met free Chapter 336 A 20-point deficit! The Chinese team faces a fatal crisis!
Chapter 336 A 20-point deficit! The Chinese team faces a fatal crisis!
With only 5 minutes left in the third quarter, the US team managed to score only 8 points in the quarter, thanks to Lin Tian's relentless and tireless defense, the height advantage of the Chinese team's twin towers, and their decent rebounding.
The situation wasn't much better for the Chinese team. Kidd, Payton, Christie, Smith, and others took turns targeting Lin Tian, forcing him to face two or three American players almost every time he attacked.
Not only did he expend a great deal of energy, but his offensive efficiency was also mediocre, with his shots frequently missing the mark.
As for the rest of the Chinese team, the reason why the American team dared to double-team and target Lin Tian so aggressively was because the rest of the Chinese team shot even worse! Whether it was Hu Weidong or Sun Jun, Li Nan, and Zheng Wu who came on later, none of them could put the ball in the basket.
In the first five minutes of the third quarter, apart from Lin Tian scoring 4 points on 1 of 6 shots, the only other player for the Chinese team was Yao Ming, who scored 2 points with a putback. During this period, the Chinese team only scored a total of 6 points!
62: 58!
The US team's lead has slightly increased to 4 points!
Although the gap between the two sides is still very close, problems are starting to appear on the Chinese team's side!
First, there's Dazhi. He barely rested for the first 20 minutes of the game, and after the intense competition in the third quarter, he finally couldn't hold on any longer, and his stamina was clearly depleted in advance.
Jiang Xingquan had no choice but to replace Da Zhi with the tall and strong Da Ba, but Da Ba's offensive ability was obviously insufficient. He could only force his way into the basket, and the already very crowded offensive space of the Chinese team immediately became even more crowded.
Then Hu Weidong, the only outside player on the Chinese team who could barely match the intensity of the American team, and Zhang Jinsong, the most mature and most hardworking defender, both picked up their fourth fouls early on due to excessive movements!
The Chinese team's already weak and incapable outside shooting against the American team became even more strained!
Although Jiang Xingquan immediately brought in Sun Jun and Zheng Wu, in terms of individual scoring or CBA team leadership, they are definitely much stronger than Zhang Jinsong. However, when facing a team like the American team, they are much weaker than Zhang Jinsong in terms of speed, lateral movement, and strength!
With the two of them on the court, Lin Tian's pressure increased, and he had to take on more responsibilities on the defensive end!
Even Lin Tian is in a very bad situation right now!
He is so tired!
He had to withstand attacks from 2-3 people every round, and he had to run all over the court to help his teammates defend and participate in defense at any time. Although Lin Tian had already gotten 2 steals, 2 blocks and 4 rebounds in this quarter, his exertion was really too great!
Even with the combined boosts of the "Czech Iron Man" title and the stamina rune, he genuinely felt like his lungs were about to explode!
Extremely exhausted!
Exhaustion resulted in Lin Tian making two consecutive mistakes!
One instance was when he jumped to pass the ball while being double-teamed by Payton and Kidd, but Payton anticipated his move and successfully intercepted the ball.
Another time, when he lobbed the ball to Yao Ming, his strength was clearly insufficient, and McDyess, who was behind Yao Ming, grabbed the ball and intercepted it.
Both of these mistakes resulted in fast break points for the American team!
With these two counterattacks and the points they had accumulated earlier, they managed to extend their lead to 10 points with 3 minutes and 10 seconds left in the third quarter!
At this moment, Tomjanovich also demonstrated the decisiveness expected of a great coach!
He felt the time had come!
It's time to bring in more impactful and scoring players!
Hardaway and Eddie Jones, who hadn't played a single second in the first two and a half quarters tonight, were brought onto the court, along with Christie, Smith, and Garnett!
Tomjanovic fielded a highly mobile lineup with one big man and four small men, intending to use it to crush the Chinese team!
At the same time, Tomjanovich also knew that Hardaway would definitely become Lin Tian's breakthrough point, so the forward combination he paired with was not the offensively strong Raheem, Ray Allen or Houston, but the defensively strong Christie, Smith and Jones!
His meaning was clear: I want offense! And I also want defense!
He wants to use this lineup of four outside players and one inside player, but who is by no means short, to crush the Chinese team!
This lineup showed its lethality in the very first possession. Hardaway, in full health, drove hard to the basket, not only making the layup but also drawing a foul from Yao Ming!
After making the free throw, the US team's lead has once again reached 13 points!
"The Chinese team is facing a very difficult moment! Their stamina is hitting a plateau, and their key players are getting into foul trouble! They're starting to falter," Su Qun said with great concern. "At this time, someone needs to step up!"
"Someone needs to step up and share the burden with Lin Tian, giving him a chance to catch his breath! Otherwise, the American team's advantage will continue to widen!"
Song Shixiong also said worriedly, "The American team has completely taken control of the game now! They definitely want to extend their lead before the end of the third quarter. The Chinese team lads, you must hold on! You must hold on for these crucial three minutes!"
"Three minutes!" Jordan sat down in his chair, his expression visibly more relaxed. "The next three minutes will decide the outcome of this game!"
"20 points!" Bird exclaimed. "If the US team extends their lead to 20 points in the next three minutes, given the Chinese team's current stamina, the game will be over!"
While the two were talking, Yao Ming of the Chinese team missed his shot again in a one-on-one situation under the basket, and Hardaway took the ball and launched another counterattack!
The physical advantage of the newcomer was evident at this moment, and he drove straight to the basket and scored another 2 points!
As Tomjanovich's surprise weapon, Hardaway scored 5 consecutive points after entering the game!
This substitution was absolutely brilliant!
Then, when Lin Tian had the ball again, Hardaway, being very self-aware, ran very far away, afraid that Lin Tian would have a chance to attack him one-on-one. Meanwhile, Christie and Jones, two top-class forward defenders, spread their arms and stood firmly in front of Lin Tian!
In this play, Lin Tian chose to drive hard to the basket. Although neither the two defenders nor Garnett who came to help defend could steal or block Lin Tian's layup, Lin Tian was interfered with too much. His layup bounced off the rim and missed.
Smith grabbed the rebound and passed it to Jones, who was already sprinting towards the frontcourt. Jones and Hardaway launched the US team's signature fast break from the left and right. Finally, Jones drove all the way to the basket and completed a two-handed dunk!
17 points!
Then, the Chinese team made another mistake!
This time, taking advantage of the Chinese team's lack of stamina, the American team once again double-teamed the entire court. Lin Tian jumped up and passed the ball to Zheng Wu, but Zheng Wu didn't even have time to dribble before Jones fiercely snatched the ball from his hands!
Jones then found Smith, who immediately took the ball and shot from beyond the three-point line!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp crack, the point difference between the two sides officially reached 20 points!
78: 58!
China's defense has been broken!
There is 1 minute and 40 seconds left in the third quarter!
"That was probably the worst five minutes of Lin's career," Jordan couldn't help but say again. "Did he only make one shot in that quarter?"
"He's still human after all," Bird said, leaning back on the bench with a sigh of relief. "The game is over."
Jiang Xingquan, who was on the sidelines, could no longer sit idly by. He could only call a timeout to let the players come down and rest for a while.
Even though he didn't really have any way to deal with the situation at hand.
What can he do?
He knew the best thing to do was to replace Lin Tian and let him rest, even if it was just for a minute.
But he also knew that if Lin Tian left the team, the team would most likely collapse immediately!
"Stay calm! Everyone stay calm!" Unlike the conflicted Chiang Hsing-chuan, Tomjanovich stood up from the bench after the team took a 20-point lead, the largest margin of the game, and shouted orders to his players not to relax!
"The game isn't over yet! The Chinese team hasn't been completely crushed! Keep up the defensive intensity you were just maintaining! Keep attacking! Attack them to the death!"
"In the last minute and a half, extend your lead to 25 points! At least 25 points! And! Even if you extend it to 25 points, it doesn't mean we can relax in the fourth quarter! Stay tight in the fourth quarter too! Treat this game like a Game 1 of the Finals!"
"Get it? Kill them! Kill them all!"
From coaches to players, the American team was completely ecstatic, brimming with fighting spirit! They all felt that the Olympic gold medal was within reach!
On the Chinese team's side, it was incredibly quiet. Jiang Xingquan didn't know how to make arrangements, while leader Lin Tian sat on the bench, trying his best to recover his strength and condition. He was really exhausted. He did have one more "thick fat" that he could use, which could increase his stamina by 10%.
But Lin Tian knew even better: if he used it now, what would happen in the fourth quarter?
The competition in the fourth quarter will only intensify, and the physical exertion will be even greater!
If you don't have the physical strength at that time, that would be really bad!
Lin Tian, panting, was thinking about whether to ask Jiang Xingquan to do something crazy and call another pause so he could rest for another minute when suddenly a pair of large hands pressed down on Lin Tian's shoulders.
"Let Lin rest for a minute! We'll take over for the rest of the third quarter!" A loud voice rang out, and the big man, who had just been taken off the court due to exhaustion, stepped forward: "I've rested enough, I have the energy!"
"Roughly." Jiang Xingquan hesitated for a moment, finding it difficult to make a decision.
"I can't hold out for long, but believe me, at least I won't let the score difference widen any further after 1 minute and 30 seconds!" Zhizhi nodded firmly once more, adding, "At the very least, I won't let the score gap continue to widen!"
"I believe in him! He's my brother!" Lin Tian picked up the towel he had just covered his face and put it over his head again, saying, "Let him lead the team! He's a legitimate NBA player, after all!"
Hearing that both of the team's key players had said this, Jiang Xingquan stopped pretending and said directly, "Zhi Da, Yao Ming, Jin Song, Lao Hu, Xiao Yong! The five of you go up!"
"When inbounding from the frontcourt, try to get the ball to the center. When inbounding from the backcourt, everyone should drop back to receive the ball! We'd rather have a slow advance or even commit an 8-second violation than give the US team an easy fast break opportunity, understand?"
"clear!"
"Alright, everyone, for victory! To give Kobayashi a breather, go! Catch up the score!"
As the timeout ended and the Chinese players walked onto the field, Su Qun exclaimed in surprise, "Lin Tian actually went to rest! At this moment, Lin Tian went down!"
Song Shixiong added, "I think Lin Tian's stamina simply couldn't hold up! The nearly 29 minutes Lin Tian played tonight probably took more energy than playing a full 48 minutes followed by two overtime periods in other games! He really did everything he could!"
"He didn't stop for a single second in those 29 minutes! But now, it's time to test the rest of the Chinese team, especially Dazhi! Can he hold on until Lin Tian returns?"
Jordan's expression was very complicated at that moment.
There was joy at the US team's 20-point lead, but more than that, there was disappointment!
"Lin actually went to rest? To rest during the middle of the match? What's the difference between that and surrendering?"
"You look disappointed." Bird, standing next to Jordan, was much more relaxed. "Wouldn't it have been better to just beat the Chinese team like this?"
"I hate giving up! Never!" Jordan scoffed. "I'm not disappointed with Lin's nightmarish five minutes, but I'm extremely disappointed that he didn't play for the last minute and 30 seconds! He chose the weakest way to face defeat!"
"Lin is off! Now's our chance! Crush the Chinese team! Injure them all! 30 points! With 1 minute and 40 seconds left, extend the lead to 30 points!" Tomjanovich was completely excited when he saw Lin Tian not playing. He got up from his chair, stood up, and started shouting loudly!
With Lin Tian absent, this 1 minute and 40 seconds is the best opportunity for the American team to completely widen the score gap!
So when the Chinese team took the inbound pass, the American team intensified their defense again. No matter how the Chinese players ran or looked for opportunities, the defenders just wouldn't let go and stuck to them tightly.
Just as he was about to commit another 5-second violation, Hu Weidong suddenly saw an opportunity!
Roughly positioned outside the three-second zone, Garnett was cornered. Rising to his feet, he yelled, "Ball!"
Hu Weidong didn't dare hesitate any longer. He slammed the ball straight into the paint!
As soon as Da Zhi turned his back to the basket and grabbed the ball, Garnett, who was guarding him, was about to say a few trash words, Da Zhi had already started his attack!
With a lightning-fast turn, he drove straight to the basket, and once he was under the basket, he suddenly raised his hands high. Garnett, who was anxiously chasing behind him, immediately jumped up!
He was shaken off his feet!
"boom!"
After Garnett jumped over, Da Zhi suddenly leaped up and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands!
"Goal! China scored! Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful! China broke their goal drought! They've finally scored!" Su Qun roared excitedly. These two points were crucial!
The Chinese team finally breathed a sigh of relief!
Even though Hardaway made another rapid attack, driving to the basket and drawing a foul from Li Xiaoyong, he only made one of two free throws! The Chinese team once again had a chance to close the gap!
Yao Ming stood under the basket with the ball, not in a hurry to pass it out, because the US team's defense was almost frantic at this point, with all 10 players from both sides gathered in the Chinese team's half of the court!
If Lin Tian were here, Yao Ming could trust his speed and throw the ball directly towards the frontcourt.
But now the Chinese team doesn't have that kind of person, which makes Yao Ming hesitant to gamble on the speed of other players.
Just as it seemed like another 5-second violation was about to occur and the rest of the Chinese team had no chance to receive the ball, Yao Ming suddenly slammed the ball into the back of Smith, who was facing away from him, and then quickly jumped onto the court, grabbed the basketball that bounced back into his hands, and kept possession of the ball!
Then, taking advantage of the moment when the American players were slightly distracted and thought they had made a defensive play, Yao Ming quickly passed the ball to Li Xiaoyong, who was running over from the other side.
After Li Xiaoyong received the ball, he was blocked by Hardaway and had no space to pass it. He could only quickly pass the ball again to Hu Weidong.
Hu Weidong's situation wasn't much better. He passed the ball again, this time to Yao Ming, who then passed it to Zhang Jingsong. Zhang Jingsong dribbled twice before passing the ball to Li Xiaoyong!
China's advance was slow and cautious, while the US team's defense was frantic and brutal!
At least, the Chinese team didn't make any mistakes, and they passed the ball across the halfway line just before the 8-second countdown was about to expire.
But just past half-court, Hu Weidong was once again entangled by Christie and Smith. Seeing that he was about to be forced back onto the court, Hu Weidong had no choice but to jump up again, risking passing the ball to Dazhi, who had already come to the three-point line!
At this moment, Garnett was approximately 3 meters away! There wasn't a single player on the entire US team in the paint!
Therefore, Garnett had to keep an eye on the paint to prevent anyone from cutting inside, and he also had to defend Dali.
But he still chose to keep a distance of about 3 meters, betting that the big man in the paint wouldn't dare to chase him down and force a shot from beyond the three-point line!
After all, there are still two Chinese players who haven't even crossed the center line yet!
But Garnett underestimated the determination of the general!
By this point in the competition, most people were no longer hesitant.
If there's an empty space, then throw it away!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, he scored about 5 points in a row. He excitedly pounded his chest with both hands and roared at Garnett!
We can hold on!
The point difference has narrowed to 16 points!
There are 50 seconds left in the third quarter!
At this moment, everyone on the Chinese team's bench except Lin Tian stood up, waving their arms wildly to cheer on their teammates who were fighting hard on the field.
As for Lin Tian, no one would blame him for not standing up at this time, because they all know how much Lin Tian has sacrificed for this team!
In the previous matches, Lin Tian carried the team, but now it's the other members of the Chinese team's turn!
The US team missed their next attack, and the Chinese team's offense also went wrong. They were forced into an 8-second violation by the US team and failed to bring the ball across the frontcourt.
Then the US team executed another inbound play, with Garnett throwing the ball directly into the paint, and Jones leaping high and slamming the ball into the basket with both hands!
The US team took less than a second to launch this attack!
The point difference is back to 18 points!
81: 63!
There are 22 seconds left in the game!
"Defend! Keep pressing! Keep them down! Defend against another 8-second violation!" Tomjanovich roared like a madman on the sidelines. If he couldn't widen the gap in these precious 1 minute and 40 seconds and instead let the Chinese team narrow the gap, then he really might as well give up!
The bizarre sight of all 10 players from both sides gathering in the backcourt appeared once again. The Chinese team moved forward cautiously and carefully, just like before: they would rather commit an 8-second violation than make a mistake and allow the American team to launch a fast break!
This snail-like pace allowed the Chinese team to break through the American team's relentless press once again, and they dribbled the ball across half-court.
There are 15 seconds left in the third quarter!
But this time, no matter what he did, he couldn't get into the paint!
Garnett was playing like his life depended on it!
Are you kidding me? I got 5 points over the head by a Mavericks substitute, how am I supposed to survive?
Garnett's all-out defense resulted in a push that was too weak, causing the opponent to stumble and fall. Forget about getting into the paint; the opponent was even pushed out of the three-point line by Garnett.
The attack timer had only 4 seconds left in the blink of an eye!
China's attack still failed to organize.
With Lin Tian gone, they could only rely on Dazhi!
"ball!"
Just as he was already in a frenzy, Dazhi suddenly raised his hand and elbowed Garnett, sending him staggering back two steps. This guy, who always played cleanly, suddenly extended his elbow, which startled Garnett for a moment. It was this moment that allowed Dazhi to finally receive the ball outside the three-point line.
After picking up the ball, Garnett roughly raised his hand to feint, and Garnett, eager for revenge, immediately jumped up!
Unexpectedly, instead of shooting, he bent down and dribbled past Garnett before brushing against Garnett's body and pulling up for a three-pointer!
The ball collided with Garnett, who had lost his balance, as he took the jump. The shot went very wide, but Garnett, who was next to him, also lost his balance due to the impact and fell to the ground in a very awkward manner!
"Whistle! Hand foul! 3 free throws!" The referee's whistle blew at that moment!
3 free throws!
They roughly got three invaluable free throw opportunities!
"Roughly! Roughly! Roughly! Roughly!"
The substitutes on the sidelines were completely excited. They jumped around, chanting Zhizhi's name and cheering him on!
Those 100 seconds were practically his own personal showcase!
He scored two direct points and earned three free throw opportunities!
Just as the Chinese players were celebrating their excitement, Garnett, who was lying on the floor, suddenly stood up!
He had clearly hit his head; his brow bone was split open, and bright red blood was streaming down his cheek. "Kid! You're dead, I'm telling you! You're dead!"
Garnett, his face covered in blood, looked like a demon, his eyes wide with a menacing glare.
"I'm not afraid of you! I don't care if you're some kind of wolf king or the strongest forward of the new generation, I'm not afraid of you!" The usually reserved, humble, and even somewhat cowardly Dawei stood head-on with Garnett at this moment, their foreheads clashing, neither willing to back down even an inch!
"I knew this kid was good! I knew he was good!" Back in Dallas, Don Nelson was probably the happiest person at this moment! He took a big gulp of his beer and began to think about how to better utilize the two power forwards, Dave and Nowitzki, whose styles are extremely similar, next season!
The referee rushed onto the court and separated Da Zhi and Garnett. Garnett was quickly pulled off the court by his teammates and treated by the team doctor, while Da Zhi went to the free throw line to prepare for his free throw.
The caddies on the sidelines rushed onto the court and began wiping away the bloodstains and sweat that Garnett had left on the floor.
Garnett and Dazhi's commotion bought Lin Tian almost two minutes of rest time!
With 100 seconds of net game time, 2 minutes of break time, roughly 2 minutes spent arguing with Garnett, 1 minute of timeout, plus the time spent on inbounds passes, fouls, and free throws, Lin Tian had almost 10 minutes of rest in one go!
That should be enough for him to recover a lot of his strength!
At least Lin Tian was no longer panting and had taken the towel off his head. He kept drinking water to replenish his fluids, and although he didn't move or shout, he was still closely watching the situation on the court.
Neither of the two players who were separated received a technical foul. Garnett was even taken to the locker room for bandaging and stitches.
As for Dazhi, once he stepped to the free-throw line, he was completely focused and steadily made all three free throws!
The last 100 seconds of the third quarter largely carried the team!
He kept his promise to Lin Tian!
Zhi Da scored 8 consecutive points, saving the Chinese team!
Then the US team inbounded the ball from the baseline, but with only 3 seconds left in the game, they failed to complete an effective attack. Hardaway's long-range three-pointer didn't even touch the rim before it started to fall.
The third quarter has now ended!
81: 66!
The point difference between the two sides has returned to 15 points!
"We were down by as many as 16 points in the first quarter! Then we rallied to close that gap at the start of the second quarter!" Su Qun said during the break. "We were down by more than 10 points again in the second quarter, but we came back!"
"We were down by as much as 20 points in the third quarter! But without Lin Tian, we cut the deficit to 15! I will remember the resilience and fighting spirit we showed tonight for the rest of my life!"
Song Shixiong said, "Regardless of the outcome of this game, I think our men's basketball team deserves all the praise! They didn't surrender, they didn't give up, and they weren't pessimistic or afraid! They gave it their all to challenge the dominant force in the basketball world!"
"At this point, I'd give them full marks!"
"Xiao Lin?" During the break, Jiang Xingquan tried calling out to Lin Tian to check on his condition.
"No problem! I can take the stage again!" Lin Tian patted his chest and said, "My brothers helped me through the most difficult time, now it's my turn!"
"This victory belongs to us!"
"It still belongs to us!"
Although the Chinese team is currently down by 15 points, the confidence and form they are displaying make it easy to believe that they are now leading by 15 points!
never give up!
Never give up!
"Lin, Lao Hu, Jinsong, Da Yao, and..." Jiang Xingquan called out four names in a row, then looked at Da Zhi, who was panting heavily and clearly exhausted from the previous 100 seconds. Just as he was about to let him continue playing, Lin Tian interrupted!
"Let Dada rest for a bit! He was absolutely fantastic tonight! Now I need a shooter! A reliable shooter! I want to create space, I want enough room for isolation plays inside!"
Jiang Xingquan nodded, not insisting on his own opinion, but fully respecting Lin Tian's needs, and said, "Zheng Wu! Go on stage!"
Zheng Wu is undoubtedly the most crucial striker in the Chinese team, and on the international stage, he is known as the "King of Chinese Game-Winners"!
In the 1994 World Championship, he hit game-winning shots against both Brazil and Spain. In 1996, he also hit game-winning three-pointers against Angola and Argentina!
Therefore, although he performed poorly tonight, going 0-for-4 in the first three quarters and scoring no points, and was completely unable to defend his opponents, Jiang Xingquan still chose to trust this shooter with the biggest heart and the most accurate shots in the most critical moments of the game at this crucial moment of chasing points!
"Let's go, take them down!" Having recovered a lot of strength and regained his vitality, Lin Tian led his teammates onto the field!
The final battle has officially begun!
For Team USA, with Garnett injured and off the court, they brought in the frontcourt duo of Vin Baker and McDyess, while the other three remained Payton, Kidd, and Christie!
Clearly, Tomjanovich is determined to continue his relentless efforts to contain Lin Tian!
After all, all the evidence and the course of the game prove that his choice was correct!
林天今晚虽然拿下了全场最高的33分，但他29投只有10中，尤其是第三节7投1中！并且他今晚还有多达7次的失误！
Everything proves that Tomjanovich made the right choice!
His defense was very effective!
If it weren't for his sudden outburst at the end of the third quarter, scoring 8 consecutive points, the point difference would definitely be over 25 points now!
However, the reality is that the Chinese team is only 15 points behind, and the American team has temporarily lost Garnett, their all-around defensive anchor.
Tomjanovich is very worried right now.
He was unsure whether the chubby version of Vin Baker and McDyess, who lacked both height and speed, could withstand Lin Tian!
These few minutes are absolutely crucial!
The first offensive possession of the fourth quarter still belonged to the Chinese team!
This time, it was his old partner Christie who put Lin Tian under full-court pressure defense!
This was also Tomjanovich had just arranged! In the fourth quarter, he wanted Christie, who knew Lin Tian best, to be the primary defender, while Kidd and Payton would assist from the sidelines, continuing to double-team Lin Tian!
Lin Tian only needed to get a brief feel for the intensity of the defense to understand the US team's defensive strategy.
They focused most of their defensive energy on themselves, while the rest of the Chinese team, while not exactly passive, were only half-hearted in their defensive efforts!
They didn't believe that the Chinese team could have another player like Dazhi who could suddenly step up and break through, nor did they believe that anyone on the Chinese team other than Lin Tian and Dazhi could defeat them!
Feeling the overwhelming defensive intensity, Lin Tian said: No problem, I'll show you whether other people can take you down!
"A Mysterious Age (3 minutes)!"
"After use, you can spin a prize wheel. There's a one-third chance of restoring you to your peak 27-year-old state, a one-third chance of entering your 50-year-old state, and a one-third chance of no change!"
Lin Tian had already obtained this character-related item, and he took it out!
He's going to gamble on his luck!
It's all or nothing!
"Use a mystery age for Yao Ming!"
To others, it appeared that Lin Tian, who was positioned in the frontcourt with his back to Christie, was observing his teammates' movements.
At this moment, a stone slab divided into three pieces appeared in front of Lin Tian.
Lin Tian was too lazy to analyze what was written or drawn on the stone slab. He quickly made the system spin the wheel!
Then, stop!
"27-year-old mode!"
"For the next 3 minutes, Yao Ming will have the same level of performance and ability as when he was 27!"
I knew it!
Lin Tian didn't show his excitement. He just suddenly turned around to face the court, then quickly dribbled to one side, slightly shaking off Christie and Payton's entanglement, and then jumped up and slammed the ball directly into the paint!
"Yao Ming, get him!"
Lin Tian roared, he believed in Yao Ming more than anyone else!
What was Yao Ming's condition when he was 27 years old in 07, born in 1980?
Averaging 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, although he only played 48 games due to injury, he was still able to be selected for the league's second team based on his own strength and statistics!
And what everyone knows is that if Yao Ming had played around 70 games instead of only 48 that year, he would definitely have been selected for the All-NBA First Team!
After all, Stoudemire's stats in the first unit are far inferior to Yao Ming's!
At least in those one or even two years, when Shaq was getting old and Howard had not yet risen to prominence, and the center position in the league was in a vacuum, a healthy Yao Ming was the best center in the league!
His problem is that he's unhealthy!
But clearly, the Yao Ming standing on the court right now is healthy!
Yao Ming, who received the pass from Lin Tian, was actually stunned at that moment!
He didn't understand how he suddenly had so much strength. He suddenly felt that Vin Baker's defense behind him was nothing to worry about. He suddenly felt that he could easily score the ball with a simple turn and hook shot!
If you think of something, you should do it!
After a slight moment of confusion, wondering why he suddenly seemed 50 times stronger, Yao Ming quickly got into character!
Sidestep and block Baker, then dribble, push him with your shoulder, smoothly turn halfway to face the basket, and then jump up for a small side hook!
"Whoosh!"
After a crisp sound, Yao Ming's low-post one-on-one play successfully scored a point for the Chinese team!
The point difference has narrowed to 13 points!
Next, Vin Baker, feeling humiliated after being beaten by Yao Ming, drove into the paint, turned his back to the basket, and tried to score back!
But he is now facing Yao Ming at his peak, who is 27 years old, while he himself is a weakened version after gaining weight from alcoholism!
In this situation, with the entire defense spread out in a one-on-one situation, Baker naturally has no chance against Yao Ming!
"Snapped!"
With a crisp sound, Yao Ming blocked Baker's layup after he turned around and slammed it onto the backboard. Then, Yao Ming dribbled the ball and sprinted towards the frontcourt!
That immense confidence swept over him; he simply believed he could do it!
After driving all the way to the mid-court line, Yao Ming faced Payton, who suddenly rushed over to steal the ball from him. Yao Ming then performed a behind-the-back dribble, perfectly avoiding Payton!
At the same time, Yao Ming had already started with one hand holding the ball, rushed to the basket and pulled up for a one-handed dunk!
"Damn it!" Su Qun couldn't hold back and swore at Yao Ming's shot!
"Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! It's not surprising for a 226cm tall guy to block an opponent's layup one-on-one in the paint, but after blocking Baker, Yao Ming actually went on a coast-to-coast one-handed dunk?"
Song Shixiong shook his head in disbelief, saying, "Not to mention the behind-the-back dribble that made Payton stumble! Unbelievable! Absolutely unbelievable! When did Yao Ming learn that move?"
When did you learn it?
Yao Ming said: I have no idea!
I knew it! This action suddenly came to my mind, and I suddenly felt like I could do it!
After Yao Ming's four consecutive points, the Chinese team once again fought tenaciously and narrowed the gap to 11 points!
The suspense of this match has resurfaced once again!
Tomjanovic on the sidelines was furious!
One is fine, but now this big, clumsy guy can outmaneuver our defense and score easily?
Are you kidding me!
Tomjanovic, sitting on the sidelines, unleashed a torrent of abuse on the players! He couldn't do anything about it; the Chinese team's scoring efficiency was just too high and too fast! Especially since Lin Tian hadn't even made a move yet!
With the help of their two inside players, the Chinese team scored 9 points in about 3 minutes!
Team USA needs to find their offensive rhythm quickly.
When the team was in trouble, it was McDyess who stepped up this time!
This guy was facing Zheng Wu, who was less than 2 meters tall, in the paint. With an absolute advantage, McDyess turned around and fought back, then easily pushed Zheng Wu aside, and then jumped up to try to dunk with both hands!
"boom!"
Yes, McDyess chose a very good time. The Chinese team's help defense simply couldn't keep up quickly enough, since he was already positioned very deep, and the Chinese team simply didn't have time to get over and help defend.
After McDyess's dunk, the two sides once again entered a very close and tug-of-war phase!
Both sides scored and missed, showcasing impressive positional warfare tactics as well as exciting fast break duels!
More than anything, there was the fierce defense and the endless steals and blocks!
Before Yao Ming's three-minute trial period ended, under Lin Tian's leadership, almost all of China's attacks were aimed at Yao Ming as the absolute finisher!
With Lin Tian on the team, the US team's defensive focus was on him, and they didn't have the extra energy to double-team a second player!
Instead of double-teaming?
Facing a peak Yao Ming, instead of double-teaming him, they relied solely on McDyess and Vin Baker to hold him off?
Yao Ming said: "I feel so bad about you giving me points like this. We're all on the same team, this is too much of a show of hostility! This is a one-time exception, let's not do it again!" (End of Chapter)