[{"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-623":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},1444490,1896,"Chapter 623 - 22 Security","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-623",623,"\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers entered the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, 85:75.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A 10-point lead was not absolutely safe, but with David Robinson forced to sit out due to foul trouble, it became very difficult for the Spurs to turn the game around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson sat resting on the sideline, and Larry-Brown substituted him with backup center Frank Brickowski.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last season, without a reliable center, Brickowski was one of the few options for the Spurs’ frontcourt, averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was with the Spurs that his performance significantly improved because there were no other centers available.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In ’87, Brickowski had played a season with the Lakers, when West had intended to use him as a substitute for Kurt Rambis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the result was the same; he was sent flying by Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As a white player in the frontcourt, Brickowski was pretty shifty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right after the fourth quarter started, he drew an offensive foul from Gan Guoyang in the paint.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang pushed inside from the low post, and he just fell backward, prompting the referee’s whistle to blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight, the referees were really looking out for the Spurs, marking Gan Guoyang’s third foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the change of possession, Maxwell scored from the outside, followed by the referees calling Porter for two traveling violations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three rookie referees seemed to have it in for the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the Trail Blazers’ consecutive fouls and turnovers, the Spurs went on a 6:0 run, narrowing the gap to just 4 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman wanted to call a timeout, but Gan Guoyang signaled to wait.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He caught the ball on the right baseline and, before the double team arrived, he pulled up for the shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hit the mid-range jumper, giving the Trail Blazers a sigh of relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang didn’t argue with the referees either; at such a critical moment, he needed to maintain focus.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On defense, Gan Guoyang suddenly struck, teaming up with Mike-Sanders to double-team Elliott.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elliott was late to pass the ball and tried to draw a foul, but the double-teamed interception by the two players went unpunished by the referees’ whistle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sanders stole the ball, as the Trail Blazers’ forward defense remained strong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the fast break, Gan Guoyang burst through the middle, received a pass from Sanders, and leaped quickly, making a left-handed slam dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Robinson tried to chase, but it was too late; he could only watch as Gan Guoyang scored.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gap widened back to 8 points, and it wasn’t Beelman who called the timeout, but Larry-Brown.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Beelman swapped out the well-performing Sanders and brought in Petrović.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was a risky substitution at such a crucial moment, bringing on Petrović who had trouble even dribbling past the half-court line in the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A mistake in the backcourt could dissipate the 8-point lead in an instant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adelman warned Beelman, \"This is risky; we’ve already rotated through 11 players tonight.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Earlier in the regular season, Beelman frequently used an 11-man rotation; as of now, only Mason at the end of the bench hadn’t played yet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman said, \"I know, but it’s these kinds of games that give the players valuable experience. Just getting garbage time minutes is meaningless.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What if we lose?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lose? If we lose, it’s Ah Gan’s fault. He’s the team leader. If we don’t blame him, who should we blame?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman spoke confidently; as long as Gan Guoyang was on the team, any loss could be blamed on him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Adelman heard this and felt it made sense, so he didn’t voice any further opinions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Indeed, with Gan Guoyang as a safety net, it allowed other players to have more opportunities to train.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, they would still rely on last season’s starting lineup, and who knows how far they could go in the new season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis and Petrović were on the court during the critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers used a lineup of Sabonis, Petrović, Gan Guoyang, Kossie, and Hornacek.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Porter and Sanders were subbed out for a brief rest, with the responsibility of ball-handling falling back onto Petrović.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had been tightly guarded by Wingate in the first half, causing several turnovers; it wasn’t possible that his resistance to pressure suddenly improved in the second half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Petrović was smart, and he knew he had teammates to rely on, to draw on their strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Spurs’ timeout, David Robinson returned to the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Through an exterior pass, Cheeks got the opportunity for a mid-range shot from the left corner and made it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>89:83, the gap closed to 6 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petrović advanced the ball, calling Sabonis for a screen, and used Sabonis’s massive frame to block off the defender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He then sped past half-court and slashed through the middle, again coordinating a pick and roll with Gan Guoyang, drew Robinson’s defensive attention to the basket, and dished a bounce pass to the following Gan Guoyang, who easily dunked the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spurs attempted a full-court press to disrupt the Trail Blazers’ offense but didn’t expect Petrović to consistently use screens to penetrate the Spurs’ defense, leading to an easy score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>91:83, the margin was still 8 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The handling of the ball was quite beautiful, Larry-Brown, furious on the sideline, began to yell again, accusing his players of lacking concentration in defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Brown’s eyes, Cheeks’s defense was nowhere near his peak level at the Philadelphia 76ers, and at 33, the former all-defense guard could no longer match his previous intensity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither team scored in the following few possessions; the defensive intensity on both sides was high, and Gan Guoyang missed two attempts from beyond the arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, Petrović and Sabonis held their ground defensively, and Gan Guoyang constantly directed them from behind, instructing them how to position and who to mark.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ backcourt duo struggled with defending the perimeter, but with Sabonis handling Robinson under the basket, Gan Guoyang could extend to help the defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Gan Guoyang present, Petrović and Hornacek could play tight defense, knowing that a misplaced step wouldn’t matter; the intensity was dialed up with backup behind them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Gan Guoyang kept an eye on Terry Cummings, even rejecting him with a massive block during defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cummings was left to settle for mid-range jumpers, but his shooting was clearly off at that moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game entered a crucial 4 minutes; Beelman called a timeout, subbing out Petrović and Sabonis for Porter and Thompson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When crunch time came, it was back to the main lineup to finish off the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As play resumed, the scoreless Trail Blazers passed the ball to Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>David Robinson bodied up from behind, with Cummings coming over for a double team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang dribbled back out, before a piercing pass inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pass was risky; the Spurs’ defense was rotating well and nearly intercepted it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But thanks to the years of chemistry between Thompson and Gan Guoyang, Thompson got to the ball first, turning and sinking a layup for two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead was back to 10 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Spurs’ end, Robinson didn’t dare to go one-on-one against Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After receiving the ball at the high post, he passed to Maxwell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maxwell drove, then kicked it to the cutting Robinson, who crashed towards the basket. Gan Guoyang stepped aside, allowing Robinson to score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knew with tonight’s officiating, any obstruction would be called as a foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet Robinson’s bank shot didn’t go in; Cummings snatched the offensive rebound and scored on the putback.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson needed to improve his finishing ability; he often rushed inside but if a dunk wasn’t possible, he’d awkwardly bank it with his left hand, lacking a more delicate touch to finish.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Spurs fought hard and stopped another Trail Blazers’ offense. On a counterattack, Cheeks drilled in, then out to Robinson.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson drove to the basket but had his shot blocked by Gan Guoyang; seizing the ball, he charged again and scored off the glass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The kid’s impacting force was truly strong, and his aggressive playing style suited him—it reminded Gan Guoyang of his own early days in the league, spearheading through the middle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, Gan Guoyang avoided the middle drive, playing in a calmer manner, demonstrating the poise of a general.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On defense, he refrained from reaching in too easily, to prevent fouls from sending him to the bench.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Receiving the ball at the corner, the Trail Blazers disoriented the Spurs’ defense with misdirection runs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Suddenly, Gan Guoyang pulled up for a mid-range jumper and sank it for two points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Robinson didn’t even react in time as the ball was already launched, then accurately dropped into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had amassed 39 points, highly efficient as usual, and stepping up to score at critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Time ticked away second by second; the margin hovered around 8 points, and the Spurs became increasingly frantic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now, with the game winding down, the referees blew their whistles less often; the Trail Blazers tightened their defense, allowing the Spurs outside shooting opportunities, which they failed to convert.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The high-intensity game-wide defense impacted the players’ offensive stamina, and their shooting accuracy decreased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers, due to their 11-man rotation, had plenty of energy for the main lineup and moved around the court with ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If the Spurs didn’t score, the Trail Blazers could afford to run down the clock and throw a shot, hitting or missing was of less consequence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the Spurs scored, Gan Guoyang received the ball, swinging it across the court to the weak side, with Kossie connecting on the mid-range shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The lead was still at 8 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the game reached its final stages, time seemed to move faster, while the Spurs’ hopes for victory dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Elliott’s forceful shot didn’t even touch the rim, bouncing off the board and back out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee called him for an offensive foul as well, having collided with Kossie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, after a pick-and-roll, Gan Guoyang received the ball, drove towards the basket, changed direction early to get past Robinson, and then slammed a two-handed dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>points, the Trail Blazers ahead 101:93, leading by 8 points with just over 40 seconds left. The outcome was clear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, Cheeks hit a mid-range, but it had no impact on the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers claimed a hard-fought, high-quality 101:95 victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The team’s rookies experienced firsthand what it’s like to have a real superstar, the team leader.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Someone who can lead you to victory, and if you lose, he’s there to take the blame—playing alongside him breeds a sense of security.\u003C\u002Fp>",1766,"2026-06-06T01:41:34.788Z",1,"novelbin.me","fe2c25bc677f72b694ca3eb58a40c6232787b5feb7db3a67241ff75576045478","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-624","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-622",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]