Chapter 896 - 55 Deadly_2

The good news is that the pace of the game is still under the Trail Blazers’ control; they have the initiative.

The slight lead exerts psychological pressure, allowing the players to play with more relaxation and confidence.

Of course, Beelman knows very well that the balance of power can shift in an instant.

Once the opponent gains momentum and overturns the score within two quick possessions, the situation will collapse rapidly for the Trail Blazers.

"Defense, we must improve our defense. Jordan scored too easily in the first half, and our defense is already showing signs of slackening. We need to increase the intensity, and pay attention to every single detail—every one!"

When facing offensive difficulties, Beelman didn’t just apply superficial fixes to address individual problems; instead, he emphasized defense, fully aware that defense is the stabilizing force.

Against other teams, the Trail Blazers could focus solely on offense and crush their opponents completely.

Not against the Bulls. The defense must hold, or else if the offense fluctuates and the defense can’t bite, the game will flip.

Beelman and Jackson share a similar attribute; both are big-picture coaches, uninterested in nitpicking over specific tactical details.

Jackson’s grasp of the game stems from his on-court intuition, honed during his bench player days under Holzman, where he developed an acute sense of perception.

Beelman, on the other hand, relies more on data. Handed the first-half statistics by his assistant coach, Beelman realized the Trail Blazers’ offensive efficiency wasn’t high, with most of the load being carried by Ah Gan.

The Bulls’ defense was indeed very tight, especially their interference and blockade of the perimeter. Jordan, Pippen, and Buck-Williams harassed the outside players to the fullest, severely disrupting the Trail Blazers’ tactical organization, ball movement, and decision-making.

Good offense always forces the defending side to make tough choices, leaving them caught in dilemmas. Conversely, good defense does the same to the offense, costing them precious opportunities.

"On offense, keep playing around Ah Gan. The low post is our advantage—we need to expand this advantage, expand it further, until their wound has bled dry!"

In this, Beelman is more resolute than Jackson. He doesn’t bother with balance or harmony. Portland has only one sun.

As for the Princeton System? In this moment—the NBA Finals against the Chicago Bulls—to hell with Princeton. Even if Carell were here, he’d be thinking of feeding the ball to Ah Gan.

The Princeton System in the regular season was for improving cohesion, giving Ah Gan more rest, and conserving energy. Train for a thousand days to use for one decisive moment—now is the time.

High-level sports competitions are warfare. It’s a clash of armies, and in the end, it’s all about who dares to fight and who has the will to sacrifice.

The famous strategist, Comrade 101, once said, "The most important tactic is to fight until the end. If completely exhausted, so be it. If it’s over, it’s over."

Without this mindset, no intricate strategy will ever work.

As someone whose father was a submarine soldier, Beelman understands this better than Phil Jackson, whose parents were Christians.

Gan Guoyang fully understands Beelman’s intentions, and his stamina is still abundant.

Halftime ends, and the game resumes. The fans, now rested, return to their seats, ready to unleash fresh noise.

Outside the court, helicopters continuously fly over the stadium, their aerial cameras transmitting views of the Glass Palace and Portland’s nightscape to the world via satellite broadcasts.

Countries and regions across more than half the globe are watching this game, including Yugoslavia on the brink of war, the Soviet Union, once hostile to America, and snow-filled South America in winter.

Across the ocean in China, many families without televisions gather at neighbors’ homes with TVs, eating while watching the live broadcast.

Those without such opportunities turn on their radios. Central Broad Radio makes a rare exception, broadcasting the entire Finals live nationwide. The crisp voice of Central Television’s Song Shixiong echoes across farmlands, with even weathered farmers taking a seat to listen, curious about the events unfolding in distant America.

At center stage, Jordan starts the second half by attacking the Trail Blazers’ Three Second Zone.

He aims to break Gan Guoyang and create a gap in the Trail Blazers’ seemingly impregnable defense.

Gan Guoyang doesn’t fall for the trap, dodging mid-air and allowing Jordan to finish with a layup.

Immediately after, Gan Guoyang receives the ball in the low post. When the Bulls triple-team him, he quickly dishes it to Sabonis, who cuts through the middle toward the basket.

Sabonis throws down a powerful two-handed dunk like Mount Tai crushing his opponent!

Since being plagued by injuries, Sabonis rarely dunks in games to protect his knees.

Tonight, Sabonis is going all out. When he can dunk, he won’t settle for a layup.

With these two opening strikes, the Bulls and Trail Blazers engage in a fierce battle during the third quarter.

David Stern is on site to watch the game, long anticipating this matchup and confident it marks a pinnacle of NBA competition in the 1990s.

Even so, Stern did not expect such intensity from the very first game, as if the championship would be decided right here and now.

For a full three minutes, neither side scores in open play. The game quickly escalates into a fever pitch, with physical confrontations far exceeding those in the regular season and playoffs.

In the face of such high physicality and energy drain, most players’ technical movements start to falter. Forget about precision shooting—dribbling alone becomes clumsy and error-prone.

Phil Jackson, observing the scene, feels uneasy. He realizes the Bulls have played too fiercely and recklessly tonight, throwing off both their rotation and tactical rhythm.