[{"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-1188":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},1444733,1896,"Chapter 1188 - 25: Massacre (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1188",1188,"\u003Cp>The layup was called an offensive foul by Sabonis, equivalent to a turnover. His breakthrough was too straightforward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>George Karl also stood up from the bench, knowing the Supersonics were in trouble and was ready to call a timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the ball was with the Trail Blazers, and with a backcourt throw-in, Lewis used Ah Gan’s screen to break through, then immediately passed the ball back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc and directly shot a three-pointer, scoring!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>10:17, the Trail Blazers widened the gap to 7 points. Karl called a timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At such times, the Supersonics relied heavily on Ricky Pierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Pierce hadn’t got going in the first quarter yet, and he was having a hard time even getting the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mario Ely stuck to Pierce like a piece of gum, making him uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timeout couldn’t change this situation; tonight, Ely was destined to keep an eye on Pierce.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Pierce wasn’t Jordan; being hounded, it was hard for him to break free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if he broke free, the rhythm was already disrupted upon receiving the ball again for an attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So after the timeout, Pierce repeatedly fought for position to get the ball and went one-on-one against Ely but failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His shot after the breakthrough was disturbed and missed; Gan Guoyang secured the defensive rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The leading Trail Blazers weren’t in a rush to counterattack, settling into their offense, this time giving the ball to Sabonis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis turned to cut into the basket, faked, then turned and shot, missing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound, missed the putback, grabbed again, missed again, and kept fighting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time Gan Guoyang didn’t secure the ball but tipped it, lofting it into the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In one offense, they got three offensive rebounds, making George Karl stomp his feet in frustration on the sidelines.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Supersonics quickly exposed their second major weakness: poor backcourt rebound protection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Inside players Kemp and Perkins weren’t adept at defensive rebounding; you can’t always rely on wings and guards to snatch rebounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Payton, as a point guard, often went for rebounds: one reason being his technical style, another being the truly poor rebounding of the Supersonics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re among the worst in the league, with a low number and frequently losing offensive rebounds, which always troubled Karl.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there’s no choice; the Supersonics’ SOS pressure defense was inherently prone to losing rebounds with everyone pressing out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against other teams, it’s manageable, but against Ah Gan, it’s truly unfortunate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first four games, Gan Guoyang hadn’t capitalized on this Supersonics weakness to the fullest extent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the fifth game, reaching a cutthroat scenario, Gan Guoyang wouldn’t hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Offensive rebounding had always been a powerful weapon for Gan Guoyang since entering the NBA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a handy trump card, simple and effective, always coming into effect in crucial games.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this point, the Trail Blazers began to seize the lead, ending the first quarter ahead 19:28, leading by 9 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Things were looking bleak for the Supersonics, and George Karl sent in another general, Glenn Rice, hoping to use him to reverse the offensive slump.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And with their lead, the Trail Blazers deployed a three-big lineup in the second quarter: Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this lineup, George Karl was bewildered; what was this supposed to mean? Beelman, aren’t you being unsporting?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The intention of the Trail Blazers’ lineup was explicit. First, Ah Gan moved to the three position, covering players like Rice, Pierce, McMillan, and McGee defensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Secondly, inside players PJ Brown and Sabonis fully contested rebounds, exploiting the Supersonics’ weak backcourt rebounding issue, taking advantage of their lack of a center.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These two moves were vicious because these two issues for the Supersonics were fundamental weaknesses, tactical deficiencies that couldn’t be covered up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After probing and finding the status in the first four games, the Trail Blazers finally revealed the fangs of a conqueror, tearing at the opponent’s most vulnerable wound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was even more like Moses Malone, greedily grabbing offensive rebounds under the basket, then putting the ball back in the hoop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Porter, the Trail Blazers’ outside firepower diminished a level, which was actually beneficial for Gan Guoyang, Sabonis, and PJ Brown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just grab it, like bandits, without worrying about tactics or strategies, secure the ball, and put it back in the hoop.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The most primal yet effective way to score on the basketball court, simply moving and touching.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, George Karl was moved, so moved he was spewing obscenities, cursing loudly during the timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers didn’t produce any super attack waves, but every two or three possessions, they snatched a rebound over the Supersonics’ head, scoring on the second chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Halfway through the quarter, the Supersonics couldn’t hold on, and the point gap moved towards 20 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Getting offensive rebounds not only conceding points, the most critical thing was, they couldn’t initiate their counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Restrictions on both offense and defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Ah Gan at the three-position, it was catastrophic for the Supersonics’ outside game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rice, Pierce both got huge rejections, making them timid and hesitant in shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Karl called two timeouts in the second quarter within three minutes, because it seemed it was going to collapse, comprehensively collapse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bigger the pregame boast, the more broken inside now, heading towards a 30-point deficit in the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do you play the second half? How do you get out of such a big hole?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Karl didn’t know either; his pregame bold words turned into sharp knives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stabbing Karl back, burning inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even more unlucky, Beelman was always wandering near the scorer’s table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Occasionally shouting insults toward the Supersonics, the filthiness clear even from afar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bobby’s swearing was as smooth and seamless as Ah Gan’s three-point shooting, how could Karl stand as an opponent?\u003C\u002Fp>",973,"2026-06-06T01:41:51.304Z",1,"novelbin.me","a25891113d0776c112e386f841f5e1ce66083566b3fee0b4495c037b3fee5543","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1329","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1187",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]