[{"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-618":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},1444485,1896,"Chapter 618 - 20: Equally Matched","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-618",618,"\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had threatened the sidelines with his barbaric dashes and iron elbows more than once.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone was left wondering whether it was intentional or accidental, but getting hit invariably meant being stretchered off the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From players to bosses to coaches to referees, everyone had suffered; currently, except for the fans, Gan Guoyang had basically taken on every position and could be called the league’s most versatile player.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, there were complaints that some of Gan Guoyang’s moves were too dangerous and seemed intentionally harmful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, due to insufficient evidence, and because Gan Guoyang always kept his actions within bounds to avoid serious injury, these issues were glossed over.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In fact, David Stern was clear about it, precisely because you never cause serious harm, it’s clear that this youngster is doing it on purpose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But since Gan Guoyang was incredibly popular, just like fights, whenever such incidents occurred, the media would extensively cover them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Anyway, since no one was injured or died, everyone laughed it off; people treated it as adding to the NBA’s attention and traffic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was via this tacit understanding and unspoken rules that Gan Guoyang skirted the edges of morality, law, and regulations, leaving league players and coaches in trepidation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight’s rush had a sideline reporter promptly snapping a photo where Gan Guoyang and Larry-Brown were in a close confrontation, Gan Guoyang, like The Immortal of Colossal Spirit, charging at Brown, who had turned pale and was slightly backing away, with the bench players scrambling in the background.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This photo alone could guarantee substantial newspaper sales for a week and likely become the cover image for next season’s Sports Illustrated.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spurs had the offense, with Robinson setting a screen on the edge of the Three Second Zone, blocking Gan Guoyang and allowing Elliott to drive to the basket for a layup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, Hornacek drove down the middle, passed to Kossie cutting to the basket, Kossie went up for a layup and got fouled, heading to the free throw line.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first several minutes of play involved few post moves, instead featuring an abundance of drives, cuts, entries, passes, and screens.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This marked a significant difference in gameplay from the early to mid-1980s as the NBA headed into the 1990s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the early to mid-1980s, teams typically started their offense by going to their low post players.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once the low post was established, perimeter players would look for opportunities through ball movement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, many perimeter players possessed strong post-up abilities.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially some small forwards like Worthy, Mark Aguirre, and Dantley whose back-to-basket skills were on par with many centers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, the league’s new small forwards like Elliott and Kossie didn’t play like their predecessors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They were taller, stronger, faster, and more ferocious, adopting a more aggressive playing style.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pace of the game increased as the first quarter progressed, with the Spurs initially trying to set a tone for the game with robust defense to contain the Trail Blazers’ offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the Trail Blazers’ half-court offense was slick, with quick ball movement and frequent screens, and every player had the ability to attack on their own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the game deepened, the Spurs’ defensive focus gradually slipped, and intensity waned, unconsciously getting drawn into a shooting match with the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Players could feel it on the court; playing set offense was indeed challenging, as the Trail Blazers’ defense tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being blocked by Robinson once, Gan Guoyang learned his lesson and paid attention to his positioning, building a solid ’no-fly zone’ within the Three Second Zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The corner opportunities went to the Spurs, but whether it was corner three-pointers or mid-range shots, their accuracy was low, not to mention offensive rebounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the last game, David Robinson grabbed 17 rebounds over the Lakers, with 7 of those being offensive rebounds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever he secured an offensive rebound, the Lakers could only foul, sending Robinson to the free throw line 14 times, disrupting their interior defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This game, facing Gan Guoyang, Robinson found it extremely difficult to get offensive rebounds, having to rely on luck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the first quarter neared its end, the game became increasingly chaotic, with the Trail Blazers extending the lead to 8 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spurs quickened their offensive pace in an attempt to sneak points, desperately needing to score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After losing points, Willie Anderson suddenly launched a long pass from a great distance to the frontcourt, Cheeks caught the ball, evaded the defense, and scored a layup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Following that, Gan Guoyang missed a mid-range shot, and David Robinson immediately fast broke, with Cheeks and Elliott making quick passes; the ball went under the basket, and Robinson caught it and dunked with both hands!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>20:16, the Spurs narrowed the score to 4 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bobby Berman called a timeout, not because the Trail Blazers were having trouble, but to make substitutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the contest was extremely intense and players occasionally fell to the ground, the referees were quite lenient with their whistles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman substituted Sabonis for Thompson and Mike-Sanders for Hornacek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a larger, tougher lineup, and it freed Gan Guoyang from the center position.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In recent years, Gan Guoyang’s responsibilities at the center position had become increasingly heavy, particularly last season, almost to the point where he had to handle everything.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Not only the obvious offensive and defensive duties, but also the behind-the-scenes screening, coordinating, and receiving passes required Gan Guoyang to step up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like tonight, when the Spurs repeatedly executed full-court tight presses against the Trail Blazers’ backcourt, Gan Guoyang had to run near the midline to facilitate his team’s offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In some extreme cases during playoffs, Gan Guoyang even had to dribble past half-court himself, directing the team’s offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was the price the Trail Blazers paid for being without Drexler, Guoyang did well, but the team couldn’t just watch their core struggle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis and Sanders were able to take a lot of the messy, piecemeal work off Guoyang’s shoulders, allowing him to concentrate his efforts on key plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Sabonis entered the game, the TV cameras began to focus incessantly on this Soviet giant, and a small amount of booing arose from the crowd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>American fans were still bitter about losing the Olympic gold medal in 1988.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Spurs side, Larry-Brown substituted Vernon Maxwell to boost their perimeter fire power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for guarding Guoyang, that task was assigned to the forward Terry Cummings.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cummings’ defense was outstanding. Since being traded from the Bucks to the Spurs, Larry-Brown was very pleased with him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the season opener, he scored 22 points with 13 rebounds, proving to be a great partner for David Robinson in the paint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was more than capable of handling most power forwards in the League.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Guoyang was not your average power forward; he was too strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the timeout, Guoyang ran to the left baseline to receive the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was his favorite spot because being near the sideline meant he could avoid double-teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Theoretically, the baseline is a dead end for ball-handlers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The presence of the sideline greatly limits your space to maneuver.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sideline acts as a natural defender, prompting many teams to push offenders towards it to force turnovers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the sideline is also impartial, being a natural defender and a powerful screen; no one can trap from this side—there might be some space to do so under the three-second zone, but between the three-second zone and the three-point line, you only have referees and photographers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Guoyang received the ball facing Cummings, made a probing step, and immediately shot from mid-range, scoring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A stable two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then Sabonis blocked Maxwell’s layup attempt under the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers didn’t counterattack; Guoyang still circled to the baseline to receive the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Another probing step, this time Cummings moved, and Guoyang squeezed through the gap along the baseline.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He drove into the paint, facing defensive help by David Robinson, jumped up, and dunked powerfully over Robinson’s left hand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee blew the whistle, calling a defensive foul on David Robinson, counting the score and adding a free throw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson looked helpless, Guoyang patted Robinson and said, \"Don’t guard those types of shots in the future, you’ll just foul and give away points.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson didn’t know whether to take that piece of advice; if he really didn’t guard, Larry-Brown would surely scold him after the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The free throw was good; Guoyang scored 5 consecutive points, widening the gap back to 9 points, maintaining the Trail Blazers’ pressure on the Spurs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This time it was Larry-Brown’s turn to call for a timeout. Guoyang had already scored 10 points in the first quarter; he was unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Larry-Brown knew he needed to focus on team effort, exploiting the Trail Blazers’ weaknesses on the outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He substituted David-Wingate for Cheeks, using a taller backcourt lineup to continue pressing the Trail Blazers’ backcourt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Wingate, standing 6 feet and 5 inches tall, could play both guard and small forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the pause, Wingate took the ball on the wing, drove past Sanders with his speed, and cut toward the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis came to help, and Wingate cleverly passed to Robinson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson took a step and fiercely dunked with his left hand!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Like the Trail Blazers, the Spurs’ offense was simple and straightforward, devoid of overly complex passes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drive, rip through the defense, pass, direct attack at the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their passes were extremely aggressive, without any unnecessary ball rotation or pointless passing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From this perspective, Larry-Brown’s coaching was on point; the Spurs were no longer the pushovers of last season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first quarter ended with the Trail Blazers leading the Spurs by 6 points, 33:27.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the break, Bobby-Berman patted Petrović, signaling him to get ready to go on.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petrović immediately sprang from the bench; having watched the whole first quarter and seen Sabonis fighting hard on the court, he was more than eager to perform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, reality was harsh; in the second quarter, Guoyang and Sabonis rested, and on the Spurs side, David Robinson, who had rested at the end of the first quarter, was already back on the court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Petrović’s first offensive possession after coming on, he attempted a stop-and-jump shot from the middle but was met with a block from David Robinson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The block was solid, leaving Petrović dazed, not even knowing where the ball had flown off to.\u003C\u002Fp>",1725,"2026-06-06T01:41:34.788Z",1,"novelbin.me","35c0b9c4a5918bc64661d4bd07cda344fe02d534eeb1941672d130746a367aa1","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-619","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-617",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]