Chen Jianghua suddenly slowed down as they entered the restricted area. Bannick thought Chen Jianghua was going to pass the ball.
Who knew Chen Jianghua suddenly accelerated and made a change of direction. By the time Bannick tried to defend again, it was too late.
Chen Jianghua flashed to the basket like lightning and scored two points with an up-and-under layup!
70:67!
With less than a minute left in the fourth quarter, the China team showed a different attitude.
The fans were greatly inspired and roared again throughout the arena, cheering for the Chinese players.
These were the most critical minutes, which would determine whether they advanced or went home to fish.
Li Feng's eyes were red. He knew in his heart that this game was not only about his future but also about the honor of the country.
His own future was not important, but the honor of the country was paramount!
Therefore, Li Feng did not want to rest for a second and only wanted to win this game.
Yao Ming sat on the sidelines with his eyes slightly moist. Li Feng's all-out effort made him see hope for the future of Chinese basketball.
He was nearing retirement, and it was a great comfort for Yao Ming to be able to personally pass the baton to Li Feng before he retired.
...
The Croatian coach's hands were clenched, and he wished he could play on the court himself.
Li Feng's dominant performance prevented the Croatian offense from getting going.
On their second offensive possession, the Croatian team still couldn't break through China's defense. Sandro drove into the paint and attempted a tough shot, but Chen Jianghua came over to help and delivered a massive block!
The referee's whistle blew, calling a foul on Chen Jianghua.
Chen Jianghua was unconvinced and wanted to argue with the referee, but Li Feng stopped him.
"It's okay, let them shoot free throws!"
They needed to stay calm now. Li Feng didn't want Chen Jianghua to make a mistake out of impulsiveness.
Sandro stood at the free-throw line, taking deep breaths.
He had exerted a lot of energy to get a chance earlier, so his stamina was greatly depleted.
Although he tried his best to calm himself down, his body was still affected, and he missed both free throws!
Li Feng jumped high to secure the rebound and initiated a counter-attack.
Chen Jianghua and Li Nan crossed half-court. Li Feng passed the ball to Chen Jianghua. Chen Jianghua didn't force it and instead passed the ball to Li Nan in the corner.
The "Little Flying Dagger" reappeared. Swish!
Another three-pointer!
73:67!
With one minute gone in the fourth quarter, the China team had taken a six-point lead!
This meant that Big Yao wouldn't have to play with an injury.
The China team kept the suspense for the next game at its highest.
The fans were truly excited. No one was sitting down to watch the game anymore; everyone was standing, their voices hoarse from shouting.
The scouts from the NBA teams finally witnessed Li Feng's prowess.
They had originally planned to leave before the midpoint of the fourth quarter.
However, Li Feng's explosive performance on both offense and defense captivated their attention, and they didn't want to look away for a moment.
Every move Li Feng made was a textbook performance. Not only did he perform explosively himself, but he also energized his teammates.
The Croatian coach couldn't sit still and quickly called a timeout.
A six-point deficit was not large, but China had gained momentum.
If they didn't call a timeout, they might be blown out.
Yao Ming stood on the sidelines, nodding constantly and high-fiving the four substitute players, including Li Feng, to encourage them.
He knew everyone was fighting not only for victory but also to give Yao Ming a few more days of rest!
"Li Feng, well done, thank you!"
Big Yao and Li Feng hugged tightly. At this moment, no amount of words could express their feelings.
The sound waves in the Wukesong Gymnasium reached their peak. People couldn't hear each other speak and had to lean in to communicate.
If the Croatian team did not make effective adjustments, the China team would seize the opportunity and win the game.
After the timeout, the Croatian head coach brought his three starting players back onto the court.
There was no other choice in this knockout stage; opportunities were limited. Even if the starters were tired, they had to fight.
On the China side, Li Feng still led four substitutes to compete.
As soon as the game resumed, Croatia passed the ball to Barack, who drove into the paint for a score.
It was evident that Croatia's adjustment was very targeted. In this offensive possession, two players blocked Li Feng from helping defend.
Actually, these two players couldn't stop Li Feng, but they were making subtle movements with their hands that the referees did not notice.
Li Feng did not complain, nodded forcefully, and knew how to respond!
73:69, China still led by four points.
China's offense. Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court, and Croatia still double-teamed him.
Li Feng made a gesture to his teammates, who understood and spread out to the sides.
Just as the Croatian players thought Li Feng was going to drive, Li Feng suddenly passed the ball.
He passed it to Chen Jianghua, who was open.
Chen Jianghua's previous drives had been effective, and Croatia thought he was going to drive again.
Who knew that as soon as Li Feng passed the ball, he slipped through the two double-teaming defenders while they were distracted.
Chen Jianghua did not drive. He passed the ball back to Li Feng!
This tactic was similar to a "wall pass" in soccer.
With this pass and slip, Li Feng broke the double-team.
Upon receiving the ball, Li Feng attacked the basket like lightning.
Barack, having been embarrassed by Li Feng earlier, was even more ferocious this time, lunging at Li Feng with all his might.
After all, this guy had height and weight. If he truly collided with Li Feng at full force, Li Feng would definitely be sent flying.
The reason Li Feng was able to dunk earlier was that it was unexpected.
Just as Li Feng's teammates and fans were holding their breath for him, Li Feng leaped high and made a layup motion.
Barack lunged with all his strength, but Li Feng glided through the air for a distance, then tucked his body, slipped through Barack's armpit, and made a super layup with a dramatic spin!
Incredible!
The difficulty of this shot was immense, and the visual appeal was off the charts!
Most guards could perform this move.
However, such extreme maneuvers as those by Jordan, Kobe, Irving, and Li Feng were very rare!
Barack had been ready to knock Li Feng away, but as he raised his arms, he found that Li Feng had disappeared.
When he landed, Li Feng was already behind him, and at the same time, he heard the cheers of the entire crowd.
Barack knew it was over; Li Feng had used the spin to trick him.
Two more points!
75:69, the deficit was back to six points!
This basket had already booked a spot in the Olympics' top ten plays, and it was definitely among the top three!
After the basket, the Chinese fans were astonished. Many held their heads in their hands, their faces full of disbelief.
Fans sitting in the front row even bowed to Li Feng to show their respect.
Yao Ming jumped up excitedly, clenching his fists.
Li Feng himself was very satisfied with the spin. He ran half the court and high-fived the fans on the sidelines to celebrate!