Chapter 865 - 45 Final Exam_3

The newspapers in the Oregon region strongly supported Pippen, stating: "What difference does it make if they meet earlier? Just to get defeated by the Trail Blazers earlier? Pippen prevented that from happening."

In fact, the rivalry between these two cities began last season.

For the Bulls to face the Trail Blazers, they must first defeat the Detroit Pistons.

The Pistons defeated their old rivals, the Boston Celtics, 4-2 in the second round.

This year was the Celtics’ most promising season in recent years.

Bird and McHale still had some gas in the tank, and the arrival of Divac and Hornacek bolstered the team’s roster.

They breezed through the Pacers in the first round with a 3-1 win, only to fall to the Pistons once again.

Even though the Pistons showed signs of decline this season, the Celtics were even more exhausted and aging.

In the first four games, the teams were evenly matched, tied at 2-2. But in the pivotal Game 5, the so-called "battle for the throne," held at the Boston Garden, the Celtics lost.

The Celtics battled the Pistons throughout the game, the score remaining neck and neck. The Celtics relied on the home-court advantage to maintain their lead, knowing that winning this game would put them one step closer to advancing.

Yet, at the critical moment, the Celtics’ Achilles’ heel was exposed: Bird could no longer attack effectively.

In that game, Bird went 7-for-18, shooting just 38% from the field.

He missed all four three-point attempts and scored only 16 points in total, a far cry from his performance in past crucial games.

In fact, during the first-round series against the Pacers, Bird had staged a remarkable comeback.

After leaving the game due to injury, he returned to the court determined, hitting consecutive shots to crush the Pacers.

But against the Pistons, Bird could not hold on—his body was on the verge of collapse.

After losing Game 5, Bird knew that his playoff journey this year was likely over.

At this point, he began contemplating retirement, wondering if it was time to leave—leave this court and start a new Chapter in life.

Of course, the Pistons, who had advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, were not in much better shape than the Celtics.

They, too, were aging, and in the world of professional sports, aging often happens in the blink of an eye.

Life may be long, but the NBA feels like a fast-forwarded drama—one episode you’re in your prime, and just a few episodes later, you may already be fading into twilight.

A player’s and a team’s professional lifespan is so brief that most can only chase fleeting moments of glory, inevitably falling from grace to become the stepping stones for the next generation’s brilliance.

In 1987, the Detroit Pistons stepped on the Celtics to rise, reaching the Finals, won the championship in 1989, and just barely beat the Bulls to claim the Eastern title again in 1990—but they were no match for the Trail Blazers.

The Pistons’ rise, prosperity, and decline had lasted long enough.

After all, not every team could be like the Trail Blazers, who managed to regenerate amidst decay—capitalizing on the benefits of international draft picks and securing the excellent pick of Ah Gan.

However, no aging team ever willingly exits the historical stage; victories are earned, not handed over.

If the Bulls show even the slightest hint of complacency, the Pistons will strangle them, pinning them once more on the pillar of shame.

Thus, everyone in Chicago Bulls understood that their final exam was approaching.

Before the game, when Jordan was asked what would happen if they lost to the Pistons again this year, Jordan shrugged his shoulders and casually replied, "What will happen? Of course, we’ll keep going next year, all the way until we beat them. What—should I head over to Portland instead? Haha."