[{"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-669":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},1444086,1896,"Chapter 669 - 53 Heartwarming_3","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-669",669,"\u003Cp>Once the distance increased, his shooting percentage would plummet dramatically.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at Don Nelson’s request, James Worthy worked hard to improve his mid-range shooting ability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don Nelson had always planned to trade Worthy for a shooter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Riley expressed considerable interest in Worthy and intended to trade Glen Rice for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, after much deliberation and consulting with Magic Johnson, Don Nelson decided not to go through with the trade.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Jerry West had already left the Lakers, and Nelson had no rivals in the management; he had no need to trade away a loyal player and disrupt the locker room atmosphere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Worthy didn’t have much natural talent for shooting. His three-pointer was on target, but he didn’t have enough power, and it fell noticeably short.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang made an accurate judgment, squeezed under the basket, and with a quick swipe of his hand, the ball brushed the front rim and rebounded directly into his grasp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang didn’t pass the ball to a guard; instead, he dribbled past midcourt and then shot a three-pointer from a 45-degree angle, nailing it with stability.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a capability to launch surprise three-pointers from outside the line was a rare skill in the NBA at the time, catching opponents off guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Watch closely, learn well,\" Gan Guoyang didn’t forget to remind Worthy to learn from his three-point technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gap that had just closed to 5 points suddenly expanded to 10 again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At halftime, the Trail Blazers were leading the Lakers by 9 points with a score of 61:52.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang played the first half comfortably and at ease, saying as he returned to the locker room, \"I love playing at the Great Western Forum!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Meanwhile, Magic Johnson had only scored 7 points and 6 assists in the first half, with 3 turnovers—two of which were caused by Gan Guoyang’s defense in the second quarter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just halfway through the game, the entire Lakers team was engulfed by a tremendous sense of crisis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This season’s first matchup revealed to the coaches, core, and role players that they were unlikely to beat the Trail Blazers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the ’88-’89 season, the Lakers dominated the Trail Blazers in the regular season with a record of 4 wins to 1 loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although Ah Gan exploded with playoff-level performance, the Lakers still gritted their teeth and advanced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This year, the core of the Trail Blazers’ lineup remained, complemented by three European stars, drastically changing the situation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially with Sabonis, Europe’s best center, who completely resolved any defensive concerns for Ah Gan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>John Stockton, the point guard who understood Ah Gan best, once said during a game that against a defender like Ah Gan, you must constantly make him choose and think without pause. The moment he hesitates, that’s your opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once Ah Gan had no worries at the back and could concentrate on defending one player, that player was likely rendered useless—unless you were an epic attacker like Jabbar, Jordan, or Olajuwon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even they would be stripped down to their bare essence, let alone Magic Johnson, who had so many flaws in his offensive technique.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnson’s attempt to establish psychological dominance through one-on-one plays failed, at least in the first half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don Nelson and Johnson discussed countermeasures during halftime, ultimately agreeing on one point: they needed to speed up the game even more.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They couldn’t afford to fall into a positional battle with Ah Gan; increasing the pace could involve Sabonis, making it difficult for him to comfortably take position in the three-second zone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the third quarter, the Lakers sped up even more, with Johnson initiating the offense as soon as he crossed half court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Worthy, Cooper, and Byron Scott kept cutting and passing, attacking the basket with drives or mid-range jump shots.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Initially thrown off balance, the Trail Blazers were chased by the Lakers, and the gap narrowed to just 4 points at one point.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang stepped up again, first assisting Sabonis with a three-pointer, then grabbing an offensive rebound, and assisting Kossie for a layup score.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang’s assists for the evening had already reached 7, nearly matching Johnson’s contributions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His strategy: I won’t play, but I’ll let my teammates take you down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The gap remained around 10 points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers didn’t give up. Johnson, with his clever passing and control over the details, clung to the score and gradually closed the gap.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Basketball requires both endurance and explosiveness; endurance ensures you don’t fall too far behind when the game is even or when you’re at a disadvantage, and explosiveness helps you to turn the tide when the opportunity arises.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Johnson had enough stamina, but his explosiveness wasn’t very strong, as he was a point guard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the latter half of the third quarter, when Gan Guoyang once again stood in Johnson’s way in a one-on-one defense, Johnson found himself missing Jabbar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With Jabbar around, he wouldn’t have to confront this giant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang made a clean steal from Johnson on the defensive end.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, dribbling on a fast break, he went for a one-handed dunk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In Johnson’s eyes, Gan Guoyang saw a hint of deflation and despair.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He consoled Johnson, \"It’s just a regular-season game, losing isn’t a big deal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ah Gan was that kind of superstar who liked to encourage others, warming their hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>",882,"2026-06-06T01:41:36.635Z",1,"novelbin.me","737f683205347079bf3e9e58ce674eaba8a2f2caa8d5d893d00b2d90530ef1c1","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-670","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-668",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]