Chapter 856: Chapter 42 Omnipotent_3
The seemingly ordinary Princeton system laid a better tactical foundation for the Trail Blazers and would continue to exert a positive influence for decades to come.
Of course, Beelman didn’t think that far ahead at the beginning—he just wanted a system to give Ah Gan a chance to rest.
On May 7th, the first game between both sides was held at Memorial Coliseum.
The two old rivals met once more, destined to clash fiercely.
The Lakers were fully charged, striving to steal a victory in Portland.
Winning just one of the two away games would tilt the scales of victory toward the Lakers.
If they lost both, the series would become extremely difficult for them.
Don Nelson had prepared an entire trap strategy set for Gan Guoyang, intending to use defense to teach Ah Gan a lesson.
Many people thought of Don Nelson simply as an offensive experiment madman, but in truth, he was highly accomplished on the defensive side.
During his time with the Bucks, Nelson was a defensive master, an expert in illegal defense; the Bucks had the best defensive record against Michael Jordan in the entire league.
Thus, Nelson was adept at dealing with single-arrow attackers. He had a deep understanding of foul rules, which was why the Lakers managed to beat the Trail Blazers in 1989 and advance to the Finals.
Yet games often don’t proceed according to coaches’ plans, or, more specifically, there are always X factors that disrupt pregame arrangements.
In the first half, the Lakers’ defense against Gan Guoyang indeed performed well: multilayered encirclement and defensive rotations left him surrounded on all sides.
Especially when the Lakers unleashed their "death lineup," using sheer height to physically bury Gan Guoyang. Honestly, this simple and brutal approach was somewhat effective.
In the first round against Karl Malone, this tactic was rehearsed and yielded excellent results, so the Lakers players felt increasingly confident the more they defended.
But Gan Guoyang, unlike Malone, was quick-witted and versatile. Seeing the Lakers’ well-prepared multilayered defense, he didn’t recklessly charge forward like a fool or rely on mid-range shooting to kill the Lakers as he did in 1987—the situation was different now.
Gan Guoyang had developed a deeper connection with his teammates. He utilized passing to orchestrate team offense, relying on the Princeton system to find more opportunities.
Thus, the Lakers didn’t gain much of an advantage in the first half, with Gan Guoyang delivering six assists, and the Trail Blazers leading the Lakers by 2 points at halftime.
Entering the third quarter, the Lakers dared not relax their defense against Gan Guoyang, fearing an explosive outburst from the "king of the third quarter" that could wipe them out in one wave.
But instead of Gan Guoyang exploding, it was Dražen Petrović who went off, scoring 17 points in the third quarter single-handedly and leading the Trail Blazers to widen the gap!
Once behind, the Lakers’ composure faltered, and to Don Nelson’s frustration, the first player to lose his cool was Magic Johnson.
Johnson began forcing plays, taking two consecutive three-point shots from the perimeter, but both were poorly timed. Under Reggie Lewis’s tight defense, one attempt clanged off the rim, and the other was an airball.
Johnson was the cornerstone of the Lakers, their absolute leader. When he lost his composure, the team’s morale crumbled, and the Lakers’ defensive quality dropped precipitously.
At that point, the Princeton system’s power amplified exponentially. Sharp passing and relentless backdoor cuts exposed the defensive lapses of an unfocused opponent.
Petrović broke through the Lakers’ defensive line in the third quarter, which then opened the floodgates for the Trail Blazers’ firepower and attacks to pour in like a tide. The Lakers’ defense, which had held strong for most of the game, ultimately collapsed.
The Trail Blazers’ multidimensional strategy, marked by extensive movement, frequent perimeter shots, and tactical interweaving, was remarkably advanced for the NBA at the time. They executed a phenomenal all-hands-on-deck offense in the fourth quarter, scoring a whopping 37 points.
Ultimately, the Trail Blazers triumphed at home with a 15-point margin, taking a 1-0 lead in the series.
Magic Johnson returned to the locker room with his head hanging low, then vomited in the bathroom with a loud "Wah!"
That moment seemed to release all the pent-up frustration in his chest, ironically easing his post-loss anxiety.
Johnson still believed that in the next game or back in Los Angeles, the Lakers had hope of winning.
Over in the Trail Blazers’ locker room, everyone cheered for Dražen Petrović, who had scored 30 points tonight.
Yet Petrović merely forced a smile, looking somewhat melancholic.
Despite his stellar performance today, it didn’t bring him joy; his display on the court seemed more like an emotional release.
The near triple-double stats of Sabonis—19 points, 7 assists, and 10 rebounds—reflected his understanding of Petrović’s complex feelings.
In March 1990, Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union but had yet to gain recognition from the Soviets.
Sabonis represented the Soviet Union in the 1990 FIBA World Championship amidst a pull of identity conflicts, facing widespread criticism thereafter.
In 1991, just over a month ago in early March, Croatian police and Yugoslav federal troops confronted each other in Pakraz, followed by gunfire between Croatian police and Serbian militia at Plitvice Lake Park. A Croatian police officer named Josip Jovic was killed in the crossfire.
This event intensified the irreconcilable conflict between the two sides; Croatia’s resolve to break away from Yugoslavia grew stronger, leading them to decide on a referendum on May 19th.
Now, there were just over ten days remaining.
Without a doubt, a dramatic upheaval involving nations and ethnicities was looming.
War was highly likely to break out. Croatia would be plunged into chaos.
At this moment, Petrović’s thoughts were constantly tied to distant Croatia.
While he played playoff basketball in peaceful America, real war was about to erupt in his homeland—his family, friends, and compatriots would face death and displacement.
So, even after his superb performance on the court, Petrović could not feel joyful.
In fact, it wasn’t just Petrović—every Yugoslav player in America lived with constant anxiety, waking each day in fear to turn on the television and check the latest news updates.
They didn’t know when grave upheavals would occur, and when the fires of war might take away everything.
In the past, Petrović started each day in his apartment by warming up on the treadmill before diving into strength training.
Now, his first act upon waking was turning on the television and tuning to CNN, which closely followed the situation in Croatia.
Gan Guoyang noticed Petrović’s deep frown and knew what was troubling him. He comforted him: "First, bring your parents and family to America. Croatia is too dangerous. I’ll find a way to arrange everything—you don’t need to worry too much. Visas and flights won’t be an issue."
Petrović had initially planned to risk returning to Croatia after the playoffs to care for his family, though it was already incredibly difficult for ordinary Croatians to secure visas to leave for America.
Petrović’s eyes lit up with hope as he looked at Gan Guoyang, asking, "Really?"
Gan Guoyang nodded, saying, "Of course. Trust me—my talents extend beyond the basketball court."
