Chapter 2227 - 36: Land Forsaken by the Gods

Chapter 2227: Chapter 36: Land Forsaken by the Gods

Gan Guoyang delayed turning the tide until the fourth quarter, just to avoid giving The Warriors time to adjust or counterattack.

After hitting this one-legged golden rooster backward jump shot, Gan Guoyang breathed a sigh of relief; the situation had finally turned around.

"Damn, if it were before, I would have blown them away in the third quarter." Gan Guoyang thought, he had been biding his time for this comeback blow for a long time.

Sitting courtside, Michael Jordan shouted to Gan Guoyang, "Have you become so gutless now, Sonny! You’re using backward jump shots!"

Gan Guoyang only started using backward jump shots extensively at age 40, rarely using his classic forward-leaning shots to draw fouls.

The main reasons were age and injuries; too much contact with forward-leaning shots makes injuries more likely, while contactless backward jump shots, though less lethal, suffice as long as they go in during critical moments.

Therefore, Gan Guoyang had no choice but to "stoop" to use this move often employed by Jordan, Kobe, Olajuwon, and others.

Naturally, he couldn’t avoid the teasing from his friends, who remembered he always said back then that backward jump shots were for the gutless.

After being surpassed, The Warriors’ morale visibly waned, and their following offenses were overly casual.

Actually, they still had the chance to keep fighting and win the game.

But letting such a large lead turn the tables, squandering such a huge advantage left the players’ mindsets slightly crumbled.

In the next three attempts, The Warriors appeared too casual and impatient.

Davis and Stephen Jackson forced shots, none of which went in, allowing Gan Guoyang to control the rebounds.

After securing the ball, Gan Guoyang did not slow the game down but quickly initiated a counterattack.

Allen Iverson drove to the basket for two consecutive fast-break plays, scoring a layup on one and drawing a foul on The Warriors on the other.

At the free-throw line, Iverson made both shots, and Glory exploited The Warriors’ mess to build an advantage.

When Don Nelson called a timeout to stabilize The Warriors’ situation, the point difference between the two teams had already exceeded five points.

At this point, the Glory team, which had been playing a back-and-forth game with The Warriors, finally slowed down and engaged in a set-piece battle with them.

Gan Guoyang continued to take the ball in the low post for strong attacks, gradually slowing his attack speed to draw in The Warriors’ defense.

He no longer wanted to finish fights within three seconds like in his youth; instead, he observed, stalled, and made decisions after thorough consideration.

He resembled a massive, ancient crocodile, languidly lurking underwater, launching sudden attacks after making ample preparation and observation.

Whether it’s through passing or holding the ball for a strong attack, The Warriors couldn’t prevent Gan Guoyang from scoring in the low post.

The Glory team also showcased the tactical foundation they had prepared for winning the championship: Gan Guoyang’s low post, Yao Ming’s years of practicing perimeter shooting, Iverson’s off-ball movement, Gerald Wallace’s cuts and fast breaks, and Raja Bell’s outside shooting.

This tactical lineup is not only reasonable and stable, but each position also has redundancy in tactical abilities; Iverson is not only capable off the ball but also highly potent in ball handling.

Yao Ming is not only effective at perimeter shooting but also competent in the low post and under the basket.

Wallace and Bell also possess a certain level of ball handling expertise, and Wallace’s erratic three-pointers have saved Glory in the series.

There’s no need to say more about Gan Guoyang—he can launch an offense from any position.

Thus, possessing such a stable tactical system, supplemented by redundant individual skills at each position, makes them invincible once they have matched their play and found their form in the playoffs.

This major turnaround in the game gave Glory this sensation.

In the final few minutes of the fourth quarter, they secured their hold over The Warriors with highly efficient and varied offenses.

Once The Warriors lost their ultra-high three-point shooting support, their offense merely provided Glory with more ball possessions.

When Gan Guoyang caught the ball, posed a triple threat on the left baseline, and hit a standard mid-range jump shot to extend the lead to 12 points, everyone knew the game was over, as was the series.

Don Nelson used his last timeout; he didn’t substitute his main players but resolved to fight to the end.

Knowing it was in vain, Don Nelson refused to give up, reflecting the entirety of his coaching career.

Constantly attempting, continuously innovating, always striving, repeatedly being defeated yet consistently fighting on.

In response, Gan Guoyang and the Glory starters also played until the very end of the game.

Ultimately, the score settled at 110:101, with Glory completing a spectacular comeback, winning the third game of the Western Conference semifinals with a nine-point advantage, leading the series 3:0.

Despite losing, The Warriors’ excellent performance earned hearty applause and cheers from the audience.

They once had Glory overwhelmed, their three-pointers falling like rain, indicating the future direction of basketball to everyone.

Once the new generation’s three-point capabilities see significant improvement in both accuracy and volume, Old Nelson’s system will govern the league, and phase out the once-dominant low post giants—it is just a matter of time.

However, in the 2007 NBA, it was still the era of the inside game, where three-pointers were crucial weapons but not yet the decisive attacking means.

With this victory, the Western Conference semifinals were left without suspense.

Two days later, at Oracle Arena, Glory crushed the Golden State Warriors 107:84, a massive 23-point victory.

Las Vegas Radiance completed a 4:0 sweep over the Golden State Warriors, successfully advancing to the Western Conference Finals.

This marks Gan Guoyang’s 18th-time entering the Western Conference Finals in his career, making him the undisputed King of the West Finals.