The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 534 - 37: Admit Defeat

Like the lead and second stars of most NBA teams, Gan Guoyang and Drexler’s relationship had always been lukewarm, neither particularly good nor bad.

Compared to many historical tandems, such as Larry Bird and McHale, their relationship could be considered quite good.

Gan Guoyang was the godfather of Drexler’s daughter; he would spend a few days on vacation in Houston, and although they weren’t best friends, they were definitely good friends.

In 1988, Drexler got engaged to a woman named Gaynell; they planned to marry that year, and Drexler wanted to have his daughter Erica Drexler come live with him in Houston.

But how could Erica’s mother agree to let her daughter live with her stepmother?

Therefore, Erica’s mother decided to no longer allow her daughter to meet with Drexler, and Drexler could only temporarily endure it, preparing to resort to legal action in the courtroom.

The saying goes that even a just official finds it hard to settle domestic disputes, and in such situations, even if Guoyang was extremely capable, there was nothing he could do to solve the problem.

Both parties complained to him, and he could only try to console each side, potentially failing to please either.

Even Drexler’s fiancée, Gaynell, might feel that Ah Gan was siding with the child’s mother, given that they had known each other longer.

Family gatherings were now out of the question, and the summer plans to go to Houston had been shelved.

Time moved on to after 1988, and it seemed like everything wasn’t going smoothly.

It was like the Trail Blazers and Bullets’ first half, where the offense was stuck in the mud, and on the defensive end, the Trail Blazers’ man-to-man defense was mediocre against the Bullets’ one-on-one plays.

Nevertheless, the Trail Blazers remained a strong team, not ready to give up the game just because they were at a tactical disadvantage.

A basketball game relies on not just tactics and strategies, but also individual performance and mental toughness; any one missing element could affect the outcome of the game.

Tactical advantages make players more comfortable and improve their shooting, but oftentimes, tactics are not decisive.

The individual capabilities of the players often determine the outcome of a basketball game.

At the start of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang took the ball on the wing and single-handedly shot from 20 feet, one step inside the three-point line, hitting the shot.

After Guoyang reached 265 pounds, his mid-to-long range shooting became a bit inconsistent.

During the regular season, Gan Guoyang continuously adjusted his touch, hoping to reach an optimal level.

Increased muscle mass certainly made a subtle difference in his release, affecting his shooting.

But with corrections, he gradually returned to normal form.

And as his muscle mass grew, his shooting form and center of gravity became more stable.

Like a self-propelled howitzer, the more stable the chassis, the more accurate the impact point of the shells.

Gan Guoyang’s shooting was becoming increasingly resistant to interference, increasingly stable.

Seeing Gan Guoyang quickly make a mid-range shot in the second half, Unseld got worried and stood up from the bench to direct the game.

The Trail Blazers’ defensive focus in the third quarter raised a notch.

The Bullets ran a high-post offense, working around Charles and Malone.

This was a very simple and effective set play.

The perimeter players continuously crossed and switched positions while looking for opportunities to pass the ball inside.

If the inside player had a chance to score, he would; if not, he would pass it out, and King and Jeff-Malone completed the isolation plays.

Then Malone and Barkley would turn around and rush for the offensive rebound, cycling the play over and over.

Jeff-Malone and Bernard King took shots from the same position—at the free-throw line—shooting immediately after catching the ball off the move.

Both of them liked to lean forward while shooting, which was a characteristic of theirs.

The advantage was that it closed the distance to the basket, improving their shooting percentage, and they could also draw fouls.

The downside was that their shots were easily disrupted, contrasting sharply with fadeaway jumpers.

Both their shots were disrupted by Gan Guoyang’s timely help on defense—they weren’t passers, and their shots fell short, not going in.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and Drexler orchestrated two counterattacks.

Drexler scored with a fast break, followed by Thompson scoring on a layup off Drexler’s pass.

At the start of the second half, the Trail Blazers went on a 6:0 run against the Bullets and successfully took the lead.

Unseld called a timeout as the Bullets players clearly lacked focus. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"For fuck’s sake, anyone would think you’ve already won the game! Since when does the NBA play only half a game!" Dick Motta yelled during the timeout.

Motta was known for being hot-tempered and fond of cursing. He believed that players wouldn’t play well unless they were scolded.

After the timeout, the Bullets handed the ball to Charles Barkley.

Barkley stuck out his big butt, shoving his way inside, turning and scoring with a layup.

Thompson tried his best to hold his ground, but Barkley’s butt-pushing power was second in the league only to Ah Gan’s.

Gan Guoyang then hit another mid-range jumper, seeming to free himself from the physical clash.

Moses Malone, who had been locked in a struggle with Gan Guoyang in the first half, seemed worn out.

His energy levels had significantly decreased compared to previous years.

In the first half, Malone grabbed several offensive rebounds, but on second chance points, none of them went in against Gan’s defense.

He only caused Gan one foul, seemingly with a bit of leniency from the referees.

In his younger days, this would have been unthinkable.

At his peak, Malone managed to score even after grabbing four or five rebounds in a row.

But now, that was no longer feasible; he had gained weight and lost the quick jump and explosive power of his youth. Though his positioning from experience was still excellent, he just couldn’t get off the ground once he caught the ball.

Bernard King shot again, but missed, and Malone grabbed the offensive rebound, only to have his attempted layup blocked by Gan Guoyang.

Picking up the ball, he went up again for a one-handed scoop shot, which was also blocked by Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang snatched the rebound and passed it to Porter, who this time did not rush a fast break.

After crossing half court, he played a pick-and-roll with Porter, cutting to the outside, received the ball for a mid-range jumper, and hit it again!

On the Bullets’ bench, Dick Motta covered his face, cursing that Ah Gan was starting his scoring spree once again!

Now was the time to test the mettle of the core stars.

It was Charles Barkley who stepped up, received the ball in the low post, turned around, and facing the help defense from Gan Guoyang, he too went for a one-handed scoop shot, evading the block with his strong core and sinking the ball into the basket.

The Capital Gymnasium erupted in cheers, Barkley and Moses Malone high-fived.

This was the legacy of the paint, where Barkley had learned a lot from Moses Malone.

About basketball, as well as about life.

Barkley had matured compared to the past, focusing on the game rather than joking around with Gan Guoyang on the court.

He was gradually growing into the team’s leader.

The Bullets were a team with distinctive features, each player bearing striking advantages but also evident flaws.

Barkley was such a player: a human tank, undersized, overweight, but with astounding speed and strength.

Their coach, Unseld, was also such a player.

Unseld’s philosophy was that everyone should play to their strengths.

They were a team, using the advantages of one another to compensate for teammates’ weaknesses.

Barkley’s defensive shortcomings were quite obvious; offensively, he was the most versatile.

In the third quarter, he started to take over the offense for the Bullets, instead of incessantly following Malone for offensive rebounds.

He weaved between the low post and the high post, using his mid-range game and strong back-to-the-basket play to disrupt the Trail Blazers’ defense.

The Trail Blazers stuck to man-to-man defense but Thompson was having a tough time.

When Barkley scored a three-point play under the basket, tying the game once again for the Bullets, he clenched his fist and roared.

After converting the free throw, the score was tied at 55:55, putting both teams back on equal footing.

That’s when Barkley said to Gan Guoyang, "Sonny, Ramsay should have you guarding me."

Gan Guoyang, who was about to inbound the ball from the baseline, smiled and shook his head lightly upon hearing Barkley’s comment.

After the inbound, Gan Guoyang suddenly cut inside after a screen, receiving Drexler’s pass under the basket.

He turned around and shoved Moses Malone with his right hand, scoring an easy two points with a gentle left-handed hook shot.

Gan Guoyang had scored 17 points already.

After scoring, he said to Thompson, "Let me guard Barkley for a while, you be careful with Moses."

Gan Guoyang took on Moses Malone and personally took the task of guarding Barkley one-on-one.

Barkley thought, Ah Gan, you for real? I was just bragging.

We agreed to not face each other on the court, how could we guard each other?

Gan Guoyang had a knack for defending smaller players and was particularly lethal.

Players like Aguirre, Barkley, and Dantley, these mini-sized inside centers, Gan Guoyang defended them with ease.

His all-around physical coverage left these smaller post players without any offensive breakthrough.

After two attempts—one facing the basket, the other with his back turned—Barkley gave up both times and passed the ball to Bernard King.

By the end of the third quarter, Barkley hadn’t scored again; he couldn’t get off a shot against Gan Guoyang.

The Bullets’ tactics were limited to begin with, they seldom fast-break, and mere post-up play wasn’t enough; Barkley really couldn’t move Gan Guoyang.

"Charles, do you still need me to guard you?"

"Oh no, no, please no, you’re gonna beat the shit out of me."

Barkley was quite honest, quickly conceding.

This time ’beat the shit out of me’ was a figure of speech, not literal.

Though Barkley had given up, the Bullets hadn’t, and the tussle between the two sides continued.

But Gan Guoyang was gradually getting his offensive rhythm back in the third quarter, hitting 5 of 6 mid-range shots, scoring 12 points in the quarter, helping the Trail Blazers to a 65:62 lead, three points ahead.

The one truly holding the Bullets together in the second half of the third quarter was Little Bug Bogues.

This 5’3" guard, short in stature but sturdy, had excellent top-of-the-key shooting and passing, and was extremely nimble on the court.

After he came on, the Trail Blazers had to watch out for their groins and the ball in their hands.

His two mid-range shots, three assists, and two steals, prevented the Trail Blazers from expanding the lead.

Even Gan Guoyang, who rarely turned the ball over, had it picked by Bogues in the low post.

This guy was too short; if you didn’t pay close attention, you really wouldn’t notice him sneaking up from beneath.

The clash between these two teams was a bit like a battle between a regular army and guerrilla forces, a noble clan against a horde of demonic cultists.

However, as the game progressed, Gan Guoyang was closing in on 30 points again.

By then, Dick Motta had another brainwave, suggesting that for the fourth quarter, they should have Charles Barkley single-handedly defend Gan Guoyang.