Chapter 1 The Beginning

The entrance ceremony. When the Chinese players were introduced, the cheers of the Chinese fans drew stares from other fans.

It was really a bit fierce.

After the entrance ceremony, the starting players of both sides also took the stage one after another.

The Chinese team still used the same one-big-four-small lineup, with Zhao Jiwei and Tang Tian on the outside, Zhou Peng and Kelan Bake on the front line, and Yi Jianlian at center.

The only change was that Kelan Bake, who had a better defensive effect, replaced Zhai Xiaochuan from before.

Argentina also used a one-big-four-small lineup, with Nicolas Laprovittola and Ginobili on the outside, Delfino and Nocioni on the front line, and Scola at center.

Yi Jianlian outjumped Scola, officially kicking off the Olympic quarter-finals.

In the previous games, the Chinese team had already figured out a way to win. Like in the group stage, Tang Tian started by attacking and dishing.

Argentina didn't dare to let Tang Tian go, and immediately shrunk the defense to double-team him.

This scene was a bit like, "I know you're going to play like this, but this is the only way I can defend."

Tang Tian sent a behind-the-back pass from the double-team, distributing the ball to the open Kelan Bake.

Kelan Bake shot decisively, with a good shooting rhythm.

"Clang!"

But unfortunately, the ball didn't go in.

Yi Jianlian grabbed the offensive rebound over Scola, but the put-back was a bit too strong and also bounced off the rim.

Scola secured the defensive rebound.

For Argentina's offense, Ginobili made a bounce pass that pierced the defense to the cutting Nocioni.

A play between two old partners.

After receiving the ball, Nocioni was unstoppable, flying in for a dunk.

Relying on his ability to cut, Nocioni had even played as a starter for the Bulls, averaging 14+ points per game at his peak.

Even though he was older, this signature move was still there, and although he was 37 years old, his style of play was still as aggressive as when he was young.

Nocioni came fiercely, but Yi Jianlian didn't back down. He stood his ground under the basket and reached out to stop Nocioni's shot.

Nocioni was old after all, and the shot after the contact bounced off the rim. Yi Jianlian turned and grabbed the rebound.

The Chinese team launched a counterattack, and Tang Tian made another beautiful behind-the-back pass to Zhou Peng, who was following up.

Zhou Peng's trailing open three-pointer.

"Clang!"

The shot was obviously a bit too strong, hitting the back of the rim and bouncing high.

It could be seen from the opening possessions that the Chinese team's outside shooting wasn't good in this game.

However, unlike the opening game of the group stage, they weren't nervous, but rather a bit overexcited.

For most of the players on this team, it was the first time they had a chance to reach the semi-finals, so this kind of reaction was normal.

This was obviously not good news for the Chinese team. They lost to Australia before because their outside shots were off.

Because their outside shots were off, the opponent could double-team Tang Tian without restraint, which would cause the Chinese team's scoring efficiency to drop sharply.

But the good news was that Argentina's offense wasn't in good shape either.

Ginobili's pass to Delfino, the Argentine sharpshooter, actually shot an air ball under Zhou Peng's interference.

The two teams played several possessions at the start, and they hadn't scored a single point!

The crowd was in an uproar.

The first game of the quarter-finals was trending towards a rookie battle!

But soon, there was a score on the court, and the person who scored was Tang Tian.

He realized that his teammates were overexcited and their shooting was poor, so he chose to attack with the ball himself.

He accelerated into the paint and sent the ball into the basket after a collision with Scola.

After Oberto retired, Argentina's inside relied solely on the aging Scola, which was also the Chinese team's breakthrough point.

Moreover, Argentina's aging problem was too serious. Four of the five starters were 30+, and three were 35+. They had the awareness to double-team, but their speed was much worse.

In Argentina's offense, Scola moved to the high post to run the offense, with Nocioni and Ginobili cutting back and forth.

The Chinese team shrunk their defense at Tang Tian's signal.

Scola passed the ball to Laprovittola, who faked a shot from the outside and then broke into the paint for a layup.

The play was well executed, but at the moment he shot, Yi Jianlian squeezed past Scola and blocked the shot out of bounds with a help defense.

Laprovittola tried to save the ball but failed. The ball hit his hand and went out of bounds, giving the Chinese team possession!

The Chinese fans in the arena cheered.

The Chinese team's defense was a bit good after the start!

Tang Tian attacked the inside again. This time, Nocioni's help defense was in place, but Tang Tian had good core strength, and he still made the reverse layup after dodging in the air!

The cheers of the Chinese fans at the scene had exploded.

The Chinese team had Tang Tian on offense and Yi Jianlian on defense. Although their outside shooting wasn't good, they still had the upper hand, looking like a newly emerging powerhouse.

On the other hand, Argentina was old and declining.

The outcome seemed to have been decided after the start.

It was fortunate that Argentina had a good group in the previous stage. If they were in Group A, it would have been as difficult as climbing to the sky to qualify.

Delfino's second three-point attempt still missed, and Yi Jianlian grabbed another defensive rebound.

Tang Tian broke away from Delfino in a fast break and slammed the ball into the basket.

6 to 0!

The Chinese fans could already see the Chinese team advancing to the semi-finals.

But at this moment, Ginobili slithered past Tang Tian and drew a foul while making the shot for an and-one!

Ginobili was Argentina's strongest point. Tang Tian had told everyone this at the start, and he was also personally responsible for defending him.

Even Durant couldn't break through Tang Tian, so the old Ginobili theoretically had no chance.

But things didn't go as expected. Although Ginobili's ability was not as good as Durant's now, his experience was too rich.

Moreover, he had been teammates with Tang Tian on the Spurs for two years.

Tang Tian started out with defense during his time with the Spurs, and Ginobili was quite familiar with his defensive habits. This and-one was definitely not luck.

Tang Tian glanced at Ginobili and couldn't help but think of what Ginobili had said last night.

It seemed that although he was prepared, he still underestimated Ginobili's fighting spirit.

This 38-year-old guy really wanted to win.

He shook his arm. In the next play, even if Ginobili was familiar with him, he wouldn't give him another chance.

Ginobili made the free throw, and the score was 3 to 6.

This goal was crucial for Argentina.

Tang Tian drove to the basket, this time Argentina's contraction was very thorough, Tang Tian passed the ball to Yi Jianlian at the top of the arc.

Yi Jianlian's three-point shot, bounced on the rim, looked like it was going in, but Kelan Bake was too eager and touched the ball when he jumped, resulting in an offensive goaltending call.

Back on the other end, Ginobili used Scola's high post screen, and stopped for a three-point shot the moment the screen was set.

This choice was very unconventional, a rhythm that ordinary people couldn't make.

"Swish!"

But with a crisp sound, the ball was still made by Ginobili!

6 to 6!

Ginobili personally scored 6-0 in a row! Tied the score!

The demon blade is not old!