Chapter 711: Chapter 76 Smooth Criminal
The second quarter began, Mark Aguirre hit a three-pointer from the corner, helping the Pistons to a lead reversal, 24:21.
Vlade Divac attempted a mid-range shot from the right 45-degree angle and missed. It wasn’t a good offensive choice, but the Pistons’ defense was indeed impregnable.
They were using the Turtle Shell Formation, a fake zone defense, forcing the opposition to pass the ball around the exterior and rely on shooting touch in the end.
Ah Gan was the only one on the Trail Blazers who could break through the shell, and Beelman hoped Petrović could become the sharp dagger to assist Ah Gan.
Petrović still needed time to grow. He had a decent season but it was far from enough.
The Pistons countered, Rickey Green overpowered Petrović with speed, then took a strong mid-range shot and scored.
The Trail Blazers continued to resort to shooting, Petrović’s abrupt mid-range attempt missed, and Melvin Tipping secured the defensive rebound.
The Trail Blazers were somewhat trapped on the offensive front; they hadn’t faced a Turtle Shell Formation like the Pistons’ in the Western Conference.
The Pistons counterattacked, Aguirre took another three-point shot but missed; John Salley grabbed the offensive rebound to reorganize the offense.
After Rickey Green dribbled continuously, Divac came up to block, Green passed to Melvin Tipping who scored from mid-range.
26:21, the Pistons now led by 5 points.
Seeing the situation turn bad, Beelman stood to call a timeout.
But Gan Guoyang grabbed Beelman’s hand and pressed it down.
"Sonny?"
"Don’t rush, Bobby, give them some time."
"But..."
"It’s okay, I’m here. They’ve had it too easy in the Western, without any adversity. This is only the first game; they should be put through a test of intensity, otherwise, they won’t grow."
Bobby Berman nodded slightly and sat back down on the bench.
Any other team wouldn’t think to train soldiers in the Finals.
The Trail Blazers had the confidence to do so; they’ve always valued the grinding of rookies.
When they got their first three-peat, they were both decaying and growing, with the old fading away and the new quickly emerging.
Because they had Ah Gan, the Sea-Calming Needle.
In the first quarter, Gan Guoyang’s performance was unassuming.
He only took 2 shots, went to free throws twice, scored 4 points, contributed 5 rebounds, and blocked twice.
Most importantly, Gan Guoyang had no fouls in the first quarter; he was being patient.
"Bobby, do you remember the 1984 NCAA National Tournament when we played against Duke?" asked Gan Guoyang to Beelman.
"Of course, everyone said Duke played dirty, and we were worried about being influenced by Duke, then you suggested we strike first. That game we played even dirtier than Duke... Sonny, what do you mean?"
"When I go back on, I’ll partner with Arvydas on the offense, leave the defense to me."
"Sonny, what are you trying to do? Stay calm, this is the Finals. We can beat the Pistons by playing normally, we don’t need to go down their path."
"Don’t worry, Bobby, I know what I’m doing."
Whenever Gan Guoyang said "I know what I’m doing," Beelman always felt very reassured.
Because Ah Gan was indeed very trustworthy, it’s been nearly 10 years since high school and Gan Guoyang had never disappointed Beelman.
But tonight, looking at Gan Guoyang’s face as calm as still water, Beelman’s heart thumped; suddenly he felt a little afraid.
What was Ah Gan up to?
Beelman vaguely guessed that Ah Gan was about to go on a rampage.
The Pistons, like a cockroach-like team, had been disgusting the entire League for years.
Moreover, they had succeeded, winning the 1989 championship, bound to leave a bold stroke in NBA history.
No one didn’t want to crush them, but they were indeed very powerful, excruciatingly so; it was a helpless feeling.
For the Trail Blazers this year, the regular season and the Western Conference playoffs went smoothly without rival, but Beelman knew they were somewhat inflated.
The regular season aside, the Lakers were unexpectedly eliminated from the West, then the Nuggets, Suns, and Spurs were all suppressed by the Trail Blazers’ style of play.
And with Ah Gan in explosive condition in the West, no one could stop him. The young players, under his protection, played comfortably.
But with the Pistons setting up a web for Ah Gan, could the others provide him with enough support?
Mike-Sanders’ shot still didn’t hit, but Petrović had the chance to grab the offensive rebound.
However, in the contest with Dumars, he was physically outmatched and, despite being in a favorable position, Dumars forced him into a turnover, ball out of bounds.
Still, it was the Pistons’ ball possession. Rickey Green received the pass from Dumars on the perimeter, jumped for a mid-range shot, and scored!
28:21, the Trail Blazers were already 7 points behind, the fans in Memorial Coliseum began to grow anxious.
Bill Schonely was also wondering, "The Trail Blazers’ second unit isn’t doing well, why hasn’t Bobby called a timeout? Ah Gan should be back."
But Beelman, held back by Gan Guoyang, still didn’t call a timeout, continuing to let the substitute players solve the problem on the court.
Beelman was now more concerned about Ah Gan’s next move: "Don’t be impulsive, Ah Gan, the series is still early, don’t go down a criminal path."
Gan Guoyang said, "It’s precisely because the series is just starting that I need to set a tone for this series, teach the Detroiters a lesson. I know they won’t repent, but I can’t let them be arrogant, pressing us with shameless tactics. It’s about the morale of the series, I’m not Michael, I won’t let them get away with it, this is Portland."
