[{"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-1918":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},1445285,1896,"Chapter 1918 14: A Sword's Cold Light Across 50 States (Part 3)","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1918",1918,"\u003Cp>Arenas nodded to show understanding; the serious Ah Gan was intimidating.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All the ease and nonchalance were just a guise of grass to cover the desire for victory, built on a foundation of great strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had moved past the early days of \"I want to win every one of the 82 games, striving for victory in each one\"; he knows when to let go and sees winning and losing as part of daily life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in important games, crucial matches, he never lets go, and this season opener for the team is undoubtedly one of those.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On defense, Gan Guoyang successfully cut off Pippen's pass to O'Neal; you've been passing easily for half the court; it's time to tighten up a bit, isn't it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glory Team's counterattack saw the Lakers quickly retreat to defense, not giving Gerald Wallace any chance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang didn't take it coast-to-coast himself but rather, after drawing in the defense, passed to Arenas, who charged straight to the basket with the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time, he had no hesitation, quickly bypassed Hunter, and stormed to the basket for a dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He used this fierce scoring method to tell everyone he had immense energy inside him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The place erupted in cheers; this batch of young Glory Team players really played energetically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Raja Bell successfully stole the ball from Richmond on defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glory Team's morale rose; Bell, getting the steal, immediately passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang dribbled and organized, with Pippen sticking close, and Gan Guoyang immediately used his experience to draw a defensive foul from Pippen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The duel between the old hands led to a successful foul draw, and Gan Guoyang soon asked for the ball in the low post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen came over to double-team, and the ball was passed to Wallace, who took the ball and charged, but got lost in the dense defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet by some mistake, the ball ended up in Miller's hands inside, who caught it, made a small hook shot off the glass, and scored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Recklessness often comes at the cost of errors, but bravery can yield unexpected rewards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This continuous fierce offensive made it difficult for the Lakers to cope; with the young McGrady and Fisher missing, the Lakers seemed a bit aged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation reversed in the third quarter; Glory Team, relying on the steady play of Gan Guoyang and the hustle of the young players, caught up in the score and even turned it around at one point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, this Lakers team is indeed different from before; having won the championship in the 2001 season, their mindset had improved significantly with championship experience.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially O'Neal, who played exceptionally inside tonight; Miller's solo defense was practically ineffectual.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Glory Team took the lead, the Lakers calmed down, relying steadily on O'Neal's low-post strong attacks to score consecutively and regained the lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers now are like the 2000 Trail Blazers, like a heavily armored tank; no matter how you attack from all directions, I steadily advance, crushing you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glory Team's offensive surges are wave-like; after a peak, there must be a transitional low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This is a common problem for young teams: relying on physicality and morale to play, they lack continuity and stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glory isn't without veterans, but whether it's Porter or Kerr, or Willis, they're a bit too old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isiah Rider, who performed excellently in the first half, saw his efficiency decline in the third quarter; after missing consecutively as a substitute, he didn't dare to shoot again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thus, the pressure during the low phase had to be shouldered by Gan Guoyang alone—once again, continuous isolation plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang scored 12 points through isolation plays, totaling 34 points by the third quarter, helping Glory Team to a 74:77, trailing by only 3 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gan Guoyang has always been known as the King of the Third Quarter, and 12 points are really not a lot for him; a 50% shooting rate is considered relatively low efficiency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the start of the fourth quarter, Gan Guoyang sat on the bench to rest, and this rest was relatively long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For more than five minutes, without Gan Guoyang as the backbone, Tomjanovich replaced with the veteran guards Steve Kerr and Terry Porter to control the situation on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, the Lakers' guards are also old guys; they're not afraid of breakthrough attacks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porter's mid-range jump shot and Kerr's three-pointer indeed played a role in stabilizing the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the stronger and more cohesive Lakers still seized the opportunity and launched a 7:1 offensive push.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen scored consecutive tip-ins under the basket, while Lindsey Hunter hit a three-pointer from outside; Glory Team only scored from a three-seconds violation called by the referee, awarded a free throw made by Kerr.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers took a 9-point lead in the middle of the fourth quarter, prompting Tomjanovich to call a timeout and bring Gan Guoyang back into play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Lakers' bench, Phil Jackson, who had dealt with Gan Guoyang his entire career, shouted tensely to the players: \"Sonny's coming back; everyone knows he'll attack with the ball; he'll launch the final counterattack. Double-team, we must double-team him at all costs now!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson, too, was a lurking crocodile; he hadn't double-teamed Gan Guoyang before just to prevent Gan Guoyang from getting his teammates' shooting rhythm going.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now it's the fourth quarter, and he resolutely double-teams; will you shoot or pass?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you pass, the teammates' state is average; if you attack, facing the double-team, your efficiency will definitely decrease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Phil Jackson's tactic was indeed ruthless; after the timeout, facing the double-team, Gan Guoyang had neither an effective pass nor shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teammates missed the open shots, and Gan Guoyang's forced turnaround hook shot didn't go in either; the difficulty was indeed too high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the battle-hardened Gan Guoyang did not panic; during the previous timeout, Tomjanovich also had cards up his sleeve.\u003C\u002Fp>",986,"2026-06-06T01:42:08.816Z",1,"novelbin.me","d552cb8a825da9bf597b7723dd8efb186f04bc2042c8b67900e61e96784b05aa","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1919","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-1917",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]