Chapter 862: After modification: Chapter 44 Muse_3
"I know, if I let you practice now, who knows, it might come in handy later."
Sam Perkins looked utterly baffled—this was the Western Conference semifinals, lose and you’re out.
Coach, you really want me to shoot a three-pointer? Is that even appropriate?
At that moment, Magic Johnson chimed in, "Give it a try, Sam. We need some unconventional strategies to win. I’ll pass the ball to you."
Sam Perkins swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and said he could give it a shot, but warned not to blame him if he missed—he’s no shooter.
And so, after laying out this strategy, the Lakers executed the crucial play.
Sam Perkins, Byron Scott, and James Worthy ran consecutive screens and cuts.
The Trail Blazers defenders naturally focused all their attention on Worthy cutting inside and Scott heading for the corner.
They completely ignored Sam Perkins standing beyond the three-point line, as Perkins had no record of shooting threes.
In the entire series against the Trail Blazers, Perkins hadn’t attempted a single three-pointer, so the Trail Blazers players naturally dismissed the threat of him being outside the arc.
Even Gan Guoyang didn’t expect it—his focus was entirely on Worthy and Duckworth.
From the sideline, Johnson fired a direct pass to Perkins. Perkins caught the ball, with his defender three steps away.
He had enough time to take aim before releasing a leisurely shot from the top of the arc.
The crowd and the Trail Blazers players were stunned as Gan Guoyang quickly positioned himself to fight for the rebound.
The shot seemed to have too much power.
The force was indeed excessive, but the ball hit the backboard and bounced straight into the hoop!
A miraculous banked three-pointer went in!
This incredible shot brought the Lakers back to tie the game.
The Great Western Forum Arena, which moments ago had been in despair, erupted into jubilant celebration!
Sam Perkins, the man who hit this crucial shot, raised both arms high, a radiant smile lighting up his face.
But Don Nelson, the architect of this play, remained expressionless. He knew this shot wouldn’t change the outcome of the series.
Yet, deep in his heart, a wall had crumbled; he realized basketball could be played with a far broader perspective.
Actually, Gan Guoyang had already provided the answer long ago. He had slaughtered the Lakers with dagger-like threes at the Great Western Forum years ago.
How long ago was that? 1985, or maybe 1986—either way, it had been quite a while.
But in the entire league, where was the second big man willing to attempt threes in volume like Gan Guoyang?
Nowhere, not a single one—it was baffling how no one followed his lead.
Perhaps there were some, but it seemed coaches universally agreed that Gan was an exception, not replicable.
Yet, look at Sam Perkins’ shot—it had significant elements of luck, but when it succeeded, what immense benefits did it bring? How much trouble did it cause for the opposing defense?
Whenever coaches saw Gan catching the ball beyond the three-point line, their hearts would tremble; defenders had to stick to him like glue, because you never knew when he’d unleash a deadly shot.
"The best example is right in front of me, so why didn’t I develop or look for players like him? Instead, I wasted my time in Los Angeles..."
Nielsen thought to himself, regretting how he had squandered years. Though his stint with the Lakers was solid, he hadn’t achieved what he truly desired.
He recalled 1984, during the selection process for the Olympic team, when he led the All-Star Team against the Olympic Team.
In that game, he coached Gan Guoyang, and Nielsen had desperately wanted to acquire this player, hoping to shape an unparalleled, revolutionary big man.
Of course, he later failed to get Gan, and that wish had stayed buried deep within him ever since.
During the 1989 draft, he hoped to land Divac but ended up losing him to the Trail Blazers, which made him absolutely furious.
Now he understood—he was destined never to coach this extraordinary player, but perhaps he could search for a new muse.
The game was tied. Bobby Berman called a timeout; there were 10 seconds left—enough time for the Trail Blazers to execute a game-winning play.
Once again, the Lakers faced a critical choice. Everyone knew Gan Guoyang would get the ball; they knew he might go for the game-winner, or he could opt to pass.
In any case, they had no choice but to confront him, commit to heavy defense, and prepare themselves emotionally for the possible pain.
Nielsen didn’t hesitate as he laid out a defensive strategy against Gan Guoyang, involving multiple layers of double-teaming before he even received the ball.
When the inbound pass came, Gan Guoyang caught it at the high post, immediately pivoted, and sprang up to deliver a laser-like pass into the paint, connecting with Sabonis in a high-low play.
Sabonis caught the ball, pivoted, and executed a delicate hook shot from close range—it went in, and the Trail Blazers regained the lead!
A near buzzer-beater by Sabonis!
The Lakers had no timeouts left, so Johnson could do nothing but launch a desperate prayer from half-court.
The ball sailed over the backboard, landing in the bench area—it missed completely.
The red light flashed; the game was over, and so was the series.
The Trail Blazers had delivered a stunning yet predictable 4-0 sweep over their old rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.
It marked a brief pause in the tangled rivalry that had persisted since the 1980s.
Lakers fans left the arena disheartened, still holding out hope for their team’s resurgence next season.
Little did they know, their era of greatness was about to come to an abrupt halt, albeit temporarily.
