The Golden Age of Basketball

The ball was firmly controlled by Gan Guoyang, all of this happened in just a few seconds.

The Croatian players surrounded Gan Guoyang, but Jiang Xingquan immediately called a timeout.

Jiang Xingquan used up the last timeout of the match, the moment that would decide victory or defeat.

The China Team players were exhausted but also filled with excitement, they had a chance to make a game-winning shot against Croatia!

Everyone wanted to hear Coach Jiang's strategy for this final attack.

Jiang Xingquan had just taken his hand off Gong Luming's arm, facing the returning China players, he kept a stern face and remained silent.

Everyone stared at Jiang Xingquan with curious eyes, as if saying, "Coach Jiang, speak up, it's the final attack, we'll listen to you."

Jiang Xingquan remained silent for two more seconds, then said the first words after the timeout: "I just wanted to let you rest for a moment."

The players were exasperated, thinking, "Lao Jiang, what are you doing? A critical timeout just to let us rest?"

There was no other way, it was Jiang Xingquan's first time leading a team in the Olympics to such a moment, it was impossible not to be nervous.

When he called the timeout, his mind was blank, he hadn't thought of any strategy to lay out, the situation was beyond his capabilities.

At this moment, he remembered he still had a timeout left and avoided giving away a free throw for a no-timeout violation, which was already quite good.

Gan Guoyang took a big gulp of water and said to everyone, "It's okay, I will lay out a strategy."

As he spoke, Gan Guoyang took the tactics board from Gong Luming's hand, in such moments, Gan Guoyang had plenty of experience.

He had been through countless critical moments and grand scenes.

"I will definitely be Croatia's key defensive target; at this time we must remember, don't play too complicated, absolutely cannot be complicated. I'll hold the ball outside to attract their defense, if I get the ball, I'll try driving in. I'll follow up for a second chance basket, no long shots, no mid-range, the closer to the hoop, the better! I'll throw in the sideline ball, Sun Jun, you come to support, you must hold steady, remember to hold steady..."

Gan Guoyang decided to personally throw the sideline ball, on the narrow FIBA court, the sideline ball at critical moments was a challenge.

Gan Guoyang did not lay out any very complicated strategy, he knew at such a moment, the more complicated it was, the more likely it would cause problems.

Quickly, the timeout ended, both sides returned to the court, China Team to inbound from the backcourt.

Gan Guoyang threw the sideline ball, holding the ball in hand, completely unfazed, he first faked a throw to the frontcourt.

After attracting attention, he immediately threw it to the outside position where Adi Jiang received it, and Gan Guoyang quickly went to support.

The two did a hand-off cover, Gan Guoyang took the ball and charged toward the frontcourt, the Croatian players hesitated to double-team and were not daring enough to release him.

After crossing half-court, Gan Guoyang passed the ball to Adi Jiang, who then passed to Sun Jun, at this moment all Croatian defense attention was on Gan Guoyang at the top of the arc.

Sun Jun made a fake and charged in with the ball!

Facing Toni Kukoc's defense, Sun Jun could only manage a difficult floater.

This shot wasn't aimed at making a basket, but to set up Gan Guoyang for an offensive rebound.

The ball hit the backboard, rebounded onto the rim, and bounced out, Gan Guoyang bulldozed his way in!

The Croatian players couldn't hold against Gan Guoyang, three couldn't beat one, and Gan Guoyang secured the rebound.

Went up strong for a lay-up, missed, went up again, and tipped it in!

"Good shot!"

Thousands of miles away, the Central Television commentator excitedly shouted "Good shot" in a passionate voice.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand high, it's a tie, the China Team had held on all match and finally tied the score!

At that moment, the referee blew the whistle, giving a shooting foul against Raja, and Gan Guoyang would go to the free-throw line!

The China Team's bench erupted; there was a chance for China Team to pull ahead, if so, victory would be in the hands of the China Team.

Jiang Xingquan and Gong Luming clung to each other, grasping each other's arms, both were so nervous they were shaking.

Gan Guoyang was the calmest, he stepped to the free-throw line, took the ball from the referee, and made a slight adjustment.

He adjusted slightly, scored the additional free-throw! Pulled ahead!

76:75, the China Team finally took the lead.

But it wasn't time to celebrate yet, the game wasn't over, and the ball was still with Croatia.

Croatia didn't call a timeout, quickly inbounding from the backcourt, Petrović charged forward with the ball!

Hu Weidong closely guarded Petrović, while Gan Guoyang quickly retreated to defend, already under the basket.

If Petrović forced a drive to the basket, he would undoubtedly face Gan Guoyang's help defense.

Petrović used his stronger body to fend off Hu Weidong, stopped abruptly, and with a similar KiKi-step fadeaway, shot a strong long-range three!

The ball flew like a cannonball toward the hoop, then sank directly into the center, landed in!

In just a few seconds, the plot continued to twist and turn, making the fans on the scene exclaim in disbelief.

Petrović actually made a three-point shot on a fast break, overtaking the score again!

76:78, Croatia was leading by two, now the Croatian bench erupted.

But the game still wasn't over, there were still the last few seconds.

Croatia carried out a full-court press, forcing China Team to inbound quickly.

The Croatian players swarmed toward Gan Guoyang, Sun Jun was to inbound from the baseline.

At such a moment, Sun Jun was exceptionally calm, accurately passing the ball into Gan Guoyang's hands.

Gan Guoyang dodged the steal, at this moment the Croatian players did not dare to foul, as fouls would lead to free throws.

They "escorted" Gan Guoyang to the frontcourt, and Petrović was among them.

Gan Guoyang dribbled along the left sideline, at this time, the sideline was his protective wall.

The Croatian players dared not squeeze, for fear of being called for a blocking foul.

Like a tank, Gan Guoyang charged past the midcourt line, took two strides to arrive a step in front of the three-point line, time was running out.

Gan Guoyang forced a jump, leaping high, using his mighty arm strength in the air, launched the ball toward the hoop!

Petrović desperately tried to block, but couldn't reach, his heart panicked, with a bad premonition.

In the past, whenever at such moments, with the ball in Ah Gan's hands, he felt assured, knowing the boss would get it in.

Now, he only felt fear and worry, not daring to look at the hoop, only staring at the China Team's bench not far away.

Two seconds later, he saw everyone on the China Team bench jump up, even their stern-looking coach.

The Chinese people rushed onto the court, with overwhelming cheers of astonishment filling the scene, Petrović knew what the result was.

He painfully closed his eyes, not turning back, standing there as tears welled up, mixing with sweat.

If he had made this three-pointer earlier, would everything be different? Surely, they could have won the match and gone further?

But it was all over, today belonged to the China Team, to this scoundrel Ah Gan, Petrović finally understood why opponents were all so afraid of Ah Gan.

It's truly despairing, clearly, aside from Ah Gan, the Croatians had such a big advantage over the China Team, but it was never realized.

If it were a seven-game series, Croatia would have been confident in winning four straight, but this was the Olympics, one game decides all.

At this moment, Gan Guoyang was surrounded by teammates of the China Team, in a rare case of frenzied celebration.

Before, when the China Team won, everyone was happy, but always very reserved and restrained.

This time, no need to repress, no need to restrain, celebrate wildly, celebrate freely.

The Chinese Men's Basketball Team historically advanced to the semi-finals, with Gan Guoyang scoring 41 points in a single game, 24 points in the second half alone.

Including a fatal three-point buzzer-beater, which will be replayed on TV for a long time alongside other classic Gan Guoyang shots.

On-site, the CCTV reporter held up the microphone and shouted in an excited voice, "Good shot!"

After scoring, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand high, tied game, China Team withstood the entire match, finally tied the game!

"Great shot!"

Long away, the Central Television commentator shouted "Good shot" in an enthusiastic voice.

After scoring, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand high, tied, China Team endured an entire match, finally drawing even!

At this moment, the referee whistled, calling a shooting foul against Raja, so Gan Guoyang was about to step to the free-throw line!

The China Team's bench boiled over, China Team had a chance to take the lead, in which case victory would be in their hands.

Jiang Xingquan and Gong Luming were tightly clutching each other's arms, both so nervous they were trembling.

Gan Guoyang was the calmest one, as he stepped to the free-throw line, receiving the ball from the referee, and made a slight adjustment.

With a slight adjustment, he made the free throw! They took the lead!

76:75, the China Team finally took the lead.

But now it wasn't time to celebrate, the game wasn't over yet, the ball was still with Croatia.

Croatia didn't call a timeout, quickly inbounds pass from the backcourt, Petrović didn't hesitate, taking the ball and charging forward directly!

Hu Weidong kept up close to Petrović, while Gan Guoyang quickly fell back, already having rushed under the basket.

If Petrović forced a drive to the basket, he would certainly face Gan Guoyang for help defense.

Petrović used his stronger body to push Hu Weidong away, then suddenly stopped, executing the same backward KiKi-step, and took a long shot from beyond the three-point line!

The ball rocketed toward the basket like a missile and then plummeted straight into the center, scoring!

In just a few seconds, the plot twisted continuously, making the on-site audience exclaim that they couldn't handle it.

Petrović surprisingly hit a three-pointer during a fast break, taking the lead again!

76:78, Croatia was ahead by two points, and now it was Croatia's bench that erupted in celebration.

But the game still wasn't over, there were still a few last seconds remaining.

All of Croatia's team applied full-court press defense, and the China Team had to inbound quickly.

The Croatian players swarmed towards Gan Guoyang as Sun Jun was to throw in the baseline ball.

At this moment, Sun Jun remained exceptionally calm, accurately passing the ball to Gan Guoyang's hands.

Gan Guoyang dodged the interception, and at this moment the Croatian players dared not foul, because a foul would lead to free throws.

They "escorted" Gan Guoyang as he charged toward the frontcourt, and Petrović was among them.

Gan Guoyang dribbled along the left sideline, and now, the sideline was his protective wall.

The Croatian players dared not squeeze in, for fear of being called for a blocking foul was disastrous.

Gan Guoyang charged forward, leaping high, utilizing his powerful arm strength in the air to shoot the ball towards the basket.

Petrović felt unease in his heart, expecting something bad, and he refrained from looking toward the basket, focusing instead on the China Team's bench not far away.

Two seconds later, he saw a euphoric China Team racing onto the court as loud cheers filled the stadium, and Petrović knew the result.

He shut his eyes in anguish, standing frozen as tears welled up and mingled with his sweat.

If he had hit that three-pointer earlier, would everything be different now? They would surely win the game; his team could have controlled the outcome, but this was the Olympics, and it was a one-game decider.

In the moment, CCTV reporters held the microphone in excitement, shouting, "Good shot!"

After the shot, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand, tied the game, and the China Team, after enduring an entire game, finally leveled the score!

"Good shot!" echoed through the crowd at the stadium, full of exclamatory cheers, Petrović realized what the result was.

He closed his eyes in despair, feeling the tears merge with sweat, understanding at last why his opponents feared Ah Gan so much.

Truly despairing, knowing that if only he had made that three-point shot sooner, everything would have been different, and they would surely have won the game.

In a seven-game series, Croatia would confidently win four straight, but this was the Olympics, decided in a single match.

At this moment, the China Team erupted in joyous celebration, and Gan Guoyang scores 41 points in a single game, with 24 in the second half alone.

This included a deadly buzzer-beater three-pointer, which will be replayed on television alongside other classic shots of Gan Guoyang's in the years to come.

Live, the CCTV reporter held up his microphone and shouted in an exhilarating voice, "Good shot!"

After scoring the shot, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand high, tying the game, the China Team endured a whole match, and finally, equalized the score!

"What a shot!"

Far off, the Central Television commentator shouted "Good shot" with enthusiastic vigor.

Following the score, Gan Guoyang raised his right hand, indicating the tie, and the China Team, after holding out the entire game, finally equalized the score!

At this moment, the referee blew the whistle and called a shooting foul on Raja, which means Gan Guoyang would head to the free-throw line!

China Team's bench erupted; there was a chance they could overtake the score, and if so, victory would be in China Team's hands.

Jiang Xingquan and Gong Luming tightly clung to each other's arms, both trembling in nervous anticipation.

Gan Guoyang was the calmest of them all, stepping up to the free-throw line and taking the ball from the referee, making a slight adjustment.

He slightly adjusted and scored the bonus free throw! They lead!

76:75, China Team finally got the lead.

But now was not the time to celebrate, the match wasn't over yet, and the ball was still in Croatia's hands.

Croatia didn't call a time-out, quickly inbounding from the backcourt, Petrović rushed forward without hesitation!

Hu Weidong closely trailed Petrović, while Gan Guoyang sprinted back on defense, reaching the basket in time.

If Petrović drove hard towards the basket, he would inevitably face Gan Guoyang's help defense.

Petrović used his stronger frame to push Hu Weidong aside, stopped abruptly, and launched a KiKi-step step-back three from beyond the arc!

The ball shot towards the basket like a cannonball, then fell dead center, scoring!

In a matter of seconds, the plot kept twisting, causing the live audience to gasp in disbelief.

Petrović actually made a three-pointer on the fast break, taking the lead once more!

76:78, Croatia took a two-point lead, and now the Croatian bench was in a state of euphoria.

But the game was not over yet, there were still a few seconds left.

The entire Croatian team went into a full-court press, forcing the China Team to make a quick inbound play.

The Croatian players rushed toward Gan Guoyang, with Sun Jun to inbound from the baseline.

In this moment, Sun Jun was unusually calm, accurately passing the ball to Gan Guoyang.

Gan Guoyang evaded the steal; at this moment, the Croatian players didn't dare to foul, as fouls would lead to free throws.

They "escorted" Gan Guoyang as he rushed toward the frontcourt, Petrović among them.

Dribbling the ball along the left sideline, the sideline acted as Gan Guoyang's wall of protection.

The Croatian players dared not squeeze, as a blocking foul would be disastrous.

Gan Guoyang forced his jump, soaring high, using his powerful arm to throw the ball toward the basket!

Petrović felt a sinking sensation, a bad premonition overcame him.

In the past, whenever in such moments, with the ball in Ah Gan's hands, he was always reassured, but not now.

He kept his gaze away from the hoop, focusing on the China Team's bench.

Two seconds later, he saw the entire China Team bench leap up, including their rather stern-looking coach.

The Chinese people rushed onto the court, flooded with cheers of astonishment, Petrović understood what the result was.

He closed his eyes in agony, unmoving, as his tears began to flow, mixing with sweat.

If only he had made that three-pointer sooner, could everything have been different? Surely, they would've won the game, progressed further?

But it was all over, today belonged to the China Team, to that rascal Ah Gan, Petrović finally understood why opponents feared Ah Gan so much.

It's truly hopeless, seeing as besides Ah Gan, Croatia had such dominance over the China Team, yet it amounted to nothing.

If it were a seven-game series, Croatia would confidently seize four victories, but this was the Olympics, a single game decides it all.

At that moment, Gan Guoyang was covered with teammates of the China Team, in a rare frenzied celebration.

Previously, when the China Team won, they were happy too, yet always reserved and restrained.

This time, there was no need to hold back, no need to restrain, celebrate wildly, celebrate freely.

The Chinese Men's Basketball Team made history by advancing to the semi-finals, with Gan Guoyang scoring 41 points in a single game, 24 in the second half alone.

Among them was a game-winning buzzer-beater three-pointer, possibly the most classic shot in this Olympic basketball tournament.

For a long time, together with other iconic shots of Gan Guoyang, it would be replayed on television repeatedly.

On site, CCTV's reporter directed the microphone and camera towards Gan Guoyang, who shouted into the camera, "Today, China is the victor! We China are the victors! I believe our cause, all our endeavors will achieve victory!"

On August 4th, 1992, this image, along with Gan Guoyang's game-winning shot, became an eternal classic, an unforgettable moment in Republic history.