Beep!
The referee's whistle blew.
Wade not only made the shot but also drew a foul on Yao Ming.
A three-point play.
In clutch time, Wade's free throws were calm and precise.
116-118.
The United States re-established a two-point lead.
A two-point lead was clearly not enough, so the United States' defensive intensity was unprecedented. LeBron James gave Tang Long no chance to hold the ball, and the players on the perimeter could only force up a shot as the 24-second clock was about to expire.
Such shots were naturally more likely to miss.
Fortunately, the Chinese players' defense also held up. They withstood the pressure from the United States in crucial moments. With players running and battling with all their might, the United States also missed several shots consecutively.
Time, like a married couple, passed faster and faster as the game intensified.
Both sides were nervous, and shots were missed frequently.
However, the United States held the lead, so their mentality was much better than China's, and they were more patient on both ends of the court.
Sun Yue couldn't find a passing opportunity and had to dribble while looking for a chance.
At this moment, Guo Qiang's voice sounded from the sidelines: "Sun Yue, what are you waiting for? Pass the ball! Look at the time."
Sun Yue subconsciously glanced at the scoreboard. There were only just over 50 seconds left in the game.
As Sun Yue turned his head, Paul noticed the movement. The moment his neck turned, Paul made his move.
Paul stole the ball.
Three United States players started almost simultaneously, heading straight for the Chinese basket.
Three on one.
Finally, Kobe sealed the deal with a dunk.
116-120.
A two-point deficit was manageable, but now the score was four points. They would need at least two three-pointers to tie the game. More importantly, this turnover was a huge blow to morale. The fans in the stadium gasped, and some with short tempers began to curse.
Yonas quickly called a timeout to reorganize the strategy.
...
"Still bragging? The United States players weren't even playing seriously against you, and you were all acting so arrogant. Now what? They're leading by four points. The United States will definitely win this game."
"If China wins, I'll not only do a headstand and wash my hair, but I'll also pay 100 yuan phone bill for everyone on the forum."
"What kind of traitor are you, speaking 'China' this and 'China' that? Aren't you Chinese?"
"Funny coincidence, I'm in the process of applying for immigration."
The poster not only showed his visa but also continued to stir the pot: "I can go wherever I want, unlike you losers."
This guy's remarks naturally attracted a lot of hatred. However, with the game just starting, everyone temporarily ignored him and was cheering for their team.
After the timeout.
The players from both sides reappeared on the court.
Inspired by the Greek players, the United States continued to use a full-court press. This time, Sun Yue was very cautious, only passing to another player after he had a stable grip on the ball.
However, this slowed down their advance, and it took more than 10 seconds to cross half-court.
At such moments, Sun Yue, who had the ball, couldn't help but glance at the scoreboard. Although Paul didn't steal the ball, being distracted at a crucial moment undoubtedly affected their offensive organization.
With almost another 20 seconds gone, Sun Yue could only hastily pass the ball to the inside player, Yao Ming. Bosh elbowed Yao Ming and directly batted the ball into LeBron James's hands.
LeBron James did not disappoint his teammates and immediately hit a three-pointer.
115-123.
With 31 seconds left in the game, China was trailing the United States by 8 points. The momentum of these superstars was building.
China still had one timeout left.
Trailing by 8 points against the United States, there was little hope. Yonas frowned, seemingly with no intention of calling another timeout.
This game was lost.
Team Captain Guo also sat back down, hands in his pockets, lounging lazily on the bench.
The audience members looked crestfallen, their eyes vacant.
They couldn't understand.
How did it come to this?
We were leading before.
"Damn it."
Sun Yue clenched his fists in anger. He knew that a large part of why they were being outplayed by the United States now was his fault; he was too nervous.
Dazhi and Ailian looked at the surging United States players in a daze, their movements becoming sluggish.
"What are you doing?"
Tang Long roared at them, "There's still time left in the game. Until the last second, no one knows who will win. Get yourselves together!"
If there had been plenty of time, Tang Long's roar might have had some effect.
But now, with only over 30 seconds left, and facing the formidable United States, whose players were all superstars in the basketball world, how could they possibly win while trailing by 8 points?
"Brother Yao, inbound the ball."
Yao Ming looked at Tang Long, walked blankly out of bounds, and inbounded the ball to Tang Long.
Everyone's movements were slow, mainly because they lacked spirit. Only Tang Long, who initiated a high-speed dribble, charged towards the United States' superstar defense like a dragon emerging from the sea.
Fortunately, after taking an 8-point lead, the United States players did not continue with the full-court press. They all stayed within the three-point line, intending to defend China's one player, thus ending the game.
Tang Long was attacking.
As soon as he reached the three-point line, LeBron James was right on him. Tang Long dribbled back and forth, then drove straight past LeBron James. He took two steps into the paint, and that's when the other players converged on him.
Six hands defended him with airtight precision, and Tang Long was pinned under the basket.
[Unpredictable Shot]
The despondent eyes of the audience suddenly saw the basketball slip through the dense defense and directly fall into the basket.
Beep!
Defensive foul.
Tang Long walked to the free-throw line.
A three-point play.
118-123.
At this point, there was a five-point difference, and less than 20 seconds remained. Paul intended to run out the clock for the remaining 20 seconds.
Tang Long rushed over and grabbed Paul.
This was his fourth foul.
"Tang, you've already lost. Why foul?"
Paul gave Tang Long a helpless look and slowly walked to the free-throw line.
He missed the first free throw.
The audience's eyes suddenly regained a spark, like trees after the first rain of spring.
Paul, with a grim expression, took a deep breath and shot again.
Clang.
He missed this shot too.
Tang Long grabbed the rebound and pushed his speed to the limit. This time, he didn't drive to the basket but shot directly from the three-point line.
The ball went in.
121-123.
The deficit was only two points.
"Go, Team China!"
The audience came alive.
The stadium was filled with the roar of the crowd cheering them on.
Yao Ming and the others also had a glint in their eyes.
"We must not let Tang Long's hope be in vain. Take them down."
As soon as Bosh inbounded the ball, he saw the roaring Chinese players rushing towards him. Paul, who received the pass, was startled, and in that moment of distraction, Tang Long stole the ball and immediately attempted a pull-up jumper.
123-123.
Tang Long had tied the score.