The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 419 It's Tough Enough
Bickerstaff and Cloppenburg quickly realized a problem: Gan Guoyang was not Mark Aguirre.

Although the two have similarities in some aspects, such as excellent singles skills, a lot of midfield attacks, and all-around skills.

However, Aguirre and Gan Guoyang are essentially not in the same league as attackers; Gan Guoyang is much taller and has much longer arms.

Moreover, Gan Guoyang may have the best shot-taking ability in the entire league—only Larry Bird can compare.

This is thanks to his natural talent as a model and his extremely diligent training.

For example, Gan Guoyang has shot this position from the bottom edge countless times in training.

To force a shot based solely on instinct in the presence of confrontation and interference, ignoring any defense.

Gan Guoyang's height and strength meant that Maxwell could not protect him.

Of course, this kind of defense did make it less easy for Gan Guoyang to play, and his shooting percentage would definitely drop when he forced a shot under double-team.

But Gan Guoyang immediately thought of a second idea: to play a one-two pass with Thompson and Walton, who had been pulled out of the box.

He didn't fall into the "triangle of death" trap by throwing the ball to the point guard or shooting guard outside the three-point line. Instead, he passed the ball to Thompson or Walton, who were positioned at the corners.

After passing the ball, he immediately cut along the baseline towards the basket. At that moment, Thompson and Walton made a through pass to the basket, and Gan Guoyang received the ball and overpowered the SuperSonics' defender.

At this point, three players would usually surround the basket. If it were Aguirre, he would be completely covered up, and the basket would be nowhere to be seen.

But it won't work on Gan Guoyang. Your center is the same height as me, so how can you protect me?
Once you reach the three-second zone, it's Gan Guoyang's domain. His hands are like giant iron clamps, and his elbows are like hoes; ordinary people can't get close to him.

His explosiveness is astonishing; he can dunk as soon as he pulls up, and even if someone hangs on him, it's useless. You'll either have to foul him and send him to the free-throw line.

However, Gan Guoyang's free throws are also among the best in the league. This year, his free throw percentage has surpassed Vandeweghe's, making him the team's best.

The Supersonics' so-called "death triangle" turned into Gan Guoyang's scoring triangle. After several rounds, the Supersonics had to call a timeout and change their defensive strategy.

After the first quarter, the score was 22-27, with the Trail Blazers leading by 5 points.

Actually, the SuperSonics played quite well; their defense did cause trouble for the Trail Blazers.

Nate McMillan's tenacity towards Porter, Maxwell's versatile defense, and the SOS defensive system put immense pressure on the Trail Blazers players.

This Supersonics team is clearly different from the regular season team, and if you're not careful, you'll pay the price.

During the break, Ramsey emphasized defense, noting that the SuperSonics' offense was quite unique.

They basically abandoned all low-post offense, spread out across the board, made a lot of runs, caught-and-shoot shots, and drove to the basket.

The 1987 SuperSonics can be said to have broken away from the basic tactical routine of the 70s, which revolved around the dominance of the inside, and began to make use of the space at the three-point line.

However, with Gan Guoyang in the paint, the SuperSonics' attempts to attack the basket were all rejected by Gan Guoyang, who contributed 3 blocks in the first quarter.

The SuperSonics' points all came from shooting. Chambers and Ellis were quite decisive in their three-point attempts, while McMillan and McDaniel both had mid-range shooting abilities.

They move quickly, pass smoothly, and shoot decisively; the entire Trail Blazers team must stay focused.

Bobby Bellman and Ramsey said, "If the SuperSonics keep playing like this, their offense isn't efficient enough to catch up with us."

Ramsey said, "That's because we have Forrest Gump. If Forrest Gump goes to the bench to rest, our defense has to hold up."

Does Forrest Gump need a rest?

Gan Guoyang was sitting next to Bellman drinking water when he heard Bellman's words and almost spat them out. He said, "Bobby, I'm a human being too."

Ramsey's concerns were valid; as the head coach, he was indeed more farsighted.

While Gan Guoyang was resting on the bench in the second quarter, the SuperSonics indeed launched a counterattack.

Tom Chambers suddenly hit a three-pointer from the outside, and then Walton was stripped of the ball by McDaniel on offense.

Walton's legs and agility are declining this year; he's retiring eventually.

During the counterattack, McDaniel attacked the basket and passed the ball to the outside, where Ellis received the ball and launched another three-pointer, which went in!

The SuperSonics hit two consecutive three-pointers, including one on a fast break, bringing the score within six points.

Ramsey called a timeout, and Gan Guoyang returned to the court.

However, Gan Guoyang didn't stay on the court for long, as he was called for a foul while defending.

Not long into the second quarter, Gan Guoyang had already committed two fouls, which was not good news for him.

Then, in the middle of the second quarter, the Supersonics double-teamed Gan Guoyang again, and Gan Guoyang and Walton combined with a wall-banging play.

He cut to the basket, received the ball, and dunked! He knocked Tom Chambers down.

As a result, Baveta called an offensive foul on Gan Guoyang.

The entire Memorial Stadium erupted in boos as Jack Ramsey shouted at the referee, saying it was clearly a blocking foul.

Dick Bavetta and Hugh Evans discussed it for a while, with Hugh Evans saying, "This could be called a blocking foul." Bavetta insisted on his judgment: "This was a charging foul. I was the closest, and I saw it clearly."

If he commits another foul on this play, Gan Guoyang will have committed his third foul and will have to leave the game to rest.

Gan Guoyang wanted to protest to Baveta, but Walton came over and pulled him back, saying, "Sonny, I know you don't like Dick, but don't argue with the referee. Relax, relax."

Gan Guoyang was clearly targeted by Baveta on this play, and Ramsey called a short timeout to substitute Gan Guoyang for a rest.

Gan Guoyang said, "No need, he won't dare call a foul on me again. Don't worry, I'm going to stay on the court."

Ramsey, Bellman, and Adelman exchanged opinions and ultimately decided to trust Gan Guoyang's control.

Gan Guoyang has always done a very good job of controlling his fouls and mistakes. He plays very rationally and calmly on the court, and he has a very strong sense of insight.

He knows when to defend, when to let go, and when to commit a foul; he tries his best to avoid unnecessary mistakes.

Mistakes and unnecessary fouls are things that drive Gan Guoyang crazy; in this respect, he's practically a perfectionist.

In the post-game statistics, he didn't care much about points, rebounds, or assists, but he hated having too many fouls and turnovers.

That's like a stain on a statistical table; you have to wipe it off.

Surprisingly, after the short timeout, Gan Guoyang was still on the court for the Supersonics.

So, substitute Maurice Lucas tried to attack Gan Guoyang twice in the low post.

He figured that since Gan Guoyang had committed a foul, he probably wouldn't dare to defend properly, and it would be even better if he could draw a foul himself.

As a result, he got two hats and then behaved himself.

With Gan Guoyang out, the Supersonics were completely suppressed on both offense and defense.

The "Death Triangle" was no longer effective, so the supersonics used the "Death Type I" defense again.

Players at positions 3 and 5 lined up in the three-second zone, while player number 4 went to front and defend Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang can forget about receiving the ball in the low post. If he tries to lob the ball, positions 3 and 5 will immediately rush over to surround him.

The usual solution for most teams is to move the ball to the top of the penalty arc and distribute it to the weak side.

However, the SuperSonics players are very fast, so when you pass the ball to the other side, their defense will spread out and they will start one-on-one defense.

If the ball returns to Gan Guoyang's side and forms a strong position, they will form a defensive formation to prevent Gan Guoyang from receiving the ball.

Bickerstaff thought, since the death triangle didn't work and let you get the ball, this time I won't let you get the ball at all!
This tactic did have some effect; Gan Guoyang didn't touch the ball for two consecutive rounds, and Walton scored a goal, but its impact was limited.

The SuperSonics continued to attack the basket, but Gan Guoyang, fearing fouls, restrained himself, and the SuperSonics closed the gap again, 35-36, just one point behind.

However, Gan Guoyang was always able to quickly find the weaknesses and problems in these defensive tactics.

He then spoke with Porter, who tried a lob pass from the outside but didn't pass.

Then the ball was passed to the top of the arc, and the SuperSonics' defense immediately spread out. Gan Guoyang suddenly cut into the basket, and Drexler made a straight pass to the three-second zone. Gan Guoyang received the ball and easily made a layup!
The SuperSonics' defense spread out too early, ignoring Drexler's ability to make direct passes into the paint.

Next, the SuperSonics missed a three-pointer, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound. He remained calm and continued to play a half-court offense.

In the same position, Lucas went in front, and Porter still didn't pass to Drexler at the top of the key.

This time, the SuperSonics' defense didn't break down as quickly. Drexler passed the ball to Walton on the weak side, who immediately took a mid-range shot.

The shot missed, but Gan Guoyang cut to the basket, grabbed the offensive rebound, and easily put it back in, scoring 4 points in a row. The Trail Blazers extended their lead to 35-40.

The biggest problem with the "Death Type I" is that the number 4 player always moves in front of the defense, and once the defense spreads out, the opponent can easily cut into the basket.

Whether it's a through pass or a fight for offensive rebounds, the opponent will find weaknesses in the defense, and Gan Guoyang is particularly strong at offensive rebounds.

Bickerstaff and Kloppburg sat on the bench and sighed, thinking to themselves, "What SOS defense? They should be calling SOS by now. They cracked it way too fast!"

The Supersonics' so-called SOS defense is still too immature; it's really no match for Gan Guoyang.

Just as the second quarter was about to end, Drexler suddenly stole the ball, and the Trail Blazers launched a counterattack.

Gan Guoyang immediately turned and ran towards the front field. Then, he caught a glimpse of a shadow out of the corner of his eye, lost his footing, and crashed into it with a "bang".

He knocked a person flying.

When he stopped, he realized that the person who had been knocked away was none other than the referee, Baveta.

He lay motionless on the sidelines, seemingly not dead, but definitely not in good shape.

Sorry, I took a long nap and it turned into evening... I probably used up a lot of mental energy.

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(End of this chapter)