The Golden Age of Basketball

() (It's the last day of the new book issue, it's about to be off the list, so keep it in your collection!)

"Buzz~~" When the buzzer sounded the end of halftime, "Swipe!" There was the sound of the ball going into the basket hollowly.

"Yeah!" The Sacramento High School fans in purple clothes shouted loudly in the stands, but they were not many in number, but they had the same enthusiasm as the Palo Alto High School students.

"Damn it!" Bellman looked at the last shot of the Dragons, turned his head helplessly, and said through gritted teeth.

Towards the end of the first half, Kevin Johnson made the final attack. He relied on a single-block screen at the top of the arc, made an emergency stop for a jumper, and the ball went into the basket at the buzzer.

In this way, the first half of the game ended. In a rare high-shooting ratio battle, the score of the two sides came to 57:40, and the Sacramento Dragon led by 17 points.

After Gan Guoyang was off the field for three fouls in the second half of the first half, Bellman decisively called a timeout. He had to readjust his tactics when he temporarily lost his core.

Bellman did not choose to replace Stanley and the dragon to drag the rhythm, but replaced a small forward and let Virgis play center.

Bellman's intention is obvious, that is, to fight against the Dragons.

He knew that when the Vikings lost Gan Guoyang, the core of offense and defense, they could not stop the Dragons just by delaying the rhythm and fighting defense.

Since you can't prevent the opponent from scoring, it's better to let go of the attack, not defend the lost points, and get them back from the offense.

However, the feeling of the entire team fell to freezing point after Gan Guoyang left the field.

Whether it is a mid-range jumper or an inside attack, the Vikings have made almost no achievements.Without their core, both offense and defense tend to collapse.

At the end of the half, they were 17 points behind. In the 8 minutes after Gan Guoyang left the field, they only scored 10 points, and the offense was extremely difficult.

The Sacramento Dragons have one of the sharpest knives in Northern California - Kevin Johnson.

After Gan Guoyang came off the field, his breakthrough simply ignored the Vikings' defense. In 8 minutes, he made 8 of 8 shots, including free throws, and scored 19 points!

Johnson scored 23 points in the first half, more than half of the Vikings' entire team.

Throughout the first half, it became Kevin Johnson's personal performance. The fans in the stadium cheered for Johnson one after another, and the entire stadium became the home of the dragon.

But at halftime, the Vikings' locker room was full of solemnity, because the Vikings encountered the biggest dilemma since the beginning of the game.

Since entering 1982, except for Gan Guoyang's diarrhea game, the Vikings have not lost a single game.

More importantly, in all games, the Vikings led their opponents in the first half, and then entered the second half. The Vikings finished the second half with a stalking defense and a stable inside line.

But now, the Vikings are actually behind, and they are 17 points behind the Dragons.

"Boys, you have played very well today. There are some things we cannot predict." Bellman did not yell at the players in the locker room. He knew that the players needed encouragement and confidence at this time.

However, most of the Vikings players were still a little silent. Obviously, the large score behind, the unfamiliar rhythm of the game, and the large amount of physical energy consumed in the offensive all caused the team's morale to fall into a low tide.

"In the second half we have to get the game back under our control, we have to defend, we have to block every attack they make, we can't let them score easily!"

Bellman tried his best to encourage the Vikings players and asked them to strengthen their defense in the second half, but from the faces of the Vikings players, Bellman didn't see the expression he wanted to see.

Even Behrman himself felt that his words were so dry and pale, because his adjustment mistakes after Gan Guoyang left the field brought the team into such a situation.

Not only did he turn his face to look at Gan Guoyang who was standing aside, but Gan Guoyang also had a sullen face and tightly pressed his lips, just like the others in the locker room.

And when he noticed the gaze cast by Behrman, Gan Guoyang understood that he had to say something at this moment.

So Gan Guoyang straightened up, took a deep breath, looked at all the Vikings players, and gave his first locker room speech in his basketball career.

"My dear teammates, I don't know how long basketball can be with me, I don't know how far we can go on the court, I don't know if the sun will rise as usual tomorrow, I don't know how long we will be in the future What is going to happen in the house. I just know how difficult it is for us to get here. I just know that the sweat from our training can fill the entire arena. I just know that everyone is fighting for victory. I Just know that if you give up early, the game is over. Think about it, how many teams chose to give up early when they played against us? Now we face the same situation as those losers, win or go home .I miss my hometown, I miss San Francisco, I miss China, but I don't want to go home, I just want to go to Los Angeles!"

Gan Guoyang finished almost all the words in one breath, and everyone was quietly listening to Gan Guoyang finish his words.

"Come tell us and our opponents that we are the strongest!" Gan Guoyang stretched out his right hand and said to everyone again.

All the players, including coach Behrman, the team leader teacher, and the school team doctor, surrounded them. Everyone stretched out their right hands and placed them on Gan Guoyang's.

"We-are-the-best! (We are the strongest!)" The orderly shouts shook the eardrums as everyone pressed their hands hard.

Behrman watched the confidence and determination slowly return to the faces of the players. He knew that Gan Guoyang's words had worked, and in fact he was also deeply encouraged.

However, relying on morale alone cannot bring victory. It is necessary to make adjustments to the team's tactics and lineup in order to save the critical situation in the second half.

"Remember, defense is our foundation. We have also seen the results of the first half of the match. We must return to our strengths. Use defense to attack the opponent's morale and regain the initiative!"

"However, at the same time, we must also protect our inside line, and we must not allow our opponents to kill our inside line." Bellman is naturally referring to Gan Guoyang. If Gan Guoyang fouls again in the second half, it will be four times, and he is only one step away from being sent off. away.

If this is the case, the Vikings will become extremely passive, and basically the game will be explained.

After finishing speaking, Behrman's eyes that swept around stayed on an inconspicuous face.

"Ada, you will start the second half!"

…………

"Hey, I think the Vikings are dangerous this time~"

"What nonsense are you talking about? My cousin is still here! It's only 10 minutes into the second half, it's still early!"

"But the big cousin fouled three times. You didn't look at the referee. He didn't call the Dragons foul, but he called the big cousin dunk! Did this guy take money from Sacramento High School?"

"I think it looks like it! It must be the mother who looks down on us Chinese. You haven't read what the newspapers have said about the big cousin these days. It is said that the big cousin was brought up because of the Koreans."

"Koreans know how to eat kimchi, which is not as delicious as our Chinese food."

"Exactly! Especially our Ganjia cuisine... By the way, I will take out my flag and wave it. My cousin and his father are also talented, so he will advertise on the flag."

In the stands, Chen Xing and Gan Guohui talked about Korean kimchi from the game, and Gan's cuisine. Gan Guohui immediately took out his big flag and waved it in the stands, and by the way advertised for Gan's restaurant.

This should also be considered a kind of team naming.

"Hey, Fatty, look, the starting lineup of the school team has changed! Look who is that?" The second half of the game is about to start, and the starting players of the two teams have already stood on the field, waiting for the game to continue.

However, Chen Xing discovered that a new face appeared in the starting lineup of the Vikings.The original starting small forward did not stand on the court, and was replaced by a black player who looked a little thin and about 6 feet 6 tall.

"Damn it, isn't that Ida? Lucas, the guy who helps my cousin pick up the ball all the year round!" Gan Guohui stopped waving the flagpole, looked at the players on the field, and recognized the new starting player.

"Lucas?"

"Yes, Ada Lucas, used to be on the track and field team, but it seems that Behrman tricked her into the basketball team." Gan Guohui naturally learned the word "fool" from his cousin who is a language genius.

The biggest adjustment Bellman made was to replace the original starting small forward with a player who played no more than ten games and was only in the tenth grade——Ada Lucas.

This player used to be on the track and field team, but was spotted by Bellman, who was short of people, and lured to the basketball team with a basketball scholarship as a third substitute for the small forward.

In addition, he also replaced Wiggis and replaced Stanley.

This trick was also used against Peyton of Skyrim High School.

"Ada, are you okay? Don't be nervous, I believe you're fine." Gan Guoyang looked at Lucas's dull face standing on the field, knowing that he was nervous, and stepped forward to comfort him.

"I'm fine, Gan...Gan, do you think I can guard against him?"

"Okay, as long as you do what Coach Behrman said, you'll be fine. And there's me."

"Beep!"

With the whistle of the referee, the second half of the game began. The Sacramento Dragons took the lead and started the first attack in the second half.

The Dragons, which led by 17 points in the first half, can be said to be unhurried and unhurried at this time.

Kevin Johnson controlled the ball and slowly dribbled across the half court. The entire Dragon team also began to move in an orderly manner and execute offensive tactics.

But Johnson found that the defender standing in front of him had changed.

In the first half, whether it was man-to-man defense or the occasional zone defense, Vikings' starting point guard Peter Dippenbrook faced Kevin Johnson.

And now, standing in front of him is indeed a tall and thin man - Ida Lucas who just replaced him in the second half.

Ida Lucas's height obviously plays the small forward position in high school games. He is also a small forward substitute in the team, but Bellman is the number one man-marking the Dragons in the halftime arrangement. Star, Kevin? Johnson!

"Do you think being tall can prevent me?" Johnson thought disdainfully as he looked at the unknown man in front of him.

In the face of lightning, any obstacle is static.

Johnson adjusted his pace, slammed his ankle, and broke to Lucas's right, but Lucas hadn't reacted yet.

"Sure enough, but that's it..."

Johnson was thinking that this defender was nothing more than that, but another Vikings player suddenly appeared in front of him, Gan Guoyang.

Although Kevin Johnson has fast speed and strong attacking power, his ability to observe the game situation and read the opponent's defense is insufficient. In this regard, he is not as good as Payton in the ninth grade.

The Vikings started the second half with a deceptive 1-2-2 defensive strategy, in which one player marks the opposing point guard and the other four form a zone defense around the three-second zone.

This kind of formation looks like a man-to-man defense, but Kevin Johnson didn't see it, so he directly drilled in, only to be caught by Gan Guoyang, who was in the corner.

At this time, Lucas also followed, and the two guys with tall arms and long arms directly covered Kevin Johnson in a big net.

Johnson's passing is mediocre and relies heavily on his breakthrough.Now being blocked by the opponent's two elders, it is even more difficult to play the ball comfortably.

He passed the ball in a hurry, but Williams, who had been prepared, intercepted the ball.

Lucas, who just successfully defended, immediately turned around and started a fast break. Although he looked thin, he ran very fast, as expected of the track and field team!

Williams passed the ball to Lucas smoothly, but the dragon players hadn't reacted yet, and Lucas made an easy layup. 57:42.

"Good job, Lucas!" The Vikings players encouraged Lucas, and Lucas also seemed very excited, with a smile on his face that was a little numb at the beginning.

On the other hand, Kevin Johnson couldn't hold back his face anymore. He counterattacked after being intercepted, which really annoyed him.

In particular, he was facing a little-known little substitute. In the analysis report on the Vikings, such a person was not mentioned at all.

But Lucas seems to have decided to stalk Johnson to the end.

Before Johnson received his teammate's serve from the baseline, Lucas was already entangled, touching Johnson with his hands from time to time and pushing here and there, not wanting him to catch the ball well.

After a lot of effort, Johnson took the ball across half court.

For Johnson, Lucas hadn't even thought about stealing the ball straight out of his hands.

But Lucas, a thin-looking guy, stuck to Johnson like a jellybean.

If Johnson passed the ball, Lucas would still follow Johnson, like a bodyguard; if Johnson broke through and handed over the inside line to Stanley, Gan Guoyang, who was transferred to the corner position, would immediately step forward to defend.

At this time, Johnson rushed inward several times, trying to cause Gan Guoyang to foul. If so, the Vikings would completely lose hope.

However, Gan Guoyang has a good grasp of defensive actions, and with the assistance of Lucas, it is difficult for Johnson to get a foul.

Moreover, even if Johnson breaks through this second line of defense, there is still a big center Stanley waiting for him.

In fact, if Kevin Johnson was a good passer, then this one-man strategy would have killed him badly.

When the Vikings dealt with Payton of Skyrim High School, they only double-teamed him in rotation, because his passing was very threatening.

But now, the Vikings can be said to use their own defensive core, sending a dedicated defensive player and a big center forward to form a green shield to stop the purple lightning from raging.

Bellman took advantage of Kevin Johnson's short stature, poor vision, and general passing skills, and erected a huge shield in front of him that he couldn't break through.

"Boom!" The dragon player missed a jumper after receiving a pass from Kevin Johnson, and the ball hit the neck of the basket.

In fact, this is already a relatively good opportunity. Johnson also seized this opportunity to pass the ball. However, the Dragons, which lacked the offensive core to drive them, fell into a scoring drought with a cold touch.

"Pass the ball to me Stanley!" Stanley took off the rebound steadily and heard Gan Guoyang's shout.

Stanley didn't think much, and immediately passed the ball to Gan Guoyang. This is the treatment of a core player on the court. Even if you are a center forward, he will pass you the ball as a point guard.

But sometimes Gan Guoyang really looks like a point guard, or a quarterback.

Because his football-style full-court long pass appeared again!

Passing, like other skills, depends on talent and experience, but the proportion of talent is greater.

Unlike defense and shooting, it can rely on acquired diligence, and diligence can make up for one's weakness.

Amazing passing requires aura, creativity, and imagination.

Gan Guoyang lacks experience, but what he lacks most is talent.

His big hands and long arms, like a trebuchet, threw the basketball in his hand vigorously.

The ball went over the heads of the Dragons players, went straight to the frontcourt, and fell accurately into the hands of Williams who reached the opponent at a 45-degree angle.

Williams did not directly break through or shoot, but before his body was balanced, he hit the ground and passed the ball to the middle.

At this point, Ike? Lucas has plugged in from the middle!

He received the pass, and under the pressure of the opponent's defender, he got under the basket like a loach and successfully wiped the basket.

This is Lucas's sixth point in the second half!In addition to the opening fast break, he also relied on his running position to get an open layup opportunity before and scored the ball.

At this time, the second half of the game has been played for 6 minutes, and the score has come to 50:59.

The Vikings scored 10 points in a row, but the Dragons didn't even score a single sports game except for Johnson's two free throws.

The point difference between the two sides came to within 10 points again.

After scoring the goal, Lucas was extremely excited. Instead of retreating to the half-court defense, he stayed under the basket of the Dragons and continued to pester Kevin Johnson so hard that he couldn't even catch the serve.

"Damn guy, how long can you hang on to me?" Johnson's heart was full of irritability. Since the beginning of the second half, this No. 15 Lucas was like a magnet, and he couldn't shake it off.

"You don't even want to get rid of me!" At this time, Lucas really got more and more defensive.

Seeing the effect of his substitutions and tactics, Bellman couldn't help but heaved a sigh of relief, thinking: "It seems that Lucas's long-distance running in the track and field team was not in vain."