[{"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-1617":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},1445134,1896,"Chapter 1617 - 47: The Curtain Falls (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1617",1617,"\u003Cp>The Bulls’ bench erupted, Jordan made a four-point play! The point difference instantly shrunk to 2 points!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the free-throw line, Jordan was unflinching, made the additional free throw, 100:98.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luck was on Jordan’s side, and he scored 50 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though he felt lost and shaken inside, he gave it his all on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because if he gave up, the match would end early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe made a terrible mistake, Bird called for a timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure was now on the Trail Blazers; they needed a play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carl took out the tactics board, and boldly, he laid out a daring strategy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the timeout, the Trail Blazers players spread out, with Gan Guoyang posing to receive near the sideline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when the whistle blew, Sabonis, whose eyes were on Gan Guoyang, threw the ball towards the inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe, who just made a mistake, leaped up high, broke away from Jordan, caught the alley-oop, and slammed it in!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls made a mistake on defense, focusing all their attention on Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially Lang Li, who positioned himself too far outside, but you couldn’t blame him, Guoyang’s firepower was too terrifying tonight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kobe redeemed himself, regained two points, and the Trail Blazers kept their 4-point lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls didn’t have much time left, and now Gan Guoyang started focusing his defense on Jordan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A direct confrontation between two superstars made Jordan hesitate for a moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brellock came over to help defend, reached in for the ball, and with Gan Guoyang being one tall and one short, they blocked Jordan’s way.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan stayed calm, dribbled backward, and passed to Kukoc, who quickly transferred the ball to Pippen in the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen went for a layup against Sabonis, but Sabonis, being slower, decisively knocked the ball away from Pippen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Beep!\" The referee blew the whistle, called a defensive foul on Sabonis, without controversy, it was a foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen stood at the free-throw line, if he made both, the Bulls would still have a chance to win the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Pippen missed the first free throw, making Jordan’s face turn as dark as it could get.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Bro, you’re just like in the Eastern Conference Finals, missing free throws again, are you gonna mess me up again?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Scottie, it’s time to leave the Bulls and get a big contract!\" Gan Guoyang didn’t miss a chance to add fuel to the fire, stabbing Pippen in the heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Pippen missed the second free throw as well!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan and Rodman rushed forward to fight for the offensive rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was useless, Gan Guoyang firmly controlled the rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls lost the best chance to close the score gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With only over 30 seconds left, the Trail Blazers just needed to control the time to win the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan had no choice but to foul, but the fouls didn’t add up, so the Trail Blazers threw from the sideline, fouled again to waste time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Brellock stood at the free-throw line, as a guard his free-throw percentage was actually average, only about 70%.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at the crucial moment, he stayed calm, made both free throws, 104:98, a 6-point gap, and the Bulls called timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Back on the bench, Jordan couldn’t help but lose his temper at Pippen, \"Is free-throwing so difficult for you?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen remained silent, he had screwed up at key moments not once or twice before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against other teams, there might be room for recovery, against the Trail Blazers, even a small mistake could be costly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The more costly it got, the more scared inside, and the easier it was to make mistakes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That slam dunk mistake in 1992 still caused a faint pain in Jordan’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seriously, what kind of sin is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson tried hard to set up and deploy, putting together a gamble on a three-point play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Steve-Kerr came on to replace Rodman, with four three-point shooters on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers, leading by six points, let go of two points and defended against the three, giving Lang Li a chance to score under the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning, Gan Guoyang got the ball to waste time, and the Bulls had to send him to the free-throw line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s free-throw was very steady, making both, pulling the lead back to 6 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time was running out, with Cole missing a three-pointer from the outside, the Bulls had no more chances.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The buzzer sounded, the game ended, 106:100, the Trail Blazers won with a 6-point advantage at home against the Bulls, capturing the victory in the first game of the finals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Post-match statistics showed that the viewership and audience for this game created a historical record, which remained unbeaten, even by Gan Guoyang himself later on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the game ended, Gan Guoyang and Jordan did not shake hands, did not embrace, as the series was not over yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Both scored 50 points this game, showcasing their superstar play, creating records in NBA Finals history.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But just like Gan Guoyang said, if the Trail Blazers used this single superstar scoring style and the Bulls couldn’t win, when they returned to a team-based approach, it would be even tougher for the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ending at this moment was already destined, only delayed the announcement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Two days later, the second game continued at the Rose Garden, where Gan Guoyang subdued his sharpness and offense, integrated into the Trail Blazers’ perfect team play, launching a frenzied attack on the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their shooting percentage in the first half once reached 70%, later gradually dropped to 60%, and eventually the Trail Blazers won at home with a 15-point advantage over the Bulls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In both games, it was the Bulls’ largest losing margin; in the Eastern series, their largest losing margin was only 3 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had incredible tenacity, but they had no way out, meeting the strikingly offensive Trail Blazers; they were too accurate in the second game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Mu Lin, Brellock, Sabonis, and others were stifled in the first game, just watching their leader showing off, barely having any roles themselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this match, they all attacked collectively, with wide-ranging ball movement and long-range shots, leaving the Bulls’ tight defense scrambling, tactically collapsing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third and fourth games, the Bulls put up extremely tenacious resistance. The third game dragged into double overtime, fighting until they were exhausted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Gan Guoyang used a deadly mid-range shot to eliminate the Bulls, and also extinguished the Bulls’ hope of winning the series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the fourth game, the Bulls didn’t want to be swept, but Pippen missed this game due to injury, leaving Jordan without a supporting arm to score a staggering 55 points again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the Trail Blazers still, with strong overall strength and efficient offensive performance at key moments, suppressed the Bulls, beating them 109:107, with a 2-point advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Leading the series 4-0, the Trail Blazers swept the Bulls, capturing the 1998 championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang reclaimed what was his, the championship trophy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the United Center locker room in Chicago, Gan Guoyang drank champagne freely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Five years, it had been a whole five years since he last tasted the flavor of the championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, tears and wine mixed together, and no one could tell them apart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the other hand, Gan Guoyang also lost something precious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his greatest rival, a lifelong friend, Michael Jordan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Shortly after the finals ended, a disappointed Jordan decided not to execute the hefty two-year contract and opted to retire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He declined other teams’ offers and rejected the Chicago fans’ petition for him to stay.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said he was tired, he wanted to leave, he needed a rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The story of Gan vs. Joe came to a close in a less-than-perfect ending.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Temporarily, it came to a close.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Volume Two \"Appointment in 1998.\")\u003C\u002Fp>",1298,"2026-06-06T01:42:05.612Z",1,"novelbin.me","a2938bf4ee18035c603af80ec296ca4a4d259f6fd915d72e9d7a403ebd2c7a43","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1618","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1616",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]