[{"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-1148":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},1444565,1896,"Chapter 1148 - 17: The Last Spot (Part 4)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1148",1148,"\u003Cp>He always valued Curry’s killer instinct to make three-pointers in crucial moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Bernard King, as an old-school forward, his offensive skills have become outdated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a small forward, his long-range shooting has always been inadequate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He can only play in fast breaks and mid-to-close range collaborations in set plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention, Bernard King’s defense has always been a major flaw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 90s, with increasingly higher defense levels and stronger confrontations, King is destined to find no place for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as a friend, a promise made must still be attempted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it succeeds, it succeeds. If not, it can only be left to fate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next day, the entire Trail Blazers team took a bus to Philadelphia, preparing for a game against the 76ers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang mentioned Bernard King to the accompanying team general manager Jerry West.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bernard? I don’t think he’s up to it,\" West shook his head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he analyzed the reasons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As Guoyang had thought, the issues were with his playing style and defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, the Trail Blazers have always been at the forefront of the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They are the team with the best spacing and strongest long-range shooting in the entire NBA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many times, the Trail Blazers were a cross-generational blow to other teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Generally, strong teams couldn’t last more than three rounds against the Trail Blazers in the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"And our roster is full. If we want to sign Bernard, we need to trade away a player.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"February 25th is the trade deadline, and we currently have no trade plans.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>February 25th is today. After finishing the game against the Knicks, the trade gate will close by midnight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Trail Blazers don’t move anyone in their current lineup, there’s no spot for Bernard King.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang shrugged and said, \"I’m just asking for a friend. The decision isn’t mine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West was noncommittal, his face calm and expressionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter the situation, he mostly had this expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Constant thinking, constant calculating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps at this moment, his mind was evaluating everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he didn’t agree to sign Bernard King at face value, in the NBA, overturning past conclusions is not uncommon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At night, Eastern Time, 7 o’clock, the Portland Trail Blazers challenged the Philadelphia 76ers away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Dr. J Irving retired and Moses Malone left, the 76ers completely fell apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A series of trades and drafts they made were all unsuccessful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They even made many bad choices, leading to the team getting worse and worse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the new era, these traditional teams were all sinking.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The solidification of thinking, outdated management methods, and nepotism in the management were causing these once-old powerhouses to fall behind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, the 76ers’ record is bottom in the Eastern Conference, naturally no match for the Portland Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, playing at home, the 76ers still gave their all to maintain a bit of the old powerhouse city’s glory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In situations where skills were inferior, the 76ers inevitably played with increased intensity, utilizing the home whistle advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third quarter of the game, Petrović called for a pick-and-roll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Davis came over to screen for Petrović, and the 76ers players were sticking closely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the process of trailing defense, Jose Hawkins stretched out his leg and tripped the penetrating Petrović.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee called a defensive foul on Hawkins, who raised his hand to acknowledge it, not wanting Petrović to squeeze past easily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it wasn’t that simple. After falling, Petrović clutched his knee and couldn’t get up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his teammates helped him up, he tried to walk a few steps but was in unbearable pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the advice of the team doctor, he had to withdraw from the game and return to the locker room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West no longer cared about the game’s result, turned around, and also returned to the locker room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang led the team to finish the rest of the game. The Trail Blazers defeated the struggling 76ers 109-101, securing their second road win in the Eastern Conference journey.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, at this time, no one cared about a single win or loss. After the All-Star Game, the Trail Blazers entered a sprinting state.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any injury to a player is unfavorable for the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team doctor conducted a simple check on Petrović’s injury in the locker room and believed it was a ligament issue in the knee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It might be a knee ligament strain, and rest for one to two weeks should suffice for recovery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Trail Blazers’ cautious medical system determined that no conclusions could be easily made.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West asked the doctor, \"Are you sure it’s a ligament strain and that just a week’s or two’s rest would suffice?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team doctor shook his head, saying, \"On the surface, yes, but the actual situation requires a check in Portland to know. Personally, I guess the situation might not be optimistic, and we should be prepared.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West understood how fragile a person’s knee could be, needing to make two preparations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Decisively, West immediately called several teams, selling Mark Bryant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The trade chip was simple, a second-round draft pick and some cash.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>West wanted to free up a signing spot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Petrović’s injury turned out to be serious, the Trail Blazers could sign a backcourt player in the free market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers already had enough players in the post, with PJ Brown, Davis, and Kossie able to step up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mark Bryant was somewhat redundant, and trading him away wouldn’t be a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Soon, a team agreed to the trade, the Philadelphia 76ers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mark Bryant was initially going to leave with the Trail Blazers to the next city, Washington.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the trade completed, he didn’t have to go; he could stay directly in Philadelphia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West quickly notified Bryant in the locker room, \"Mark, sorry, you don’t have to go to the next stop. Stay here; you’ve been traded to Philadelphia.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",983,"2026-06-06T01:41:50.199Z",1,"novelbin.me","e4d0649c7f1741306db8787d2240fca7dfef5dc011877590becade731b171d47","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1149","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1147",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]