stonecrandall Chapter 154 A Legendary Night—An Immortal Monument Reflected in the Team's Image
Chapter 154 A Legendary Night—An Immortal Monument Reflected in the Team's Image
Chapter 157: A Legendary Night—An Immortal Monument Reflected in the Team's Image
Inside the Minneapolis Auditorium, the sounds and heat mingled, creating a scene resembling a giant furnace. Lin Yan and his group took their seats in the front row. Xiao Qi, initially frightened by the atmosphere, burrowed into Lin Yan's arms, only peeking out with her bright black eyes, nervously and curiously peering at the wooden floor that was about to become a battlefield.
In the first quarter, during the jump ball, Bill Russell, with his phenomenal leaping ability and wingspan, effortlessly tipped the ball to Bob Cousy. Cousy, the Celtics' offensive mastermind, controlled the ball steadily, his eyes scanning the entire court, directing his teammates' positioning. The Celtics' first offensive possession was fluid and precise; several accurate passes tore apart the Lakers' defense, culminating in a textbook mid-range jumper from the wing by sharpshooter Bill Sharman, opening the scoring. A roar of cheers erupted from the Celtics fans.
In transition, the Lakers' strategy was frighteningly clear. After a brief exchange, the ball was immediately passed to Elgin Baylor, who was calling for it in the low post. Facing the defense, Baylor made no unnecessary moves, executing a swift baseline spin to create space and toss the ball into the basket from a tight angle. The movement was simple and unadorned, yet incredibly efficient.
"Wow, that power!" Li Wenbin exclaimed.
This was just the beginning. Baylor's shooting touch was like a raging fire; whether it was a pull-up jumper against a one-on-one defense, a pull-up shot after a solid screen from Ray Felix, or a difficult layup under Russell's long arms, the ball obediently went into the net. He scored 18 points in the quarter, like a god of war.
But the Celtics didn't collapse. Russell created a no-fly zone under the basket, grabbing 7 rebounds in the quarter and delivering a stunning block, swatting Lakers center Jim Kresco's seemingly certain layup into the stands, eliciting gasps from the crowd. Cousy, with his signature behind-the-back dribble and no-look passes, repeatedly created opportunities for teammates like Tom Heinsohn. At the end of the first quarter, the Lakers led by 8 points thanks to Baylor's superhuman performance, but the Celtics kept the score close with solid team basketball.
At the start of the second quarter, Red Auerbach's roar seemed to echo in everyone's ears. The Celtics intensified their defense, engaging in more aggressive physical play and rotations for help defense. KC Jones's entry further enhanced their perimeter defense. The Lakers' offense began to stagnate, and Baylor committed two consecutive turnovers while being double-teamed. The Celtics capitalized on this, going on an 8-2 run. After Cousy assisted Frank Ramsey for a corner jumper, the deficit was instantly reduced to just 2 points!
"Oh no! The momentum is about to be lost!" Li Wenbin clenched his fists nervously.
"Don't rush," Lin Yan said calmly, "Let's see how the Lakers adjust."
Lakers head coach John Kundera immediately called a timeout. The change was immediate after the timeout. The Lakers increased their off-ball movement and screen quality, and Baylor no longer relied solely on isolation plays. After drawing double teams, he cleverly found Fern Mickelson cutting to the basket, who easily scored a layup, stabilizing the situation. Immediately afterwards, Lakers point guard Rod Hendry responded with a crucial pull-up jumper, halting the Celtics' comeback attempt.
The two sides engaged in a grueling back-and-forth battle. Russell virtually dominated the defensive end, while Baylor responded with unstoppable one-on-one plays. With the final possession of the first half, Baylor, double-teamed, hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer! The ball went in and the buzzer sounded!
"Boom—!" The auditorium erupted in cheers! The fans stood up and applauded this incredible goal.
At halftime, Baylor had already scored 35 points, but everyone could see that the Celtics were still relentlessly attacking like wolves. Xiao Qi also got excited, yelling and shouting along with the crowd.
Halftime seemed to recharge Baylor. The fire in his eyes burned even brighter. The Celtics tried everything: switching, double-teaming, even brief zone defense, but Baylor had entered the "zone."
A classic offensive and defensive transition illustrated this: Cousy's pass was intercepted by Baylor, who dribbled up the court alone, facing Cousy in front, Sharman on the side, and KC Jones desperately chasing behind. Baylor executed a swift crossover dribble past Cousy, then leaned against Sharman and leaped, colliding with Jones in mid-air before launching the ball at an incredible angle—goal! Free throw!
"Oh my god! This is impossible!" Li Wenbin clutched his head, almost unable to believe his eyes. Zheng Jiaming also forgot his composure, rising with the entire audience to offer the most enthusiastic applause for this groundbreaking performance. Lin Yan watched Baylor's body contort in the air yet still maintain its balance, his heart trembling. Wasn't this also a testament to the tempering and control of the physical limits?
The third quarter became a personal showcase for Baylor, scoring 22 points in the quarter alone and 57 points in three quarters! But the Celtics didn't give up. Russell continued to battle the Lakers' interior defense in every possession, and Cousy continued to try to orchestrate the team with his dazzling passes. Unfortunately, Baylor was unstoppable tonight.
The huge point difference made the fourth quarter seem like a foregone conclusion. But the Celtics displayed their championship pedigree. Russell continued to fight tooth and nail for every rebound, even drawing blood from his knee after a diving tackle, he merely winced and returned to the game. Cousy's passing remained precise and imaginative, assisting Sam Jones for a beautiful three-pointer (at this time, the NBA hadn't introduced the three-point line yet, referring to long-range two-pointers). Their fighting spirit earned respect and applause from fans, including Lakers supporters.
With five minutes remaining in the game, a historic moment arrived: Baylor broke through, dodged Russell's block in mid-air, and laid the ball off with a low hand—it went in! 64 points! A new NBA single-game scoring record was set!
Instantly, the entire Minneapolis Auditorium erupted in a frenzy! Every spectator, home and away fans alike, rose to their feet, unleashing a torrent of applause, cheers, and whistles, paying the highest tribute to the young man who had made history. The Lakers used their final timeout, and Coach Kundera embraced a drenched-in-sweat, jersey-soaked Baylor, substituting him for the game. Baylor walked off the court, high-fiving every teammate and coach, basking in a hero's welcome.
终场哨响，136比115。贝勒的数据定格在 64分17篮板8助攻。湖人赢得了一场酣畅淋漓的胜利。
As the game ended, Li Wenbin was still excitedly gesturing the famous Baylor gesture. Zheng Jiaming, meanwhile, pondered, "The Celtics won because of Baylor, but their loss wasn't too bad; they fought to the very end."
Holding the sleeping Xiao Qi, Lin Yan felt a deeper understanding. He saw Baylor's extreme individual heroism, Russell's silent yet steadfast protection, Cousy's agile playmaking, and all the players' all-out effort for victory. Wasn't this just like the path of cultivation? It had the Mavericks' relentless pursuit of excellence, the support and cooperation of sects and families, and, more importantly, the unwavering dedication to the path when facing difficulties.
"Whether it's basketball in this world or cultivation in that world, the spirit of giving one's all and transcending oneself is the same." This basketball game in 1959 left a unique bright spot in his heart.