[{"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-647":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},1444514,1896,"Chapter 647 - 38 Mr. 50 Minutes","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-647",647,"\u003Cp>Riley gave Drexler enough encouragement.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler pulled himself together, knowing that at home, he had to perform decently and not embarrass himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, his return to the court did not improve the situation; he did not suddenly erupt as in the comics after facing setbacks and redeem himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers knew him too well, especially Gan Guoyang, who had worked with Drexler for so many years and knew his playing habits like the back of his hand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang was a very meticulous player. Drexler’s sweet spots on the offense and where he was most comfortable shooting were all clear to Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever Drexler got to his sweet spot, Gan Guoyang would go up to double-team and disrupt, indifferent to Drexler’s passes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without a real second play-maker, the rest of the Heat only had the capability to chip in sporadically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Locking down Drexler, a large portion of the Heat’s offense was stifled; the rest of the players, unless they exploded, would find it hard to overturn the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They could produce some climactic moments to close the score gap, but the Trail Blazers, with a slight adjustment like Gan Guoyang playing a few low post moves, or heightening their defensive intensity, easily curbed the Heat’s scoring momentum, making them gasp for air like struggling up a hill.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ 88-89 season starting lineup without Drexler was underestimated by many experts and media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though they lost a significant amount of explosiveness, counter-attack ability, rebounding, and defense without Drexler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, with Hornacek starting, this lineup had one advantage over Drexler’s: the offensive efficiency in set plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman continuously refined this lineup’s synergy in set plays, with Gan Guoyang at the core. They incorporated pass and cut strategies, inside-out, and strong-weak side shifts into their offense, heavily polishing their set play synergy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They expanded Jack Ramsey’s era of linear offense to a three-dimensional spatial attack model, achieving a high level of efficiency in set plays.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If not for the Trail Blazers’ weak bench in ’89 and an unexpected setback for Gan Guoyang, the Lakers might not have been a match for the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman’s set play system had advanced from the fast-offense mainstream of the 80s; they could quench their opponents relying solely on set plays without needing fast breaks or chase-downs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This approach left the Trail Blazers unstable during the regular season, but it turned them into a formidable force in the postseason where defenses strengthen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Starting from this season, the 80s NBA scene of teams majorly relying on fast breaks was gone forever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hard-nosed set play duels and a variety of defensive strategies would take center stage in the 90s, showcasing a different style of play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers were ahead of many teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first half, Drexler struggled to break through the Trail Blazers’ defensive siege.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But there was no way out; omnipresent double teams and defensive traps made it very hard for Drexler to play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His limitations in shooting were a significant constraint on his offensive game; once the opponent figured out his sweet spots and offensive habits, his next move was easily predicted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers players knew him too well, resulting in him scoring only 5 points in the second quarter, of which three came from free throws.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With 8 points at halftime, the Heat were not too far behind at 60:49, trailing by 11 points, but there was no hope of catching up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the halftime break in the Heat locker room, Riley did not get angry or criticize or mock Drexler.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler still had hope of rallying in the second half; Riley wanted the Trail Blazers to knock that notion out of him completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the third quarter started, Drexler played even more dazedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A comical moment occurred right at the start of the third quarter when Drexler dribbled past the half-court to organize the offense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang briefly stepped up to guard Secali, resulting in Drexler’s hand slipping, and he passed the ball to Gan Guoyang...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler froze for a second, and so did Gan Guoyang, who almost instinctively turned his back to play one-on-one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Realizing something was off just as he was about to make his move, he passed to Kossie, who was also a bit confused, thinking: Which side am I on? In which direction am I attacking?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thankfully, Hornacek’s mind was clear, and he yelled, \"Fast break, fast break!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kossie then quickly passed the ball to Hornacek, and the Trail Blazers counter-attacked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hornacek passed to Porter, who passed it back to Hornacek, who then caught the ball mid-range and made a jump shot!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The dual guard’s fluent counter-attack cooperation lacked impact, but it was not lacking in success rate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the scene, commentator Jack Ramsey laughed and said, \"Clyde, you’ve passed so many balls to Ah Gan, but this time you messed up; it wasn’t an assist, it was a turnover.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler, very frustrated with his poor performance, hung his head and bitterly smiled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing this, Gan Guoyang came over and patted Drexler, saying, \"Nice technique, just pass to the right person next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game continued with the Trail Blazers consistently maintaining their stable set play mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the scoring gap widened, Beelman began meticulous adjustments and substitutions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis, Divac, Petrović, and Mark Bryant, the newcomers, took turns playing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to the previous season, the Trail Blazers’ bench offensive continuity had significantly improved.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, whether this improvement could withstand the postseason test was still uncertain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The good news was that players like Sabonis and Petrović were not completely green.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Same age as Gan Guoyang, in their prime years, what they needed was adaptation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At least for this game, Petrović adapted quite well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third and fourth quarters, Petrović maintained the hot shooting from the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once his ball-handling drives and sudden stop jump shots got hot, they were indeed unstoppable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1985, Petrović scored 112 points in a game against the Olympia youth team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That year, Petrović was 21 years old.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the opponents were a U18 youth team and the match was just an informal friendly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But 112 points still showcased Petrović’s strong scoring continuity and explosiveness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He took 60 shots and made 40 of them, a feat that required strong physicality and a voracious scoring drive.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Tonight against the Heat, while the Heat’s perimeter defense wasn’t bad—Riley’s defensive coaching was decent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Last month against the Pistons, they held the Pistons to just 84 points and secured the victory.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But that kind of performance was a one-off, unstable; Douglas as a sub played well offensively, but defensively at 6’0\" he was too short, providing space for Petrović to perform.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After holding back since the start of the new season, Petrović finally found his touch and opportunity today.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman encouraged Petrović to play more in the second half, keeping him on the court to perform and letting him control the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Petrović scored 11 more points in the second half, reaching a total of 24 points, setting a new NBA career-high for himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Drexler completely lost his offensive rhythm. When he tried to score on fast breaks, his layup was massively blocked by Gan Guoyang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler was directly knocked out of bounds into the stands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the referee didn’t blow the whistle; Gan Guoyang committed no foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang extended his hand to Drexler, who had fallen into the audience seats.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler initially wanted to refuse help, but none of his teammates came to assist him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no choice but to grab Gan Guoyang’s hand, and with a gentle pull, Gan Guoyang pulled him up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang patted Drexler and said, \"Clyde, have you forgotten how to dunk?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I haven’t forgotten; it’s just... I’m not in good form.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You need to perk up, Clyde, I still want to see you make the playoffs and beat Michael.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I will! I will...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler, chewing gum, responded gruffly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler felt he had enough; by this time, the Trail Blazers were leading by 15 points, and the Heat completely couldn’t find a turning point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their set offense was too steady, and with Gan Guoyang as the Sea-Calming Needle, it seemed all they had to do was drop the ball to him inside, and he’d somehow get it into the basket.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler was painfully aware of Gan Guoyang’s capability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because he knew it, he felt despair, and from that despair, anger arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Angry at himself, why he had forgotten to persevere and wake up early just within a single season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You aspire to be a star, but what sun rises at 9:30 AM?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As the game gradually lost suspense, the latter half of the fourth quarter became garbage time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, the Heat played well tonight, but the difference in strength between the two teams was too great.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Add to this that the core player, Drexler, was targeted and off his game: only 16 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists for the whole game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Trail Blazers’ side, Gan Guoyang easily scored 27 points, got 18 rebounds, 6 assists, and Petrović scored 24 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trail Blazers 101:89, a 12-point advantage easily crushed the Heat, continuing their winning streak. So far this season, they’ve only lost one game, signaling a very strong start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With well-integrated starters, plug-and-play, smart-playing substitutes, and stable, strong core players, this Trail Blazers team had a resurgence feel.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jerry West, who had followed the Trail Blazers to Miami, after seeing Petrović’s performance tonight, temporarily dismissed the idea of trading him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman’s cultivation and development of him were worth another close observation and even great anticipation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The day after the match ended, the Heat stayed in Miami, waiting for the next game to start.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At 7:30 in the morning, Pat Riley drove his convertible, enjoying the Miami morning sea breeze as he arrived at La Salle High School gymnasium.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After parking the car and entering the gym, he heard the thumping sound of basketballs; someone was already training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley walked into the gym and saw Drexler practicing his shooting on the court, drenched in sweat—it seemed he had been practicing for a long time.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Drexler noticed Riley, stopped shooting, and said, \"Good morning, Coach.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chewing gum, Riley replied, \"Good morning, Mr. 50-Point, keep it up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1702,"2026-06-06T01:41:34.788Z",1,"novelbin.me","f161c084e57e73896af4fe11371caf0c0b3573a646a7e56141dbd81f4aacb3cd","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-648","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-646",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]