[{"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-894":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},1444261,1896,"Chapter 894: Revised - 54 The Brave’s Game_4","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-894",894,"\u003Cp>The Bulls had Pippen, Jordan, Grant, Buck-Williams, and Bill Cartwright. Out of the five, there were always three players surrounding Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang didn’t always pass the ball. Sometimes, even when faced with a triple-team defense, he would force a shot and make it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan started off passing the ball, but as the game went on, he stopped doing that. Three defenders? So what? What’s there to fear?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan was completely in his groove. In the second quarter, facing a triple-team defense, he dodged back while holding the ball, made a clean crossover, and charged in again. With a burst of speed, he dashed into the Three Second Zone, used his strength to push past Gan Guoyang, and scored with a one-arm dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A helicopter-like, super-slam dunk!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The speed was overwhelming, the explosiveness unmatched—Gan Guoyang could only step aside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the score, Jordan shook his head at Gan Guoyang and said, \"This is how I welcome you, Sonny!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan was indeed the type to hold grudges.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gan Guoyang was not one to let grievances go unanswered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He intentionally caught the ball slowly on the low right block, purposely waiting for Jordan to come over to help on defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As soon as Jordan approached, Gan Guoyang dribbled backward, causing Jordan and Buck-Williams to separate. At that moment, Lewis was cutting inside the lane.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Buck-Williams had no choice but to guard Lewis, leaving Gan Guoyang and Jordan in a one-on-one matchup on the right side.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang protected the ball as Jordan, like a black panther, locked his gaze on him. If Gan Guoyang showed even the smallest opening, he would definitely go for a steal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang briefly adjusted, dribbled with his left hand, then suddenly forced his way toward the basket!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No crossovers, no spins, no fakes—just a bulldozer approach, charging head-on!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan’s physique and strength could hold up against many big men, but it was impossible to withstand Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang drove straight from the 45-degree angle, relentlessly pushing against Jordan until he reached the basket. With Jordan hanging on his body, he powered up and sank the ball into the hoop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The referee’s whistle blew, calling a defensive foul on Jordan. The basket counted, and Gan Guoyang earned an additional free throw.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cheers erupted throughout Memorial Coliseum. Gan Guoyang, like Hercules, lifted Jordan along with the ball into the net.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan stood in the paint with his hands on his hips, chewing gum, his expression filled with resignation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That beast Gan Guoyang is still just as strong,\" he thought.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had it been a more cunning team, they might have flopped to draw a charging foul.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Jordan wouldn’t resort to that. He insisted on going head-to-head against Gan Guoyang, though it was clear who would emerge on top.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang made the free throw, and their matchup had already reached a fever pitch by halftime.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Phil Jackson called a timeout. Jordan sat on the bench gulping water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson finally couldn’t hold back and said to Jordan, \"Michael, you’re expending too much energy! This is absolutely unsustainable—this will get us into trouble in the second half.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan took a breath, realizing Jackson might be right. His sheer level of involvement on both offense and defense was beginning to take its toll.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though his stamina was top-notch, this was the Finals. Even a slight deficit in physical condition could lead to a drop in shooting accuracy or slower defensive reactions—both undeniably fatal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan replied, \"The Portland guys are burning energy too... Damn, it’s so hot in here.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jackson shook his head knowingly. He was well aware that Gan Guoyang’s physical energy far exceeded others. Jordan was already a stamina monster, but Gan Guoyang? He was a monster among monsters.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Michael, you must understand that relying solely on your individual brilliance won’t be enough to beat Gan Guoyang and his Trail Blazers. You need to count on your teammates and harness the strength of the team as a whole.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swallowed those words, opting not to say them aloud to Jordan—it wasn’t the right time. Too many variables remained in the game, and anything could happen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, the situation was undeniably unfavorable. The Trail Blazers were brimming with energy, Gan Guoyang was in peak form, and even their bench lineup had no obvious weaknesses—superior to the Bulls, in fact.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the Trail Blazers’ bench, Gan Guoyang and Beelman remained optimistic, though they weren’t without concerns—foul trouble loomed over Kossie, Lewis, and Sabonis, each with two fouls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan’s ability to draw fouls was formidable. As a perimeter player, his agility gave the Trail Blazers countless headaches.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from Reggie Lewis, the other Trail Blazers’ wings stood little chance against Jordan—they were practically handing him points.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Bulls, Buck, Grant, and Cartwright could at least stand up to Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, it was easier to defend in the post compared to the perimeter—the restricted area gave defenders a limited range of motion to cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang hadn’t scored any three-pointers yet tonight, nor had he made much from mid-range, as the Bulls had locked down his favorite shooting spots—key areas such as the top of the arc, three-point line, and 45-degree angle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This forced Gan Guoyang into a more one-dimensional attack strategy, reducing the impact on the Bulls’ defense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beelman tried sending Sabonis into the low post a few times to create space for Gan Guoyang to operate from the perimeter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But under the Bulls’ fierce double-teaming defense, Sabonis committed two turnovers, prompting them to abandon that strategy, at least for now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game shifted minute by minute, leaving no breathing room for either side. At this point, the battle boiled down to muscle memory and players’ reflexes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Any unfamiliar technique or unpracticed play would inevitably lead to mistakes—ones the opponent could seize upon and exploit relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>By the second quarter’s latter half, the Trail Blazers and Bulls were already pushing the limits of what felt like fourth-quarter intensity, with an undercurrent of tension.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pippen and Jerome Kossie had a brief physical altercation. Pippen shrugged it off with a smile, remaining composed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But soon afterward, Pippen caught two massive blocks from Gan Guoyang under the basket—there was no more smiling for him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang rarely delivered volleyball-style blocks, but when he did, swatting the ball out of bounds, it was evidently targeted at Pippen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Bulls retained possession. Jordan faked a move, then decided to charge strongly along the baseline, attempting to dunk over Gan Guoyang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Kossie came from the side and knocked Jordan out of bounds. The referee blew the whistle for a foul, and Jordan landed steadily, glaring at Kossie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang stepped between them and stared directly at Jordan. Fire burned in both players’ eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In that moment, they were no longer friends—they were sworn enemies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, who kissed each other’s cheeks in pretense during the first two games and then ignored each other when the competition got intense, Gan Guoyang and Jordan dove headfirst into adversarial mode.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They had prepared too long for this battle to hold back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At halftime, the Bulls trailed the Trail Blazers by four points, 54–58.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan had scored 26 points—nearly half of his team’s total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang had tallied 18 points, 11 rebounds, six blocks, and four assists during the half.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The players were utterly exhausted, and even the fans in the arena felt drained. Their collective intense focus and nonstop cheering had taken its toll—many rushed out during the halftime break to catch their breath, fearing they might faint otherwise.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even Bill Schonely had to sip some water and head outside for air. Speaking to his assistant, he said, \"And this is just the first half of Game One! I bet this Finals will shorten the lifespan of my vocal cords.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The game wasn’t just intense; the brilliant plays—scores, steals, dunks, blocks—came in endless waves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang contributed four slam dunks, Jordan five, Pippen three, Sabonis two, and Kossie, Lewis, and Grant each had one dunk as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Everyone dunked whenever possible instead of simply laying the ball up. Besides guaranteeing a score, it also boosted morale and suppressed the opponent’s momentum—you rarely saw games loaded with so many slams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gan Guoyang turned the paint into a no-fly zone with six blocks and numerous successful rim-protections. Scoring inside the Trail Blazers’ defense without some tricks was simply impossible.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jordan and Pippen twisted their bodies mid-air to adjust and finish at the rim. Even John Paxson resorted to using fakes to evade defenders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Trail Blazers’ players, trying to successfully dribble past half-court, pushed their ball-handling skills to the limit. Otherwise, they’d be locked down and stripped by Jordan and Pippen.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During halftime, even Phil Jackson admitted Jordan might’ve been right—the intensity and pace of this game had far exceeded his expectations.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"In a game like this, only the brave will outlast everyone else.\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1483,"2026-06-06T01:41:38.819Z",1,"novelbin.me","a8adb798595d0d105d421c28f8810f42e44caba4302caf49b8a9cf898c19a86f","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-895","the-golden-age-of-basketball-chapter-893",2033,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-golden-age-of-basketball-cover.jpg"]