[{"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-1608":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},1445125,1896,"Chapter 1608 - 44: The True Trail Blazers Playstyle (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1608",1608,"\u003Cp>The Bulls bench, Jackson questioned Jordan: \"Michael, if you start playing like this, can your body support it? You disrupted our tactical plan.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan sipped water and said, \"With Ah Gan’s situation like that, can I play any other way? Do you think we have a chance if we fall behind in the first quarter?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson couldn’t refute. The Bulls were at a significant disadvantage in strength. If Jordan didn’t step up with his personal ability early on, it would be very difficult to try to seize control later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no choice, so Jackson could only agree with Jordan’s style and simultaneously demand the team to strengthen their defense, closely targeting Ah Gan with stricter defense tactics.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other side at the Trail Blazers bench, Bird sat expressionless, instructing Carl and Dick Hart on tactical arrangements, while sitting next to Gan Guoyang, saying: \"Fack you, Sonny. You’ve made your own decisions again, what are you trying to do?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We won the game at that time, Larry. So what? I know it doesn’t fit your plans, but this is my plan. Trust me, we’ll definitely win this game. I feel great.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang wasn’t reckless in his initial plays; he repeatedly attacked to test his touch and form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he couldn’t score and felt off, he wouldn’t stubbornly play alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet he was in great form tonight, so he wouldn’t waste it, not even slightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hope your feeling is right,\" Bird said helplessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird was never the type of controlling coach who insisted players play strictly according to his plans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, for a player like Ah Gan, no coach could make him entirely follow their ideas.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bird knew that Gan Guoyang had been holding back all season long, playing as a perfect team player in all previous matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Creating opportunities for teammates, providing numerous screens, pick-and-rolls, and assist passes every game, boxing out for rebounds to push fast breaks, contributing considerable help-defense and rim protection defensively.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, sometimes he’d go to the small forward spot, stand with hands on hips to watch the game, waiting for a fast break to swipe some baskets, but overall, the 1998 season for Gan Guoyang involved much more teamwork than any previous season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Therefore, when reaching the finals against a nemesis, going all out was understandable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The timeout ended, both teams returned to the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before stepping on court, Gan Guoyang asked Bird: \"In your Finals against Magic, why didn’t you score crazily to kill him?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I didn’t have that ability, alright?\" Bird used a heavy \"OK?\" and a big eye-roll to urge Gan Guoyang onto the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He would rush to respond.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fury between two Knights cooled down slightly as the game progressed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the Bulls, Toni Kukoc tried to score using his individual skills, but Gan Guoyang’s defensive barrier was too tough to break.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as he received the ball, it was easily swiped away; Gan Guoyang was quick on his feet, even Malone struggled to hold the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kukoc tried twice to attack but did not score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers played relatively smoothly, but the Bulls’ opening defense was very tough, with heavy physical contact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis made a mistake under Lang Li’s defense; Bulls counterattacked, and Brellock intercepted successfully in midfield.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Lin received the pass and hit the first three-pointer of the match for both teams!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quick ball movement, numerous precise three-point shots, are the Trail Blazers’ unique traits.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil Jackson, seeing Mu Lin hit the three, was heavily troubled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil Jackson’s coaching career has a particular dislike for teams with precise three-point shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The efficiency and spacing from three-point shooting often leave the Bulls’ compressed pressure defense at a loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Since the Bulls’ inside defense heavily relies on the outside help-defense from Pippen, Jordan, Harper, and others.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the space spreads too wide, the Bulls’ paint area easily falls into a state of emptiness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For making trade-offs, Jackson often employs a strategy of shrink defense, letting opponents shoot threes and blocking the Three Second Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This trick often yields miraculous effects, causing opponents to get lost amidst the clang of missed threes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it’s useless against teams with precise three-point shooting, isn’t that just gifting points?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls faced such trouble in the Eastern Conference finals where the Pacers’ three-point shot hit rates soared at 39%, hitting 39 out of 99 attempts, which was remarkable in the 1998 season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the Trail Blazers were much more daunting than the Pacers; against the Jazz series, their three-point hit rate soared to 46%, making 33 out of 70 attempts in the series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bear in mind, the Trail Blazers only played four games with the Jazz, yet their three-pointers number was approaching the Pacers in a seven-game run.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing the Trail Blazers, Jackson did not want their outside line to blossom; this team can indeed shoot you to death.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five starting players could shoot threes and shoot well, who could stomach that?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Mu Lin’s three-point shot, the Bulls still relied on Jordan, who received the ball, turned around, and used a fadeaway jump shot against Riddle, scoring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Trail Blazers had a weakness, it was their subpar defense at shooting guard and small forward positions, having no solution against Jordan’s isolations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a counter, Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball in the low post, quickly turned and performed a hook shot scoring two points, maintaining a 4-point lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, both teams depended on superstars; after all, these two bosses opened by playing solo, leaving others with little play-feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the audience didn’t care; during the first quarter, the cheers in the Rose Garden Arena were ceaseless, Jordan and Gan Guoyang unveiled an epic rivalry from the first quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang scored 16 points, collected 4 rebounds, and dished 1 assist in the first quarter; Jordan scored 14 points, made 2 assists, and achieved 1 steal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers led 22-18, holding a 4-point lead over the Bulls, seizing the advantage on the scoreboard, yet the Bulls held the tactical pace advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game was dragged into the Bulls’ familiar defensive, slow-paced, isolation-battle rhythm, and the Trail Blazers’ offensive edge was not fully revealed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During break, Bird told Gan Guoyang: \"Sonny, you play well individually like this, but it isn’t truly the Trail Blazers style.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang took a big gulp of water, and said: \"You’re wrong, Larry, this is the genuine Trail Blazers style. Watch, Michael can’t keep up with me.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1076,"2026-06-06T01:42:05.612Z",1,"novelbin.me","77c29285615267e8ec1dc213bedf9458556c198a825d6cd05f2fef446fdfb907","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1609","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1607",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]