The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 35 Capture
After Gan Guoyang made an incredible long-range shot, Tigers coach Larry Orwell had no choice but to call a timeout.

The point difference is widening, but the key issue is that the Tigers are becoming increasingly confused on the court, unable to break through the Waterbell's zone defense.

For high school players, neither defending nor breaking a zone defense is an easy task.

The Water Bell team maintained the resilience of the joint defense through their excellent discipline and hard training.

As time went on, the Tigers' pre-game momentum gradually dissipated, and Orwell could sense the frustration on their faces.

How can he encourage the players? It's actually difficult because the two teams have no animosity towards each other, and this isn't a crucial match.

It's crucial for the Waterbell team, but for Fremont High School, winning or losing is more of a matter of face.

There have long been rumors that white high schools in Oakland are afraid to win at Tiger Arena because people around Fremont are really crazy and many hate white people.

But the Waterbell team is different. They are Asian, and in some ways their situation is similar to that of Black people. Tonight, they fought like warriors who were ready to die.

Everyone knows they have reasons to win, and they have brought with them the belief that they will win. This kind of courage is admirable.

Larry Orwell looked up at the timer; there were eight minutes left in the second half.

The Tigers are already down by 11 points to the Waterbells, but they still have a chance. If they can make good use of their home-court advantage, pull some tricks, and put some pressure on the referees, the outcome is still uncertain.

But so what if they beat the Waterbell? Oakland beat San Francisco? That's all just hype from the San Francisco sports media in October when they had nothing better to do.

However, Larry Orwell felt it wasn't worth it to let the Fremont Tigers become the Waterbells' stepping stones, as this would surely be recorded in the Bay Area's sports annals and forever etched in history.

This inner struggle and delay prevented Orwell from calming down and properly strategizing.

If even the coach's morale is wavering, how can the players perform well?
On the other hand, Berman did not stop criticizing the Water Clock team despite their excellent performance.

"Chen, the defensive reinforcements are too slow!"

"Xu, your shooting is like a pile of shit. Even my grandma can shoot more accurately than you."

"Franklin, you disappeared in the second half? Did I not pay you for the second half?"

Only Gan Guoyang stood there with his hands on his hips, and when it was his turn, Bellman automatically skipped over him.

Gan Guoyang's performance was almost perfect, and Bellman knew that the kid hadn't even gone all out.

From this battle onward, Berman began to have confidence in the Waterbell team and had greater aspirations.

However, the game is not over yet. Once you show a weakness at Tiger Arena, your opponent will tear you apart and launch a fatal counterattack.

For the Water Bell team, the last five minutes will be a huge test. As their stamina is depleted, the gaps in their zone defense will widen.

Franklin, who performed well in the first half, saw his efficiency plummet as his energy waned and the Tigers' high-intensity defense became more demanding.

He missed two layups, and his shot was blocked by Herbert's volleyball-like block. Franklin fell to the ground, but the referee did not call a foul.

The Tigers launched a counterattack, with Turner charging forward and scoring a layup, narrowing the gap to 5 points, 57-52. The Tigers saw a glimmer of hope.

Franklin struggled to his feet, panting and his thighs and arms trembling.

Because of his multiple school transfers and dropping out, and the large amount of time he spent hanging out on the streets, he lacked systematic physical training.

Seeing this, Bellman called a timeout and let Franklin sit on the bench and rest for a while.

Chen Xing also experienced physical fatigue. He is not a professional player, and he spent the entire game running around trying to protect the ball.

With only two mistakes, Chen Xing had already given his all. If he were allowed to stay on the court, it would be fatal if the ball handler made frequent mistakes in the final stages.

Berman kept Franklin on the field and replaced Chen Xing with substitute defender Huang Zhenfan.

Huang Zhenfan is Huang Shaohua's grandson. He is not tall, only 168 cm, even shorter than Chen Xing.

However, he loves basketball, has excellent ball-handling skills, is physically strong, and has decent shooting technique.

Berman gave him only two tasks: first, not to lose the ball; and second, to pass the ball safely to Gan Guoyang.

But whether it was due to nervousness or the Tigers' increased defensive intensity in the final stages, Huang Zhenfan made a mistake when he tried to feed the ball to the inside – he was too short, had poor vision, and his passing speed was slow, allowing the Tigers to steal the ball.

In the counterattack, Henry Turner once again took the lead, charging ahead and slamming the ball into the basket for a score.

The gap has narrowed to just 3 points, and Tiger Arena has become like purgatory. On a cool October night, it is noisy and stuffy, with the air thick with people.

Both players were at their physical limits. When Gan Guoyang served from the baseline, he reminded Huang Zhenfan, "Don't rush. I'll come out to receive the ball later. Don't pass it inside."

Huang Zhenfan nodded, trying to calm himself down. The immense pressure could break a person, and at this time, someone had to step up and support the team.

As expected, Gan Guoyang received the ball at a high position to support Huang Zhenfan. After receiving the ball, he immediately passed it to Franklin. Franklin only scored 2 points in the second half.

After a hand-to-hand pass between the two, Gan Guoyang immediately cut to the basket. He didn't go too deep into the box because the deeper he cuts, the easier it is for him to make a mistake when passing.

Franklin made a short pass to Gan Guoyang, who received the ball and, from a position slightly inside the corner, feinted, causing Herberg to move.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball, accelerated past Herbert, drove to the basket, and easily scored with a layup.

The stadium became much quieter again. Gan Guoyang was using a mix of feints and real attacks, and no one could stop him tonight, while he had certainly done his part in stopping the Tigers.

Facing a zone defense, the Tigers executed a clever play: the point guard dribbled the ball from the sideline into the corner, passed it out, took a step inside and accelerated, then passed the ball back in.

With the center's screen, the point guard broke through the zone defense and drove into the paint. The paint was wide open, and the Tigers' point guard opted for a floater.

It seemed like a sure thing, but unexpectedly a giant appeared from the side and blocked the ball, slamming it onto the backboard, and Gan Guoyang took control of the ball.

On the sidelines, Gary held his head, looking utterly dejected. "Why didn't I go for a layup? Why did I have to take a floater?! Why didn't I go for a layup? This bastard, this ...!"

He thought to himself that if it were him, he would definitely choose to go for a reverse layup or a layup off the backboard after contact to avoid being blocked, instead of a floater with no contact and waiting to be blocked.

Gan Guoyang, who grabbed the rebound, dribbled the ball across half-court. Although his dribbling was a bit clumsy, no one came to stop him. The Tigers players' legs felt like they were made of lead.

He accelerated past Herbert, drove straight to the basket, and easily scored a layup!

With a score of 61:54, the Water Bell team regained a 7-point lead. After scoring, Gan Guoyang raised his arms and shouted, "No one in this stadium can stop him!"

Orwell used his last timeout, but with less than two minutes left in the game, they were powerless to turn the tide.

In an era without three-pointers and with a slow offensive pace, a seven-point gap is difficult to close in a short time.

The audience held their heads in disbelief. Were the Tigers really going to lose to a Chinese team from San Francisco?

When the final whistle blew, the score was 63-58. The Waterbell team's bench cheered and rushed onto the court to embrace each other.

In this game, Gan Guoyang played the full 40 minutes without a single minute of rest, scoring 31 points, grabbing 22 rebounds, and blocking 8 shots, making him the team's top contributor to the victory.

Gan Guoyang's stats are reminiscent of Moses Malone in high school—that guy averaged 36 points, 26 rebounds, and 12 blocks per game in his senior year, and his team remained undefeated for two years.

Contrary to expectations, the Waterbell Stadium did not erupt in riots after the Waterbell's victory; instead, fans applauded the Waterbell's performance.

Besides students, there were also locals who came to watch the game. Among them were adults, the elderly, and women. They might look down on Asians, but they didn't hate yellow skin as much as they hated white people—before the wave of unemployment in the auto manufacturing industry caused by Toyota.

The Water Clock team earned the respect of Auckland's slums with their outstanding performance.

Of course, for the people at Fremont High School, turning around and applauding the winner at this point would leave them with a good reputation; otherwise, they would be accused of being a sore loser.

As he left, Gan Guoyang didn't forget to greet Gary on the sidelines. With a towel dangling from his shoulder and his hands on his hips, he looked down at Gary and said, "If you're not satisfied, come find me at the court. I'm always ready."

"I fucking do it, you fucking wait!"

Gary was unlikely to lose an argument, but his voice was visibly trembling.

However, Gan Guoyang is already in his senior year of high school, while Gary hasn't started high school yet.

The two will not face off on the field for another 10 years.

(End of this chapter)