Yao Ming did a great job; now it's up to Wei Guo.
certainly...
Yao Ming will still play in the crucial moments of the fourth quarter, but that will probably be in the last minute. No matter how optimistic the situation is, Wei Guo will not naively believe that he can widen the score gap in the fourth quarter.
......
China Men's Basketball Team inbounds the ball from the baseline again. After Sun Xin receives the ball, Wade steps up to press the rebound!
Kidd and Paul were both on the bench. The US men's basketball team needed speed, and obviously... Wade was faster. Once the intensity of the competition increased, Sun Xin had a hard time dribbling. When Wang Peng received a pass from Sun Xin, Wei Guo was constantly double-teamed by three players and couldn't find any space to pass. Now they can only rely on themselves!
Fortunately, the situation on the field was four against two.
Wang Peng passed the ball to Wang Zhizhi, who was unguarded and made the mid-range shot with ease!
108:114!!
This basket was crucial. With only 19 seconds left, the US men's basketball team will run down the clock for one last offensive possession. If they can defend it and keep the score difference below 8 points, they still have a chance in the fourth quarter... If Wang Zhizhi's shot just now had missed, allowing the US men's basketball team to launch a counterattack and the score difference to double digits, it would have been very difficult for the Chinese men's basketball team to turn the tide in the fourth quarter.
This is a match between one person and twelve of the world's best players. The US men's basketball team prepared for two months and brought in Gentry and D'Antoni as assistant coaches, all in an effort to defeat the US!
If the US men's basketball team doesn't win a gold medal at the Olympics...
After Wei Guo retires, the influence of the US men's basketball league will decline significantly, and many players will likely go to the Chinese men's basketball league or the European men's basketball league to make money.
Kobe dribbled to control the pace, and with 3 seconds left on the shot clock, Wei Guo suddenly moved... Kobe passed the ball to James, who pulled up for a three-pointer. Wei Guo suddenly accelerated, jumped when he was still two meters away from James, stretched out his long arm and grabbed the basketball in mid-air. Before landing, he threw the ball directly towards the opposite basket.
The block was already outrageous enough, but the player had no leverage point in the air, and then he hit a three-pointer from the backcourt, which was even more outrageous.
"Whoosh!!!"
The ball went in! That's unbelievable!
Wei Guo had already scored too many incredible goals, and the audience had become numb. This block on the backcourt three-pointer only earned him a few scattered applause.
111:114!!
China Men's Basketball Team is down by 3 points.
This game was just so absurd. In just one minute, the US men's basketball team led by 8 points but then lost 5 points. The US men's basketball team then extended their lead to 8 points again. In the last twenty-odd seconds, the Chinese men's basketball team lost 5 points again, and ultimately entered the fourth quarter with a three-point deficit.
Therefore, the outcome of the game cannot be determined until the final whistle blows.
......
With the game at this stage, the coaching staff had run out of ideas, and the final quarter depended entirely on the players' performance.
There were only three timeouts in the second half. Gentry used two, and the Chinese men's basketball team used one, so the timeouts in the fourth quarter were very precious. Every time a player had a free throw, Gentry would call Kobe or James to the sidelines to explain the tactics to them. In the first seven minutes, the Chinese men's basketball team called a timeout, while Gentry did not call a timeout.
So, how do you calculate it...?
Both teams have one timeout left!
139:136!!
China's men's basketball team is leading by 3 points.
With only 2 minutes and 59 seconds left in the game, the Chinese men's basketball team scored 28 points and the American men's basketball team scored 22 points in 7 minutes, averaging 4 points per minute. This was even with both teams playing defense with all their might, and their offensive efficiency was ridiculously high.
Gentry's palms were sweaty...
The US men's basketball team's help defense is very fast. Even if a defender leaves someone open, someone will help defend in time. A classic defensive example is when Garnett, relying on anticipation, abandoned the area under the basket to help defend the outside and gave Sun Xin a big block. The Chinese men's basketball team's offensive tactics are very simple: find Wei Guo... All 28 points were scored by Wei Guo alone.
Wei Guo's score has already exceeded 100, setting a new record for the highest individual score in a single Olympic game, and this record continues to be broken.
......
The US men's basketball team is on offense. Kobe Bryant faked a three-pointer and made a '3+1' play.
"Whoosh!!!"
The free throw was made.
139:140!!
The US men's basketball team once again took the lead, which is a true reflection of the fourth quarter. The two teams traded leads, and the outcome would not be decided until the last second of the game.
Wang Zhizhi walked to the baseline to serve...
Wei Guo broke free from the double team, went around to receive the ball from Da Zhi. Kobe, Garnett, and Wade tried to surround Wei Guo, but Wei Guo had already achieved perfect harmony between man and ball, dodging the three players with his dribbling skills that were dazzling. After finding a shooting space, he hit another three-pointer from the backcourt!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
142:140!!
China Men's Basketball Team leads by 2 points.
Paul leisurely dribbled the ball to the frontcourt without a timeout, thus slowing down the game and giving his teammates a few seconds to rest... Kobe and the other three didn't move. The ball was passed to Paul, who was then one-on-one against Sun Xin. Paul's dribbling rhythm was excellent, especially his ability to exploit size differences... He repeatedly spun around to shake off Sun Xin and then took a mid-range shot!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
142:142!!
The score is tied again.
If this pace continues, there's a high chance of overtime. If it does go to overtime, it's a good thing for the US men's basketball team... Although Wei Guo has never lost in overtime, that was in the NBA, and his teammates are different from his national team teammates... Look at these guys on the court, their legs look like they're made of lead when they're running plays.
The US men's basketball team has a lot of rotation players. Even Kobe, who played the most minutes, only played 29 minutes. Everyone is full of energy. Even if some players are exhausted, Boozer and Prince haven't even been on the court yet. The fact that the two are weak is only relative. Compared to the players of the Chinese men's basketball team, the two are also top players.
......
Time is down to the last minute.
151:152!!
China Men's Basketball Team is down by 1 point.
It was still the US men's basketball team's offense... Kobe dribbled, faced Yi Jianlian, made a sudden stop and a reverse crossover dribble to create shooting space, and just as he was about to shoot, Wade cut to the basket and shot... There was a 70% chance of putting the ball in the basket, but Kobe chose to pass, quickly shoving the ball into Wade's hands.
After the ball was passed, Kobe regretted it!
The ball moves fast from five meters away, and Wei Guo moves fast within five meters. When Wade receives the ball and goes for a layup, Wei Guo has already pounced on him and slams the ball onto the backboard.
A spiked hat!!!
This block was enough to change the course of the game. When Wei Guo got the ball, he turned around and launched a long-range three-pointer from the backcourt. While the ball was still in the air, everyone knew that the ball was going to go in.
because...
Wei Guo didn't miss a single shot tonight.
A long 4.5 seconds...
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
154:152!!
China Men's Basketball Team leads by 2 points.
With 39 seconds left in the game, theoretically each team had one more offensive opportunity. Gentry called a timeout without hesitation, leaving one last timeout opportunity, and this was the moment they had been waiting for.
"This shot has to go in. The offensive strategy is the same as before: Garnett sets a screen for Paul, Kobe moves to the three-point line to receive the ball, and at this moment... Howard cuts to the basket, so we must protect the rebound."
The offensive tactics are very simple...
The reason why complicated tactics are not needed is that the Chinese men's basketball team's defensive system cannot stop them from scoring. The key is whether Kobe can make that three-pointer when he is open.
After explaining the offensive tactics, Kobe and his five teammates perked up!
Gentry didn't need to waste a timeout for just one offensive possession; the defense was the key. Gentry said in a deep voice, "Defense is the most crucial thing. Even if Kobe makes that three-pointer, we'll only have a one-point lead, and it's easy to be defeated in a buzzer-beater, so..."
James asked, "Foul tactics?!"
Gentry nodded, "Yes, fouling tactics... send the Chinese men's basketball team to the free-throw line, that way we'll have one more offensive opportunity!"
......
Timeout over, game resumes!
Duncan set a screen for Paul, Howard moved to the free-throw line to screen for Kobe and Wei Guo. After Kobe received the ball, Howard and Wei Guo both rushed to the basket.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
Kobe raised his hands... If this were a regular game, he would have already made the game-winning shot!
154:155!!
The US men's basketball team is leading by one point.
The Chinese men's basketball team did not call a timeout. Liu Wei walked to the baseline to prepare to inbound the ball. James and several others spread out their defense, but Kobe and Garnett double-teamed Wei Guo. Wei Guo immediately guessed that they were going to use a fouling tactic to give them another chance to attack, putting their bets on offense rather than defense.
Liu Wei hesitated...
The head coach pointed in Wei Guo's direction and shouted, "Pass the ball to Wei Ge!"
This shout made Liu Wei even more hesitant. With one minute left in the third quarter, when the US men's basketball team started to triple-team Wei Guo, Sun Xin was the one inbounding the ball. Liu Wei rarely inbounded from the baseline. Wei Guo was also double-teamed. If he didn't inbound well, it would be a turnover. With only 22 seconds left in the game, the Chinese men's basketball team was down by one point. A turnover would be fatal!
"Whoosh~~~"
Liu Wei passed the ball to Yao Ming.
James grabbed Yao Ming and gestured to the referee that he had fouled him... Gentry had anticipated this, and before the start of the fourth quarter, he deliberately had his players foul Yao Ming to increase the number of fouls. This foul by James sent Yao Ming directly to the free throw line.
This can be considered the best possible outcome...
Yao Ming's free throw percentage is high, but not as incredible as Wei Guo's. Moreover, Yao Ming didn't play at all in the fourth quarter, so his shooting touch must have cooled off.
Liu Wei's teammates criticized him, "Why didn't you pass the ball to Wei Ge?"
At such a crucial moment, what is there to hesitate about? Just do everything you can to get the ball to Wei Guo. Liu Wei didn't say anything. Although he didn't pass the ball to Wei Guo, at least he didn't make a mistake. The US men's basketball team is going to use a fouling tactic. What's the difference between Yao Ming making both free throws and Wei Guo making both free throws?
What he didn't know was...
If the ball is passed to Wei Guo, there's a 70% chance he'll put the ball in the basket when James fouls, which would be a '3+1'.
......
Yao Ming stepped to the free-throw line, dribbled the basketball twice, and took a deep breath.
"bang~~~"
Missed the first free throw!
Liu Wei's heart sank. If Yao Ming missed the free throw, he would be responsible. If two missed free throws led to a loss, he, not Yao Ming, would be the one to take the blame. This was because the Chinese men's basketball team's tactics were very clear: they had to get the ball to Wei Guo. He was worried about a turnover when he passed the ball to Yao Ming, who was closest to him.
"well!!!"
A collective sigh rippled through the arena. Yao Ming missed that shot, and even if he made the second, it would only tie the game. The US men's basketball team still had 22 seconds left on the shot clock, and the initiative was in their hands. It seemed they were going to lose this game.
Preparing for the second penalty...
Howard and Garnett were under the basket, extremely tense. They weren't afraid Yao Ming would make the second free throw, but they were afraid he would intentionally miss it. They had to fight for the rebound with Wei Guo. If they got the rebound, they would be credited. If Wei Guo got the rebound, they had to continue fouling and absolutely couldn't let Wei Guo shoot.
"The ball bounces and thuds, then bounces again..."
Before the free throw, Yao Ming said something out of the blue.
Wei Guo, "How confident are you?"
Yao Ming, "70%!"
Wei Guo: "Okay..."
Kobe and James were completely baffled. It must be a tactic, but unfortunately they couldn't understand it because Yao Ming spoke secondhand Chaoshan dialect. Even if the two of them knew a little Chinese, how could they understand Chaoshan dialect?
The referee signaled that Yao Ming could take the free throw, and Yao Ming raised his hand and slammed the ball towards the front of the rim!
This was absolutely intentional...
Kobe yelled, "Rebound!"
This rebound is extremely crucial. If the US men's basketball team can grab it, whether through a fast break or by being fouled, as long as they score two more points and take a three-point lead, the Chinese men's basketball team will only have one more timeout opportunity left. The chance of taking the lead is very slim, and at most they will tie the score, which will lead to overtime.
When everyone was crowding towards the basket, Wei Guo suddenly ran to the three-point line!
This is not just about trust in Yao Ming, but also about a more important reason: he has a 'prophetic rune' that allows him to know in advance that the rebound will fly back to Yao Ming, and that Yao Ming can pass the ball to him.
As expected...
The basketball bounced off the front edge of the rim and back into Yao Ming's hands. Without hesitation, Yao Ming tossed the ball behind him. Wei Guo caught the ball, and if he could just make a three-pointer, the Chinese men's basketball team would take a two-point lead. But... Wei Guo didn't do that. He waited, and when Kobe rushed over, he skillfully turned and dodged, then dribbled towards the basket!
Gentry yelled, "He's stalling for time! Foul him!"
Wei Guo didn't rush to shoot, not wanting to give the US men's basketball team too much offensive time. The half-court area is only so big, like the cops and robbers game we liked to play as kids. As long as your jersey is grabbed, it's a foul by the opponent. To avoid making mistakes and being fouled is obviously very difficult.
Kobe and his five teammates all rushed towards Weiguo's direction.
Wei Guo remained calm and composed. He first dribbled towards the basket to mislead Garnett, and then dribbled away again when Garnett pressed forward!
Five seconds have passed...
With 16 seconds left, Wei Guo dribbled the ball to the three-point line again, circling around Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian, and once again dodging Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. Finally... Wei Guo was forced to the vicinity of the half-court by the three players, but he was still not in a hurry. When the three players rushed at him, he made a Buddhist-style fake move, which made the three players regain their balance.
No one dared to foul Wei Guo when he was shooting, otherwise he would score a '3+1'.
Kobe yelled, "All five of you, come at me at once!"
Time was running out, and Wei Guo had countless opportunities to shoot. No one doubted Wei Guo's shooting percentage. With the ball in Wei Guo's hands, it could be said that the Chinese men's basketball team had already taken the lead. Now, the only option was to foul and give the American men's basketball team one last chance to attack.
The five finally closed in!
Just then...
Wei Guo suddenly made an extremely bold move. He caught the ball and passed it to Howard. Howard instinctively caught the basketball and froze on the spot!
He had been playing ball since he was a child and had played countless matches, big and small, but he had never encountered anything so outrageous. His opponent naturally passed the ball to him. Could it be that Wei Guo had mistaken him for someone else?
Or perhaps... this was intentional on Wei Guo's part; he didn't actually want to win?
Not just Howard...
The remaining eight players on the court were stunned for a few seconds. Taking advantage of this moment, Wei Guo easily cut the ball from Howard's hands and dribbled out of the encirclement of the five players!
"Holy crap..."
Gentry finally realized what was happening and shouted, "Go get the ball! Don't be afraid to foul!"
Only 6.7 seconds remain...
James grabbed Wei Guo's jersey, but Wei Guo broke free. The referee didn't blow the whistle, perhaps thinking it wasn't a foul. However, time was running out for the US men's basketball team. When Garnett caught up with Wei Guo, Wei Guo ducked to avoid Garnett, casually slapped the ball between Garnett's legs, and it returned to Wei Guo's hands!
The limit is 21 seconds...
Wei Guo had used up 19 seconds, and he finally jumped!
All five players from the US men's basketball team rushed forward, but Wei Guo remained calm and waited 1.3 seconds in the air before finally shooting!
The basketball traced a beautiful arc in the air... just like the thousands of shots made throughout a career, each arc so beautiful.
0.7 seconds passed in the blink of an eye!
"beep!!!"
The final whistle has sounded.
It all comes down to whether this ball goes in. If it does, China wins; if it doesn't, they lose. The crowd stands up, all holding their breath, waiting for the moment they'll roar in celebration of victory.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
Wow!!!
The moment had finally arrived, and the entire stadium erupted in cheers. Chinese basketball fans were finally treated to a basketball extravaganza.
......
157:155!!
......
The score remained unchanged. Four quarters, ten minutes each, a difficult 40 minutes, both teams fought with all their might, but the US men's basketball team was still one step behind. The Chinese men's basketball team defeated them by 2 points and won the gold medal in men's basketball at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
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