Chapter 2175 - 11: The Other Half_3
The second half began, with Glory holding a three-point lead. Gan Guoyang had scored 12 points and made 6 assists in the first half. He restrained his number of shots and focused more on defense and facilitating.
In the third quarter, Gan Guoyang stopped holding back and started a scoring spree.
Opening with the first goal, Gan Guoyang single-handedly took on the young Aldridge.
After powering through, he turned around and took a jump shot, scoring two points.
On the defensive end, he successfully intercepted Bynum’s ball, dribbled it himself, and scored on a fast-break lay-up.
Then, just like in the first half at the top of the arc with the ball, he suddenly launched a three-point shot and scored.
He single-handedly led a 7-0 run against the Lakers, forcing them to call a timeout.
Seeing Gan Guoyang score consecutively, Allen Iverson sat on the sidelines clapping, like a subordinate applauding the leader, with a hint of perfunctory.
After the timeout, Gan Guoyang didn’t slow down his scoring pace, relaxing his efforts on defense, allowing Ad’s shot to score.
Immediately after, at a 45-degree angle, he cut outside a pick-and-roll, received the ball, and nailed a mid-range jump shot.
Roy broke through and scored a floater; Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Yao Ming, Yao Ming got double-teamed and passed it to Gan Guoyang, who scored again with a catch-and-shoot from 45 degrees!
The atmosphere was heating up; Iverson started nodding his head. He knew Ah Gan’s shooting was accurate, but the thrilling goals were always about this shot, and the next one, not the past.
When Gan Guoyang hit his tenth mid-range jumper of the third quarter, the entire Gump Center started cheering.
The 42-year-old veteran was having a pure shooting feast, scoring 25 points in a single quarter, shooting 14 of 11, with only two free throws, helping Glory extend the lead to 14 points.
The Lakers’ young players could score but couldn’t keep up with Ah Gan’s high-efficiency pace.
Iverson joined the cheering crowd, standing up at the end of the third quarter and applauding Ah Gan.
After three quarters, Gan Guoyang had 37 points and 10 rebounds. This data seemed quite ordinary to him, not worth mentioning in his vast historical record.
But considering his current age, this performance was already excellent, even more so when there’s still one quarter to play.
After resting on the sidelines for four minutes, Glory didn’t widen the gap further, allowing Gan Guoyang to return to the game.
Just coming back, he missed a shot, but he immediately grabbed the rebound, charged inside, and scored a putback while drawing Bynum’s defensive foul.
He made the free throw, reaching 40 points, making the fans realize that the 42-year-old Ah Gan had already set a record as the oldest to score 40 points.
From then on, every basket would add a bit to the oldest scoring record, as each passing age continues to be a year for records.
With Bynum fouling while aiding against Ah Gan, sending him to the free-throw line, Gan Guoyang, having scored 48 points, had the chance to hit 50.
The MVP chants resounded across the stadium once again. Iverson, originally perfunctory, had long joined in, chanting MVP alongside the fans.
Both free throws were successfully made, bringing another 50-point game. Gan Guoyang’s 50-point games increased to 43, second only to Chamberlain’s 118, ranking second in history.
However, scoring 50 points at the age of 42 indeed set a new historical record, and Glory easily beat the Lakers 118:102 by a 16-point margin.
When Gan Guoyang exited the court, the applause was overwhelming. After the game, in the locker room, Iverson came over, gently kissed the back of Gan Guoyang’s hand. With a calm expression, Gan Guoyang asked Iverson, "Allen, do you know what the team is missing?"
"Um... maybe my 50 points?"
"You’d better be able to get 50 points." Gan Guoyang said, taking out a backpack, unzipping it to show Iverson, revealing that it was full of championship rings.
"11 Championship Rings, too many. So many that one more wouldn’t stand out. And you, you don’t have one. Do you want to win a championship?"
"Of course I do."
"Then bring out that championship passion and drive; that’s what we lack."
Iverson nodded, deciding to not be late for training tomorrow.
At this moment, Porter came over, snatching the bag from Gan Guoyang’s hand, saying, "Hurry and give it here so you don’t lose it."
It turns out the championship rings in the bag all belonged to Porter.