person like those from the 60s was Ah Gan.

Melvin Turpin counted as a half.

Others were rough on the court or got into fights more for show or to save face.

For instance, when two players jostled under the basket, the situation suddenly became tense.

If one side did not step up in that moment, but instead just let it go, people would think you’re soft.

If the other side got hit and didn’t fight back, that was even worse; a response was necessary.

But their fights often missed vital spots, just pushing and shoving each other, hugging and holding, then a bunch of people would rush to separate them.

If their teammates were even a second slower in coming up, they’d have to separate themselves, unable to continue the fight.

As long as teammates held them back, they’d vociferously shout and pretend they wanted to fight to the death.

This was just for show, to save their own face.

Gan Guoyang was different; when he started wrestling on the court, everyone knew that he meant business.

In fact, Gan Guoyang did control himself and his performance had elements of a show, but he performed so convincingly that you had no chance to fight back.

Melvin Turpin watched helplessly as coach Daly, bleeding profusely, was taken back to the locker room, and he recalled the moment when he and Ah Gan had "teamed up" to send Donald Sterling to the hospital, shivering at the thought.

Ah Gan was a player who rarely made mistakes, and he loathed errors. That soft, gentle pass was completely out of character.

So, Turpin suspected that the pass was intentional on Ah Gan’s part.

An intentional mistake, intentionally letting the ball fly towards the sideline, and then deliberately tapping the ball towards Daly.

In the end, a precise yet non-lethal harsh impact dealt a heavy blow to Daly.

Just like the play that knocked over Donald Sterling.

Turpin even thought, luckily he saw coach Daly brake.

If he hadn’t braked and went for the ball, and Ah Gan shoved him from the side, wouldn’t he be the one crashing into coach Daly?

If there had been any serious damage, wouldn’t he have to take the blame again, or maybe even get traded?

The more Turpin thought about it, the sweatier he became, although all this was just speculation. Yet Turpin knew well that Ah Gan was a meticulous thinker with extraordinary measures.

Donald Sterling, Dick Bavetta, those who displeased Ah Gan off the court, none could escape.

Off the court, hitting someone landed you in jail with lawsuits, but on the court, you could hit someone and just get a foul that was neither painful nor itchy.

Turpin thought he had mastered this essence, but on reflection, it was Ah Gan who was the true grandmaster.

The game continued as if nothing had happened, and Gan Guoyang returned to the game with full focus.

On the Pistons’ side, however, the players’ mentality had collapsed; without the old man, no one could bond them together.

If they were playing against any other team and Daly was absent, Bill Lambier and Thomas could still hold the fort.

But facing the Trail Blazers, facing Ah Gan, and thinking about Daley’s blood-drenched face, the players were already filled with fear.

It’s just how it is with people; Pistons players aren’t afraid of getting hit, nor are they afraid of bleeding, after all, it’s basketball.

The Pistons players simply couldn’t muster the morale to attack their opponents with a yearning for victory.

The soul that resided in the deepest part of their bodies had been drained.

The Pistons began to crumble, and Gan Guoyang started his mid-range performance in the latter half of the third quarter.

Gan Guoyang no longer played back-to-basket one-on-one, which made it easy to get double-teamed.

Instead, he caught the ball facing the basket on the perimeter, creating space, taking probing steps and overpowering Lan Bi’er and Donaldson.

If you’re too close, I’ll break baseline in one step; if you’re a bit farther away, I’ll just pull up and shoot.

Gan Guoyang’s one-handed pull-up mid-range shots were as steady as an old dog; against the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, this move alone gave them 28 points in a single quarter, leaving the Lakers helpless.

His strong body gave him a great ability to resist interference, ensuring a stable shot, while rigorous daily training gave him a precise shooting touch.

Once he got the hot hand, he didn’t need to think too much or aim; he just went with the feel, shooting with a pretty high success rate.

Every time Gan Guoyang took a mid- to long-range shot, the arc was always high, the ball dropping slowly, until it swooshed into the basket—a sheer delight for the home fans.

Of course, for the Pistons players, it was torture; Gan Guoyang scored in six consecutive possessions through mid-range shots and free throws, giving Donaldson a headache and leaving him at a loss.

Assistant coach Dick Versace, taking over for Daley, was clueless; they had made many contingency plans and preparations before the game, but the one thing they didn’t plan for was "what to do if the head coach gets taken out".

Damn, who could have thought of that? Ah Gan could actually take your head coach out of the game.

Versace’s head full of white hair looked like a bird’s nest, or perhaps a wig, as he stood there with a worried face, not knowing what to do.

He called a timeout, followed the normal rotation time, and desperately tried to inspire the players to hang on.

But they really couldn’t hold on, even the usually optimistic Bill Lan Bi’er had a soulless look, a grave expression on his face.

Melvin Turpin had a dazed look in his eyes, as if he had returned to his college days when people used to call him "Dinner Bell".

Thomas kept biting his fingers, only thinking about one thing: when am I going to get hit?

The incident with Daley had a huge impact on the Pistons; they had lost their will to fight in this game.

They could still maintain a solid defense, but without the fierce physical confrontation, they left too much shooting space for the Blazers’ outside shooters.

Vandeweghe and Gan Guoyang found their shooting touch, followed by Porter and Hornacek off the bench hitting their shots as well.

Even Drexler managed to hit mid-range shots!

After Daley left, the Trail Blazers hit the Pistons with a 27:10 offensive wave.

The gap between the two sides widened and the Pistons lost their ability to resist.

When the fourth quarter became a foregone conclusion and Ramsay substituted Gan Guoyang out of the game, the entire arena shouted "MVP"!

In the end, the score was fixed at 101:121, the Trail Blazers won by 20 points at home, leading the series 1:0.

Gan Guoyang ended up with 41 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks for the game, with Vandeweghe scoring the second highest on the team with 25 points and grabbing 7 rebounds.

After the game, talking about the collision, Gan Guoyang expressed his apologies, saying it was unintentional, and he would cover all of Daley’s medical expenses—Gan Guoyang could now set up a VIP at Portland Hospital, exclusively for those who got hit by him.

After being examined, Daley had a broken nose bridge and a few bruises on his body, but overall he was not in serious trouble.

The next day, Daley said in an interview that he believed Ah Gan didn’t do it on purpose, he accepted the apology, and he praised Gan Guoyang’s fighting spirit on the court.

Daley knew in his heart that Gan Guoyang probably did it intentionally, but he couldn’t say it because if he condemned Ah Gan, how would you explain all those "unintentional" violent actions by the Pistons players?

To maintain the Pistons’ style and to protect his own gentlemanly image, Daley had to endure it; he had to believe Gan Guoyang’s actions were unintentional, he had to reconcile with Gan Guoyang, and he had to step down using the path Gan Guoyang had given him.

Daley realized just how formidable this Chinese man’s open conspiracies could be, his mind was not something that those simple-minded black players on his team could compare with.

Before the start of the second game, Daley with gauze taped on his nose shook hands and hugged Gan Guoyang, took photos in front of reporters, and showed that they were on good terms.

Gan Guoyang said to Daley, "I’m truly sorry, and it won’t happen again."

Daley maintained his smile, but he understood what those words really meant: this time, it happened because I wanted it to happen.

In the second game, the Portland Trail Blazers exploded as a team, and the Pistons, as if soulless, didn’t return to normal even with Daley’s return.

103:142, the Trail Blazers crushed the Pistons by 39 points, leading the series with a commanding 2:0 lead.

Next stop, Silverdome.