[{"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-1783":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},1445200,1896,"Chapter 1783 - 55: Fucked-Up Game_3","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1783",1783,"\u003Cp>Jackson was evidently anxious; he could even anticipate what might happen in the second half, all deeply engraved in those terrible memories.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the third quarter began, the Lakers treated it as a formidable battle; Jide, Tracy McGrady, and Robert Horry were ordered to assist in defending Gan Guoyang when necessary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, Gan Guoyang started the third quarter with much more agility than in the first half, immediately moving to the low post to call for the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers double-teamed, Gan Guoyang took the ball, passed it, positioned himself on the other side, took the ball again, and the Lakers shrink and double-team once more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But this time Gan Guoyang did not forcefully attack; instead, he passed the ball to Kobe cutting through the center line, number 8 Kobe took the ball and soared, scoring a left-handed dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This play marked the first strike in the Trail Blazers’ counterattack against the Lakers in the third quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ defensive intensity suddenly increased as well; Gan Guoyang actively moved outwards, teaming up with Brellock and Kobe to double-team the ball handler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers sent the ball inside, O’Neal got the ball, and the Trail Blazers’ Sabonis found an opportunity to foul, sending O’Neal to the free-throw line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal missed both free throws, and the Trail Blazers counter-attacked, Gan Guoyang holding the ball and passing diagonally to Kobe on the weak side, Kobe received the ball on the baseline and hit a mid-range jumper.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers gradually gained the upper hand; Jackson, renowned for his meditation, was restless, suddenly realizing that if a team centered around Ah Gan had a decent outside support, they would be hard to beat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was futile; no matter what, it was futile — his skills, stamina, wisdom, and overall strength surpassed everyone else by far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Michael Jordan was once the closest to him, but once Michael retired, how could anyone defeat him?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a moment, Jackson merely due to a temporary scoreboard deficit, contemplated conceding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, it was just a fleeting moment; Jackson realized that this was the psychological shadow left by Ah Gan, and this season he aimed to lead the Lakers and himself out of this shadow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson kept blowing his whistle towards the court, reminding the players to stay focused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew there were no tactical secrets between the two teams; the Trail Blazers were no longer who they were in 1998.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, it boiled down to three essential tactics left unsaid — Ah Gan’s individual abilities, Kobe’s individual abilities, and the veteran players’ occasional championship hearts, and that’s all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There wasn’t much left indeed; even the once in-game intuitive prowess of Larry Bird had vanished, Carl often found himself baffled during games, unsure of what to do next.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, with a resolute heart, passing the ball to Ah Gan usually resolves most of the issues.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Confronting the Trail Blazers like this, what the Lakers could do was not adjusting tactics, but focusing — focus, focus, focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Contend, contend, contend — in this regard, Jackson’s direction was not mistaken.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because to the Trail Blazers, the Lakers disclosed no secrets; having faced them thrice in the Bulls-era Finals, the Trail Blazers knew how to counter the Triangle Offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Early on, both sides had no room for maneuvering tactically or in rotation, leaving state and intensity as the only solution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>O’Neal, having scored 15 points in the first half, likewise began exerting his might in the third quarter, repeatedly drawing fouls in the low post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he often missed both free throws or made only one, the Trail Blazers’ interior gradually couldn’t withstand such consumption.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis incurred four fouls early and went to the bench, Carl moved and deployed Ben Wallace to fill the interior gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time the Lakers began to exploit their powerful frontline advantage — fiercely contesting and positioning against Ah Gan during offense, making it hard for him to grab defensive rebounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s rebounding prowess was historic, but with the premise that he must be in close vicinity; once he frequently moved to the perimeter as a small forward, he lost the advantage, making rebounding difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers consciously used McGrady and Horry to position against Gan Guoyang, allowing Jide and O’Neal to compete for offensive rebounds, succeeding consecutively with second chance points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers regained their advantage in the third quarter, Gan Guoyang proactively called a timeout, losing defensive rebounds was one of his most intolerable things.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Quickly adjusting positions, Gan Guoyang wished to return to power forward, while Carl said: \"No, you have a more important offensive task, it’s only the third quarter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carl realized Jackson wanted Gan Guoyang back in the interior, increasing his defensive burden, thus reducing Gan Guoyang’s offensive distribution.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Jackson’s aim succeeded, the Trail Blazers’ offense might encounter issues in the fourth quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Charles Barkley stepped up and said: \"Coach, I can get on the court, I can plug the rebounding gap.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, it was time for Barkley to come in as a substitute; Carl nodded in agreement, Barkley assuring Gan Guoyang of his rebounding prowess.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So Charles Barkley entered, substituting the recently mediocre Ben Wallace.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The playoff battleground was like this — with even slightly poor performance, the coach would immediately replace you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Wallace was excellent in rebounding during the regular season, his height disadvantage was greatly magnified in the playoffs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Against the towering and robust Shaquille O’Neal, the muscle Ben Wallace developed wasn’t enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley, though equally short, possessed a formidable toughness and resilience, counteracting against those attempting to obstruct him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Returning from timeout, Gan Guoyang’s mid-range jumper missed, Barkley seized an offensive rebound, scoring on a putback while drawing a foul from Thorpe, sinking the extra free throw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following McGrady’s missed pull-up jumper, Barkley snagged the defensive rebound before O’Neal and Horry, firmly controlling the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Despite Brellock’s missed layup in the fast break, Barkley promptly grabbed another offensive rebound, scoring on the layup again!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barkley’s rebounds led to 5 consecutive points, aiding the Trail Blazers through the crisis and regaining the lead on the scoreboard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After scoring, Barkley clenched his fist tightly, showing his intense desire for victory in the game — rebounding was the best testament to that.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers were the only playoff team still maintaining a 10-man rotation; among those ten, Barkley was the only one without a championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, among the veterans, he bore the most fervent championship heart, yearning the most for victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the previous two rounds, Barkley silently excelled as an assistant, neither contending nor vying, doing whatever the coach commanded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had long shed the conceited arrogance of an MVP, left with only the cherish for the last season’s opportunity, and the thirst for the championship.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the scenario most frightening for the Lakers emerged — Gan Guoyang, having rested sufficiently, suddenly erupted in offensive power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the next five possessions, Gan Guoyang consistently hit mid-range shots and faced basket drives, utterly overpowering McGrady and Horry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Scoring ten consecutive points, he led the Trail Blazers to an 11-point lead, 79:68, forcing the Lakers to call a timeout, with 2 minutes left in the third quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil Jackson exhaled deeply, thinking, this damn awful game, could they be slipping back into the nightmare, destined never to emerge?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>```\u003C\u002Fp>",1215,"2026-06-06T01:42:07.224Z",1,"novelbin.me","1369cb63bffd4c6dd04deef1e29d896af59721cfb4bee8fb42c2594d8e32c4bb","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1784","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1782",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]