The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 80 Control
"Patrick, what are you thinking? Wake up, Patrick!"

During the timeout, on the Georgetown bench, John Thompson used his authoritative voice to remind Ewing to stay focused.

Ewing's performance at the start of the game showed signs of being sleepwalking, which worried John Thompson.

The start of the competition is crucial. In a match where elimination means going home, losing the initiative can put you on the defensive for the entire game.

Before the game, Ewing was in high spirits, but after the game started, he seemed a bit confused.

He failed to jump during the jump ball, lost the defensive rebound, and was subsequently scored on by Gan Guoyang, something that rarely happened to Ewing in the past.

"It's okay, I'm fine." Ewing wiped his face with a towel to indicate that he was alright.

"Stay angry! We're going to win this game! Don't let that number 11 score on you again!"

Thompson patted Ewing's shoulder hard, his round face contorted in pain as he tried to wake Ewing.

Many people compare Ewing to the second Bill Russell, but John Thompson, who has been Russell's backup, knows that Ewing is nothing like Russell; the two have completely different personalities.

Bill Russell and Auerbach together formed the backbone of the Boston Celtics dynasty, one on the court and the other off the court, creating absolute "control".

The word "control" was the most useful thing Thompson learned during his brief stint with the Celtics.

He will incorporate the strategies he learned from Auerbach and Russell into his daily coaching, and as a college coach, he has absolute control over the team.

Georgetown is a predominantly white private elite school, but as the coach, he built a basketball team that was mainly composed of black players, with a rough, brutal style, and even described as undisciplined.

Like Auerbach, he is Georgetown's number one "patriarch," controlling every detail of the team, including the players' hairstyles, clothing, and daily words and actions. The children are restrained by their parents until they grow up.

Unlike Ewing, Russell was almost equal to Auerbach at Celtic, and during matches, everyone listened to Russell more; he was the team's "second patriarch."

Ewing wasn't a parent; he was just a child, the most talented and capable of all the children, yet also the most vulnerable, the one most in need of protection and guidance.

John Thompson carefully protected him, using silence, violence, and anger to forge a hard shell for him, enhancing his power on the court.

But within minutes, the shell was at risk of being shattered by that number 11 center.

"Number 11, Sonny Gan... Sonny Gan..."

Thompson kept repeating the name to himself. A voice deep inside him told him that Gance was more like Russell than Ewing.

Thompson sensed it from the start of the warm-up when he was laughing and joking with his teammates.

It wasn't that he was naturally playful or cheerful; it was that he was trying to help his teammates relax.

Russell would do the same thing before a game. Although he was so nervous that he vomited, he would take off his teammates' pants during warm-up to keep everyone in a relaxed mood.

When they were teammates, Russell would talk to Thompson about philosophy, politics, and Black history. Ewing knew nothing about these things. Like most young Black men, his mind was mainly on pretty girls, besides basketball.

Yesterday, Dick Vitale called and said he had interviewed Gan, who said Gan was as sharp as an obsidian blade—the kind of weapon used by Aztec warriors that could easily decapitate a horse.

Before the game, John Thompson reviewed some newspaper articles that had previously reported on Gan Guoyang. He had almost single-handedly led a high school that started from scratch and a mediocre college to the top of California and the nation. This was not just a matter of skill, but also reflected his powerful influence on all aspects of a team.

This influence is often overlooked by basketball experts who manipulate data and list honors; as outsiders, they can never grasp the heart of a champion.

Of course, Gan's stats are equally impressive. His offensive skills are as diverse as those of a small forward, but so far he has not yet shown his smooth and quick turnaround jump shot.

Thompson grew increasingly worried, but the game had to go on. Georgetown was the stronger team overall, and basketball is a team game against a team, so they still had a better chance of winning.

After the timeout, Georgetown adjusted their strategy, reducing their offensive rebounding and further slowing down the game's pace, attempting to stifle Gonzaga's offense with defense. In a game without a shot clock, they relentlessly slowed the pace, holding their opponents to an average of 57.4 points per game, demonstrating Georgetown's exceptional control and pressure on the game's tempo.

At the same time, Georgetown resolutely double-teamed Gan Guoyang, using power forward Graham to front him and Ewing to surround him from behind, creating a sandwich-like defense to prevent Gan Guoyang from easily getting the ball and shooting inside.

Georgetown's defense was effective; Gan Guoyang couldn't receive the ball, and their two attacks failed.

Ewing then moved to a higher position to receive the ball, opening up Gan Guoyang's defense, and made high-low post passes to the inside, allowing other players to take on Gonzaga's players one-on-one.

They scored consecutive points and quickly tied the score.

When Gonzaga took the ball from the baseline, Graham slapped it onto Stockton and provocatively moved closer to the baseline, putting pressure on Stockton.

Seeing this, Gan Guoyang ran over, picked up the ball from the ground, and slammed it directly into Graham's face.

The two sides nearly got into a serious conflict, and were only separated with the intervention of the referee.

Gan Guoyang received a technical foul, but he didn't care at all. Pointing at Graham, he warned him, "If you do anything more lousy and provocative, I don't care about Final Four, but I'll let you taste what a fist tastes like."

After that point, the competition between the two sides remained intense, but there were no further instances of deliberate provocation.

Gan Guoyang immediately received the ball at the high post during the attack and made a mid-range shot over Graham, helping Gonzaga regain the lead.

So far, Gan Guoyang has not missed a single shot. Facing such tight and high-intensity defense from Georgetown, it is clear how excellent Gan Guoyang's form is.

As the game progressed, Georgetown began to extend their half-court pressing defense to the entire field, constantly pressuring Gonzaga's ball carrier.

But Stockton withstood the pressure, demonstrating the basic qualities of an excellent point guard. While ensuring the ball remained in play, he was still able to deliver good passes and orchestrate the team's offense.

During the timeout, Berman reminded Stockton to reduce passing and playmaking and increase his own attacking play.

"Passing the ball too much will only lead to turnovers. John, you should attack yourself. Take the shot when you have the opportunity, don't hesitate!"

This tactical adjustment in the first half improved Gonzaga's attacking situation once again.

With the help of Gan Guoyang's screen, Stockton hit consecutive mid-range jump shots from the top of the arc.

At halftime, Gonzaga led Georgetown 34-31.

During halftime in the locker room, all the Gonzaga players were drenched in sweat, but they were all in high spirits and even very excited.

Leading Georgetown by 3 points at halftime demonstrates that the team is fully capable of competing with their opponents.

In the locker room, Gan Guoyang kept encouraging his teammates and told them, "Don't conserve your energy, go all out, shoot, attack, and I will fight for offensive rebounds."

"Don't be afraid of Ewing. I can handle him anytime, anywhere, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day."

甘国阳上半场8投8中，罚球1罚1中，在尤因头上拿下了17分。

Ewing is the terrifying heart of Georgetown and the key to "Hoya's paranoia".

However, with this core player completely suppressed by Gan Guoyang, the fear of him among other players will decrease.

Meanwhile, in the Georgetown locker room, Ewing was still wondering what Gan was saying.
This problem will continue to trouble him forever.

(End of this chapter)