[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-golden-age-of-basketball":3,"chapter-the-golden-age-of-basketball-the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1138":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Golden Age of Basketball",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1444555,1896,"Chapter 1138 - 15: The Strongest Challenger (Part 4)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1138",1138,"\u003Cp>Olajuwon played exceptionally well this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But if you ask Drexler, it’s still not as good as Ah Gan’s worst season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in this game, Olajuwon displayed great form right from the start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been preparing for this battle for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One could say he was well-prepared in all aspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Olajuwon continuously scored in low-post attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He attacked decisively with the ball, even when faced with Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used his nimble footwork and excellent back sensing to counter Ah Gan’s defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Turning forward to make a hook shot, turning backward to attempt a fadeaway jumper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Simple and clear, crisp and decisive, the ball went in sharply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang immediately responded with mid-range shots from the arc and baseline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had a clear idea; he wanted to draw Olajuwon out and create opportunities for his teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Sabonis absent tonight, lacking an external connection and coordination point, Gan Guoyang had to play more outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Olajuwon was very clear about driving into the low post, distributing the ball immediately when trapped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both sides exchanged blows in the beginning, playing on equal footing, back and forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As their bodies and states warmed up, the Miami Heat started to show their fangs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Riley’s command, the Heat’s defense tightened up like a hunter’s net bag, continuously closing in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley’s defense had two notable features: relentless trapping and pressure on the ball handler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley demanded strict traps on any player intruding past the three-point line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a basis for trapping without losing men, the Heat also employed a strategy of tireless defensive rotations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second feature was highly intense physical confrontation in the paint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley required the defense to offer no easy layup chances to the opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially at intense moments, they had to dare to use their bodies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On offense, even if they couldn’t fight for offensive rebounds, they had to immediately counter-steal in place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They mustn’t allow an easy opponent’s rebound to counterattack, making the opponent uncomfortable, even more uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of strategy brings to mind the past Detroit Pistons, the Bad Boys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the Bad Boys, the Heat were taller and stronger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, they possessed better offensive talent in both inside and outside lines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons adhered to the Turtle Shell Formation, while the Heat had more aggressive defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers quickly fell into a tough battle, engaging in a brawl with the Heat in the second half of the first quarter and the second quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one offense, Gan Guoyang held the ball in the middle to cut in, finding himself surrounded by three people.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He passed the ball to the cutting Porter, who could make an open basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Mason turned around and collided into Porter, and the referee called a foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porter immediately got up to confront Mason, but Mason just raised his hands acknowledging the foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mason had spent one season in Portland, winning a championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they each had their own masters, with Mason being Riley’s number one enforcer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tempers on both sides flared up, but Olajuwon remained calm inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He contributed a steady output on both offensive and defensive ends, putting pressure on Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The entire Trail Blazers team was very tired, leaving Gan Guoyang quickly fighting a lone battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Sabonis’ support inside and the encirclement of Olajuwon, Mason, and others, Gan Guoyang’s efficiency dropped.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If only the perimeter could work in tandem; the Trail Blazers could withstand the pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Petrović and Porter both lost their aim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John Starks had been all over Porter throughout the whole game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This undrafted small player had a fearlessness about him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He dared to challenge anything, even wanting to tussle with Ah Gan in a few turns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he was stopped together by Olajuwon and Drexler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They all wanted to play well and not fall into a state of chaos.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heat held the upper hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ offense seemed weak and unable to break through the Heat’s defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both sides of the court, Gan Guoyang had to dedicate enough energy to Olajuwon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Olajuwon was on fire tonight, making jump shots under extreme blocks numerous times.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Olajuwon had honed a new skill:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During an attack, halfway through the action, even if he was airborne, he could suddenly change posture and pass the ball to a teammate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Much like Jordan pausing in mid-air to shoot, Olajuwon could pause to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Often when Gan Guoyang defended too tightly, or the Trail Blazers double-teamed, Olajuwon could do this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The passes weren’t always pretty, sometimes a bit awkward, but effective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It could create shooting opportunities for his teammates and score points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was clear, Olajuwon had adjusted himself to perfection tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In contrast, Drexler dragged the team back, playing poorly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shooting form was inconsistent, and he hadn’t fully recovered from an injury.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On both offensive and defensive ends, Gan Guoyang was entangled with Olajuwon in a fascinating duel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But tonight, Gan Guoyang couldn’t galvanize his teammates, and his passes rarely turned into assists.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Poor teammate performance was one reason, but the effective defense from the Heat was the main factor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ Princeton offense needed space, backdoors, and full mobilization.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Heat relied on stacking the strong side to seal the Trail Blazers’ space and used fast rotations to resolve passes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Sabonis were present, providing another relay point, the Trail Blazers’ offense would be much more comfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Sabonis absent, towards the end, the Trail Blazers had to resort to solo play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Heat’s robust defense, Gan Guoyang’s shooting accuracy dropped to a rare below 50%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley didn’t dare to be careless from start to finish, continuously deploying his troops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside, reinforcements and rotations persisted to deplete Gan Guoyang, clearly a carousel battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under such repeated wear, the Miami Heat finally established a solid advantage in the fourth quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The exhausted Trail Blazers couldn’t mount a final counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, the Heat achieved an 83-78 victory over the Trail Blazers at home by a margin of 5 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The 78 points set a season-low for the Trail Blazers in a regular-season game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Olajuwon scored 29 points with 14 rebounds, while Gan Guoyang scored 31 points with 16 rebounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both contributed 5 blocks, making it a block party, but the Trail Blazers ultimately came up short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, they are increasingly incapable of handling such defense-heavy battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After securing the victory, Olajuwon did not celebrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He simply raised his arm, then shook hands with Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, he exchanged a few simple pleasantries and silently turned back to the locker room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Olajuwon played perfectly tonight; he did his best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gan Guoyang realized that this season, the Miami Heat and Olajuwon were indeed the strongest challengers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>[Write some thoughts about the Dongzi and Davis trade in a separate Chapter.]\u003C\u002Fp>",1140,"2026-06-06T01:41:50.199Z",1,"novelbin.me","ae4d90ce13f5ab734d63711b7a46f2ae2fef0f0c1a7311302557aac426294366","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1139","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1137",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]