After a series of tedious opening ceremonies, the first battle of the finals is finally about to begin.
Both teams’ players are prepared and stepping onto the court, with more spectators than there were an hour ago.
However, it still isn’t full; there are still some empty seats, indicating that some people are inevitably late.
Gan Guoyang tidied up his black Trail Blazers jersey, ran near the commentary table, and gave Jack Ramsey’s bald head a kiss.
"Wish me luck, Jack!"
Ramsay took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead.
"I believe in you, Sonny. I support Miami, but I’m betting on you to win! Also, I warn you, my hair was eliminated by you, so be careful!"
Both of them laughed; it was clear that Gan Guoyang was very relaxed about the finals.
Though the Heat crushed the Bulls, Gan Guoyang wasn’t worried about the Olajuwon+Drexler combination.
Gan Guoyang didn’t fear the Heat’s brawling defensive style, because the lower the scoring and the higher the competition, the more Gan Guoyang’s role was highlighted.
When everyone is inefficient, his efficiency stands out, especially with his advantage in physical fitness.
Instead, it was the Lakers of the 80s with their all-around blossom and extraordinary talent that twice overshadowed Gan Guoyang’s personal impact.
Compared to Gan Guoyang’s confidence, Beelman was instead worried, pacing back and forth on the sidelines.
This finals was Beelman’s least equipped time; he really didn’t have many cards to play.
Moreover, he knew clearly that Pat Riley had been tirelessly undermining the Trail Blazers for years, and the Heat even had the nickname "South Coast Little Pioneers."
The Heat, from management to coaching staff to players, were all very familiar with the Trail Blazers.
Beelman was troubled by the thought, "If I do this, they’ll definitely see through it; Riley anticipated it long ago" during strategic planning.
Up until just before the game began, Beelman couldn’t determine whether Ah Gan should play center or return to power forward.
This decided the Blazers’ rotation and tactical style; finally, Adelman stood up and said: "Center position, no doubt, Ah Gan has to face Olajuwon head-on!"
Gan Guoyang stood at the center circle competing for the ball with Olajuwon, and at this time the warmth and calmness in Olajuwon’s eyes had disappeared, with a hidden fierceness faintly shining.
In the Eastern finals, it was precisely Olajuwon’s decisive performance in the sixth game that changed everything, with the 1984 top pick beating the third pick and meeting the second pick in the finals.
This was indeed Olajuwon’s best year, where his talent and brilliance were best showcased, and his experience and willpower reached the pinnacle of his life.
Facing Ah Gan this time, he was fearless, wanting only to defeat his opponent and win the championship.
In the jump ball, both players touched the ball simultaneously, with Olajuwon taking the initiative and passing it to a teammate.
The game officially started, while fans continued to enter, filling up the empty seats gradually.
The Heat’s first offensive play, Olajuwon tried to post-up Ah Gan low and received the pass from Drexler.
Olajuwon was agile and varied in the low post, adept at using footwork to find space, then using his soft hook and jump shot to send the ball into the basket.
But in 1986, Olajuwon leaned more towards Moses Malone in style, using his abundant vitality and physique to grab offensive rebounds and forcefully attack the three-second zone.
Much like his personality, he had transformed significantly over the years.
The Trail Blazers did not double team, Olajuwon turned inside and went middle, faking a move.
Gan Guoyang didn’t fall for it, standing firm and blocking Olajuwon; Olajuwon shoved Ah Gan away to squeeze out just a bit of space.
Then he used an uncommon left-hand hook shot; Gan Guoyang jumped quickly to block.
But the ball still skimmed Gan Guoyang’s fingertips, bouncing twice on the rim and falling into the net.
Olajuwon quickly scored the first point of this finals, facing off directly against Gan Guoyang.
Pat Riley secretly clenched his fist; as long as Olajuwon could score off Ah Gan, the Heat’s chances of winning were strong.
Looking around the League’s inside players, Olajuwon was the only one who could efficiently score off Gan Guoyang.
Other players’ efficiency would drop drastically when playing one-on-one against Gan Guoyang, often becoming clowns that accentuate Ah Gan’s defensive skills.
Gan Guoyang felt the pressure from Olajuwon; he defended well, but Olajuwon still scored using a left-handed hook in a tight space.
"Luck won’t always be this good, Hakeem," Gan Guoyang said.
"Same to you, Sonny; you won’t always be lucky," Olajuwon replied.
The Trail Blazers’ offensive possession, the three-second zone became unusually intense.
Under Riley’s coaching, the Heat’s defense was like a meat grinder, making every tactical setup and pass extremely difficult for their opponents.
Unlike the Supersonics’ endless switching and ball-handler targeting, Riley favored tearing and pestering the off-ball player.
Before the opponent even received the ball, they would be exhausted by the Heat’s muscle collisions, making each catch and shot exceptionally challenging.
Tonight the Heat’s starting power forward was Anthony Mason, whose task was to front guard Gan Guoyang to prevent him from catching the ball.
Since being taken from the Trail Blazers to the Heat, Mason had always been heavily relied upon by Riley.
Especially since Mason had played alongside Gan Guoyang, he understood Ah Gan’s nuances.
Compared to a few years ago, Mason was even bulkier, to the point of being almost distorted.