[{"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-1594":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},1445455,1896,"Chapter 1594 - 39: Survive_3","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1594",1594,"\u003Cp>Walton is a die-hard fan of the Trail Blazers, but that doesn’t mean he’s blindly supporting them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His analysis is very accurate; on paper, the Jazz are at a significant disadvantage this year, with no chance at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockton not only is injured this year with declining form, but the Trail Blazers have also reinforced with Brellock specifically targeting Stockton.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the bench, Kobe is more mature, and it’s unlikely for Stockton to have an explosive performance like last year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On paper, there’s a 90% chance of losing, and the Jazz’s remaining 10% chance of winning depends on luck and personal determination.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, in terms of survival instinct, the Jazz are not as strong as the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as the game started, the Trail Blazers played aggressively, with Gan Guoyang repeatedly driving into the lane to draw fouls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ostertag and Malone each received a foul, Gan Guoyang made all free throws, and the Trail Blazers took the lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Entering the playoffs, Gan Guoyang is clearly more aggressive than in the regular season, making a lot of ball-handling plays, firing early to establish an advantage, forcing opponents into a long chase, then running the entire court to exhaust the opponent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers and O’Neal were exhausted in this way, never leading from the first to the last game of the series, eliminated under the dual fatigue of body and mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No wonder Tracy McGrady and Jide wanted to relax in Las Vegas as soon as the game ended; after four games, they were exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After taking the lead, the Trail Blazers’ defensive strategy was very clear: Gan Guoyang tightly guarded Karl Malone one-on-one, giving Malone no easy scoring opportunities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Malone can defeat Gan Guoyang one-on-one and score efficiently, the Trail Blazers’ defensive strategy fails, they need to change their approach, allowing the Jazz’s offense to come alive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not, the Jazz can’t even find a second point to initiate offense, forced to rely on passing and screens, searching for gaps in the intense playoff atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malone feels enormous pressure, pre-game nerves only amplify it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After two failed offensive plays, the Jazz choose to let Malone post-up low on the third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But as soon as Malone receives the ball, Gan Guoyang steals it from behind, a turnover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having successfully stolen the ball, Gan Guoyang takes it and dribbles from the backcourt directly to the frontcourt to launch an attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>None of the Jazz can stop him, Stockton resorts to fouling, quickly reaching team foul trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ offense is not smooth sailing; initially, their shooting touch is average, with Mu Lin and Brellock missing their long-range shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Jazz have bigger problems, unable to find good shooting opportunities under the Trail Blazers’ intense defensive pressure.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five minutes into the first quarter, the score is 9:0, the Jazz unable to score in five whole minutes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is this still a top-three offense in the League? Jerry Sloan is forced to call a timeout for adjustments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, Jason’s mask is irrelevant because the true Jason is on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malone can’t break through one-on-one against Gan Guoyang; Sloan tries using pick-and-rolls to penetrate the Trail Blazers’ three-second zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Trail Blazers’ strategy is clear, allowing Stockton to shoot or break through, while Gan Guoyang sticks to Malone, denying him any easy shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Stockton hits two shots, but his offense lacks continuity and impact. The Trail Blazers thrive on counterattacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the end of the first quarter, the score is 21:8, with the Jazz scoring a mere 8 points, setting a record for the lowest single-quarter score in Western Conference Finals history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ score isn’t high either, but 21 points represents a 13-point lead, a significant and hard-to-trace advantage in this era’s basketball pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I can’t believe the Jazz only scored 8 points in a single quarter. Moreover, Karl Malone didn’t score a single point. Ah Gan’s revenge mentality is evident; he wants to destroy Malone!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walton notices that Gan Guoyang is intent on defeating Malone tonight, not even willing to give him a chance to score a single point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malone has 0-for-3 shooting, two turnovers, and a foul in the quarter, struggling to make a shot against Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Considering how many opponents Gan Guoyang has shut down defensively this season, Malone has reason to believe he might not score tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing this, his anxiety intensifies, a decade-long shadow looming heavily in his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In his ears, even the cheering of the fans becomes surreal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the second quarter, the game rapidly deteriorates for the Jazz. The good news is they start scoring, breaking the scoring drought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The bad news is the Trail Blazers’ offensive momentum returns, charging like a tidal wave.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe replaces Riddle, elevating the Trail Blazers’ offensive pace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside shooting, Mu Lin, Brellock, and Gan Guoyang consecutively hit three-pointers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers possess multiple points for ball handling and attacking the perimeter; almost everyone can dribble and drive, or pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, Rick Carlisle’s fluid offensive coaching makes the Trail Blazers’ offense flow like water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jazz’s defense approaches collapse; they aren’t a defensive team, and once their offense is stifled, the fast-break counterattacks overwhelm them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to their backcourt’s lack of height, strength, and athleticism, they’re naturally potent offensively, seldom granting opponents fast-break opportunities, masking this weakness well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the offense stalls, the Jazz face trouble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the regular season, the Jazz exhibit a notable trait: when struggling offensively, they often lose by large margins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, scoring in the 70s leads to conceding 90-plus points to opponents, losing by 20 points, especially against teams strong in counterattacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cases exist against the Trail Blazers, Hornets, and Suns in the regular season, unable to counter rapid fast breaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Jazz exhibit this trend tonight; as scoring efficiency declines, their offensive and defensive all quickly crumble.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This illustrates why offensive teams are less stable than defensive teams in the playoffs; defense is reliable, offense isn’t necessarily.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing impending collapse, Sloan again urges Malone to steady the situation on court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Malone’s mind buzzes as he steps on court alongside Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Malone vaguely perceives a masked killer walking towards him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His thought in mind isn’t \"minimizing losses\" but rather: survive.\u003C\u002Fp>",1036,"2026-06-06T01:42:05.224Z",1,"novelbin.me","eb6f644b4e6ae401ccceced8ff288992fa4ec6f91966d87ed4877d5cac050a04","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-2011","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-2010",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]