Li Feng also savored this exhilarating moment, running on the court with his hands behind his ears, nodding incessantly at the spectators.
It seemed to convey, "Cheer on, I'm listening! Our China team will not disappoint you!"
[Ding!]
[Mission Issued: Host Ordered to Stand Against Danger! Difficulty SS-Rank!]
[Requirement: Host must thoroughly dominate the opponent. The system will grant corresponding reward chests based on the point difference!]
Hearing the system's voice, Li Feng knew his moment of glory was about to arrive!
Lithuania, having just called a timeout, did not call another. The head coach waved to his players, signaling them to calm down and stabilize.
The players obeyed. After all, they were still leading by 12 points and were looking to stall for time.
Lithuania initiated their offense again, their ball-handling speed decreasing.
Li Feng felt a sense of urgency, but he knew impatience was useless. He still needed to strengthen his defense and increase their success rate.
He signaled Sun Dasheng, and they suddenly initiated a double-team.
This was a tactical code developed by the China players during training.
Generally, every team has many secret codes and gestures for on-court communication, ensuring the opponent remains unaware.
Sun Dasheng understood implicitly and immediately joined Li Feng in double-teaming the ball-handler, Kaukėnas, forcing him to pass.
You want to stall? Then I'll force you to speed up.
The tight defense paid off. Kaukėnas nervously passed the ball to Jasikevičius on the right, at the 45-degree angle.
As Hughes was about to shoot, he saw Zhu Fangyu had rotated to cover him.
The China team's morale was soaring, and everyone was playing with more grit than before, giving their all on defense.
Hughes had no choice but to pass the ball again to Jevtokas.
However, China's defense was too active, and his passing intention was obvious. Sun Dasheng saw through it and, with a quick lunge, stole the ball.
*Crack!*
The ball dropped between Li Feng and Kaukėnas.
Now, it was all about who had the quicker reaction time.
*Whoosh!* Li Feng shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, a half-second faster than Kaukėnas, snatching the ball.
He was truly too fast; everyone else's movements seemed like slow motion in front of Li Feng, unable to keep up with his pace.
Li Feng initiated another fast break, with his China teammates closely following.
The Lithuanian team's tactical awareness was quite high. The moment Li Feng stole the ball, the other players had already begun retreating on defense.
Li Feng seized the opportunity, seeing Zhu Fangyu had fallen back to the corner, and two defenders were eyeing him intently.
Just as the Lithuanian players thought Li Feng would go for a solo drive, Li Feng passed again, *whoosh!*
With a surgeon's precision, Li Feng threaded the ball through the gap between the two defenders, landing it perfectly in Zhu Fangyu's hands.
Zhu Fangyu, China's premier three-point shooter, would not miss such a wide-open opportunity.
"My three-point sword is the fire of hell!"
*Swish!* Nothing but net!
73:64!
Simultaneously, the red light flashed, signaling the end of the third quarter!
The deficit was now only 9 points!
Entering the decisive phase with a single-digit deficit was significant, indicating that a comeback was entirely possible!
The Lithuanian head coach looked crestfallen. That final possession was a devastating blow to their morale.
After making the shot, Zhu Fangyu rushed towards Li Feng, celebrating with a chest bump!
That pass was incredible. Throughout the first half, Zhu Fangyu hadn't received such a comfortable pass, and there was no one guarding him!
The China players walked off the court with smiles, high-fiving each other.
Despite being drenched in sweat and panting heavily, it was all worth it for the honor of their country!
The Chinese fans also cheered excitedly, roaring their support for the players, many of whom had hoarse voices.
Jonas stood by the sidelines, high-fiving his players one by one. He had felt almost desperate in the first half, but in the second, he saw hope for a comeback.
"Young men, the game is not over yet. In the final quarter, we must focus on Li Feng and Yao Ming, attacking both inside and outside!"
Subtly, Jonas had placed Yao Ming's name after Li Feng's.
Of course, this wasn't to underestimate Yao Ming. It was because Da Yao's stamina was limited, and battling physically in the paint against opponents was exhausting.
They urgently needed an outside player to share the burden, and Li Feng was that person!
With 10 minutes remaining and a 9-point deficit, the time was neither too much nor too little; it was enough to make a comeback.
But the most crucial element remained defense.
Lithuania was, after all, a powerhouse in international basketball, possessing strong adjustment capabilities. They would not allow China to stage an easy comeback.
The fourth quarter began, the ultimate showdown between the two sides, with the final 10 minutes determining the outcome!
Both teams had exerted significant energy. Therefore, at the start of the fourth quarter, both sides substituted some reserve players.
Jonas initially wanted Li Feng to rest for two minutes before returning to the court, but Li Feng subtly shook his head, disagreeing.
"Coach, don't worry. I didn't play in the first half, so my stamina won't be an issue."
Jonas had no choice but to let Li Feng enter the game with four substitute players.
Lithuania was in a similar situation; their main players were exhausted. However, the head coach dared not field an entirely reserve lineup, opting to bring in two starters with three reserves.
Li Feng, leading four substitutes, focused on defense from the outset.
China's reserves had been itching to play on the bench. Now that they had the opportunity, they naturally wouldn't miss it.
Moreover, Li Feng set an excellent example on both offense and defense, and the entire team fought with utmost dedication!
Lithuania's Jevtokas couldn't handle it. This "devilish pig" had suffered in the third quarter and harbored resentment.
Therefore, he was determined to take Li Feng down!
Both publicly and privately, he wanted revenge!
During one of Li Feng's fast breaks, Jevtokas again used a cheap shot, swinging his elbow towards Li Feng's ribs.
*Bang!*
Compared to the previous instance, Jevtokas's cheap shot was more concealed and delivered with greater force!
Li Feng was caught off guard and was knocked sideways, almost falling.
However, it wasn't Li Feng who went down. Instead, it was the "devilish pig" who had launched the sneak attack!
As Li Feng was hit, he instinctively swung his elbow, coincidentally striking Jevtokas's face.
Li Feng was fine, but Jevtokas's face was a mess!
The game was stopped, and the doctor on the sidelines rushed to examine him. It was too serious; a stretcher was immediately called, and Jevtokas was carried off for treatment.
Because the incident happened so quickly, many people didn't see it clearly.
The referees also didn't understand what had happened and had to review the instant replay.
After watching the replay, the referees and the fans understood: Jevtokas's sneak attack had backfired.
The referees made a fair call: Jevtokas was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, and China's men's basketball team received two free throws and possession!
The fans erupted in cheers, marveling at Li Feng's physical prowess; he was like an iron man!
The opponent's sneak attack had backfired, injuring him instead, an incredible physique.
Li Feng stood at the free-throw line, and the entire stadium fell silent. Li Feng calmly made the first free throw!
The fans cheered. The score became 73:65, with the deficit reduced to 8 points!
Following that, Li Feng made his second free throw as well, narrowing the gap to 7 points!