Chapter 883 - 52: Facing Ah Gan

Before the start of Game 4 between the Bulls and the Pistons, Scottie Pippen sat in the locker room. Following Phil Jackson’s advice, he concentrated on the game, focusing on basketball-related matters.

Just one step away from the Finals, Pippen, who had been heavily questioned before the series, delivered outstanding performances against the Pistons, becoming a key factor in determining victory.

Jordan’s performance was as dominant and consistent as ever. No matter how the Pistons targeted him, he still managed to efficiently put up 30 points every game, leaving no room for concern.

Pippen’s exceptional breakout this year marked the biggest difference between this Bulls team and last year’s. Everyone in the Bulls organization could feel it—Pippen was rapidly rising to prominence.

A win in Game 4 would secure the much-desired Finals berth for the Bulls, so Jackson wanted Pippen to focus solely on the game and block out any distractions.

In Jackson’s eyes, Pippen was still a potential variable. Throughout the series, he had been constantly targeted by Dennis Rodman and Salley.

Over the past three games, Rodman had been relentlessly taunting Pippen, provoking him, gesturing wildly, and talking incessantly, only to cap it off with exaggerated gestures of reconciliation like patting each other on the back.

Veteran Buck-Williams observed this and remarked to Phil Jackson, "That Rodman guy must be crazy. I suspect someone knocked his brain loose; something’s clearly wrong with him."

Pippen chuckled and replied, "He is indeed sick. He needs help. People like him shouldn’t be allowed to roam the streets freely. He should be tied up in a hospital and have his frontal lobe removed."

Jackson was very pleased with Pippen’s mentality, especially the light-hearted, natural smile on his face—something entirely absent in last year’s series.

Game 7 last year had been a disaster. Now Pippen had freed himself from the shadows of the Pistons’ violence and pressure; he brimmed with confidence, not only in himself but also in the team.

Jordan, too, was overflowing with confidence. His pregame statement, "We’re already thinking about the Finals opponent," sent shockwaves through Detroit.

The Pistons swore they would teach Michael Jordan a lesson in Game 4, while Detroit fans screamed and bellowed before the game in an attempt to intimidate the Bulls players.

However, if such antics worked, the Pistons wouldn’t have fallen into a 0-3 deficit in the first place.

Night fell, and Game 4 at The Palace of Auburn Hills arrived on schedule.

Chuck Daly’s arsenal was empty; there were no more tricks or unexpected contributors left on the Pistons’ bench.

In fact, the Pistons’ spirit had already been completely sapped by the loss in the 1990 Finals and Ah Gan’s infamous elbow.

Their current survival was purely on momentum—like soulless zombies freshly robbed of life, their muscles still remembered the actions, but the spirit was gone.

Another reason was that the Pistons’ core lineup still had relatively young players. Rodman, Salley, and Melvin Turpin were all developing or at their peak, and they managed to carry the team this season.

But the era of the Detroit Pistons was unequivocally over, brought down by the league’s new rules against flagrant fouls, shifts in public opinion, and Isiah Thomas’s declining reputation.

Ironically, while it was Isiah who had been disfigured by the infamous elbow, no one spoke up for him afterward. Instead, they pleaded on behalf of Ah Gan, leaving Thomas deeply hurt.

Before the start of Game 4, Thomas had a strong premonition that their era was ending, and a new one was dawning.

As the saying goes: "Its rise was so rapid, its fall so sudden." As the "reactionaries," the Pistons were making their last desperate struggle at the brink of death.

Right from the start, they confronted the Chicago Bulls head-on. Despite the presence of flagrant foul rules, the Pistons amplified the physicality of their play.

After all, if they lost this game, their season was over. Intentional fouls? So be it. No need to hold back anymore.

Chuck Daly had nothing else left to try; he could only fight to the death.

But the Bulls’ coaching staff wasn’t the least bit afraid of the Pistons’ physical confrontations. On the contrary, the Bulls welcomed it.

Not because the Bulls were masochists, but because Phil Jackson understood that when the Pistons reverted to violent basketball, it signaled they had run out of options.

The Pistons’ physicality was never about injuring opponents but disrupting their mental focus—a form of psychological warfare.

Previously, this tactic had been highly effective. However, the situation had now completely reversed. The more physical the Pistons got, the calmer and more indifferent the Bulls became.

It was the Pistons, instead, who would spiral into frustration and emotional outbursts, which in turn affected their on-court performance.

Bill Lambier had felt stifled in the previous three games. He was aging and could no longer provide high-quality offense or defense.

Constrained by flagrant foul rules, tonight he discarded all pretense. In the first quarter, during a defensive play, he shoved John Paxson—who was driving to the hoop—straight out of bounds.

Paxson hit the ground hard but quickly got back up. He shot Lambier a disdainful look and said, "Do as you please, Bill. I’m not afraid of you."

With that, Paxson ignored Lambier entirely. No matter how much trash talk Lambier spewed, Paxson simply stepped to the free-throw line and calmly sank his shots.

Soon after, Paxson received a pass from Jordan on offense, drilled a three-pointer, then followed it up by cutting to the basket after another Jordan pass, drawing a foul from Melvin Turpin, and earning another trip to the free-throw line.

Lambier realized his dirty tactics could no longer stop the Bulls from attacking the three-second zone. Not only Jordan, but even a "small role player" like John Paxson dared to drive in and draw fouls repeatedly.