NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 712 We're Not Resting Anymore

Halftime. Sports Channel studio.

Yu Jia, smiling, visited the team after the first half: "Coach Zhang, I really didn't expect that we could still lead the Dream Team by 1 point at halftime. What do you think was the reason we were able to take the lead in the first half?"

Coach Zhang gestured with his hands: "In my opinion, the most important reason is that we played very rationally! Yes, that's the reason. No other reason is as important as this one. We played more rationally, and the Dream Team didn't play as rationally as us, so we took the lead in the first half. Actually, if you look at the overall strength of the two teams, even with Jia Fei, we are still the weaker side. To win against the stronger team, we need to perform beyond our usual level and do a lot of work on the details."

"What do you think we need to do in the second half to have a chance to maintain our advantage until the end?" Yu Jia continued to ask.

Coach Zhang replied in a serious tone: "Continue to play reasonably, play more patiently, and stick to the strategy from the first half. We can't let the opponent have any transactional offense, that is, we have to defend against the ball during the transition between offense and defense, and we can't let them chase us down and beat us."

The third quarter began quickly.

Being dominated by the Chinese men's basketball team in the first half made the Dream Team players feel a bit embarrassed, so they played very seriously at the start of the third quarter.

Even Lillard and Booker, who are not usually very effective or dedicated defenders in the NBA, were playing very seriously and were quite committed to their defense.

This scrambled the Chinese men's basketball team's offense, and Yi Jianlian's ability to score easy baskets and layups like he did in the first half disappeared, along with many open looks.

The offensive burden of the Chinese men's basketball team has fallen on Jia Fei's shoulders.

Fortunately, the Chinese men's basketball team's defense remained solid, making it difficult for both sides to attack, and the game entered a stalemate.

This was not good news for the Chinese men's basketball team back then, because when it came to the rotation stage, the opponent was still an NBA star, while they would be a bunch of CBA players.

Jia Fei carried the team's offense, scoring 18 points in the third quarter alone, and leading the Dream Team by 1 point at the end of the third quarter!

By the end of the third quarter, Jia Fei had already scored 43 points. Keep in mind that the Chinese men's basketball team only scored 22 points in the third quarter, meaning that besides Jia Fei, the rest of the team only scored a combined 4 points…

The final quarter is about to begin!

During the break after the third quarter, Jia Fei pulled Art Mayor, Yi Jianlian, and Li Ke'er in front of Li Nan.

"We won't rest in the fourth quarter. Everyone, grit your teeth and go. No one can replace us. Let's fight to the very end!" Jia Fei's words were very firm. He didn't rest for even a second in the first three quarters and played the full 30 minutes!

“Okay, we’re not taking a break!” Art Mayork and the other two said in unison.

Coach Li Nan was deeply moved and happy. He knew very well that if Jia Fei and his team lost, the game would likely collapse instantly. Even if they ultimately lost, they had truly given their all and had no regrets.

The crucial fourth quarter has begun!

On the Dream Team's side, Popovich's expression wasn't relaxed either; he hadn't expected the Chinese men's basketball team to be so tenacious. He had thought they could finish the game in the third quarter, but the opponent had held on. Jia Fei truly lived up to his reputation as the world's best basketball player, single-handedly carrying the Chinese men's basketball team's offense in the third quarter—it was simply unbelievable.

Facing the Dream Team's second unit, the Chinese men's basketball team launched a fierce attack on the opponent's paint area. Although they did not score a lot of points, they caused considerable damage, with the Chinese men's basketball team repeatedly going to the free throw line.

This is Art Mayork's goal: to penetrate the opponent's penalty area, stop the clock, and move to the free-throw line, giving Jia Fei more breathing room. Otherwise, constantly engaging in a back-and-forth attack would be very disadvantageous for them, and it would also consume a lot of Jia Fei's limited stamina, making it difficult for him to maintain a high level of offense and defense until the end of the game.

Li Kaier also handled the ball more often, allowing Jia Fei to play off the ball and conserve his energy.

The Chinese men's basketball team's approach was based on the premise that the Dream Team's interior defense was indeed their weakness. Dilraba is a small center, and while backup center Zhou Hongyi can defend, he's only 198cm tall barefoot. Without the FIBA ​​three-second rule, he can't effectively attack the basket, and defensively, he struggles to protect the rim against big men's pick-and-roll plays. As for Love, he's never been a rim protector; his strength lies in rebounding, but he needs a center to maximize his advantage. Paired with Zhou Hongyi, a shorter center, their height disadvantage is significant.

This forced the Dream Team to adopt a defensive strategy, and at this time, Jia Fei and Zhou Peng gained many opportunities on the outside, which also dealt a blow to the opponent.

This forced the Dream Team to bring on Dilraba Dilmurat and Du Xiaoshuai early, bringing back their starting lineup, and the game truly entered the final battle.

With Jia Fei and Li Kaier controlling the game, Li Nan even boldly abandoned the two young guards, Anshan Paul and Da Nephew, and instead boldly used Zhou Peng in the final lineup.

Compared to these two smaller guards, Zhou Peng has a higher accuracy rate on open three-pointers and is also a better defender.

The game remained deadlocked until the last minute.

At this point, the score was 75-76, with the Chinese men's basketball team trailing by one point but having possession of the ball.

Jia Fei brought the ball over and organized an attack from the top of the arc.

The two teams are closing in, so Jia Fei passes the ball to Zhou Peng, who is in an open position!

Zhou Peng took a three-pointer—but missed!

However, Art Mayork grabbed the offensive rebound under the basket!

The ball is back in Jia Fei's hands!

Another double-team! Jia Fei passes the ball to Li Kai'er, then makes an off-the-ball run!

Lee Kyle dribbles towards the basket!

Jia Fei created an opportunity, and Li Kai'er immediately delivered the ball!

Jia Fei received the ball, knocked Booker away, cut in, and delivered a tomahawk dunk over Dilraba!

Wow—Du Xiaoshuai's hand hit Jia Fei's arm!

But Jia Fei still gritted his teeth and dunked the ball into the basket!

77-76, China Men's Basketball Team takes a 1-point lead, and Jia Fei still has a chance for a free throw!

With only 39.7 seconds left in the game, both sides theoretically still have one more offensive opportunity!

Jia Fei made the free throw, making it 78-76, with the Chinese men's basketball team leading by 2 points!

Dream Team pauses!

"We're leading by 2 points now. As long as the Dream Team doesn't make a three-pointer, we won't lose in regulation time, and we'll even have one more chance to win!" Yu Jia exclaimed excitedly. He hadn't been this excited in a long time. Beating the US Dream Team with a game-winning shot at the Olympics was something he wouldn't have dared to dream of before. Even when Yao Ming was playing, losing by 31 points was already historic. Now, to have a chance to defeat them and win the Olympic gold medal was simply incredible!

The pressure is now on Team Dream. If they miss the final shot, the game will be really tough.