[{"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-1751":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},1445168,1896,"Chapter 1751 - 44: A Slight Smile (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1751",1751,"\u003Cp>But Gan Guoyang did not choose to charge directly to the basket for a dunk; instead, he stepped back and shot a mid-range jumper from the baseline, scoring again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I heard your mid-range shots are pretty good too, why not give it a try?\" Gan Guoyang said to Nowitzki while retreating on defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki was already driven by a competitive desire. He did not respond but did not back down either. Instead, he came out to the three-point line to receive the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Mavericks went even further than the Trail Blazers in their spatial lineup. When Nowitzki played the center position, they left no one under the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All five players transferred the ball outside the three-point line, driving, passing, and receiving. In this sense, Old Nelson truly had an experimental spirit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even the Trail Blazers, a team that had emphasized three-pointers early on, always had at least one player guarding the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Furthermore, the more they shot threes, the more they valued building the inside. Since 1984, good inside partners and backups for Gan Guoyang have been continuous.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nielsen’s reform was undoubtedly more thorough, going all the way, with all five shooting from the outside, challenging how you could defend.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki faced a one-on-one defense from Gan Guoyang on the perimeter. He dribbled to adjust his rhythm and would directly go for a jumper at the right moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki had been using this move very effectively this season, even against Malone he could still score. His rhythm and softness of his shot were excellent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, Nowitzki’s height is a solid 7 feet, with no exaggeration, which is a considerable height advantage.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gan Guoyang was not Malone; his defense declined the least. Through Nowitzki’s rhythm, he predicted Nowitzki’s next move.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the moment Nowitzki was about to shoot, Gan Guoyang closed in. If Nowitzki shot, it would be blocked; if he didn’t... not shooting meant a dead ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With intense tight defense, Nowitzki couldn’t pass and was forcibly stripped by Gan Guoyang, leading to a Trail Blazers’ fast break!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No one from the Mavericks could stop Gan Guoyang’s tank-like fast break. Strickland simply gave up, watching Gan Guoyang glide in for a dunk, scoring 2 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first quarter was about to end, Gan Guoyang easily scored 10 points, and the Trail Blazers took the lead, forcing Nielsen to call a timeout.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Facing Nielsen’s inquiry on the bench, Nowitzki honestly replied, \"I can’t handle him at all, completely can’t handle it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nielsen said, \"I know you can’t handle him, but you still have to keep trying. Also, learn more things.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki was very smart. He realized Nielsen hoped he could learn more skills and techniques from Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, after a few short confrontations, Nowitzki realized he had many areas lacking, especially in details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking his shooting was precise, the problem was good defenders wouldn’t give you a chance to shoot, disrupting you before you could attempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a shooting big man, height is naturally an advantage, but if used improperly, it can become a disadvantage, especially when attempting both inside and outside plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang, being the best at combining inside and outside as a big man, knew very well the strengths and weaknesses of big men holding the ball outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In this aspect, Nowitzki was still too inexperienced, being firmly controlled by Gan Guoyang, who apparently wasn’t even exerting force, teasing with mid-range on offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Nowitzki returned to the court in the second quarter, Gan Guoyang also shed his warm-up suit and returned to the game. The score was 47:43, with the Trail Blazers leading by 4 points; both teams were offensively flowing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the first quarter, Gan Guoyang had rested for a considerable time. Currently, on average, Carl limited Gan Guoyang’s playing time to around 36 minutes per game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the lowest average playing time of his career. The downside was increased team instability, but the benefit was Gan Guoyang’s increased offensive efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the bench duels, Mike Finley and Eddie Jones scored consecutively, with Finley especially getting 16 points by halftime, suppressing Kobe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The nearly half-quarter rest did not cool Gan Guoyang’s hand. As soon as he returned, he received the ball and shot a long-ranged jumper from the three-point line, scoring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki hadn’t started yet. Returning to the court, when he attempted to receive the ball for a strong attack, he couldn’t handle the ball properly, almost disrupted by Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though not stripped, the rhythm was disrupted, forcing Nowitzki to pass back to his teammate, wasting an offensive opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki sensed what top-tier NBA defense felt like—not only full confrontational intensity but also detailed, subtle moves omnipresent, making him exceptionally uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang nearly predicted every nuanced move and position of Nowitzki, which pained Nowitzki, who relied on rhythm and fakes to score, to the extreme.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fortunately, as Gan Guoyang focused on Nowitzki, the Trail Blazers had one less rim-protecting barrier, allowing Eddie Jones to score two points on a driving floater.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang again took the ball at the 45-degree low post. Nowitzki forced himself to defend, his defense being entirely passive, lacking any aggression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this time Gan Guoyang missed the shot. Feeling lucky, Nowitzki grabbed the rebound and dribbled past half court, sending a long pass to the running Mike Finley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finley was about to attack the basket but got blocked by the swiftly returning Gan Guoyang, who leapt from the side to swat it down!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki marvelled, wondering how this guy returned so fast and if he had anticipated Nowitzki would long pass to Finley?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Originally a great chance for the Mavericks to close the score, Gan Guoyang’s big block disrupted it, with the Trail Blazers regaining possession for a counterattack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball went to Gan Guoyang at the top of the arc. He paused after receiving the ball, and as Nowitzki hesitated, Gan Guoyang suddenly accelerated for a central breakthrough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki had no reaction chance, cleanly surpassed, then watched Gan Guoyang storm into the basket for a two-handed dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This move Nowitzki also used but not with such smoothness and naturalness. Once a big man’s breakthrough is launched, it’s hard to stop them at the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scoring, the Trail Blazers stabilized their advantage. Nowitzki used his jersey to wipe off sweat, still scoreless, wondering what to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this moment, Gan Guoyang came again with earnest enlightenment, saying, \"Do you know how to score 30 points in a game?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Each quarter, make two mid-range shots, one drive, two free throws—8 points a quarter; add a three-pointer or two, and 30 points are in hand.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not simple, but it’s very easy for you,\" Nowitzki replied.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes, it’s a bit easy. So in this game, I’ll try to make 15 mid-range shots. That makes 30 points, doesn’t it?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowitzki’s face turned dark, thinking, is he really going to make 15 mid-range shots over my head? How many has he already made?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Oh man, how will the rest of the game go?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No time for much thought, Finley hit a three-pointer, helping the Mavericks pull some points back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But immediately, Gan Guoyang received the ball at 45 degrees, facing the basket, with Nowitzki fully pressing him on mid-range defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, Gan Guoyang squeezed through with just one move, taking a step back while giving Nowitzki a charming smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The mid-range jumper was released and scored again! This was the sixth mid-range shot tonight, nearly halfway there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Evidently, for a long time, Gan Guoyang’s smile would become an inescapable nightmare for Nowitzki.\u003C\u002Fp>",1257,"2026-06-06T01:42:07.224Z",1,"novelbin.me","5b46108abc03ba10869763fd3265f79d3902e68bf282c645aaaf29632b793c10","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1752","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1650",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]