[{"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-1204":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},1444821,1896,"Chapter 1204 - 28: I Am Charles Barkley_4","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1204",1204,"\u003Cp>Counterattack, Dan Majerle catches the bounce pass for a layup, but Gan Guoyang follows up with a block and deflects it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s defense tonight has left the Suns players in despair, luckily they have Charles Barkley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley catches up, grabs the ball, and scores with a tip-in! The gap has been closed to just 6 points!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There’s still 30 seconds left in the second quarter, and each team has one more offensive opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers aren’t in a hurry, Gan Guoyang receives the ball at a very shallow position, preventing the Suns’ double-team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He holds the ball motionless to waste time, the Suns dare not rashly double-team for fear of Gan Guoyang’s passing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as the attack time is about to run out, Gan Guoyang suddenly dribbles to the outside and shoots a three-pointer from the right 45-degree angle!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mark West didn’t expect Ah Gan to play this way, his defense didn’t keep up, resulting in Gan Guoyang hitting the three-pointer!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns fans are truly in despair, Ah Gan has already scored 30 points in the half!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with less than 10 seconds left, Barkley dribbles from the backcourt and charges down the lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Keeping an eye on Ah Gan’s defense, he tosses the ball into the air during his drive, and it bounces off the rim and falls into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee blows the whistle, calling Gan Guoyang’s foul, and Barkley will have a bonus free throw!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Meixi Arena is boiling, Barkley made a basket and caused Ah Gan’s foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s Gan Guoyang’s third foul tonight; he actually could have let Barkley score without chasing him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he uncharacteristically lost his cool because he really wanted to put Barkley down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bonus free throw is good, sealing the score at 69:63, with the Trail Blazers leading by 6 points at halftime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the final two minutes, Barkley led a spectacular scoring rally.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He withstands Ah Gan’s superb offense and defense, falling behind by just 6 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Switch teams, like the Supersonics, and the half-game would already be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley scored 24 points in the first half, with 18 points coming in the second quarter alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This half-time performance compared to Ah Gan’s, aside from slightly lacking in defense, can be considered equally matched in offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This should be the most challenging Western Conference Finals the Portland Trail Blazers have experienced since 1990.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s only the second game, and the two teams have already fought fiercely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Trail Blazers players, intensity isn’t the problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’ve played more intense matches, like the Finals against the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The real concern is injuries and fatigue, which don’t shift with willpower.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering this, Beelman didn’t use an eight-man rotation in this crucial Western Finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the start of the second half, he even let Petrović and Mario Ely start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let Petrović play for about 5 minutes, then bring in Dell Curry, and later bring in Porter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Frequent rotations on the guard line inevitably make it hard for players to get into a rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there’s no choice, staying on the court is better than getting injured, leaving the main attacking task to Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Suns, their situation isn’t much better than the Trail Blazers’. Paul Westphal discovered that the so-called multi-core, in crucial games, still relies on the brightest star.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kevin Johnson’s first half performance was disastrous, for a simple reason, Ah Gan is playing center, he can’t penetrate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aside from scoring a layup at the start, Johnson was blocked by Ah Gan multiple times, completely losing his way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, after Porter stopped assuming organizational duties, he focused on defense, making it tough for Johnson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the locker room, Barkley merely patted Johnson on the shoulder without saying much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, the MVP trophy is right there in the locker, but Barkley has no idea of taking it out to admire and show off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He keeps telling himself in his mind that he must play better, much better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because the third quarter is when Ah Gan exerts his strength, if he can’t keep up, this game will be lost.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley is very eager to win the second game; once leading 2:0, the probability of the Suns making the Finals will greatly increase.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the second half of the game begins, it doesn’t continue the fierce offensive momentum of the first half, the shooting percentage drops.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They rushed too hard in the first half, rested for 15 minutes, and their hands have cooled down a bit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nearly two minutes without scoring, Barkley grabs a defensive rebound and counters with a solo run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But again, he eats a big block from Ah Gan, and tonight Gan Guoyang’s three-second zone no-fly zone makes the Suns fearful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Trail Blazers’ subsequent counterattack also fails, Gan Guoyang’s mid-range jumper misses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley grabs another defensive rebound, long pass to the frontcourt, but it’s disrupted by Lewis, the ball possession changes back and forth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Petrović hits a strong three-pointer from the top of the arc!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s like a shot of adrenaline, energizing both his teammates and intimidating the opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns realize they must score now, Barkley scores in a one-on-one play against Sabonis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley’s offensive feels better and better, his confidence keeps rising.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mario Ely misses an open three-pointer from the right corner, giving the Suns a chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both teams’ shooting percentages are dropping in the third quarter, offensive efficiency is declining, and defensive intensity is increasing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Suns also try an outside three-pointer but miss, the Trail Blazers grab the rebound and counter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s touch isn’t smooth in the third quarter, he chooses to draw fouls through penetration to adjust his shooting rhythm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He steps to the free-throw line, takes a deep breath to adjust, and uncharacteristically misses the first free throw, indeed not smooth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second shot is steady, Trail Blazers scored only 4 points in four minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the Suns didn’t capitalize on this opportunity to quickly cut the score, with Barkley having good shooting touch and confidence, yet surprisingly didn’t choose to aggressively attack with the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Instead, he focused on creating opportunities for teammates, passing, setting screens, fighting for offensive rebounds—it’s a traditional superstar mindset.\u003C\u002Fp>",1033,"2026-06-06T01:41:51.875Z",1,"novelbin.me","b982aa0bfd9fb541317eb2668d1a57938aa13f4c91c2ab644f3dd839badd0779","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1205","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1203",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]