This was truly a bizarre scene.
The televised broadcasts in Dragon Country were always harmonious, never featuring confrontations where individuals refused to yield to each other.
Even if such moments occurred, everyone would tacitly move past them, unlike this peculiar debate that unfolded in the studio.
The director’s forehead broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, the timeout ended, and both teams’ players returned to the court.
The United States maintained its third-quarter lineup, with Kobe and LeBron still on the bench.
With a 20-point lead, Coach K didn't rush to make adjustments. After all, the current roster had a clear advantage, making substitutions unnecessary.
Dragon Country initiated their offense by targeting Howard.
Once the ball reached Yao Ming, Howard’s rotation was swift. He shifted from being in front to behind Yao Ming, using his arms to press against Yao’s waist, preventing him from turning.
Yao Ming, holding the basketball, swayed his shoulders back and forth. After several instances where Howard failed to keep pace, Yao Ming suddenly spun around and followed through with a dunk motion.
Howard's jumping speed was also not slow.
But just as his hand was about to swing, Yao Ming didn't attempt a layup. Instead, he bounced the ball off the backboard and then moved out of the way of the basket.
Howard was momentarily stunned, and then he saw a face full of mockery.
Tang Long grabbed the ball and slammed it into the hoop, a spectacular alley-oop completed right over Howard.
72-90.
"Learned anything? This is how a center should play. You want to be the number one center? Bah," Tang Long wagged his finger at Howard. "I’m teaching you for free this time. Whether you learn depends on your comprehension."
So arrogant.
The entire stadium fell silent.
Howard panted, and after a long pause, managed to blurt out, "Don't get cocky. You're still trailing by nearly 20 points. Let's see how you win."
Tang Long waved his hand dismissively, unconcerned. "We're just letting you lead for now. Besides, most of those points were scored by others. What does it have to do with you?"
Most people would typically say, "We are a team, a unit, and these points are also my contribution." However, for Howard, these points genuinely had little to do with his individual statistics.
"I told you long ago, don't provoke him, but you wouldn't listen!"
Even if the United States won this game, and everyone was happy, Howard would undoubtedly be the most displeased among the happy players.
He desperately wanted to prove himself.
After the United States' offense, Howard, expending a significant amount of energy, battled Yao Ming under the basket. Once in a favorable position, he extended his hand, signaling for the ball.
Kidd usually observed the game situation before deciding who to pass to. However, after several passes that didn't reach Howard, he began to get agitated and started shouting.
"Stop shouting. They're not going to pass to you anyway. I think we should bring Bosh in."
Tang Long seized the opportune moment to add fuel to the fire next to Howard.
This made Howard even more furious.
During his one-on-one with Yao Ming, Howard even yelled at Paul, "Chris, pass me the damn ball."
Paul was a good-natured guy. Seeing Howard's outburst, and for the sake of the team, Paul had no choice but to pass him the ball.
However, Tang Long and the others weren't deaf. Once the ball reached Howard, they immediately doubled-teamed him. Howard couldn't get rid of the ball, and his attempts to score were directly blocked.
In a series of three-point plays, Dragon Country capitalized on Howard's position, scoring two three-pointers and one two-pointer, bringing the score to 80-90.
As Tang Long sank a three-pointer and retreated on defense, brushing past Howard, he couldn't help but extend an invitation. "Dwight, you must come to Dragon Country's gold medal celebration banquet. We won't start without you."
Howard didn't understand the latter part, but he grasped the general meaning of the preceding words.
Howard became even more enraged.
His defensive actions gradually intensified.
During another Dragon Country offensive possession, Howard, disregarding everything, attempted to block Yao Ming. Instead, Yao Ming responded with a two-plus-one.
A 13-0 run ensued, bringing the score to 83-90.
The favorable situation, thanks to Howard, had once again become uncertain.
At this point, Coach K began to regret his decision. He wished he had substituted Howard out earlier after the timeout, which would have prevented this significant deficit.
However, if he substituted Howard now, no one could contain Yao Ming in the paint.
Coach K looked at Kobe and LeBron. The third quarter had passed the six-minute mark, with less than four minutes remaining. He intended to save these players for the fourth quarter, allowing them to retain their full energy to break through Dragon Country's defense.
Before this game, Coach K had meticulously studied Dragon Country's previous group stage matches.
He had observed that in the fourth quarter, Dragon Country's team often performed at an exceptionally high level. Precisely at this time, when everyone's stamina was waning, was the key reason Dragon Country had managed to defeat their opponents.
"Boozer, it's your turn."
"Yes, coach."
Boozer jumped up happily, quickly putting on his team uniform.
With too many superstars on the national team, his playing time was severely limited. Therefore, upon hearing the coach tell him to play, Boozer was incredibly excited.
His objective on the court was simpler.
Coach K gave him only one task: guard Yao Ming and relentlessly wear down his stamina.
Boozer’s entry onto the court indeed executed the head coach's strategy strictly. As a blue-collar player, his primary roles were defense and rebounds, disrupting the offense.
The effect of his appearance was surprisingly good.
By the end of the third quarter, Dragon Country trailed the United States by 12 points, 88-100.
In the final quarter of the Olympic men's basketball final, the spectators held their breath, afraid that even the slightest exhale might distract the players.
After a brief rest, the fourth quarter officially began.
Coach K subbed out Anthony, Boozer, and Kidd all at once.
Kobe, LeBron, Bosh, Paul, and Wade became the players who would decide the outcome of the fourth quarter.
Each of these individuals was a star player on their respective teams.
[Activate Earth War Song]
At this moment, Tang Long reactivated the Earth War Song.
For the final quarter, even if it took several days to recover, Tang Long felt it was worth it.
With the Earth War Song activated, Tang Long distinctly felt an increase in muscle strength, and his teammates’ eyes became filled with confidence.
Sun Yue, controlling the ball, slowly advanced towards the frontcourt.
It was this feeling.
That's right.
At this moment, Sun Yue felt no gap between himself and these NBA stars.
Having undergone a complete transformation, Sun Yue now dared to make plays. His movements were no longer hesitant. After receiving the ball, he drove straight into the paint. 138 Reading Network
This immediately reminded the United States players of Dragon Country's performance in the fourth quarter of the group stage.
The unleashed Sun Yue faked out Kobe, then set up a pick-and-roll with Tang Long. Sun Yue drove into the paint and executed a hook shot layup.
Two points secured.
90-100.
This beautiful shot also brought a long sigh of relief from the audience.