[{"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-1862":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},1445329,1896,"Chapter 1862 82: A Corner of the New World","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1862",1862,"\u003Cp>In the other two matches of Group A, Team USA effortlessly defeated New Zealand, while France beat Italy in a life-and-death battle, preserving the suspense of advancement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though Team USA struggled in the first match against China, they won easily against Italy, Lithuania, and New Zealand in the following matches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They achieved a massive 46-point victory over New Zealand and defeated Italy by 28 points with no suspense. However, against Lithuania, they only won by a single-digit margin; Lithuania's strength is indeed formidable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>China Team also relied on Gan Guoyang's performance and Jasikevicius's mistakes to defeat Lithuania. If they were to play again, giving Lithuania a chance to adjust, the outcome would be uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In short, after biting into the tough bone that is Lithuania, the prospects for China Team suddenly brightened. They could win or lose the final battle against Italy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they lose to Italy, China Team will finish third in the group and be in the same bracket as Team USA, potentially facing them in the semifinals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they defeat Italy, China Team will finish second in the group and be moved to the lower bracket, only facing Team USA in the final.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Concerning whether to go all out for the final match in order to enter the lower bracket or to conserve strength, the coaching group had some debates after the match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One side believes they should go all out to win, secure the second spot, and avoid Team USA.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The other side believes that for the quarterfinals, the main players should rest and not go all out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they can win, great, but if they can't, that's okay. Even in third place, facing Team USA in the semifinals is the same.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If defeating Team USA is necessary, defeating them in the semifinals might not be a bad choice.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After some discussion, the final decision was left to Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is because if the final match was to rest, Jiang Xingquan planned to let Gan Guoyang take a rest day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, at 36 years old, the Olympic schedule is intense, and the physical demands are high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For the sake of advancing in the quarterfinals, the coaching team believes Gan Guoyang needs some rest.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang himself was indifferent; rest days were never in his dictionary.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Many Chinese fans will come to watch the match in person; I can't take a rest day.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point in Gan Guoyang's career, each match could be his last, so every match for China Team is packed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only do Chinese fans come to watch, but American fans also travel to Sydney in groups. If Gan Guoyang rests, they would be very disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, a compromise was made: Gan Guoyang would not rest in the final match but would reduce his playtime, allowing more opportunities for young and substitute players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they win, all the better, entering the lower bracket in second place; if they lose, it's not a big deal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The semifinals against the USA would indeed be a good opportunity to crush them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On September 25th, the last matchday in Group A, Lithuania easily defeated New Zealand Team in the first match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, whether Lithuania, France, or Italy could advance to the quarterfinals depended on China Team's performance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Italy definitely wanted to win this match. In the second match against China, they were fully prepared to double-team Gan Guoyang and contain this superstar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the progress of the game was unexpected. Gan Guoyang did not dominate the match but kept creating opportunities for his teammates.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relaxed after securing an advancement opportunity, China Team played with ease. Jiang Xingquan set up the players, allowing Bartel, Li Nan, and other young players to play more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, Li Nan was unstoppable from the outside, making three-pointers with precision every time he received a pass from Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only when open, as long as there was a slight opportunity on the outside, he would shoot with success, hitting 7 out of 8 three-pointers with an astonishingly high accuracy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under Li Nan's fierce three-point firepower, the Italian Team was at a loss because Li Nan's emergence was completely unexpected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During pregame preparations, the Italian coaching staff didn't even think Li Nan would play in the China Team's lineup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This dark horse from the Bayi Basketball Team became the trump card of the match and a crucial figure in determining the final rankings of Group A.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Due to Li Nan's precise three-point shooting, the nickname \"Little Li Flying Dagger\" began circulating among Chinese fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ultimately, in this crucial match determining group rankings, China Team defeated the European powerhouse Italy by 93:85, an 8-point advantage, securing second place in the group and advancing to the quarterfinals.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the last match, France Team easily defeated the weakest team, New Zealand, and due to the win-loss relationships, despite sharing a 2-3 record, surpassed Italy to finish fourth in the group, with Lithuania third.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Italy and New Zealand were eliminated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the other B Group, Canada and Yugoslavia both ended with 4-1 records, ranking first and second, with host Australia Team third and Russia Team fourth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, Group A's second, China Team, would face Australia Team in the quarterfinals, which would undoubtedly be a highly anticipated battle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The match was scheduled for September 28th, giving players a two-day rest period to adjust well and prepare for the knockout round.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even without Gan Guoyang, if China Team reached this point, they would have completed their goal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The likelihood of winning in the quarterfinals is very slim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This single-match knockout system elevates the intensity and pressure of the game to a higher level.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, having Gan Guoyang changes things; he would elevate the intensity by three notches, making it unbearable for opponents.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the match against Italy on the 25th, Gan Guoyang played, but because others performed well, he didn't have to give his all.\u003C\u002Fp>",981,"2026-06-06T01:42:08.237Z",1,"novelbin.me","f637a9fafa9f9ee888b99e700204039f248906b2f9ba0e4edfc5024a3a0eb091","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1863","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1861",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]