Olajuwon played exceptionally well this season.
But if you ask Drexler, it’s still not as good as Ah Gan’s worst season.
However, in this game, Olajuwon displayed great form right from the start.
He had been preparing for this battle for a long time.
One could say he was well-prepared in all aspects.
Olajuwon continuously scored in low-post attacks.
He attacked decisively with the ball, even when faced with Ah Gan.
He used his nimble footwork and excellent back sensing to counter Ah Gan’s defense.
Turning forward to make a hook shot, turning backward to attempt a fadeaway jumper.
Simple and clear, crisp and decisive, the ball went in sharply.
Gan Guoyang immediately responded with mid-range shots from the arc and baseline.
Gan Guoyang had a clear idea; he wanted to draw Olajuwon out and create opportunities for his teammates.
With Sabonis absent tonight, lacking an external connection and coordination point, Gan Guoyang had to play more outside.
Meanwhile, Olajuwon was very clear about driving into the low post, distributing the ball immediately when trapped.
Both sides exchanged blows in the beginning, playing on equal footing, back and forth.
As their bodies and states warmed up, the Miami Heat started to show their fangs.
Under Riley’s command, the Heat’s defense tightened up like a hunter’s net bag, continuously closing in.
Riley’s defense had two notable features: relentless trapping and pressure on the ball handler.
Riley demanded strict traps on any player intruding past the three-point line.
As a basis for trapping without losing men, the Heat also employed a strategy of tireless defensive rotations.
The second feature was highly intense physical confrontation in the paint.
Riley required the defense to offer no easy layup chances to the opponents.
Especially at intense moments, they had to dare to use their bodies.
On offense, even if they couldn’t fight for offensive rebounds, they had to immediately counter-steal in place.
They mustn’t allow an easy opponent’s rebound to counterattack, making the opponent uncomfortable, even more uncomfortable.
This kind of strategy brings to mind the past Detroit Pistons, the Bad Boys.
Unlike the Bad Boys, the Heat were taller and stronger.
Furthermore, they possessed better offensive talent in both inside and outside lines.
The Pistons adhered to the Turtle Shell Formation, while the Heat had more aggressive defense.
The Trail Blazers quickly fell into a tough battle, engaging in a brawl with the Heat in the second half of the first quarter and the second quarter.
In one offense, Gan Guoyang held the ball in the middle to cut in, finding himself surrounded by three people.
He passed the ball to the cutting Porter, who could make an open basket.
As a result, Mason turned around and collided into Porter, and the referee called a foul.
Porter immediately got up to confront Mason, but Mason just raised his hands acknowledging the foul.
Mason had spent one season in Portland, winning a championship.
Now, they each had their own masters, with Mason being Riley’s number one enforcer.
The tempers on both sides flared up, but Olajuwon remained calm inside.
He contributed a steady output on both offensive and defensive ends, putting pressure on Gan Guoyang.
The entire Trail Blazers team was very tired, leaving Gan Guoyang quickly fighting a lone battle.
Without Sabonis’ support inside and the encirclement of Olajuwon, Mason, and others, Gan Guoyang’s efficiency dropped.
If only the perimeter could work in tandem; the Trail Blazers could withstand the pressure.
But Petrović and Porter both lost their aim.
John Starks had been all over Porter throughout the whole game.
This undrafted small player had a fearlessness about him.
He dared to challenge anything, even wanting to tussle with Ah Gan in a few turns.
In the end, he was stopped together by Olajuwon and Drexler.
They all wanted to play well and not fall into a state of chaos.
The Heat held the upper hand.
The Trail Blazers’ offense seemed weak and unable to break through the Heat’s defense.
On both sides of the court, Gan Guoyang had to dedicate enough energy to Olajuwon.
Olajuwon was on fire tonight, making jump shots under extreme blocks numerous times.
Moreover, Olajuwon had honed a new skill:
During an attack, halfway through the action, even if he was airborne, he could suddenly change posture and pass the ball to a teammate.
Much like Jordan pausing in mid-air to shoot, Olajuwon could pause to pass.
Often when Gan Guoyang defended too tightly, or the Trail Blazers double-teamed, Olajuwon could do this.
The passes weren’t always pretty, sometimes a bit awkward, but effective.
It could create shooting opportunities for his teammates and score points.
It was clear, Olajuwon had adjusted himself to perfection tonight.
In contrast, Drexler dragged the team back, playing poorly.
His shooting form was inconsistent, and he hadn’t fully recovered from an injury.
On both offensive and defensive ends, Gan Guoyang was entangled with Olajuwon in a fascinating duel.
But tonight, Gan Guoyang couldn’t galvanize his teammates, and his passes rarely turned into assists.
Poor teammate performance was one reason, but the effective defense from the Heat was the main factor.
The Trail Blazers’ Princeton offense needed space, backdoors, and full mobilization.
The Heat relied on stacking the strong side to seal the Trail Blazers’ space and used fast rotations to resolve passes.
If Sabonis were present, providing another relay point, the Trail Blazers’ offense would be much more comfortable.
With Sabonis absent, towards the end, the Trail Blazers had to resort to solo play.
Facing the Heat’s robust defense, Gan Guoyang’s shooting accuracy dropped to a rare below 50%.
Riley didn’t dare to be careless from start to finish, continuously deploying his troops.
Inside, reinforcements and rotations persisted to deplete Gan Guoyang, clearly a carousel battle.
Under such repeated wear, the Miami Heat finally established a solid advantage in the fourth quarter.
The exhausted Trail Blazers couldn’t mount a final counterattack.
In the end, the Heat achieved an 83-78 victory over the Trail Blazers at home by a margin of 5 points.
The 78 points set a season-low for the Trail Blazers in a regular-season game.
Olajuwon scored 29 points with 14 rebounds, while Gan Guoyang scored 31 points with 16 rebounds.
Both contributed 5 blocks, making it a block party, but the Trail Blazers ultimately came up short.
Right now, they are increasingly incapable of handling such defense-heavy battles.
After securing the victory, Olajuwon did not celebrate.
He simply raised his arm, then shook hands with Ah Gan.
Then, he exchanged a few simple pleasantries and silently turned back to the locker room.
Olajuwon played perfectly tonight; he did his best.
At this moment, Gan Guoyang realized that this season, the Miami Heat and Olajuwon were indeed the strongest challengers.
[Write some thoughts about the Dongzi and Davis trade in a separate Chapter.]