Chapter 939: Chapter 7 Challenger_2
Beelman demanded that everyone step up, that everyone could temporarily become the core focus on the court. They all had that ability.
Petrović’s state gradually recovered as the situation in the Croatian region became increasingly clear, and his mental condition stabilized.
By the second half of December, the Croatian army had made progress, reclaiming approximately 1,140 square kilometers of land at the cost of over ten thousand deaths, tens of thousands displaced, and countless homes destroyed.
Afterward, Iceland became the first country to recognize Croatia’s independence, and subsequently, more and more countries followed suit.
With the Soviet Union’s collapse, Yugoslavia found itself struggling, and its army began to withdraw from Croatia. Petrović’s long-held anxiety was finally alleviated.
On January 17th, in the Portland Trail Blazers’ game against the Detroit Pistons, Petrović came off the bench and played 31 minutes, scoring a season-high 40 points.
That night, he was unstoppable. The Trail Blazers’ teammates provided him with full support, while the once formidable Pistons’ defense crumbled like paper.
Isiah Thomas had recovered from Karl Malone’s elbow injury, but his overall performance and mental state were no longer at their peak.
Now, the best-performing and most active player on the Pistons was Dennis Rodman. This season, his average rebounds per game reached an astonishing 17.6, ranking second in the league, trailing Gan Guoyang by just 0.3 rebounds.
Gan Guoyang’s position as the rebounding king faced a severe challenge.
Gan Guoyang’s average of 17.9 rebounds per game was already incredible, surpassing the rookie season record of 17.6 rebounds he had set himself.
However, Gan Guoyang had to shoulder numerous other tasks on offense and defense, while Dennis Rodman could focus solely on defense and grabbing rebounds.
Moreover, with the season’s progression, Sabonis returned from injury, which led to a decline in Gan Guoyang’s rebound numbers.
In November, he frequently grabbed 20 rebounds in single games, including a jaw-dropping 31-rebound game, pushing his average rebounds close to 20 at one point.
By December, Gan Guoyang’s rebound numbers began to decline, and by January, as his teammates recovered, his stats dropped further.
In contrast, Rodman was the opposite. In November, his rebounding was impressive; by December, it became astonishing.
He recorded 20 rebounds in three consecutive games and grabbed 25 rebounds during the December 13th away game against Portland.
This included 20 defensive rebounds and 5 offensive rebounds, a direct challenge to Gan Guoyang that showcased his rebounding strength.
During 11 consecutive games in December, Rodman achieved over 20 rebounds in 8 games, inching closer to Gan Guoyang’s average rebound numbers.
On January 17th, in the Trail Blazers’ away game against the Detroit Pistons, Petrović exploded offensively, scoring 40 points.
Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang focused solely on competing with Rodman for rebounds, wanting to show Rodman what it would be like if he dedicated himself to grab rebounds.
The outcome was obvious. Rodman, under intense competition from Gan Guoyang, only managed 11 rebounds – 3 offensive and 8 defensive.
Gan Guoyang, on the other hand, collected 11 offensive rebounds and 17 defensive rebounds, totaling 28 rebounds. All of his offensive rebounds were passed out to Petrović as assists, with no attempts at second-chance scoring by himself.
Clearly, he was telling Rodman, "Tonight, I’m here solely to demonstrate my rebounding ability, not to score."
This competition didn’t make the game frivolous but instead made it incredibly intense and engaging.
Rodman remained defiant as always, relentlessly shoving, provoking, and engaging in active physical confrontations with Gan – though to no avail.
Gan Guoyang gave it his all, showcasing his greatness on defense – 21 points, 28 rebounds, 8 blocks, and 4 steals.
When his teammates could score, he didn’t mind giving up some shooting opportunities, but on defense, he never let up and never compromised. He was always ready to give his all.
The Trail Blazers secured the victory. The Pistons were truly aging, losing their sharpness, and moving forward merely by inertia. Regardless of their chosen direction, their overall trajectory was downward – continuously downward – with no way back up.
Bill Lambier behaved like a disciplined college student throughout the game. Rick Mahorn had left the Pistons, Melvin Turpin’s darker side was diminishing, and after circling back to the Pistons, his gaze now seemed to carry more wisdom.
Thomas had a tense expression throughout the game, showing no smiles, no greetings, and not even trash talk toward Gan Guoyang.
He hated Stockton, despised Malone, detested Jordan, and of course, harbored even more hatred for Ah Gan. As Sports Illustrated once said, the elbow strike in the 1990 Finals shattered Thomas’s aura, and from then on, the Smiling Assassin’s smile was never again genuine or radiant.
From a career perspective, Thomas did not have much to regret.
Three Finals appearances and one championship were enough for him to look back on fondly in his twilight years.
Even legends like Dr. J Irving, Moses Malone, Jerry West, and Rick Barry had only one championship ring.
Thomas and the Detroit Pistons’ run in the late ’80s and early ’90s was destined to be remembered in history.
Yet, losing to Stockton during the 1992 Olympic team selection dealt him a heavy blow.
