[{"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-1161":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},1444688,1896,"Chapter 1161 - 19: Gap in Realms (Part 5)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1161",1161,"\u003Cp>As a guard, Jordan’s threat to interior defense is unparalleled by any other shooting guard in the past.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His rim protection, behind-the-back blocks, low-post steals, and double-teams are all extraordinarily intense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without exceptional awareness and lightning-fast reflexes, anyone facing Jordan inside will suffer greatly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls seize this opportunity to counterattack, Pippen dribbles all the way, passes to Jordan, who soars in for a dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gan Guoyang sprints fiercely, catches up from behind, leaps, and the two clash in mid-air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan tries to evade the defense with his hang time, but Gan Guoyang’s body control is superb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, he still disrupts Jordan’s shot, and the ball bounces twice on the rim and doesn’t go in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purdue grabs the offensive rebound and tries to layup, but Gan Guoyang has already reacted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He jumps up to block, swatting Purdue’s putback attempt away, and gains possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang dribbles and initiates a fast break, with Lewis waving his hands upcourt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang throws a lob to Lewis, who charges into the paint and leaps, finishing with a one-handed jam!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the score, they high-five; on this play, Gan Guoyang went all out in offense and defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a morale-boosting play that absolutely couldn’t be let go.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cheering fans have lost count of how many times this duo has worked together like this this season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang, after blocking or grabbing a defensive rebound, the center directly pushes up to initiate the counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis spearheads the charge, receiving Ah Gan’s pass to successfully attack the basket, igniting the entire stadium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without an extra pass and the Point Guard as a middleman, Trail Blazers’ dunks are even more ferocious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, every time Gan Guoyang pushes up with the ball, the opponents dare not slacken their defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you only focus on the front and ignore Ah Gan, Gan Guoyang will just rush straight down for a dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This kind of power surge matches the Lakers’ Showtime of yore.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, even with an overall decline in form and poor defense, tickets to the Rose Garden Arena are still in high demand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The seats are in short supply and the games are always sold out, a trend that has continued for nearly 20 years since 1974.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This offensive and defensive exchange shows both teams’ intensity as top-tier offensive and defensive powerhouses in the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Jordan knows he must stand out and score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the referee calls a foul on the Trail Blazers for an inside confrontation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan, using his footwork and movement, pulls out, a right-side 45-degree opportunity arises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving Pippen’s pass, his mid-range jumper hits the mark steadily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A plain two-pointer, producing the same result as Lewis’ dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To cope with Ah Gan’s seemingly limitless stamina, Jordan has come up with the countermeasure of improving the efficiency of his stamina usage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season, Jordan avoids dunking whenever possible, favoring the simplest and most energy-efficient way to complete his offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mid-range jumper is his favorite, especially catch-and-shoot; this simple and relaxed way of scoring is his favorite.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Switching hands in mid-air, driving through traffic, low post power plays, these are saved for crucial moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For regular scoring, he uses this energy-saving mode; to handle Ah Gan, he has no choice but to do so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this respect, Jordan is at least two steps behind Gan Guoyang in the realm of understanding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He is entering the stage of \"The Heavy Sword Has No Edge; Great Skill Seems Clumsy.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang reached this state in 1988.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His masterpiece was the 1988 West Finals, where he vanquished the Lakers with his unsolvable mid-range game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Gan Guoyang has already broken through this realm, advancing two more levels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Jordan is always chasing, unable to defeat Gan Guoyang and win the championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Jordan makes the mid-range jumper, Gan Guoyang takes the ball to organize the offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knows playing this way will make it tough for the Bulls; he intentionally wants them to struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Purdue and Grant are forced to stay outside, resulting in Gan Guoyang pressing backward into the post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly a direct pass to the low post, handed off to the cutting Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis catches the ball for a layup but is disrupted by Pippen and misses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis follows up, makes the putback, and grabs another two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls’ defense has done their best, but the Trail Blazers’ offense is meticulously linked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang starts it off, giving Lewis an excellent scoring opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen and Jordan both have strong defensive recovery abilities, but the Trail Blazers have Sabonis as a backup plan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, the Bulls got off to a mediocre start, quickly falling behind against the offensively aggressive Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Midway through the first quarter, the Trail Blazers lead the Bulls by 11, 17:6.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seems Phil Jackson’s earlier timeout and harsh words didn’t work at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson makes a personnel change, substituting Buck-Williams in for Purdue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls are reducing height to increase speed, choosing to battle offensively with the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan significantly raises the pace of ball-handling—this season, Jordan takes on heavy responsibilities in handling the ball in offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BJ Armstrong looks more like a spot shooter, lurking in the corner waiting for opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against Petrović, Jordan lightly stops just outside the arc, pulls up for a jumper, and scores.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another effortless, simple point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan decides to stay within reach this way in the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s attempt for a three-point shot from outside misses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan grabs the defensive rebound and orchestrates the fast break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls are very fast; Buck-Williams and Grant have already rushed into the three second zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang has to follow closely, but Jordan distributes the ball to the right corner for Armstrong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Armstrong catches and shoots for three, scoring!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A very crucial three-pointer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls chase 5 straight points, narrowing the deficit to 6 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the deficit continues to widen, the Bulls will be out of contention early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s clear Jordan is becoming more mature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang matured long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their confrontation lacks the exuberant passion of youth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There is more calm decisiveness and strategic foresight now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both are considering the latter stages of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang hopes to gain an advantage quickly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan aims to stay close while conserving his energy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Each follows their own plan to control the pace of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan uses organization and mid-range jump shots to slowly eat away at the Trail Blazers’ advantage and stabilize the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the end of the first quarter, Gan Guoyang seizes the opportunity and hits two consecutive three-pointers from the top of the arc!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The deficit, originally narrowed to 4 points, suddenly widens to 10 again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>23:33, the Trail Blazers lead as the first quarter ends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Shit!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having patiently endured the first quarter, Jordan didn’t expect Ah Gan to dump two clumps of crap on them at the end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back on the bench, he throws down his towel angrily, then starts berating Grant for not keeping a tight guard on Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Grant can’t be bothered to argue with Jordan, thinking to himself, I’ve had enough of being here.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is your territory, say whatever you like, my contract is almost up, I’m leaving soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And perhaps this is the gap between the realms of the \"Heavy Sword Has No Edge\" and \"Bound by Heart.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sitting on the bench, Jordan lifts his hand and mimics two shooting motions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking internally, how does this guy casually shoot, and it just goes in?\u003C\u002Fp>",1251,"2026-06-06T01:41:51.304Z",1,"novelbin.me","533a1259f161ff34a1e3a626f03ee6926c9bdd0b48d45fbab1c324b07686ca0f","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1311","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1310",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]