The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 721, 34 minutes in a single section

Gan Guoyang has always preferred to play in San Francisco, where it feels no different from playing at home.

After this short away game, the Trail Blazers will return to Portland to continue their home games.

The November schedule is so easy, which is undoubtedly good news for the Trail Blazers, who are plagued by injuries.

The team arrived at their destination in the early hours of the morning. After resting for one night, Gan Guoyang asked Berman for leave during the day.

He was going to the hospital to visit his bedridden great-uncle, Gan Bingguang.

This summer, Gan Bingguang experienced gastrointestinal discomfort and abnormal bowel movements. After being taken to the hospital for examination, he was diagnosed with a tumor in his rectum, which was already in the middle to late stages.

The family immediately arranged for hospitalization, and Gan Guoyang invited the best oncologist to operate on his great-uncle.

However, Gan Bingguang, who was already quite old, refused to have surgery and was unwilling to undergo chemotherapy, opting only for conservative treatment.

He said, "Life and death are preordained. Surgery only prolongs life in vain. I've lived long enough to reach this age. My life is over, and I don't want to suffer any more."

Gan Guoyang also tried to persuade his uncle, saying that money was definitely not a problem, as he was worried that his uncle had been frugal his whole life and was afraid to spend money.

The old uncle shook his head repeatedly, saying, "Why would I care about money? If I were younger, I would definitely want to survive, but at this age, I am already content."

"Let me come into this world intact, and let me leave in perfect condition."

Unable to go against the patient's wishes, the family had no choice but to agree.

Now that it's late autumn, my great-uncle is terminally ill.

He was lying in the intensive care unit, still conscious.

His body was emaciated and he was only kept alive by a single breath.

However, his eyes still had a sparkle, and when he saw Gan Guoyang, his eyes started to move.

He grasped Gan Guoyang's hand and squeezed it gently, indicating that he knew Gan had been there.

Gan Guoyang still remembers that when he first "arrived" in the United States, he was actually invited there by his great-uncle.

In a sense, it was my great-uncle who brought me here.

Watching his life signs slowly slip away, Gan Guoyang felt terrible.

At the door of the ward, Gan Youwei told his son, "The doctor said we don't have much time left and told us to prepare. I will let you know when the time comes."

Gan Guoyang nodded. The case of his great-uncle's family was that they were relatively distant relatives, but after so many years of getting along, they had long been a close family.

The old uncle was the eldest elder in the family, and it would be reasonable for Gan Guoyang to step forward once he passed away.

Uncle Gan Youtang also came out and said to Gan Guoyang, "Grandpa said when he could speak that you shouldn't be too sad. He was old enough to pass away peacefully. He wanted the funeral to be low-key and didn't want to cause any news for you. You should focus on playing ball. We'll be fine."

As he spoke, Gan Youtang patted Gan Guoyang's thick arm with a cheerful smile.

At this moment, the tall Gan Guoyang no longer felt intimidating; he was just like a child.

I know my uncle only appears optimistic; he's secretly shed countless tears.

Gan Guoyang has made a name for himself and achieved great success over the past ten years, truly shining brightly.

However, the Gan family, who are the closest relatives, have always kept a low profile and lived a relatively ordinary life in San Francisco.

They still run a restaurant, only it's much bigger than before.

They still run the laundromat, but now they have several branches.

They moved into a better house, but it wasn't a mansion.

They had more savings, but they weren't extremely wealthy.

The Gan family did not easily venture into unfamiliar territory just because a golden phoenix had emerged from their ranks.

They resisted many temptations from evil spirits and maintained the simplicity and purity of their circle.

The great-uncle, upholding traditional wisdom and morality, kept the whole family humble and low-key.

Throughout Gan Guoyang's rise to fame, the phrase he repeated most often was, "Don't cause trouble for A-Gan."

He lived by this principle until the very end of his life.

He remained calm in the face of death and tried his best not to cause Gan Guoyang any trouble.

Thinking about many things, Gan Guoyang sighed and said, "How can some things be called trouble?"

Gan Youwei looked at his son and said, "It's not that I'm really afraid of trouble, it's just a code of conduct, an attitude towards life, like..."

Gan Guoyang rarely heard his father spout grand principles. He looked at Gan Youwei and asked, "Like what?"

When asked this question, Gan Youwei couldn't answer. He hesitated for a while, then waved his hand, signaling Gan Guoyang to go back to the team to report as soon as possible.

"You have a game to play tonight, so work hard. There are many Chinese fans coming to watch your game."

Every time Gan Guoyang goes to San Francisco for a competition, many Chinese people come to the city for tourism.

Going to Oakland Stadium to watch Forrest Gump play was part of my travel plans.

Even the most important part.

Gan Guoyang never lets his fans down.

He left the hospital at his father's urging.

It's unclear who leaked the information, but the hospital entrance is already packed with reporters and fans.

Gan Guoyang now goes out like Michael Jackson, needing to be accompanied by many bodyguards.

Two years ago, his bodyguard Quentin opened a security company, and Quentin became its general manager.

The company primarily recruits veterans and retired combat athletes as bodyguards.

The company's number one client was Gan Guoyang, and Quentin had always been responsible for his personal protection.

Under Quentin's protection, Gan Guoyang got into the car and left the hospital, heading directly to the Oakland Stadium.

Gan Guoyang was in a bad mood the whole way, keeping a sullen face and not saying a word.

Although he knew before he came that his great-uncle's condition was already very bad.

But seeing my once radiant and energetic great-uncle like this, my sadness was beyond words.

Quentin noticed that the eldest brother was in a bad mood because of his family member's illness and tried to say something to comfort him.

"My grandmother also died of cancer. She used to be as plump as a loaf of bread, but when I saw her for the last time, she was so thin that she was as thin as her cane. I was shocked. Hearing about death is very different from seeing it with my own eyes. I sat on the sofa looking at her, and she seemed like a complete stranger. I wondered, is that still my dear grandmother? That loving, always yelling, plump lady? It wasn't until I looked into her eyes that I saw something familiar. She still recognized me; her eyes could speak, as if saying, 'Don't be afraid, child, I'm just dying, not that I'm no longer your grandmother…'"

"Quentin, stop talking, stop talking, just drive..."

"Okay boss."

Arriving at the familiar Auckland Stadium, Gan Guoyang took a deep breath and adjusted his state.

On the way from the players' tunnel to the locker room, the reporters' flashes never stopped.

Security personnel set up a cordon to prevent crazed fans from rushing in and attacking the superstar.

Every time Gan Guoyang visits San Francisco, it causes a stir.

Back in the 80s, Gan Guoyang was harassed by fans every time he played at the Oakland Stadium.

On one occasion, his jersey was even stolen by staff, forcing him to wear clothes without a name.

In the 90s, the NBA's security measures became even more meticulous and thorough.

The enthusiastic fans were kept behind the cordon.

The distance between God and man has been widened.

This is God's destiny.

"Quentin, do you remember, was it '87 or '88? I was playing in Oakland, and there were so many fans when I came out. You were the security guard maintaining order. I'm asking you to come to Portland and work for me," Gan Guoyang said to Quentin beside him.

"I remember, it was January 1986, the game where you hit two consecutive game-winning three-pointers against the Warriors. There were a lot of female fans asking for your autographs. I was busy maintaining order and didn't see your game-winner. You made me lose 30 pounds, and I did."

"Really? It was 1986? I even hit two game-winning three-pointers? I can't even remember, it feels like such a long time ago..."

"It's been more than six years, almost seven years, which is quite a long time."

Quentin looked at Gan Guoyang's calm face and thought to himself that the Warriors were definitely in for a rough night.

When Forrest Gump is in a bad mood, he will definitely vent his emotions on the field.

Hopefully, the Warriors players won't cause any trouble and will just focus on playing well.

Otherwise, they'll lose both the game and their reputation. Quentin knows that when the leader is in a bad mood, it's always terrifying.

Soon, the Trail Blazers' teammates also noticed that their leader was not in a good mood tonight.

The locker room was filled with a tense atmosphere; no one dared to breathe too loudly.

Knowing the situation, Bellman only said one thing when giving tactical instructions: "Do what you're supposed to do."

After completing all the preparations, the competition was about to begin at 7:30 pm.

Gan Guoyang will start at center again tonight, while Jerome Cahill will be on the roster as a substitute on the bench.

Mario Elie has earned the coach's trust and started as the team's small forward for the fourth consecutive game.

The Warriors also attached great importance to this game, as this was Don Nelson's first season coaching the Warriors.

Before the match started, he paced back and forth on the sidelines, and his initial record of 2 wins and 2 losses was not very satisfactory.

After losing to the Trail Blazers in the 1991 playoffs, Nelson's coaching stint with the Lakers came to an end.

Jerry Buss originally planned to make changes midway through the 1991-1992 season, removing Nelson from his position as head coach.

But Magic Johnson's sudden diagnosis of HIV disrupted the Lakers' plans, and everything was postponed.

Including Nelson's departure.

Don Nelson finished coaching the Lakers in the 1991-1992 season, and the Lakers lost to the Trail Blazers once again.

This time, Nelson voluntarily resigned and left Los Angeles, marking the end of his coaching tenure with the Lakers.

Five seasons, one Finals, no championship – that's a respectable achievement for Nelson personally.

Because during his many years with the Bucks, he was consistently overshadowed by the Celtics and 76ers, and was unable to reach the NBA Finals.

The Lakers at least made it to the Finals, and were only one Game 7 victory away from the championship.

But for the Lakers, this result is unacceptable.

They went from being dominant forces in the early 80s to becoming stepping stones for pioneers in the late 80s.

Nelson also fell out with his former friend Jerry West because of his coaching job with the Lakers.

However, after both of them left the Lakers, their relationship actually improved a lot.

Nelson came to Oakland on the recommendation of Jerry West.

Joining the Warriors gave Nelson greater autonomy and freedom to realize his tactical ideas.

With the Bucks, he was a defensive coach, an expert in illegal defensive strategies.

When he joined the Lakers, he adopted a balanced approach to offense and defense and developed a three-guard system.

With the Warriors, he decided to shift entirely towards offense, creating a more free and flexible system.

Standing in front of Gan Guoyang, competing for the ball, was Warriors center Lister.

In every matchup against Forrest Gump, he never came out on top.

However, he won't stay on the field for very long.

Based on the previous few games, Nelson prefers to only let the center play a transitional role in the early stages of the game.

He'll then bring on Tyronn Hill, or a guard or forward, to use a small lineup to drive the pace.

This lineup is highly offensive, fast, and agile.

In the opening game against the Jazz, the Warriors scored 130 points.

He also scored 126 points in the last game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

In a league where defense is getting stronger and scoring is getting lower, Nelson is going against the grain.

Of course, Gan Guoyang didn't care about any of that; his attention was focused on the basketball in the referee's hands.

So much so that he didn't even notice a young man in the Warriors lineup casting a burning gaze at him.

It was the rookie Sprewell, wearing jersey number 15. This arrogant young man made no secret of his ambition to challenge the King of Fighters.

In his first game against the Jazz, the rookie scored 15 points.

In the game against the Lakers, he scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.

He quickly gained Don Nelson's trust and became a starter for the team.

From this perspective, Sprewell has every right to be arrogant; he wants to challenge any strong opponent.

He has boundless energy, an indomitable spirit, and a lack of rationality in his mind.

This has already been hinted at in the Warriors' training camp.

He showed no respect for the veterans on the team.

Regardless of the other party's qualifications, or how tall or strong they are.

Sprewell dared to challenge them and even actively create disputes.

This guy has some supermale genes in his blood.

Sprewell was very excited before the game started.

Because the opponent was the Trail Blazers, and Forrest Gump.

Look at this arena, Oakland Stadium, the home of the Warriors.

But the stands were full of fans wearing Trail Blazers number 11 jerseys.

Many of them had yellow faces, which, needless to say, meant they were all Chinese.

They were all Forrest Gump fans and came to cheer him on.

This ignited Sprewell's ferocity, and he saw it as a great opportunity to show off his skills.

On a nationally televised event, in front of Chinese fans, the idol was toppled.

Sprewell was not a Forrest Gump fan.

On the contrary, he was one of the black players who hated Forrest Gump.

By the 1990s, basketball had become an undisputed sport dominated by Black people.

Of the 10 star players, 8 have Black heritage, while the remaining 2 are only mid-tier stars.

For example, Warriors' star player Chris Mullin, whom Sprewell respected.

Because Sprewell learned things from Mullin in training and games.

Mullin is an experienced player who is particularly good at using his brain to play.

But what Sprewell, and many other Black players, found unacceptable was that the NBA was being dominated by a Chinese man.

Moreover, he has dominated for almost 10 years, and even the best black players cannot defeat his team.

Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley, and Michael Jordan—these shining black basketball heroes all fell under his iron heel.

Sprewell is not as famous or as promising as any of the above.

But he harbored a deep desire to tear Forrest Gump apart, especially after the Trail Blazers won their second three-peat.

It wasn't just Sprewell; many young Black men who joined the league in the 90s shared this idea.

This is very different from the 1980s, when players who entered the league around the same time as Forrest Gump all respected him.

During the game, they often ignored Forrest Gump's nationality and skin color, and many people even mistook him for an American player.

However, times are changing. Gan Guoyang's participation in the Olympics representing China has shattered some impressions and reinforced his national identity.

And the new generation of Black players is showing an increasingly strong sense of wildness, unlike the players of the 80s.

The players of the 80s tried to rebel against authority, challenge the head coach's rule, and establish star players' dominance over the team.

They succeeded. The NBA is now a league of stars, and stars are the most important.

The players of the 90s not only had to challenge the dominance of the head coach, but they also had to challenge the entire culture of traditional basketball.

They want to bring in the things from the streets, the corners of society, and the Black communities, and firmly bind the NBA and Black culture together.

Of course, the leading figures among them are still in high school and college, preparing for their entry into the NBA.

Players like Sprewell already embody this trait; Forrest Gump is someone they despise.

This is the league's greatest evil dragon, an Eastern evil dragon coiled in the temple of basketball.

Driven by the belief that he would defeat him and achieve instant fame, Sprewell threw himself into the match.

Gan Guoyang was completely unaware of this malice; he had faced far too many challenges in his life.

During the scramble for the ball, he touched it first and passed it to Ellie.

Ellie then returned the ball to him, and Gan Guoyang started the game by dribbling and organizing the attack himself.

At this moment, Sprewell, who was originally guarding Curry, rushed towards Gan Guoyang.

He tried to close the gap and steal the ball, but Gan Guoyang dodged the steal with a clever change of direction.

He passed the ball to Curry, and Sprewell quickly went back to help defend.

But Curry had already driven to the basket, drawing the defense before passing the ball to Davis.

Davis scored a layup off the backboard, giving the Trail Blazers two points.

“Defend your own men! What are you doing?” Mullin reminded Sprewell.

This kid thought Forrest Gump was a center and tried to run and steal the ball?
What are you dreaming about?

Gan Guoyang noticed some of Sprewell's aggressiveness.

He didn't pay much attention; as he always said, he'd encountered this too many times.

Young people always want to make a name for themselves in this way.

Both teams started the game at a very fast pace, with the Warriors making very decisive shots.

Mullin quickly hit a three-pointer to open up the game.

On the defensive end, the Warriors simply employed one-on-one man-to-man defense. Nelson didn't want overly complex defenses to drain the players' offensive energy.

Gan Guoyang received the ball at the top of the arc and made a mid-range jump shot.

He had a good start to the game.

Unlike the previous games, Gan Guoyang did not set up his teammates at the start.

Instead, they tend to initiate attacks themselves by controlling the ball.

He seemed more immersed in his own world.

He didn't pay attention to how the opponents were playing, nor did he care much about what his teammates were doing.

Midway through the first quarter, Sprewell seized an opportunity on offense.

He received the ball in the middle and made a breakthrough, driving hard to the basket from the front and facing Agan.

He's going to dunk over Forrest Gump, a dunk over him!
Sprewell observed that Forrest Gump's attention was somewhat scattered.

His eyes were fixed on Lister on the other side—a perfect opportunity!
Sprewell sprang into action, as swift as a leopard.

Then Forrest Gump, facing Sprewell, thwarted his attempt with a big hat.

A solid block; Forrest Gump caught the ball.

Sprewell felt like he had hit a wall.

The person lost their balance in mid-air and then fell heavily to the ground.

He was hoping the referee would call a foul, but he didn't.

The referee followed the Trail Blazers' fast break to the other end of the court.

Agam passed the ball to Petrovic.

Petrovic delivered a high-arcing assist, and Gan Guoyang completed the alley-oop with a two-handed dunk.

Sprewell had just gotten up from the ground when the Trail Blazers' offense ended.

He felt a slight numbness in his arm; it was a truly terrifying block.

This guy wasn't even paying attention to me, so why was he so fast...?

Sprewell couldn't understand, but Forrest Gump had already returned to guard the three-second zone.

This 6-foot-10 yellow giant, no wonder Mullin said, "He'll terrify you in the three-second zone so much that you won't dare to rush in."

"Your primary goal tonight is to overcome this fear."

Unfortunately, Sprewell, preoccupied with making a name for himself, didn't heed this advice.

Just like those young people who have just entered society, they always turn a deaf ear to the teachings of the older generation and are full of fantasies of success and fame.

Only when reality slaps you hard in the face will those words resurface, forcing you to ponder them carefully.

Mullin dribbled into the paint; he wasn't fast or explosive, but he had a good rhythm.

Using a time difference to dodge Forrest Gump's help defense, he made a small floater with his left hand and scored two points.

Sprewell learned something from that goal.

Sometimes speed and explosiveness aren't everything.

Aside from that brutal block, the two teams played relatively evenly in the first quarter.

Gan Guoyang scored 10 points in the quarter, making 5 of 6 shots, showing that he was in good form tonight.

Mullin also had a good offensive game, scoring 12 points to help the Warriors stay close in the score.

At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at 30-31, with the Warriors leading by one point thanks to Hardaway's free throws.

During the break, Bellman wanted Gan Guoyang to sit for a while longer.

Gan Guoyang shook his head and said, "No, let me go up earlier. My hands will be warm tonight."

"Sonny, I'd like to reduce your playing time even more this season."

"You might as well just make me retire. Don't reduce my playing time any further, I won't accept that."

Since taking office, Bellman has been working hard to protect Gan Guoyang.

His playing time has been decreasing again and again, from being the king of the bulls and horses at his peak to being just okay now.

However, when Bellman prepared to continue reducing the time to protect Gan Guoyang, Gan Guoyang became unhappy.

He demanded that his playing time be fixed at 40 minutes, not a minute less.

"I'm here to play ball, not to relax and recuperate," Gan Guoyang left behind his motto.

Unfortunately, Gan Guoyang returned to the game at the start of the second quarter.

Don Nelson instructed Tyrone Hill and Chris Gatlin to be careful to surround Forrest Gump.

"Try to wear him down, disrupt his shots. He's on offense tonight, he's a problem."

Having faced off against Gan Guoyang for many years, Nelson had sensed something was amiss.

Gan Guoyang brought on the substitutes to continue the game.

He saw Chris Gatlin, who was wearing a headband, defending him and said, "Watch your head, I'm not going to be careful."

Warriors backup center Chris Gatlin suffered a head injury in an accident in 1985.

He slipped and fell while washing a covered truck.

His head hit the ground, causing severe damage to his skull.

To protect Gatlin's skull, doctors installed a stainless steel plate on his head.

So his head shape looks a bit strange.

The top of his head is somewhat pointed; further injury could endanger his life.

However, such a severe blow did not dampen his passion for basketball.

Gatlin was very aggressive in the game and was nicknamed "Doping".

"You dare kill me, Forrest Gump!" Gatlin said fearlessly.

Gan Guoyang glanced at the guy; he had never heard of such a request before.

Therefore, in the second quarter, Gan Guoyang began to use hard attacks from a low position.

No matter how many Warriors players double-team him, he would turn and attack aggressively in the low post as soon as he got the ball.

He stopped turning and shooting; he just pushed his way in and forced his way to the basket.

Gatlin was hit five times by Gan Guoyang, including a 2+1.

Finally, he was somewhat broken down by the beating, and during Gan Guoyang's free throws, he said:

"Forrest Gump, stop for a minute, my head hurts."

"If your head hurts, have Old Tang replace you."

With the free throw made, Gan Guoyang single-handedly led the Warriors on an 11-0 run.

Don Nelson called a timeout.

He first criticized Gatlin.

I asked him, "Did you provoke Forrest Gump?"

Gatling hurriedly replied, "No! How could I dare!"

"Play good defense and don't trash talk to Forrest Gump."

“I really didn’t, I just… let him fuck me to death.”

I want to fuck you to death!

Nelson yelled at Gatling.

At this moment, Sprewell stepped forward and said, "Why be afraid of Forrest Gump? It boosts his morale."

Nelson and Mullin both looked at Sprewell as if he were a ghost.

Nelson simply said, "How about you go guard Forrest Gump? Give it a try."

Sprewell was quite assertive, saying, "I'll go, as long as there are people helping defend inside."

Mullin tried to stop Sprewell: "Stop messing around, buddy. Play the game properly. Don't fight or risk your life."

“I know you’re all afraid of this guy, but I’m not afraid. I’m not afraid of anyone.”

Mullin wanted to say something more, but Don Nelson stopped him.

Nelson's meaning is clear: people can't teach others, but some people can.

Don Nelson knew that Sprewell had great potential and could completely replace Richmond, who had been traded away.

At the same time, he is very ambitious and arrogant, which is not necessarily a bad thing for a basketball player.

But sometimes it's necessary to curb his arrogance, the sooner the better, as this will help him grow.

Letting him experience the intensity of being the best player in the NBA sooner will help him stay more level-headed.

Anyway, since Nelson joined the Warriors, his tactics and rotations have been completely unpredictable.

It doesn't seem like a big deal to have a guard defend the center.

Just then, after the timeout ended, Gan Guoyang began dribbling and organizing the offense.

Petrovich went to rest.

Sprewell led the defense throughout the game, constantly harassing Gan Guoyang like a fighting dog.

Gan Guoyang held the ball firmly, his body as steady as a weight.

No matter how many people surround and attack him, he can control the ball very well.

And as always, this guy didn't even look at Sprewell.

He's staring somewhere else, or maybe he's staring at you, but you don't really feel it.

Sprewell seized an opportunity to try and steal the ball.

As a result, Gan Guoyang dodged the ball with another dribble and change of direction.

Instead of rushing in, he controlled himself and walked in slowly.

Sprewell turned around to try and grab again, but Gan Guoyang firmly squeezed him to the side and behind.

He squeezed his way to the vicinity of the free throw line and pulled up for a mid-range shot.

Sprewell was completely unstoppable and easily made the shot.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang shouted at Nelson on the sidelines while pointing at Sprewell: "What the hell are you doing, Nelson! Sending someone like that to defend me, are you trying to make me laugh to death and then make me sit out the game?"

Nelson shrugged and said nothing.

Sprewell was furious when he heard this, and he took the pass from his teammate and rushed inside.

He tried to dunk on Forrest Gump again, but was blocked once more.

A classic penalty kick; Gan Guoyang controlled the ball.

Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball across half-court, and Sprewell rushed up to steal it.

Gan Guoyang easily got past him with a behind-the-back dribble and a spin move.

He drove to the three-point line and took a soft three-point shot.

hit!

The entire Auckland Stadium was filled with jubilation.

Gan Guoyang has scored 16 points in a row.

The score remained 30-31 after the first quarter.

In just a few minutes, the point difference was widened to 10 points.

Sprewell's eyes were red.

At this point, Tim Hardaway reminded him to calm down.

The Warriors' offensive rhythm has become somewhat chaotic.

After missing a jump shot from outside, Sprewell fought hard for the offensive rebound.

But how could he possibly break Forrest Gump's dominance in the backcourt rebounds?

The ball was mercilessly taken into Forrest Gump's hands.

Then came another rapid, all-out attack.

The Warriors' defense was as thin as paper.

Gan Guoyang charged straight at the heart of the defense and scored with a one-handed dunk!

Don Nelson sighed, rubbing his forehead.

He wondered if this lesson had been a bit too harsh.

Moreover, Sprewell became increasingly agitated and completely unaware of how to deal with the situation.

The more impulsive he is, the greater the team's losses will be; he must calm down.

However, even if Sprewell calmed down by then, it was too late.

Gan Guoyang began to get into the zone, an unstoppable state.

At this moment, he didn't want to stop on the court, didn't want to leave, and didn't want to rest.

Basketball has never been a source of trouble for him; playing basketball is when he is happiest.

Shoot the ball into the basket, block the opponent's shot—how clear, how simple.

Here, friend and foe are clearly distinguished, and opposing camps exist; you always know what you have to do.

Know where you should go, where you should attack, and where you should defend.

Here, he can control many things; he won't feel powerless or frustrated.

Even if you lose, you can sleep it off and start over tomorrow. There's always another chance.

Basketball is a brutal game, but in a way, it's also very gentle, much gentler than life itself.

"Shh!"

Gan Guoyang hit another three-pointer!
Another three-pointer over Sprewell's defense!
There was some commotion at the Auckland Stadium.

More than halfway through the second quarter, Gan Guoyang had already scored 21 points.

Nelson called another timeout; he couldn't let the situation spiral out of control like this.

He replaced Sprewell, whose face was frozen, lips pursed, filled with useless anger.

What angered him most was not that Forrest Gump kept scoring on him.

Instead, Forrest Gump never looked at him directly once.

Not once.

Nelson tried to use a timeout to cool Forrest Gump's hands down.

But this was undoubtedly in vain, as Gan Guoyang had already gotten into the zone.

Back in the game, his teammates started passing the ball to Gan Guoyang continuously.

Low post, triple-teamed, turned and jumped, shot, made!
23 points!
Another low-post opportunity, catch the ball, turn and hook shot, and it's in again!
25 points.

Of course, I wouldn't let the opportunity for a three-pointer from the top of the arc slip by, so I took the shot.

He hit a three-pointer, making it 28 points.

The Chinese fans who come to the Auckland Stadium to watch the game tonight will definitely find it worth the ticket price.

When Gan Guoyang grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket, made a layup, and drew a foul.

People know that Forrest Gump is very likely to break George Gervin's record of 33 points in a single quarter tonight.

He made the free throw, bringing his total to 31 points.

At this moment, Sprewell, sitting in the audience, no longer had any anger in his eyes.

There was no more helplessness, only a trace of bewilderment.

You only realize how strong someone is when you actually face them in person.
There's no reason why they're so strong; they just can score.

At this point, there were 10 seconds left in the first half.

The Warriors scored a basket and immediately began a full-court defense.

They don't want Forrest Gump to set a new record here.

However, the defensive rule that prohibits early double-teaming allowed Gan Guoyang to find an opportunity.

The bottom left corner, a place he rarely goes.

He received Petrovic's pass and swiftly finished the attack!
The three-pointer was launched, its trajectory a slightly flat arc.

The ball bounced high off the edge of the rim.

Then, with a strong spin, it fell back into the basket.

Time's up, the first half is over, Gan Guoyang has scored a whopping 34 points.

The Trail Blazers' bench erupted in cheers, and Oakland Stadium went wild.

Sprewell clutched his head, his eyes filled with even deeper confusion.

He scored 34 points in a single quarter. When will he be able to score that many points in a single game?

At this moment, something within him was crumbling little by little, replaced by a new understanding.

Sprewell is not the first, nor will he be the last.

(End of this chapter)