The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 904 The Future Is Yours (1.0)
Gan Guoyang came on, replacing Alan Henderson at position three.

Charles Barkley remained on the court because Rick Carlisle judged that the team needed to catch up quickly.

With Gan Guoyang returning in the third quarter, it seems like the best option for the Trail Blazers to rally and close the gap.

When the timeout ended and the players returned to the court, Gan Guoyang pulled Charles Barkley aside and whispered:

"Dude, to tell you the truth, my legs are fucking weak right now. The whole journey from New York to Minnesota was so bumpy it made my ass numb, and we even encountered turbulence on the plane. I definitely wouldn't be able to get much results if I tried to force it now."

"So, I need to get back into the swing of things. Let's start with good defense and team offense. Don't rush, let's slowly find our rhythm."

“Right now, the key player on the field isn’t me, it’s you. Do you hear me, Charles? You’re the key player.”

Gan Guoyang is very pragmatic. Although his return boosted the team's morale, he also showed off a lot to give his teammates more confidence.

In reality, Gan Guoyang didn't rest for a minute in order to catch up with this match, let alone warm up.

So when he came on stage, his muscles were stiff, and his glutes were numb. He couldn't warm up his body and hands without running for a few minutes.

But the situation was urgent; the Trail Blazers were down by 10 points, which was a very large deficit in the playoffs of the 2000s.

If you go all out and fail to score, you could not only widen the score gap and ruin the game, but you could also jeopardize your reputation.

What was supposed to be a legendary comeback turned into a series of missed shots, handing the Trail Blazers a Game 5 – isn't that shameful?

At this point, it's still necessary to rely on trusted teammates to cooperate, let Charles Barkley hold the fort for a while, and let Gan Guoyang find his form.

Barkley understood immediately and grinned, "When it really matters, your brother has to stand up for you, Sonny. Where did your swagger go? You fucking fooled me."

Gan Guoyang whispered, "How can I boost the team's morale if I don't do this? Let's play well, Charles, and let's coordinate a move first."

Barkley nodded and inbounded the ball from the sideline. Gan Guoyang took the ball from Brellock and started organizing the attack from the outside.

The Timberwolves' defensive focus was entirely on Gan Guoyang, especially Kevin Garnett, who didn't expect Gan Guoyang to be able to return for the game.

The Timberwolves shifted their entire defensive focus to the right wing, and Gan Guoyang even tried to play a handoff with Kobe, but this was nothing more than a tactical feint.

Charles Barkley cut to the basket from the weak side, and Gan Guoyang delivered a precise, high-profile pass to the basket, which Kevin Garnett failed to intercept.

Barkley received the ball, pushed past Malik Ciri under the basket, and made a layup, drawing a foul on Ciri and being awarded a free throw.

Barkley stepped to the free-throw line, made the free throw, and high-fived Gan Guoyang in celebration. It was a very well-coordinated play that exploited a weakness in the Timberwolves' defense.

The Timberwolves don't have a true big man at the center position. Once Kevin Garnett is drawn to the strong side, his protection of the weak side weakens, and the Timberwolves' defense under the basket will have gaps.

In the first three games, the Trail Blazers' penetration of the paint was not good, and Kevin Garnett's intricate web caused them a lot of trouble in their basket.

Returning to the offensive end, in half-court sets, the Trail Blazers are not afraid of the Timberwolves' offense. As long as they don't allow the Timberwolves to launch fast breaks, the Trail Blazers' defense is quite solid once they are in position.

Kevin Garnett's high-post catch-and-shoot jumper missed. Garnett's shooting percentage tonight was really bad. If his shooting percentage were slightly better, the Timberwolves would definitely have a lead of more than 10 points, and the Trail Blazers would have had a much harder time coming back.

Barkley grabbed the rebound and passed it to Gan Guoyang. Instead of launching a counterattack, Gan Guoyang slowly dribbled the ball across half-court, adjusting his breathing and dribbling, making it look like he was about to launch a strong attack.

The Timberwolves still dared not relax their defense against Gan Guoyang, stacking defense on the right side, and Garnett's eyes were also fixed on Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang, however, chose to pass the ball to Kobe in the middle, and Kobe passed it to Jermaine O'Neal at the left 45-degree angle. Charles Barkley was already positioning himself under the basket.

Jermaine O'Neal played a through ball to Barkley, who used his big butt to push past Joe Smith, who was guarding him, and then turned and threw the ball up for a layup.

The positioning was perfect, and the turn was quick, but the final touch was clearly lacking in power, and the ball bounced off the backboard but didn't go in.

The battle for the rebound! Garnett had Gan Guoyang firmly under his control, but Gan Guoyang used his footwork and strength to successfully turn the tables and block him back.

Next, Gan Guoyang used a small trick to pull Garnett back, jumped up a little, and passed the ball to Kobe, keeping possession of the ball with the Trail Blazers.

Gan Guoyang had already run to the right baseline. Kobe faked a move and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who then faked a move and broke through.

Drawing the defense, he made a high lob pass to Barkley on the other side of the basket. Barkley jumped up and slammed the ball in with both hands for an alley-oop dunk!

"You useless thing, you can't even score in a one-on-one?" Gan Guoyang "criticized" Barkley when they went back to defend.

"I've done my best! Besides, aren't you good at grabbing offensive rebounds?"

"That idiot isn't always so lucky. But overall, not bad, well done."

Barkley scored 5 consecutive points, putting pressure on the Timberwolves, prompting Flip Saunders to call a timeout.

At this point, the Timberwolves were in a dilemma. They couldn't figure out whether Gan Guoyang was simply out of form due to rushing to another game or was deliberately creating a diversion.

Sanders reiterated the team's defensive strategy, instructing Kevin Garnett to continue focusing his energy on the other players.

"Especially Charles Barkley, don't give him easy scoring opportunities under the basket anymore, it's terrible."

Sanders knew that Forrest Gump was a poison, and his existence often forced you to choose between poison and a white silk noose.

Whether you live or die depends on your body's tolerance to the poison or your lung capacity.

Based on his experience from the first three matches, Sanders believes that Gan Guoyang's singles game is no longer as lethal as it was at its peak.

Moreover, his defensive influence is declining, so it is necessary to cut off Gan Guoyang's connection with his teammates and play faster on offense.

Based on this, it all depends on the players' performance and their condition on the day.

Sanders' idea was correct, and the tactical direction was perfectly sound. They executed the optimal solution against the Trail Blazers in their first game.

In the end, the outcome depends entirely on the players' performance; it's a contest of individual ability and the will to win, and in this respect, the Timberwolves are not as good as the Trail Blazers.

But which young team hasn't grown up through such trials of blood and fire?
After the timeout, the Timberwolves still didn't have a good solution for their positional offense.

Blaylock and Kobe double-teamed Marbury, and Marbury passed the ball to Ciri.

Siri dribbled the ball inwards, but hesitated to shoot when facing Forrest Gump not far away.

Finally, the ball was passed to Garnett, who took a mid-range shot from the left side, with his foot on the three-point line.

Still no luck! A collective sigh rippled through the crowd, and Garnett gritted his teeth and shook his head.

Garnett always lacked a bit of energy on offense; his technique wasn't up to par.

During the regular season, Garnett seemed to be proficient in all kinds of skills, especially as a tall inside player, his outside dribbling was very good.

But that was only his performance under the intensity of the regular season. When it came to the high-intensity competition of the playoffs, Garnett's offensive performance was not up to par.

Jermaine O'Neal grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Gan Guoyang, who was essentially playing the small forward position at that point.

After running back and forth a few times, Gan Guoyang's body gradually warmed up. He observed the Timberwolves' defense and decided to pass the ball to Kobe first.

Then Gan Guoyang fell to the low post and received the ball with his back to the basket. The player guarding Gan Guoyang was Wally Szczerbiak.

This white small forward, who is of Spanish descent, is known for his scoring ability, so having him mismatch guard Gan Guoyang was really a no-go.

Pris Sanders didn't want Garnett's defense to be worn down by Gan Guoyang, as that was a bottomless pit.

Gan Guoyang turned his back and squeezed in. How could Szczerbiak possibly withstand him? Gan Guoyang quickly turned around and took a shot with a forward lean.

Szczerbiak reached out to block, hitting Gan Guoyang's arm. The referee blew the whistle and called a foul, sending Gan Guoyang to the free-throw line.

Szczerbiak clearly lacked experience in defending Gan Guoyang and was helpless against this kind of quick turnaround and leaning shot, making it easy for him to foul.

This is exactly the effect Gan Guoyang wanted; he needed free throws to adjust his shooting touch and find his shooting rhythm.

Gan Guoyang made both free throws, scoring the first point of the game.

The goal made him feel good; his muscles were activating their shooting memory, and his body was already slightly warm and sweating.

The gap was narrowed to just 3 points, and then the Timberwolves finally scored a basket.

Stephon Marbury again hit a pull-up jumper from the high post, quenching the team's thirst for a win.

Kobe immediately responded with a high jump shot from the Timberwolves, while Gan Guoyang drew the defense's attention under the basket.

Kevin Garnett is now hesitant about whether to help defend Forrest Gump.

Gan Guoyang's return, though seemingly only resulting in one goal, has brought about a noticeable change to the game.

Of course, the real game-winning shot comes from a solid score. Garnett attempted a strong drive to the basket, but his layup was disrupted by Jermaine O'Neal's defense and missed.

Gan Guoyang grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to Charles Barkley.

Just when the Timberwolves thought the Trail Blazers would play at a slow pace, Barkley charged forward like a tractor with the accelerator floored.

After driving into the three-point line, Barkley suddenly made a signature behind-the-back pass to Gan Guoyang, who was following up.

Instead of driving to the basket, Gan Guoyang received the ball at the corner and suddenly stopped and shot.

This caught the Timberwolves players off guard as they retreated to defend, and then they watched as Gan Guoyang easily scored two points.

One point! The gap has been narrowed to one point!

There were still a little over two minutes left in the third quarter.

The atmosphere in the entire target center became heavy.

Flip Saunders called another timeout; the Timberwolves desperately needed to solve their offensive problems.

However, the Timberwolves' biggest problem is that their star player can't score in one-on-one situations.

Garnett sat on the bench, a towel draped over his head, staring with a frustrated and angry look in his eyes.

"Why did we suddenly forget how to play basketball as soon as Forrest Gump came back? Where did our morale go? Where did our speed go?"

Sanders criticized his teammates for being terrified by Forrest Gump and losing all their spirit, but in reality, Forrest Gump wasn't that scary.

At that moment, Garnett suddenly said, "Coach, let me guard Forrest one-on-one later."

Sanders said, "What? No, this is not our strategy. You know your mission, Kevin."

"It's okay, I can handle it, I'm fine! I'll keep Forrest Gump in check and give my teammates confidence."

Garnett glared at her and said through gritted teeth.

Philip Sanders understood what Garnett meant.

He's the team leader, and the opponent's leader is back on the court. I have to keep him in check and boost the team's morale.

Offense was out of the question. Garnett tried his best, but with the Trail Blazers' individual defense being extremely strong, he couldn't score on any offense.

Garnett's real confidence now lies in his defense. If he can suppress Forrest Gump on defense in the upcoming games, it will be a huge boost for the team.

Sanders hesitated for a moment, thinking that at this stage, tactical arrangements were not so important; the players' morale was the decisive factor.

So he agreed to Garnett's request and decided to have him guard Gan Guoyang one-on-one in the next game.

As he entered the game, Garnett pounded his chest to encourage his teammates to hold onto their lead and try to go into the fourth quarter with it.

The Timberwolves' most effective offensive method is still Stephon Marbury's dribbling penetration. He drives hard into the defense and gets favored by the referees, who blow the whistle and send him to the free-throw line.

Marbury made both free throws. In his heart, he was the team leader, and he was not entirely convinced of Garnett's leadership position.

In this series, Marbury's offense became the Timberwolves' lifeline. Without his counterattacks and isolation plays, the Timberwolves' offense would collapse.

In fact, Marbury's offensive efficiency is not high either. He is somewhat similar to Sprewell in last season's Finals, and is the only ball-handler on the team who can break through the defense.

In the late 90s, with a slower pace of play and tighter defense, such ball handlers were extremely important in the playoffs.

Given that Marbury was already dissatisfied with Garnett's large contract, he was naturally very resentful after reluctantly staying on.

To prove his leadership, Garnett began a one-on-one battle with Gan Guoyang—on the defensive end, of course.

Before Gan Guoyang even got the ball, Garnett was already sticking to him closely. With his height, long arms, and agile footwork, he was indeed very difficult to deal with one-on-one.

But Gan Guoyang was very experienced, and Garnett's various tricks were ineffective against him; he was as unshakeable as a mountain.

Even at 36 years old, and despite losing a significant amount of weight, his strength has reached its peak – this is what Gan Guoyang relies on after his comeback.

At this point, strength was Garnett's weakness.

He positions himself, receives the ball, dribbles in, and then easily turns and shoots.

At a mid-range angle of zero degrees, Garnett was squeezed out of his balance and was unable to jump to contest the shot.

They scored two points, bringing the score to one.

"Did your coach send you to guard me?" Gan Guoyang asked as he returned to defense.

"I chose to guard you myself," Garnett said frankly.

"Good for you, Kevin. But let me tell you, I really don't have any safe words here."

Marbury got caught in a one-on-one situation, driving to the basket but being blocked by Sabonis, who had returned to the court.

The moment Sabonis entered the game, it signaled that Gan Guoyang was about to start his offensive run; he had already warmed up.

The Trail Blazers launched a counterattack, with Gan Guoyang making a fast break. Garnett quickly returned to defense, and Gan Guoyang received a pass from Kobe.

He dribbled and faked several times, then suddenly took a step back and scored a long two-pointer from the right corner!
A terrible shot selection. Garnett tried his best to block it, but the ball still went in with a high arc!

Overtaken!

With one minute remaining in the third quarter, the Trail Blazers finally took a 65-64 lead over the Timberwolves!
Marbury then attacked the basket again, but was blocked by Gan Guoyang. That guy is too selfish.

There was almost no coordination between Gan Guoyang and Garnett, and Gan Guoyang had already figured out his offensive pattern.

On the final offensive possession of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang received the ball on the perimeter, while Garnett lowered his center and lurked menacingly.

As a result, Gan Guoyang dribbled the ball, suddenly started, then stopped abruptly, and launched a long-range three-pointer!
When leading, he boldly takes three points – this is Gan Guoyang's style of extending his lead.

The ball went in perfectly! And the game almost ended the third quarter.

With Gan Guoyang returning, the Trail Blazers completed a comeback, bringing the score to 68-64!

In the fourth quarter, Garnett finally realized he had made a huge mistake.

He actually tried to stop Agan's firepower all by himself, but Gan Guoyang found his offensive mode and was full of energy.

After warming up, the stiffness disappeared, and I quickly found my shooting rhythm.

Facing Garnett, Gan Guoyang repeatedly punished this excellent defensive big man by using his mid-range shot and face-up drives.

The game turned into a one-on-one battle between two tall players, Gan Guoyang and Garnett, except that Garnett was the one being dominated in one direction.

Once Gan Guoyang found his rhythm, he showed Minneapolis fans why the mid-range shot is a god-like weapon.

There's no tactical setup, no need for strenuous breakthroughs, everyone else just stands still, catch the ball, adjust, shoot, it goes in, two points in hand.

Gan Guoyang hit five of these shots over Garnett, including two face-up drives, leaving Garnett completely unsure of Gan Guoyang's next move.

With its ever-changing design and impeccable attention to detail, leaving no room for error, this is the result of over a decade of refinement by the 36-year-old historical superstar.

Led by Gan Guoyang, the Trail Blazers unleashed an 18-6 run in the fourth quarter, completely crushing the Timberwolves.

Gan Guoyang completely crushed Garnett, just as he said, there would be no safe word tonight.

Since you've stepped onto the stage for a one-on-one duel, you must accept the outcome—victory or defeat, life or death.

There is no third way to go—unless you say you have groin pain halfway through the game and ask your teammates to help you defend your assigned position.

Garnett chose to die standing up. Towards the end, he was desperate about his performance, and his emotional depression was clearly visible.

But he persisted, persisting until the very last moment of the game, until his season was completely over.

When the buzzer sounded, Garnett knelt on the floor, pounded it twice, then got up and hugged Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang hugged the stubborn giant tightly, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Don't worry, the future is yours, it will definitely be yours."

With a score of 99-86, the Trail Blazers won Game 4 by 13 points, eliminating the Timberwolves 3-1 in the series and advancing to the semifinals.

(End of this chapter)