Chapter 917: Chapter 60: The Morning of the Champion_5
Reduce Armstrong and Hodges’ play time accordingly.
Levinston stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and is a very energetic and experienced forward.
Jackson has already realized that stacking forwards is crucial when facing Gan.
Especially versatile small forwards. Their energy, rebounding, and outside shooting increase Gan’s defensive burden.
If it’s a guard, Gan can leave it completely to the perimeter defenders.
If it’s an interior player, a center, or a power forward, engaging in interior battles of strength, height, or technique, Gan fears nothing.
Soldiers fend off attacks, water is blocked by earth—this is precisely his job.
Only small forwards, these guys who are capable inside and outside, can cause Gan some trouble and annoyance.
The Bulls lack a strong interior presence, so Jackson likes to have players like Pippen and Levinston fill the gaps in the paint and perform some inside duties.
Of course, Levinston has one distinct advantage: his stamina is exceptional.
During the regular season as a substitute, he averaged just 13 minutes of play per game, with even fewer opportunities in the playoffs.
By the Finals, everyone is exhausted, especially after the intensity of the first four games.
Except for beasts like Gan and Jordan, everyone is dragging heavy steps to persist in the fight.
At this time, if the bench can offer fresh energy, it would provide great reinforcement to the team’s strength.
Levinston played a vital role in the second quarter transition phase, contributing valuable offensive rebounds and second-chance points. He hit a mid-range shot at the end of the second quarter, helping the Bulls establish a 9-point lead.
In the third quarter, Jordan, after suffering a setback in the previous game, came out like an enraged bull, tight, focused, relentless, and cautiously aggressive on the attack.
This game, Jordan was firing on all cylinders—scoring 17 points in the first half and another 15 points in the third quarter alone—allowing the Bulls to extend their lead to 14 points at one point.
However, the Trail Blazers seemed accustomed to trailing, remaining unphased, and launched a ferocious comeback in the latter half of the third quarter.
Petrović teamed up with Gan to deliver a 13-3 offensive blitz, which trimmed the gap to just 4 points.
The Bulls surprisingly failed to suppress Petrović, whose boldness, decisiveness, and European-style gameplay left them unsettled.
The most crucial factor was Petrović’s confidence. Despite the Bulls defending well against his long-range shots, he still managed to sink them, leaving them with no recourse.
In the fourth quarter, the Trail Blazers fought with increasing vigor, continuously closing the gap and returning the pressure to the Bulls, who once again seemed to lose their ability to play cohesively.
Evidently, the shadow of Game 4 could not be erased by only two days of rest.
At this critical moment, it was still Jordan who stood out, stabilizing the game through drawing fouls and mid-range jumpers.
Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang’s performance tonight was underwhelming. At pivotal junctures, he missed two mid-range shots and failed to respond effectively.
The Bulls’ persistent harassment defense proved to be somewhat effective. At the same time, player performance cannot always be consistent—even robots can have off days.
Jordan finally faced Gan head-to-head in Game 5 and emerged victorious, 97-101. Jordan scored an impressive 37 points for the game and surpassed 30 points in each of the five matches played.
Gan Guoyang only managed 25 points this game, with a field goal percentage of merely 46%, which was considered subpar for him.
However, this loss didn’t discourage the Trail Blazers players; on the contrary, they were brimming with anticipation and determination.
Because up next, they’ll return to Portland, back to Memorial Coliseum, to their Glass Palace.
Besides, even though they lost this game, the Bulls clearly intended to triumph decisively at home. Yet the latter stage of the game saw them unravel once more, allowing the Trail Blazers to catch up aggressively.
This actually signaled a weakening of the Bulls. They relied on home-court advantage, some minor referee favors, Jordan’s incredible effort, and the Trail Blazers’ slight complacency to secure the win.
The Trail Blazers clearly demonstrated their attitude—if they could win, they would, but if the chance seemed slim, they would save their energy for Portland.
They were already impatient to return, so immediately after the game, they boarded a bus heading to the airport to fly back to Oregon on their private jet.
A day earlier, Tang Jianguo had already sent the players’ families on the private jet back to Portland, making it evident that the boss was also eager to claim the championship in his city.
Game 6 was scheduled for June 14th. When Gan woke up, it was the early morning of June 14th, at 5:30 a.m., with the sky just beginning to brighten.
He opened the window, breathed in the fresh air, and recalled the mornings of every championship victory in the past.
A sense of familiarity stirred within him—it felt like yet another championship morning.
"A beautiful day is about to unfold." He thought to himself.
