[{"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-862":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},1444229,1896,"Chapter 862: After modification - 44 Muse_3","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-862",862,"\u003Cp>\"I know, if I let you practice now, who knows, it might come in handy later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sam Perkins looked utterly baffled—this was the Western Conference semifinals, lose and you’re out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coach, you really want me to shoot a three-pointer? Is that even appropriate?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Magic Johnson chimed in, \"Give it a try, Sam. We need some unconventional strategies to win. I’ll pass the ball to you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sam Perkins swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and said he could give it a shot, but warned not to blame him if he missed—he’s no shooter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And so, after laying out this strategy, the Lakers executed the crucial play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sam Perkins, Byron Scott, and James Worthy ran consecutive screens and cuts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers defenders naturally focused all their attention on Worthy cutting inside and Scott heading for the corner.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They completely ignored Sam Perkins standing beyond the three-point line, as Perkins had no record of shooting threes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the entire series against the Trail Blazers, Perkins hadn’t attempted a single three-pointer, so the Trail Blazers players naturally dismissed the threat of him being outside the arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Gan Guoyang didn’t expect it—his focus was entirely on Worthy and Duckworth.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>From the sideline, Johnson fired a direct pass to Perkins. Perkins caught the ball, with his defender three steps away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had enough time to take aim before releasing a leisurely shot from the top of the arc.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd and the Trail Blazers players were stunned as Gan Guoyang quickly positioned himself to fight for the rebound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The shot seemed to have too much power.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The force was indeed excessive, but the ball hit the backboard and bounced straight into the hoop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A miraculous banked three-pointer went in!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This incredible shot brought the Lakers back to tie the game.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Great Western Forum Arena, which moments ago had been in despair, erupted into jubilant celebration!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sam Perkins, the man who hit this crucial shot, raised both arms high, a radiant smile lighting up his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Don Nelson, the architect of this play, remained expressionless. He knew this shot wouldn’t change the outcome of the series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, deep in his heart, a wall had crumbled; he realized basketball could be played with a far broader perspective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Gan Guoyang had already provided the answer long ago. He had slaughtered the Lakers with dagger-like threes at the Great Western Forum years ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How long ago was that? 1985, or maybe 1986—either way, it had been quite a while.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But in the entire league, where was the second big man willing to attempt threes in volume like Gan Guoyang?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nowhere, not a single one—it was baffling how no one followed his lead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps there were some, but it seemed coaches universally agreed that Gan was an exception, not replicable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, look at Sam Perkins’ shot—it had significant elements of luck, but when it succeeded, what immense benefits did it bring? How much trouble did it cause for the opposing defense?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whenever coaches saw Gan catching the ball beyond the three-point line, their hearts would tremble; defenders had to stick to him like glue, because you never knew when he’d unleash a deadly shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The best example is right in front of me, so why didn’t I develop or look for players like him? Instead, I wasted my time in Los Angeles...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nielsen thought to himself, regretting how he had squandered years. Though his stint with the Lakers was solid, he hadn’t achieved what he truly desired.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He recalled 1984, during the selection process for the Olympic team, when he led the All-Star Team against the Olympic Team.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that game, he coached Gan Guoyang, and Nielsen had desperately wanted to acquire this player, hoping to shape an unparalleled, revolutionary big man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, he later failed to get Gan, and that wish had stayed buried deep within him ever since.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During the 1989 draft, he hoped to land Divac but ended up losing him to the Trail Blazers, which made him absolutely furious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now he understood—he was destined never to coach this extraordinary player, but perhaps he could search for a new muse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game was tied. Bobby Berman called a timeout; there were 10 seconds left—enough time for the Trail Blazers to execute a game-winning play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once again, the Lakers faced a critical choice. Everyone knew Gan Guoyang would get the ball; they knew he might go for the game-winner, or he could opt to pass.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In any case, they had no choice but to confront him, commit to heavy defense, and prepare themselves emotionally for the possible pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Nielsen didn’t hesitate as he laid out a defensive strategy against Gan Guoyang, involving multiple layers of double-teaming before he even received the ball.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the inbound pass came, Gan Guoyang caught it at the high post, immediately pivoted, and sprang up to deliver a laser-like pass into the paint, connecting with Sabonis in a high-low play.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sabonis caught the ball, pivoted, and executed a delicate hook shot from close range—it went in, and the Trail Blazers regained the lead!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A near buzzer-beater by Sabonis!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lakers had no timeouts left, so Johnson could do nothing but launch a desperate prayer from half-court.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ball sailed over the backboard, landing in the bench area—it missed completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red light flashed; the game was over, and so was the series.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers had delivered a stunning yet predictable 4-0 sweep over their old rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It marked a brief pause in the tangled rivalry that had persisted since the 1980s.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lakers fans left the arena disheartened, still holding out hope for their team’s resurgence next season.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Little did they know, their era of greatness was about to come to an abrupt halt, albeit temporarily.\u003C\u002Fp>",965,"2026-06-06T01:41:38.819Z",1,"novelbin.me","f2a764ebe5d825092ba5f21bfddcabf7db1fe70a744ea608336f655f85649934","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-863","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-861",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]