Liu Wei dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and was pressured by Kobe at midcourt.
In a hasty attempt to pass the ball, Kobe jumped up and stole it, immediately launching a fast break... If he weren't familiar with Wei Guo, Kobe would definitely have delivered a tomahawk dunk!
But he understood the importance of defending the country...
With Wei Guo's speed, he would definitely be able to catch up. The penalties in international basketball are not as strict as in the NBA. Even if Wei Guo blocked his shot from behind, as long as there was no obvious physical contact, it would not be called a foul. Kobe knew this well, so he dribbled to the basket and then stopped abruptly to fake a shot!
Wei Guo behind him remained completely still...
This is a battle of masters. Kobe's fake move can turn into a shot at any time. If Wei Guo is a little too fast, he will be fooled. If he is a little too slow, Kobe will go straight for the layup. But Wei Guo's movements are neither too fast nor too slow. As long as Kobe dares to shoot, he will be blocked!
Kidd's voice came from behind, "Give me the ball!"
Kidd followed up promptly. Kobe turned to face Wei Guo and passed the ball to Kidd with a bounce pass. Kidd caught the ball and took a mid-range shot!
This is the helplessness of one-on-two defense. No matter how fast Wei Guo is, he can't outrun the speed of a basketball. If Wei Guo rushes up to interfere with Kidd's shot, Kidd will inevitably pass the ball back to Kobe. At this point, Kobe can score as soon as he receives the ball. The best way now is to gamble that Kidd will miss his open long-range shot and then go for the rebound.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
The US men's basketball team, which had made thorough preparations and studied numerous tactics, was a formidable offensive weapon on the international stage, especially in open long-range shots. Kidd was known as "Kidd the Unskilled" in the league, but he was a deadly offensive force on the international stage.
3:4!!!
China Men's Basketball Team is down by 1 point.
......
Seventy percent of the audience were Chinese. When the US men's basketball team took the lead, there was little cheering.
Da Yi serves from the baseline, Liu Wei continues dribbling...
Kobe pressed forward again, and in the rush, Liu Wei passed the ball behind him, intending to pass it to Yi Jianlian. However, when Yi Jianlian received the ball, one of his feet was not past midcourt, resulting in another turnover, and possession of the ball went to the US men's basketball team.
Logically speaking, Liu Wei was able to make it into the national team, and even as the starting point guard... his strength is top-notch in China. However, he couldn't even dribble the ball against Kobe. Besides the difference in strength, there was another major reason: the pre-game preparation. The US men's basketball team hired a professional analyst to analyze the playing characteristics of each player on the Chinese men's basketball team.
Gentry's tactic was to have Kobe or Wade pressure Liu Wei, making it extremely difficult for Liu Wei to dribble when the two of them were giving it their all!
The gap between Liu Wei and Kobe is roughly equivalent to the gap between Kobe and Wei Guo. Kobe didn't say he couldn't even dribble the ball against Wei Guo...
This is just an opening tactic...
Because Wei Guo will soon see through his plan, and then the US men's basketball team will change its tactics.
......
Four minutes later, Wei Guo called a timeout!
11:17!!
China's men's basketball team is trailing by 6 points.
In just four minutes, the US men's basketball team scored 17 points, meaning they scored in every single open play... This is terrifying, essentially meaning the Chinese men's basketball team has no defense.
The head coach didn't dare to breathe!
The players stood on the sidelines with their heads down, waiting for Wei Guo to give them a pep talk. Wei Guo questioned them: "We've prepared for a month and won many games... Now we've reached the final, and hundreds of millions of our compatriots are watching us. Nobody wants to lose, right?"
"In no mood!"
The player answered in a low voice.
Wei Guo continued, "We did beat the US once, but that has nothing to do with most of you here, and we didn't even win against the US's strongest lineup. My strength is already at the pinnacle of world basketball, but you are still far behind, and the Chinese men's basketball team is still far behind. I want to see your attitude towards the game."
No one dared to speak; they were all listening to what Wei Guo had to say.
Wei Guo continued, "In the first few minutes of the game, when I get the ball, you can't just stand still even if you run out of space. You should set screens, screen, and cut to create passing space for me and scoring opportunities for your teammates. Don't think that having me guarantees a win against the US men's basketball team. I can say this: most of the players on the US bench are several levels stronger than you!"
Wei Guo isn't Gentry; he doesn't give motivational speeches or encourage his teammates. He speaks the truth: if you're not as good as the other team, why don't you show some attitude? How are we supposed to play this game?
Especially in defense!
Wei Guo emphasized again that if you really can't defend, then foul. Except for Yao Ming, no one else needs to worry about foul counts. If someone fouls out, just substitute a teammate. With that kind of skill gap... there's no difference between starters and substitutes.
......
The timeout has ended, and the game has resumed.
China's men's basketball team inbounded the ball, and Liu Wei dribbled it across the frontcourt. However, Yi Jianlian's screen allowed him to shake off Kobe and pass the ball to Wei Guo, which was exactly what Gentry had anticipated. It can be said that this is a game of physical strength, skill, tactics, and mentality.
Wei Guo receives the ball, steps back, and shoots!
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
14:17!!
China's men's basketball team is down by three points.
"Holy crap, it went in again?!"
The audience gasped in amazement.
Tonight, he showed the world what true national defense is. Throughout the game, he has been double-teamed at least twice every time he takes a shot, yet he still manages to make all four of his three-point attempts and all five of his field goal attempts. Throughout his career, he has had many games with more than ten shots and a 100% field goal percentage, but his defense is nothing like the defense he showed tonight.
Every player on the US men's basketball team is a top-tier player who excels in both offense and defense. Many of them have been selected for the All-NBA First Team and the All-Defensive First Team. Their help defense is extremely effective, yet they still manage to organize the defense to score.
D'Antoni looked at Gentry, "What if... Wei Ge hits every shot tonight, what should we do?"
"There's only one way: prevent him from making a move!"
Gentry paused, then added, "We can't even... let him receive the ball!"
It's unprecedented for one person to dominate all the team's shot attempts. When he's double-teamed without the ball, even Wei Guo would have a hard time getting the ball. In this situation, his teammates will have to be put to the test.
US men's basketball team on offense!
Duncan received a pass from Kidd and made a layup from the left 45-degree angle!
This is what makes the US men's basketball team so strong. They approached the game with the attitude of the Finals, and after two months of training and practice, few could stop them from scoring. Moreover, the US men's basketball team's tactics were very clear: they would post up Yao Ming and never touch Wei Guo. Wei Guo could only retreat to the basket and try to expand his low-post defensive range as much as possible.
after all...
There's an ironclad rule in basketball: the closer you are to the basket, the higher your shooting percentage.
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