The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 537 King
Petrovic snapped out of his daze and realized the ball had already gone out of bounds.

The Trail Blazers still had possession of the ball, but there was little time left on the shot clock.

When the ball was taken in from the sideline, Divac came over and played a beautiful backdoor cut with Petrovic.

Petrovic received the ball at the high post and made a cut to the basket, where Divac delivered a no-look bounce pass inside.

Petrovic receives the ball and goes for a layup.

But he didn't expect that David Robinson would be able to rush over from Divac on the perimeter and block Petrovic from behind!
Two consecutive blocks disrupted the Trail Blazers' offense.

Larry Brown watched Robinson's defense with great satisfaction.

It's great to have such a towering figure in the paint.

If it were any other player, they would most likely just watch the ball go.

Only Robinson, with his 7-foot-1 height and extremely fast movement speed, could rely on his individual ability to stop this successful tactic.

Petrovic was somewhat bewildered; such a level of defense was simply impossible to find in Europe.

The Trail Blazers do have someone with that level of skill, but during regular training, Gan Guoyang doesn't play scrimmage with the team.

This was a rule established during his rookie season, which Petrovic had always felt was unnecessary. But after experiencing David Robinson's style of play today, he understands why now.

After a failed offensive play, the Spurs regained possession and launched a counterattack.

Maxwell dribbled and found Robinson calling for the ball in the low post.

With Forrest Gump out, Robinson can play in the low post during off-peak hours.

He received the ball, backed down Divac, and used his explosive power to turn and walk down the middle, drawing a foul from Divac.

Robinson is going to the free throw line.

Two talented Yugoslav players, one offensive and one defensive, were completely outmatched by David Robinson.

Tonight's game against the Spurs will be the first time the two of them have truly experienced the high intensity of the NBA.

The preseason games and the previous three games don't count; the opponent wasn't strong enough. This game is the real test.

Robinson made both free throws, and the Spurs narrowed the gap.

Bobby Bellman shook his head slightly on the sidelines, and Adelman said, "Their physical fitness needs improvement."

"Yes," Bellman said, "but that will take time."

Seeing that the Yugoslavian duo was not performing well, Berman did not make any substitutions.

It's inevitable for young players to experience setbacks and grow through experience; after all, not everyone is Forrest Gump.

Soon after, Petrovic passed the ball to Kossi in the bottom corner during the attack.

Kossi drove to the basket, drawing the defense before passing to Petrovic, who received the ball at a 45-degree angle, took a step inside, and made a mid-range jump shot.

He scored his first point of the game.

Bellman yelled at him, "Maybe you could try a three-pointer!"

Petrovic had a chance to shoot a three-pointer, but choosing to play it safe, he opted for a two-pointer instead.

The Spurs' strategy was clear: if Forrest Gump wasn't available, they would have Robinson play in the low post.

Divac had no good way to deal with Robinson, and Cauchy came over from the wing to double-team him.

Robinson used his physical strength to squeeze to the basket and drew a foul from Divac on his layup.

Bellman knew it was time for Divac to go off and rest, so he gestured for Gan Guoyang to return to the stage.

Gan Guoyang took off his jacket and returned to the court when Robinson was shooting free throws. He patted Robinson on the shoulder and said, "I'm back. You're not going to score in the low post anymore, kid."

Perhaps due to the interference of Gan Guoyang's language, Robinson missed his second free throw, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the defensive rebound.

Petrovic remained on the court, partnering with Dell Curry in the backcourt, with him taking over the point guard duties.

Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Petrovic, and the Spurs immediately double-teamed him across the court.

Petrovic protected the ball, and Gan Guoyang received it in midfield, making a bold straight pass to the basket.

Kexi received the ball and made a layup, scoring 2 points.

That was a brilliant pass, bold yet meticulous, and the technique was excellent.

Gan Guoyang and Ke Xi had excellent chemistry and capitalized on the Spurs' full-court press defense, which left the paint vulnerable.

After the ball was passed, the Spurs immediately stopped double-teaming the entire court and reverted to their normal tight defense.

Robinson missed a three-pointer against Gan Guoyang's defense, and the Trail Blazers got the ball and launched a counterattack.

Petrovic was in possession of the ball when he was subjected to one-on-one, full-court pressure from Wingate.

Wingate's defense was very cunning. When Petrovic was dribbling, he would use his body to deliberately guide him towards the sideline.

As soon as Petrovic dribbled past half-court, Wingate immediately intensified his attack, cornering Petrovic in the middle of the court.

If you don't control the ball well at this point, it will either go out of bounds or come back into play.

Gan Guoyang came to provide backup, but Cummins kept a close eye on Gan Guoyang.

Petrovic could only hold the ball with both hands, turn around, jump up, and pass it to Kossi.

In this situation, the team's tactical first pass has been completely disrupted.

The only option is for the players to get the ball and attack themselves. Kossie drives inside, and Robinson is in the paint.

Cummins kept circling around Gan Guoyang, and Kexi passed the ball to Curry on the wing.

Curry received the ball and attempted a jump shot, but missed, and Robinson grabbed the rebound.

The Spurs' defense was quite successful this time, disrupting the Trail Blazers' tactical rhythm.

During the counterattack, Elliott drew a foul from Petrovic on the wing and was awarded free throws.

Petrovic was very frustrated. He had been trying to avoid Elliott, but the referee still called a foul.

He wanted to complain to the referee, but he didn't know how to start. This wasn't Spain; NBA referees wouldn't listen to him.

He could only shake his head and pound his hand in frustration before being substituted by Bellman, and Hornacek returned to the field.

Petrovic was as excited as he was when he came on, and as frustrated as he left the field.

Aside from one mid-range shot, his performance on both offense and defense was disastrous.

Especially as a guard, he couldn't even organize an offense properly when dribbling the ball across half-court.

Without a good first pass, the tactics could not be carried out smoothly, and the Trail Blazers' half-court offense was stumbling.

Sitting back down on the bench, Berman handed Petrovic a towel and said, "You played terribly, like a pile of dog shit. Did you come to America to learn circus tricks? I laughed at every single one of my shots. You have a real talent for circus tricks."

Berman's gesture of handing over the towel was heartwarming, but his words were cold and hurtful, directly piercing Petrovich's pride.

He took the towel, wiped his sweat, and said, "I messed up, sorry coach."

"I don't want to hear your apology. You won't have a chance in the first half. In the second half, at least get the ball across half-court smoothly and figure out a way to win."

Petrovich nodded. He was in a terrible mood, but he needed to calm down and think about where the problem lay.

His physical condition is indeed not very good. He trained too hard during the preseason training camp, and he had already undergone surgery on his lumbar spine.

Trying too hard to keep up with Forrest Gump's pace proved to be a training intensity unique to Forrest Gump, which no one else could match.

Look at Cliff Robinson on the court right now, he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored a basket under the rim.

This kid practiced within his limits in the training camp, stopping when he was almost done, then sitting on the sidelines listening, watching and learning more, so he could enter the regular season in good condition.

He's a versatile player, capable of playing in both the front and back courts, making him a great asset for coaches.

However, Cliff Robinson soon made a mistake on the defensive end, a common mistake rookies often make: unnecessary fouls.

It was Elliott again. When he drove to the basket and pulled up for a jump shot, the referee called a foul on Robinson, and the Spurs were going to get free throws again.

Tonight is, after all, the Spurs' home court, and the referee's calls were more biased towards the San Antonio team.

Elliott made both free throws again, and the Spurs kept the score close.

As the game progressed and the competition intensified, both teams made substitutions to try and gain an advantage before the end of the first half.

After Gan Guoyang came on in the second quarter, he continued to protect the rebounds and the paint, creating more opportunities for his teammates on offense.

Generally speaking, the second quarter is the stage for substitute players to perform, and Gan Guoyang will try his best to set up his teammates.

Cliff Robinson is more adapted to the NBA playing environment than Petrovic and Divac, and he plays with ease on the court.

Of course, the season has just begun, and this kid is in great shape. The real test for the rookie will come after 30 games, in January and February.

With two minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Spurs by only five points, 54-49.

The Spurs saw a significant increase in free throws starting midway through the second quarter, especially David Robinson. Unless Gan Guoyang was guarding him, he would get a foul and free throws whenever he found an opportunity to drive into the paint in the low post.

Divac and Sabonis were unable to cope well, with Divac unable to help but complain: "Are there sensors attached to his muscles that are connected to the referee's whistle?"

Sabonis also felt that defending Robinson seemed different in the NBA and in FIBA ​​games.

Gan Guoyang reminded them: "This is the NBA. You have to get used to the rules and make good use of them."

In the final two minutes, Gan Guoyang came to defend Robinson.

Perhaps he was getting carried away, Robinson was trying to take on Gan Guoyang one-on-one in the low post.

As soon as he turned around, the ball was stolen from his hands, and he won the ball.

Gan Guoyang initiated a counterattack by dribbling the ball on his left side and driving into the basket with his left hand.

After anticipating the opponent's defense, he suddenly jumped with the same hand and foot, quickly put the ball into the basket with a left-handed layup.

This is a layup technique that Gan Guoyang practiced with Bernard King in high school, which can effectively disrupt the opponent's footwork and anticipation. Gan Guoyang's combo left the San Antonio fans stunned for a while, with his defense and offense flowing seamlessly together.

His dribbling and counter-attacks were exceptionally smooth, completely lacking the clumsiness of an inside player. His final layup was even more unexpected, successfully dodging defensive interference and easily putting the ball into the basket.

Seeing this play, Petrovic was truly humbled. A center forward had honed his skills to such a high level that many backcourt players couldn't achieve such fluidity.

Not to mention he easily defended against Robinson's offense—Robinson's back-to-the-basket game was so weak, his backside was too small, and when he received the ball with his back to the basket, he didn't even have proper positioning; he was just facing away from the basket.

Therefore, Robinson's back-to-the-basket offense is a fake back-to-the-basket move. He only turns his back to the basket to make it easier to receive the ball. His subsequent offensive moves are all face-to-the-basket techniques, which Gan Guoyang can anticipate very well.

Larry Brown's pre-match strategy was correct: avoid posting up Gan Guoyang.

Robinson should use his height and athleticism to restrain Gan Guoyang and create opportunities for his teammates.

Or he can finish plays under the basket, which Robinson does very well and effectively draws attention away from the defense.

If Gan Guoyang isn't careful, it's not impossible for him to get dunked on; this guy is a 7-foot small forward.

The Spurs immediately changed their offensive strategy. Robinson drew Gan Guoyang's attention, and the ball was moved to the other side, where Terry Cummins overpowered Cliff Robinson in the low post.

Cliff Robinson couldn't stop Cummins. Cummins made a solid back turn and drove to the basket, scoring with a layup off the backboard and drawing a foul from Cliff Robinson.

Cliff Robinson also committed two fouls, and Cummins will have to make up for the extra penalty.

Bielman brought in veteran Mitchell Thompson to play the last two rounds.

With Hornacek hitting a buzzer-beating catch-and-shoot jumper at the end of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers led 58-52 at halftime, a six-point advantage.

At halftime, the Trail Blazers' rookies finally experienced what the NBA's intensity and pace of the game truly meant.

The first three games were just for fun. We beat you guys in the first three quarters to let you have a go, warm up and get used to the atmosphere.

The Spurs' defensive toughness and focus are absolutely top-notch; by halftime, only Gan Guoyang was able to handle the game with ease.

He scored 18 points, 5 assists, and 11 rebounds, guarding the Trail Blazers' paint and doing a lot of supporting work.

The best performer among the rookies was Sabonis. Although he only scored 2 points and grabbed 3 rebounds, the Trail Blazers maintained their rhythm when he was on the court.

Gan Guoyang is playing more easily and freely. If Sabonis can control his fouls, it's only a matter of time before Berman promotes him to the starting lineup.

Mitchell Thompson can hold his own in the regular season, but he'll likely struggle in the playoffs. Berman will have to promote some new talent.

A 35-year-old veteran can rely on making crucial plays in key moments, but he shouldn't waste time in regular matches; he needs to be used sparingly.

As for Petrovic and Divac, they still have a long way to go.

During halftime, Bellman posted everyone's statistics on the whiteboard, along with some strange and unusual data values ​​that Bellman had calculated.

Berman will give everyone a comprehensive score based on this data, ranging from A to F, to indicate the players' performance in the first half.

He uses this to remind and motivate the players that there will be a rating after the game is over, to see if the rating has gone up or down.

This scoring is not subjective or arbitrary; it is based on statistics and uses formulas. It's not that Bellman gave scores based on his feelings.

Therefore, the players believe that this rating is quite objective and can accurately reflect their performance in the first half, which is something they care about.

Gan Guoyang undoubtedly received an A grade, while Petrovich only got a D.

Gan Guoyang comforted Petrovich: "It's alright, there's still room for you to fall. But I have no room for me to rise anymore."

Petrovich was at a loss for words.

Hornacek, standing nearby, said, "Relax. Once you get used to Forrest Gump, you'll be immune to all the trash talk in the NBA."

At the start of the third quarter, on the Trail Blazers' first offensive possession, Gan Guoyang missed a hook shot against Robinson's back-to-the-basket move.

Robinson's defense is outstanding. He has strong interference ability, excellent explosiveness, and a good wingspan. He has already delivered three blocks in the first half.

Anyone facing David Robinson on offense has to be on their toes, or they'll get blocked right away.

He was taller, wider, and bigger than Hakeem Olajuwon, and had a greater presence and threat under the basket, but his skills were average.

In the third quarter, the Spurs maintained the same playing style as in the first half, preventing Robinson from dominating in the low post and instead using cuts and penetrations to disrupt the Trail Blazers' defensive formation, then exploiting the Trail Blazers' weaknesses on the perimeter.

Cheeks dribbled to the sideline, seized the opportunity, and lobbed the ball to the basket. Robinson received the ball and was about to dunk, but Gan Guoyang blocked it!

The referee blew the whistle for a jump ball.

The Trail Blazers countered, with Gan Guoyang providing high-post support and a bounce pass to Kexi, who was making a run to the baseline.

Kexi received the ball, drove along the baseline, and attempted a dunk, but was defended by Robinson, causing him to miss the dunk attempt.

The Spurs' defensive strategy was clear: Gan Guoyang would go to the perimeter and Cummins would guard him, while Robinson would always stay in the paint.

The defensive intensity of both sides has increased to another level compared to the first half. Petrovic doubted whether he could dribble the ball normally across half-court if he went on the court at this time.

On the Spurs' offense, veteran Cheeks once again attempted to penetrate, breaking through and passing the ball inside, but the Trail Blazers' tight defense, with players swarming the basket, forced Thompson to reach out and clear the ball out of bounds.

Ultimately, the Spurs opted for a mid-range shot to end the offense, but Elliott's shot missed, and Thompson secured the rebound.

Hornacek's subsequent three-pointer also missed. Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound and passed it to Hornacek in the same position for another shot, which also missed.

If this were a different team, they would most likely take a mid-range shot, and if they got the rebound, they would attack the basket themselves, rather than trying a three-pointer.

The Trail Blazers are different; they value three-pointers more than other teams and will definitely take the shot if they have the opportunity.

Although he missed both shots, Berman on the sidelines applauded and encouraged Hornacek, telling him it was okay and not to hesitate.

That's how shooters are; they can be inconsistent at times, and you must encourage them to keep shooting.

If the Spurs also have accurate three-pointers, the Trail Blazers will have a hard time maintaining a tight defense.

Veteran guards like Cheeks, who entered the league in the 70s, don't have three-point shooting skills and can't develop them anymore.

A season with single-digit three-pointers made is usually due to desperate attempts.

There's nothing they can do about it; when they were young and receiving basketball training, the three-point line hadn't even been introduced yet.

Therefore, Porter can leave Cheeks three steps when defending him. In half-court sets, Cheeks has little offensive impact except for receiving the ball and shooting. He can only show his speed and penetration during transition.

The most reliable scoring method the Spurs could rely on at this point was free throws.

Elliott drove into the paint amidst the chaos, got blocked by Gan Guoyang, and then took the ball again, but the referee blew the whistle and called a foul.

Gan Guoyang rushed up to the referee and argued: "Did you just learn how to blow the whistle today? Why do you keep blowing it?"

The referee who blew the whistle was sideline referee Joe Ford, a rookie referee who had just entered the league last season.

Gan Guoyang's shout left Ford somewhat bewildered—all three referees tonight were new referees who had just entered the league last season.

Since the beginning of last season, the league has officially increased the number of referees in all games to three, which has created many more job positions and brought in many new people.

The new referee seemed to lack experience in dealing with such situations.

Ford, perhaps nervous or wanting to protect himself, blew his whistle again, calling a technical foul on Gan Guoyang.

As a result, after Elliott made the free throw, the Spurs had to make another free throw, and the Spurs scored 3 points in a row.

58:55, the score difference has narrowed to only 3 points.

Gan Guoyang was enraged by the referee's technical foul.

But he couldn't hit the referee, so he could only vent his anger on his opponents.

On offense, Gan Guoyang immediately called for the ball in the low post, and Porter knew that Gan Guoyang was definitely going to take a shot.

Even with the Spurs not double-teaming him, Gan Guoyang received the ball and made a quick back turn, using his strength to completely block Robinson, and then drove into the paint for a two-handed dunk!

Cheeks, taking advantage of Cummins' distraction on the wing, attacked the basket, but his reverse layup was blocked by Thompson, and the referee called a foul.

However, it was indeed a foul. Thompson almost broke Cheeks's back, and Cheeks made both free throws.

Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, turned inside, and despite being surrounded by four Spurs players, he made a quick, forward-leaning shot that went in, drawing a foul from Robinson.

It's clear that Gan Guoyang is really angry. You can't go too far with your home-court advantage. How many free throws have you gotten?

Gan Guoyang made the free throw. He was no longer as leisurely as he was in the first half, and he would not pass the ball out as soon as he was double-teamed. He was starting to exert himself.

The Spurs' defense is indeed very good, with high intensity and excellent defensive habits. They also have two very good defensive big men in the paint.

But they have a fatal flaw—their greatest strength, David Robinson, is also their weakness.

Because Robinson is just a rookie, he lacks experience and skills, and he will definitely suffer against Gan Guoyang.

And their system relies so heavily on David Robinson that no matter how Larry Brown tries to hide or avoid him, a direct confrontation between the two is inevitable.

Gan Guoyang began to consciously and actively attack David Robinson, using pick-and-rolls and face-up shots to directly attack him.

Robinson couldn't withstand Gan Guoyang's strength. He either let Gan Guoyang score or fouled him. As the game went on, Robinson began to lose heart and become frustrated.

In the crucial moments of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang grabbed an offensive rebound under the basket, faked out Robinson, and then drove to the basket for a layup, drawing a foul from Robinson in the process.

After this foul, Robinson had committed four fouls and had to leave the game to rest.

After Gan Guoyang made the free throw, the score became 82-72, with the Trail Blazers leading by 10 points.

Gan Guoyang scored 13 points in the third quarter, making 6 of 7 shots, and had already racked up 31 points in three quarters.

The title of "King of the Third Quarter" is well-deserved.

As Robinson left the court, Larry Brown, standing on the sidelines, said to him with a stern face, "I don't know why you fouled. Do you have any other defensive options besides fouling? I should ask the league for a 10-foul limit!"

Faced with the coach's accusations, Robinson didn't know how to respond. He was a mild-mannered person, but at that moment he also wanted to swear.

He even wanted to punch Brown.

Back on the bench, the assistant coach came over and comforted him, "David, that's Forrest Gump. You defended very well. No one could have done better. Hakeem Olajuwon didn't perform as well as you in the last game. Don't be discouraged, the game isn't over yet."

Robinson looked at the assistant coach and said, "Thank you, Greg, I'll do my best."

Robinson prefers the Serbian assistant coach, Greg Popovic, to Brown.

(End of this chapter)