[{"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-492":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},1443709,1896,"Chapter 492 - 109 Little Bug","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-492",492,"\u003Cp>The atmosphere at the start of the game was relatively harmonious, and Gan Guoyang managed to finish the first quarter smoothly, scoring 10 points, grabbing 5 rebounds, and making 2 blocks, which was a normal performance for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To Gan, 10 points was just a regular showing, yet many players couldn’t score 10 points in an entire Finals game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With isolation plays being allowed, every opponent facing the Trail Blazers had to be prepared for Gan to efficiently drop 40 points on them in a game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s why Daley opened up the offense in the first quarter, letting his core players find their offensive rhythm to match Gan’s scoring intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dantley scored 7 points in the first quarter while Isiah Thomas got 8 points. The team’s two most important scorers found their offensive groove early on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the connecting segment of the second quarter, the three to five minutes of rest Gan took off-court were a critical juncture for the Pistons to change the game’s tempo.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Vinnie Johnson came in for Dumars and Thomas stayed on the court. Lan Bi’er left the paint while Melvin Turpin made his entrance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thomas began the second quarter with a successful mid-range jump shot. His offense felt quite good tonight, and the Pistons were leading by 3 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Walton and Thompson, these two old guys holding down the Trail Blazers’ frontcourt, instantly reduced the intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons started to tighten the screws, escalating the confrontations. Turpin kept pushing and squeezing Thompson in the low post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thompson’s turn-around jump shot missed, banking a three-pointer, but Kossie picked up the offensive rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His turn-around layup was blocked by Donaldson, and in the scramble under the basket, the ball was ultimately kicked out of bounds by Parkson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pistons’ ball possession.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fans at the scene burst into applause.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons players were all thinking that playing without Ah Gan on the court sure felt good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They truly hoped he would keep resting off-court and not come back into the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chuck Daly shared the same sentiments, feeling much more relaxed with Gan off the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it had been Ah Gan who grabbed that offensive rebound, he would either muscle his way up for a layup or draw a foul, which was troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Afterward, Turpin received a pass from Thomas on the baseline and scored with a mid-range jump shot, making it 36:31, with the Pistons ahead by 5 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Walton’s low post offense was disrupted by Donaldson and didn’t go in, with the Pistons taking the defensive rebound and making a quick counter attack.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John Salley led the charge, caught Thomas’ pass, and scored with a stumbling layup!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>38:31, the Pistons were leading by 7 points, their largest lead in the series so far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jack Ramsey called for a timeout. The Trail Blazers’ offense was ineffective during this period.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’d chosen to attack the post twice, but the Pistons knew Walton and Thompson didn’t have the same low post energy. They defended strictly one-on-one, not giving the Trail Blazers any chances from the outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a result, they contained the Trail Blazers twice with one-on-one defense and then scored with fast breaks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ frontcourt was ageing even more severely than in 1986, with Walton running on his last breath at this point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This would be his last series in his career.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>32-year-old Mychal Thompson had dropped from the previous season’s 14+7 to this season’s 10+5.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Gan was on the court, he could rely on Gan’s defensive attractiveness to score some easy balls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without Gan, he no longer had the ability to single-handedly challenge younger interior players like Turpin in the low post.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons’ tall men lineup--Lan Bi’er at 29, Turpin at 26, Donaldson at 29--were all at the best ages for inside players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that era, medical technology was relatively backward, and player maintenance and nutrition were not scientific enough, leaving many with injuries from their student days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from monsters like Jabbar, most interior players declined dramatically after turning 30, getting worse year by year.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not to mention Walton, who had been injured since his college days. It was a miracle he lasted this long.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Many star players retired at 32 or 33 years old. Twenty years later, this would be their prime, but in the 1980s, they were already retired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Triple Towers of 1986 could no longer reproduce their performance, and the Trail Blazers’ frontcourt became increasingly reliant on Gan as their go-to point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Gan was worth the reliance. After the timeout, he immediately drew a foul from Turpin on the offensive end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Standing at the free-throw line, he made both shots, giving the Trail Blazers some relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Pistons’ side, after some internal struggle, Daley patted Dennis Rodman on the bench, substituting him in for Salley.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Rodman took the floor, Daley told him, \"Don’t guard Ah Gan directly, but keep an eye on him at every moment, entangle him like a snake. Every action, every word, every round, can you do that?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodman nodded and said, \"Of course, dad.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodman stretched his limbs and bounced onto the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fans cheered again as Rodman was very popular in Detroit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At first, no one had any impression of this 25-year-old old rookie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, for a second-round pick, just surviving in the league was questionable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Rodman quickly won over the Motor City fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He played with great energy on the court, fighting hard every round and every ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, his style was unique; he was terrible on offense, but he had a keen sense of defense and gave it his all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His splendid saves, exaggerated layup motions, and the ability to stir up the atmosphere at the scene left a deep impression on the fans.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Within the Pistons, this guy was fearless, someone who dared to say anything and would harshly scold everyone after a bad game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So the Pistons were a very strange team; unlike the Trail Blazers, Lakers, or Bulls, they didn’t have a true leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was an important part, to some extent the brain of the team. All could speak their minds and express opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For them, lacking absolute talent, such a team-building mode and structure was actually the most sensible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chuck Daly had never played professional basketball; he was someone without natural basketball talent, so he knew how to mold these guys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the NBA, talent can indeed mean everything, but Daly thought of a way: if I take down your most talented guy, isn’t your talent useless?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lan Bi’er would do that, Melvin would do that, Dennis Rodman, having learned by example, would do it too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hence, Rodman began his endless harassment of Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew he definitely couldn’t beat Gan Guoyang, couldn’t play dirty like Melvin or Lan Bi’er.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t shove either; Melvin and Lan Bi’er had said that Ah Gan was like a bollard, immovable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for ramming into him? Melvin explained from experience that ramming Ah Gan was just like hitting a wall; not only would he get a dizzy head, but he’d also earn a foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listening to Daley’s advice, Rodman used his brain and skill to continuously disturb Gan Guoyang in subtle ways.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For instance, when the referee called a foul, Rodman would go over and touch Gan Guoyang, stepping on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>While defending, he would continually touch him, pluck at his jersey, and wipe the sweat on his body onto Gan Guoyang’s clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was a bit of a clean freak; just enduring daily evening battles soaked in sweat with a group of black and white players was already at his limit.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now the opponent was deliberately smearing sweat on him, and Gan Guoyang could hardly bear it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had just seen Dennis Rodman picking his nose on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He first protested to the referee, but it was futile; the ref hadn’t seen it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even if they had, there wasn’t a rule against that kind of behavior.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dennis, I advise you to stop this,\" Gan Guoyang, who never threatened people, began threatening Rodman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodman turned a deaf ear, continuing to do as he pleased, hassling Gan Guoyang like a Little Bug.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like a buzzing mosquito—it doesn’t threaten your life at that moment but really gets on your nerves as it lingers nearby.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You get up to hit it, but it flies away swiftly. Sometimes you slap hard, only to hurt your own hand without hitting anything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you let your guard down and it bites you, it won’t just draw blood; it will itch for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And if it’s carrying something fatal like malaria, then it can indeed be life-threatening.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Rodman’s petty nuisances didn’t affect Gan Guoyang’s performance on the court in the second quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang led the Trail Blazers in a charge of 11:2, regaining the lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But under such harassment, Gan Guoyang became increasingly irritable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the process of attacking, he forcefully shoved Rodman, who stumbled into the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee immediately blew the whistle, calling an offensive foul on Gan Guoyang, his second foul of the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Pistons took advantage of this opportunity—Isiah Thomas made a change of direction and sped to the basket, directly targeting Gan Guoyang. His layup was good.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang, already with two fouls, couldn’t fully commit to blocking and could only gesture halfheartedly. Then Thomas’s floater off the board scored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that basket, the Pistons clawed back two points. As the second quarter neared its end, the teams were tied at 62:62.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodman’s type of harassment was something Gan Guoyang had never encountered before, and this kid wasn’t just about making people feel disgusted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Rodman truly had something in his help-defense and rebound positioning; Gan Guoyang had to be more cautious on offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The swift, up-close defense by Rodman made Gan Guoyang’s mid-range shots difficult.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He increased his face-up drives to the basket—such a head-on offensive approach took a greater toll on his own stamina.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Rodman’s judgment on offensive rebound positioning was quite good. The kid was slippery; the slightest lapse and he’d steal a rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Trail Blazers’ frontcourt aging overall, Gan Guoyang was like facing four young, energetic, and stylistically different big men alone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Disgusted by Rodman’s antics, at the end of the first half, Gan Guoyang told himself to stay calm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew that Daley was up to no good, aiming to take him down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The second quarter was just the beginning; it was the third and fourth quarters where the real tricks would be played.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was calculating in his mind: he had to win tonight’s game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The man, he had to deal with!\u003C\u002Fp>",1777,"2026-06-06T01:41:13.547Z",1,"novelbin.me","f41358fdd92a0454de3edc3199e629f91ecf09c7fc15fb895da625bf5e7884d7","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-493","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-491",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]