[{"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-1165":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},1444696,1896,"Chapter 1165 - 20: An Imperfect Ending (Part 4)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1165",1165,"\u003Cp>In fact, last season, the Bulls had the strongest desire for revenge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were full of morale, carrying a determination throughout the regular season to bring down the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet they were brutally beaten by Gan during the regular season, and defeated as if by a descending deity during the Finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After that, the cohesive spirit of the Bulls began to dissipate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, they’re left with a sliver of breath, supported by Jordan’s stubbornness and Jackson’s management.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this regard, the Bulls aren’t much better off than the Trail Blazers, as both have their own internal issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side, in the Trail Blazers’ locker room, Gan Guoyang discerned the Bulls’ intentions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They want to drag the game into chaos!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We’ve made too many turnovers on the outside; we had 6 turnovers in the second quarter, which is unacceptable!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We need to reduce passing appropriately, increase individual attacks, and then respond with defense.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We can’t keep playing like we do with other teams, relying solely on higher offensive efficiency to overwhelm opponents; we need to use defense to control the Bulls’ offense too.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang instructed the team to strengthen their defense in the second half, not to rely solely on offense for victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They need to exert pressure on both ends like they did in the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone agreed with Gan Guoyang’s opinion, but can they really boost their defense in the second half?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Defense isn’t just talk, like summoning moves with a shout in manga.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the regular season, the Trail Blazers’ defensive efficiency hovered around the middle of the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was still due to Gan Guoyang contributing the best backcourt rebounding protection and Three Second Zone defense in the league.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is Gan Guoyang not aware of these things?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course he is, but the rallying cry still needs to be shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The key to solving the problem isn’t just having teammates focus on defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s about stepping up and taking charge of some critical plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some things are better left unsaid to teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So that most people won’t let their guard down; this season, everyone is easily distracted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before the second half started, Gan Guoyang privately told Petrović and Porter, \"I’ll step up more for connections.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If the game gets messy, just throw the ball to me or throw it towards the basket, I’ll go for it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s assurance gave the two of them more confidence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the third quarter started, Jordan indeed began to exert his strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the first attack, he faced Petrović on the right side, shooting forcefully and scoring, gaining two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In a one-on-one defensive situation, Petrović had no way to stop Jordan, who scored at will.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls were desperately fronting Gan Guoyang, preventing him from getting the ball at the low post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porter chose to pick and roll with Sabonis, then shot from mid-range at the top of the arc but missed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls grabbed the rebound to counterattack, but Pippen was called for traveling during his dribbling advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His dribbling hand had a carrying motion, and the referee was still strict with this call at the time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So far, Pippen hadn’t been playing well, with too many unnecessary turnovers and missed opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It seemed every time he faced the Trail Blazers, Pippen had a mental block he couldn’t overcome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whether it was being overpowered by Gan in 1991 or missing a crucial dunk in 1992.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were like stones weighing down on Pippen’s mind, heavier and heavier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the traveling call, Pippen didn’t even complain to the referee, just directly ran back to defend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third quarter, the Bulls started to strengthen their defense, expanding their defensive range and increasing pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforcing control over the middle, pressuring the ball handler, disrupting the Trail Blazers’ initial pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially focusing on cutting off connections between the Trail Blazers’ perimeter and Gan—this was the basic tenet of defending against the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers missed three consecutive offensive attempts, all forcing shots from outside, and the Bulls grabbed the defensive rebounds to counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Bulls’ counterattack also didn’t succeed; Armstrong missed a three-pointer, and Jordan’s drive was blocked by Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gan Guoyang controlled the ball and initiated a fast break, dribbling straight down the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he spun past Pippen, then used his strong body to fend off Jordan, preventing the steal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drawing most of the Bulls’ defensive attention, he dished a bounce pass to the trailing Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis leapt high and slammed it down with both hands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan, exasperated, thought to curse, thinking how Pippen seemed to crumble whenever facing the Trail Blazers!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next, the Bulls missed another outside shot, and the Trail Blazers launched another fast break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, however, Jordan intercepted the ball from Petrović.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then himself drove into the paint, switching hands mid-air for a left-handed dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Jordan’s increasing offensive desire, Gan Guoyang said to him during a fast break:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Michael, are you up for a scoring duel? Want to join in?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang issued a challenge to Jordan, but Jordan didn’t respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Just play well, Sonny.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not because he feared a scoring duel with Gan Guoyang, but because Jordan knew this was another round of Ah Gan’s psychological warfare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they started a scoring duel, the trailing Bulls would definitely suffer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he couldn’t fall for it, needing to stabilize, focus on defense, and play more chaotic battles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By mid-third quarter, the point difference was down to 5 points, and the competition between the two teams had entered a fever pitch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang finally began to attack with the ball from beyond the three-point line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls still used a three-layer defense strategy: Jordan on the outside, Pippen in the mid-range, and Grant inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang alone restrained the Bulls’ three most important defensive resources.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, facing Jordan, he directly fired a strong three-point shot and made it!\u003C\u002Fp>",983,"2026-06-06T01:41:51.304Z",1,"novelbin.me","e09baedfc775800b89b9c941a4cffddc5059ae47754e69f053f4a7949a9ae9ce","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1166","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1314",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]