The Golden Age of Basketball-Chapter 621 - 21 Section 3 of King_3

Cliff-Robinson also committed two fouls, and Cummings was due for a penalty shot.

Beelman sent in the veteran Mychal Thompson to play the final two rounds.

As Hornacek hit a buzzer-beating catch-and-shoot jumper at the end of the second quarter, the Trail Blazers led 58:52 at halftime, ahead by six points.

The rookies on the Trail Blazers finally experienced what NBA competition and game pace were all about.

The previous three games had been a breeze, with them playing almost leisurely for three-quarters to get a feel for the atmosphere.

The defense of the Spurs was first-rate in both hardness and focus; by halftime, only Gan Guoyang managed to play with ease.

He scored 18 points, assisted 5 times, and grabbed 11 rebounds, defending the Trail Blazers’ three-second zone while also doing a lot of auxiliary work.

Among the rookies, Sabonis performed the best, even though he scored only 2 points and 3 rebounds, the pace of the Trail Blazers didn’t fall apart while he was on the court.

Gan Guoyang played more comfortably, and if he could control his fouls, it was only a matter of time before Beelman would make him a starter.

Mychal Thompson could hold his own in the regular season, but was likely to struggle in the playoffs, Beelman had to promote a rookie.

A 35-year-old veteran needs to be used sparingly, preserving him for key moments during regular play.

As for Petrović and Divac, they still had a long way to go.

During halftime, Beelman posted the statistical data of the team on a whiteboard, which also included some peculiar data values he had calculated.

Based on these data, Beelman would give an overall grade from A to F to indicate the players’ performance in the first half.

He used this system to remind and motivate the players. At the end of the game, there would be another grading to see whether the score had gone up or down.

This grading wasn’t subjective or arbitrary; it was based on statistics and formulas, not just Beelman’s feeling.

Therefore, the players saw the grading as quite objective and an accurate reflection of their first-half performance, which they took seriously.

Undoubtedly, Gan Guoyang received an A, while Petrović only got a D. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Gan Guoyang comforted Petrović, "Don’t worry, there’s still room to drop. As for me, I’ve no room left to rise."

Petrović didn’t know what to say at the time.

Hornacek commented, "Relax, once you’re accustomed to Ah Gan, you’ll be immune to all the trash talk in the NBA."

The third quarter started, with the Trail Blazers’ first offense ending in a missed hook shot by Gan Guoyang against Robinson.

Robinson’s defense was outstanding; he had strong interference ability, explosive power, good arm reach, and had already blocked three shots in the first half.

Anyone facing David Robinson on offense had to be extremely alert or risk being blocked outright.

He was taller, wider, and larger than Olajuwon, with even stronger coverage and deterrence under the basket, though less skilled.

The Spurs persisted with their first-half game plan in the third quarter, not relying on Robinson to power inside, but using cuts and penetration to disrupt the Trail Blazers’ defensive formation, then exploiting weaknesses on the outside.

Cheeks dribbled to the baseline and seized the opportunity for a lob pass to Robinson under the basket, who went up for a dunk but was pushed down by Gan Guoyang!

The referee called a jump ball.

The Trail Blazers counterattacked; Gan Guoyang facilitated from the high post, delivering a bounce pass to Kossie running the baseline.

Kossie received the ball and attempted a dunk under the basket, but Robinson was there to defend, and the dunk slipped from his hands.

The Spurs’ defensive arrangement was clear; if Gan Guoyang went outside, Cummings would guard him, but Robinson was to always guard the three-second zone.

Both teams raised their defensive intensity a notch higher than in the first half, making Petrović doubt whether he could even dribble across the half-court at this point.

Spurs on offense, the veteran Cheeks tried to penetrate again. After breaking through, he passed inside, but the packed Trail Blazers’ defense clogged the area under the basket, and Thompson deflected the ball out of baseline.

In the end, the Spurs chose to take a mid-range shot from outside to finish the offense, Elliott’s attempt didn’t go in, and Thompson secured the rebound.

Hornacek missed a three-pointer afterward, but Gan Guoyang snagged the offensive rebound and passed it back to Hornacek in the same spot to shoot again, still missing.

Any other team would likely have taken a mid-range shot after claiming the rebound, instead of attempting another three-pointer.

Unlike other teams, the Trail Blazers valued three-pointers more and would take the shot when they had the chance.

Although they missed both attempts, Beelman applauded from the sideline, encouraging Hornacek, telling him it’s okay, not to hesitate.

That’s how shooters are; they have their off times, and they must be encouraged to keep taking shots.

If the Spurs had accurate three-point shooting, the Trail Blazers would find it harder to defend so densely.

Like Cheeks, guards from the 70s who entered the league weren’t skilled in three-point shooting, nor could they develop it later.

With single-digit three-pointers a season, they only shot when absolutely necessary.

They couldn’t help it; the three-point line didn’t exist when they were learning basketball.

This is why Porter could afford to give Cheeks three steps in defense. Cheeks had limited impact in set plays other than off-ball shootings and could only show his speed and penetration during transitions.

The most reliable scoring method the Spurs could depend on at that moment was free throws.

Elliott made his way under the basket amid the chaos, was blocked by Gan Guoyang, got the ball back for another attempt, when the whistle blew for a foul.