The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 702 The Sea
Sabonis knew better than anyone how much energy Gan Guoyang possessed in such a single match.

What's most terrifying about Forrest Gump isn't his scoring skills, his strength, his trash talk, or his mental control—although those are terrifying too.

What makes him most frustrating for defenders is his stamina, his almost limitless energy, which he maintains from the first quarter to the last, and even into overtime.

Sabonis considers himself to have exceptional physical strength, but he is still hampered by injuries, playing intermittently this season, and currently his knees are still wrapped in thick knee braces.

The NBA season is tedious, long, and tiring. On many nights, Sabonis could feel that he was in poor form that day, especially when playing away games.

On nights like these, Sabonis knows how to handle it. He can hide behind his teammates and use his brain, rather than his stamina, to fight against the opponent and contribute to the Trail Blazers.

But there is one tireless player who contributes high-quality games every night, excelling in offense, defense, and organization. He is the cornerstone of the team and the umbrella that shelters everyone from the storm.

Many times, Sabonis would hide behind this umbrella to rest and catch his breath during the long and tiring match.

Now, the umbrella is right across from him, and Sabonis has been battling him in the paint for half the game, already being suppressed at every turn.

The coach and teammates thought Sabonis was somewhat hesitant and scared, but they had no idea what an achievement it was to single-handedly hold off Forrest Gump for half a game.

Meanwhile, in the Chinese team's locker room, Gan Guoyang was criticizing the team's performance in the first half.

In theory, this match was a strategic forfeit, but everyone played very hard on the field; it wasn't just a casual effort.

On the offensive end, the two young wingers, Sun Jun and Hu Weidong, performed brilliantly, taking decisive shots with a high accuracy rate.

Inside players like Song Ligang, Ma Jian, and Shan Tao, under the pressure of Gan Guoyang's presence, also got some opportunities under the basket and capitalized on them.

On the guard side, Zhang Yongjun made three shots, demonstrating excellent shooting form.

Overall, the Chinese team's offensive performance was commendable; they played quickly and nimbly, displaying their own unique style.

The players are not particularly strong in physical confrontations, but they have excellent stamina and solid fundamentals. Even during high-speed running, physical confrontations, and transitions, they can still make accurate shots.

Jiang Xingquan's guidance of the "three from one big" approach has proven effective; at least they haven't missed free throws or consistently missed open shots.

However, the problems are much bigger on the defensive end. They are not good at physical contact, footwork, hand habits, defensive awareness, and teamwork.

It's clear that the Chinese national team relies mainly on individual fighting spirit on the defensive end, without having developed a complete defensive system.

During the training camp in Portland, Gan Guoyang considered solving this problem, but a month was too short to build the framework.

Moreover, many habits that Chinese players develop from a young age are really hard to change in a short time.

Another point that Gan Guoyang found unbearable during defense was that the Chinese players were too civilized.

"Are you all mute? You're all grown women, shy and unwilling to speak on the court? Don't you know how to yell when you're on defense! Shout to each other, remind your teammates, remind your positions! You're all communicating with your eyes, are you all in sync? You're speaking so softly, are you afraid someone will hear you and figure you out? Do you think the opponents can understand you?! You all, open your voices up!"

Defense requires more passion than offense, but Chinese players at that time were all very reserved.

When defending, you don't see them roaring, shouting, or fiercely attacking their opponents; they just play the game in a calm and ordinary way.

This is related to the times. In that era, Chinese people were generally reserved. Even if there were conflicts in the competition, they would not show them off. They would exert their efforts silently in secret.

But this is the Olympics, and their opponent, Lithuania, is full of passion. For their newly formed nation, they are willing to give everything for victory, and their morale is incredibly high.

"Do you think that if we strategically give up on this game, we can just play casually, finish this game and move on, and win the next one? Let me tell you, strategically giving up just means that we will conserve energy in our rotation strategy and not fight tooth and nail. It doesn't mean that we can play casually or play weakly when we're on the court. If we have the opportunity, we will still win! This is the Olympics, a once-every-four-years opportunity. Once we can win, we absolutely cannot give up!"

Gan Guoyang issued an ultimatum, urging everyone to cheer up and compete hard. Losing is okay, but everyone should play with style.

"As soon as the Lithuanians show any weakness, I will strike and kill them," Gan Guoyang said with a determined look in his eyes.

Jiang Xingquan originally wanted to add something, but after Gan Guoyang finished speaking, he realized that anything he said would be superfluous.

We've done all the criticism we needed to. In the second half, we just need to rotate players and conserve their energy. The rest is up to Agan and the players on the field.

Coach Jiang suddenly realized that being a coach was quite easy, not too stressful, and he felt confident and at ease.

When he first took office, Jiang Xingquan was under tremendous pressure, especially in reorganizing the national team. In order to get rid of the old and welcome the new, he arranged a lot of high-intensity training tasks, which forced many veterans to leave.

This caused Jiang Xingquan to offend some people in the domestic basketball circle, where interpersonal relationships are highly valued, and his upright personality has become a heavy burden because of it.

If I don't perform well at the Barcelona Olympics, I'll inevitably face some trouble.

Fortunately, Gan Guoyang decided to join the national team. With Gan on the team for the past month, Jiang Xingquan has felt much more at ease sleeping.

Jiang Xingquan never expected that the Chinese team could put up a good fight against Lithuania in the first half, given the clear difference in strength between the two sides.

As the second half was about to begin, Jiang Xingquan pulled Gan Guoyang aside and said, "Old Gan, take it easy in the second half. Don't overexert yourself. There are still matches to come."

Jiang Xingquan was still worried that Gan Guoyang was getting too excited and would do anything to win, potentially exhausting his energy if the game wasn't won.

Gan Guoyang said, "Don't worry, I'll manage my energy. But you should also be prepared. If Lithuania makes a mistake, don't hesitate. If we should win, we should win."

Jiang Xingquan nodded. He hadn't expected that a game he had strategically forfeited could still be won. An 11-point difference wasn't a huge one, but it wasn't insignificant either.

Let's see how things go at the start of the second half.

The second half begins, and Lithuania has possession of the ball.

The Chinese team started with a zone defense, challenging Lithuania's outside shooting touch.

When you are losing in a one-on-one situation, zone defense is a defensive option.

However, Lithuania's outside shooting is very accurate, and the Chinese team only used it at the beginning of the second half to change the rhythm and see if they could make Lithuania suffer for a round or two.

If Lithuania quickly makes a three-pointer, the Chinese team will immediately switch to one-on-one man-to-man defense to prevent Lithuania from firing away from the outside.

As a result, Sabonis passed the ball to the 45-degree angle, where Matthew Liones received the ball and attempted a three-pointer, but missed.

Under the basket, Sabonis tried to grab an offensive rebound, but Gan Guoyang dominated the paint.

Without Gan Guoyang, the Chinese team's inside game would have been dominated by Sabonis's towering presence on the boards.

But with Gan Guoyang on the court, Sabonis can only rely on luck to get offensive rebounds; he can't get them, and neither can the others.

Gan Guoyang firmly controlled the rebound in the backcourt. After securing the rebound, he did not pass the ball to his teammates to launch a fast break.

Instead, he dribbled the ball himself and, with astonishing skill, drove from the middle all the way into the three-point line, throwing the Lithuanian defense into chaos.

The outside player tried to steal the ball, but Gan Guoyang skillfully turned and got past him, then drove all the way to the basket and dunked with one hand!

Inside the stadium, Spanish fans finally witnessed the outstanding offensive performance of Agan in the Finals in June, like a super outside shooter.

They shouted and applauded loudly, cheering for Gan Guoyang's performance. There were quite a few Barcelona fans, and many teenagers wearing Trail Blazers No. 11 jerseys were present.

Sabonis knew things were going badly and yelled at his teammates to strengthen the defense, double-team and surround him in time, and not let Forrest get going.

But no matter how strong Lithuania's perimeter defense is, it can't beat the Chicago Bulls, nor can it withstand the combined attack of Jordan, Pippen, and Grant.

Sabonis quickly established position in the paint, aiming to isolate and defeat Gan Guoyang, wear down his stamina and focus, and prevent him from having an easy time on both ends of the court.

A hook shot after a turn, still no luck! The chance was there, but the final touch was affected.

Gan Guoyang turned and grabbed the rebound, and the Lithuanian players immediately surrounded him. This time, however, Gan Guoyang made a long pass to Zhang Yongjun.

Zhang Yongjun jumped to receive the ball, dribbled to the frontcourt, crossed the three-point line, faked a jump shot to attract the defense, and then passed the ball to Sun Jun who was cutting into the middle.

This time, Sun Jun didn't hesitate. He received the ball, drove to the basket, and dunked it with both hands!

The Chinese team scored 4 consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 7 points, and the situation suddenly became tense.

"Avidas, you're too tense, relax a bit," Gan Guoyang reminded his good brother.

Sabonis thought to himself, "With you here, how can I relax?"
The Chinese team continued with zone defense, challenging Lithuania's outside shooting touch.

Lithuania made some great three-pointers in the first half. Now, the Chinese team is gambling.

Anyway, this is a strategic gamble. If Lithuania can perform normally and hit consecutive three-pointers, then China will lose.

If Lithuania's shooting touch falters in the second half and their shots get worse, the Chinese team might actually have a chance.

Another three-point attempt missed, and Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound again. Lithuania hesitated on defense, and Gan Guoyang immediately dribbled the ball up the fast break.

He dribbled behind his back to evade a steal attempt by his opponent and drove straight to the basket.

Once again, the bulldozers were unstoppable. Sabonis tried to keep up with the cover, but Gan Guoyang pushed him aside.

He made a layup with his left hand and was awarded a free throw.

This season, Sabonis opted to lose weight, which reduced the burden on his knees, but also weakened his ability to engage in direct confrontations.

"Don't try to steal the ball! Don't try to steal the ball!" Sabonis reminded his teammates again.

His teammates said, "Avidas, you're too nervous, you look very anxious."

"I'm not anxious. Don't make a move. Don't make a move just because he's a center. This is a trap, a trap!"

When Gan Guoyang dribbles the ball forward, defenders often assume that since the big man has the ball, they can steal it.

Little did you know that once you risked a steal, Gan Guoyang could get past you and launch an attack directly.

So Sabonis was right, it was a trap, but unfortunately the others in Lithuania didn't know.

They rarely see Sabonis so agitated during a match, especially since the second half has just begun.

However, looking up at the score, when Gan Guoyang made the free throw, the difference had narrowed to only 4 points.

The Chinese team used a combination defense and counter-attacks to score 7-0 against Lithuania. Lithuania needs to tighten up their defense.

Then, the Lithuanian team finally made a mid-range shot.

But then, Gan Guoyang received the ball in the low post, used his footwork to cut to the basket, made a layup, and drew a foul.

Another three-pointer, and now Lithuania's mentality is showing signs of collapse.

In FIBA ​​games, five fouls mean you have to leave the game, and Sabonis already has three fouls.

The second half had just begun when Sabonis had to leave the field to rest, and the situation suddenly became extremely unfavorable.

Lithuania called a timeout, but Sabonis remained agitated. He kept reminding his teammates that during his time off the court, they must focus on defense, slow down, and stay alert.

"Forrest Gump will seize any opening or opportunity to deliver a fatal blow. Be careful! Be careful!"

His teammates were getting annoyed. "Avidas, just sit on the sidelines. Why are you so anxious?"
Sabonis isn't usually a talkative person, but today he was like a gossipy old woman, chattering on and on.

Seeing the confusion in his teammates' eyes, Sabonis knew he was wasting his breath, but he still had to speak.

They'll understand soon enough why I've been so earnest in my advice.

On the Chinese team's side, with Sabonis fouling out and needing rest, Gan Guoyang sensed danger.

He said to Jiang Xingquan, "Coach, this is an opportunity. Let Xiao Hu play, and Taozi too! Remember, give me the ball, and I'll take care of them!"

Jiang Xingquan understood Gan Guoyang's meaning: Sabonis's move would significantly weaken Lithuania's interior defense, presenting a real opportunity.

To be honest, within the Chinese team, no player has ever dared to say, "Give me the ball, and I'll take care of them." The Chinese team has always prioritized teamwork and followed the coach's instructions.

But Gan Guoyang is different. If Jiang Xingquan hesitates for even a second, it would be irresponsible of him to be a coach.

Although he was old-fashioned, he was not stupid and did not think that Forrest Gump had stolen the limelight from his head coach.

If you have a chance to win, you absolutely can't miss it.

Jiang Xingquan immediately replaced Zhang Yongjun with Hu Weidong and Song Ligang with Shan Tao.

This is equivalent to adding an extra submachine gun to the lineup, while Gan Guoyang gives up the center position and moves to the power forward position, switching to heavy machine gun mode.

After the timeout, the Chinese team continued with their zone defense, and Lithuania hit a three-pointer!

The crucial three-pointer forced the Chinese team to change their defensive strategy.

On the offensive end, Gan Guoyang received a pass in the middle and immediately took a three-pointer, which went in!

As soon as that three-pointer went in, Sabonis on the sidelines tensed up.

He stood up and shouted at his teammates to strengthen the defense.

Sabonis knew that Forrest Gump was about to fire.

Lithuania slowed down, attempting to engage in positional warfare with the Chinese team.

However, Gan Guoyang defended the paint and the three-second area very well.

It's like letting Lithuania shoot from the outside; if they make those shots, you're amazing, but don't expect to get inside easily.

Lithuania's form clearly faltered, and without Sabonis's support, their positional warfare became somewhat sluggish.

After missing the shot, Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and dribbled the ball back to half-court.

Lithuania retreated quickly, but Gan Guoyang backed down the defender and pushed in from the three-point line.

Besides Sabonis, who could stop him? Gan Guoyang turned and cut to the basket, hanging on a defender as he made a layup and drew a foul.

The Lithuanian player was so angry that he slammed the ball on the floor. He was even hanging on the ball, but they still couldn't stop him. They lost the ball and had to give away free throws and fouls.

Being called for a foul after committing five fouls is very painful, and it was heartbreaking to watch helplessly as Gan Guoyang made the free throw and completed a three-point play.

The score is now just one point apart, the game is full of suspense, and the pressure is on the Lithuanian players.

Today is the first match, and the Lithuanian players are not yet fully in form. Their strong desire to win has turned into a huge psychological burden.

They knew the whole country was watching them. They wanted to win and achieve something great, but the number one basketball player in front of them was like a mountain, impossible to overcome.

Another hasty shot from the outside, Lithuania's offense was clearly in disarray. Gan Guoyang used the same tactic: picked up the ball, pushed forward, backed down and squeezed into the paint, and drove hard to the basket.

Unfortunately, it was another foul. This time, Lithuania's foul was even more vicious, preventing Gan Guoyang from making a three-point play and sending him to the free-throw line.

Sabonis became even more nervous and shouted, "Don't be so rough, be gentle, be gentle!"

Sabonis was really worried for his teammates. You're committing such reckless fouls, going straight for people. You might get killed in a minute.

However, Gan Guoyang remained calm and made both free throws, giving the Chinese team the lead!

He yelled at Sabonis, "Relax, Avidas, I won't hit your teammates!"

On the other side, the Chinese team's bench erupted in cheers, with everyone standing up.

The morale and atmosphere of the entire Chinese team were boosted, and everyone knew that they could win this game!

If China can defeat Lithuania, it will show that the Chinese team is very strong this year, and they may actually be able to achieve great results.

At the same time, they also realized how huge the gap was between the NBA's top player and the level of FIBA ​​at that time.

Lithuania's starting lineup is already incredibly strong in FIBA ​​history, but once Sabonis is out of the picture, Gan Guoyang can truly take on five opponents at once.

Now, his Lithuanian teammates understand why Sabonis said he was brave. He carried Forrest Gump all by himself; if he wasn't brave, who was?

Nearly eight minutes into the second half, Gan Guoyang scored consecutive 2+1 plays, driving into the paint with his back to the defender, leading his team on a 22-9 scoring run.

He scored 17 points on his own, 17 points in 8 minutes. This scoring explosiveness is absolutely outstanding in FIBA.

Meanwhile, Lithuania's poor shooting gave the Chinese team plenty of counter-attack opportunities, and they were not fully prepared.

The Chinese team took the lead, forcing their opponents to call a timeout and compelling Lithuania to bring Sabonis back onto the field.

However, Gan Guoyang, who has already found his rhythm in attack, will not stop his offensive onslaught just because Sabonis has come on.

Facing a triple-team from Lithuania, Gan Guoyang hit a difficult jump shot with a spin move, widening the gap to 6 points!
He was becoming increasingly difficult to stop, as the basket began to resemble the ocean.

(End of this chapter)