The reporter continued, "If the Splash Brothers combine for over 30 points, what then?"
Ty Lawson pondered and replied, "How about this, if the Splash Brothers score over 30 points together, then... I'll run three laps around the stadium wearing only my shorts!"
The reporters burst into laughter.
This was, in fact, a form of hype. Players interacting with the media often boosted their commercial value.
The atmosphere of the interview became very relaxed and natural.
If Ty Lawson really ran three laps in just his shorts, it would become major news, something the reporters would be thrilled about.
...
After both teams' press conferences, the excitement for the game intensified.
At 8 PM, the game officially began!
The Wildcats' starting lineup remained Curry, Li Feng, Gathlen, Love Dale, and Allison.
North Carolina's starting five were Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, Tyler Hansbrough, and Deon Thompson.
Allison of the Wildcats and Thompson of North Carolina met at center court for the jump ball.
Thompson was three centimeters taller than Allison and had a quicker leap, so North Carolina secured the first possession.
Ty Lawson brought the ball past half-court, with Curry guarding him.
Because Ty Lawson was much stronger than Curry, he used a crossover and a bump to get past him.
Curry's defensive intensity was high, but he was indeed quite thin in his college days, making his defense only average.
Lawson drove past, attacked the paint, and scored 2 points with a floater.
One had to admit, Ty Lawson's driving ability was truly impressive!
The Wildcats' offense.
Li Feng held the ball in the backcourt, with Danny Green applying full-court defense, aggressively bumping into Li Feng!
Danny Green appeared a size larger than Li Feng, so he was confident.
But unlike before, when he collided with Li Feng, he was pushed away by Li Feng!
Danny Green's eyes widened in shock.
Li Feng ignored him and drove past half-court.
Ty Lawson quickly shouted to Danny Green, who immediately retreated to defend.
After crossing half-court, Li Feng noticed North Carolina's help defense, which was indeed excellent.
As soon as he attacked the paint, he saw two players converging on him simultaneously.
Li Feng had no choice but to pass the ball to Curry.
Ty Lawson appeared before Curry like a phantom.
Curry unleashed his various dribbling skills, trying to get past Ty Lawson, but failed.
Even if he managed to get past Ty Lawson, the other North Carolina players arrived too quickly for help defense.
The Wildcats encountered their greatest difficulty; both Li Feng's and Curry's offense faced formidable challenges.
Curry, in a moment of carelessness, was double-teamed and had his pass stolen.
North Carolina immediately launched a fast break. Ty Lawson received the ball and quickly crossed half-court, with Li Feng in hot pursuit.
Li Feng's speed was already quite fast, but Lawson was no slower.
As Lawson reached half-court, Li Feng grabbed his arm, committing a foul.
Ty Lawson made both free throws!
2:0, North Carolina leads!
McKillop watched from the sidelines with a somber expression. While he knew North Carolina's defense was strong, he had always believed Li Feng could break through their defense.
However, from the first possession, North Carolina's aggressive and tight defense seemed to have no answer for Li Feng.
North Carolina had also done excellent preparation; they defended Li Feng and Curry starting from the half-court line, giving them no room to shoot.
In the following few possessions, North Carolina consistently scored. Curry also committed two fouls and had to be substituted out early.
With over four minutes played in the first half, the score was 11:2, with the Wildcats trailing by a large margin!
McKillop had to call a timeout; he needed his players to regroup.
Li Feng and Curry sat on the bench, not saying much, but both felt immense pressure.
Perhaps because their previous games had been too smooth, the Wildcats players, including Curry and Li Feng, hadn't adjusted immediately.
It was similar to the first time Li Feng faced the Dream Team; Li Feng needed time to adapt.
The North Carolina players were smug. They were a traditional powerhouse, and not winning a championship was considered a failure, so their morale was high.
They chatted and high-fived each other, appearing to have completely dominated the Wildcats.
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley was elated.
"See, this is the intensity of the finals! Li Feng can't adapt, and neither can Curry!"
Smith also looked a bit worried and sighed, saying, "North Carolina's defensive system is too good, and their help defense is extremely active, far beyond what Duke University could manage."
"I predict the Wildcats will lose by at least 20 points in this game!"
"Perhaps not. I think Li Feng will step up; that's my intuition."
...
Just as the media's narrative was subtly shifting, the timeout ended.
Li Feng returned to the court with a grim expression, his eyes glinting fiercely.
The Wildcats had reached the finals, but Li Feng didn't want to lose again.
In the Olympics, the Chinese team's overall strength was too different from the Dream Team's; losing was understandable.
But in the NCAA, if he lost again, Li Feng wouldn't forgive himself!
"Brothers, let's be more aggressive! This is the final game! Don't you want to lift the championship trophy?"
"Wildcats will win!"
"Lift the trophy!"
"Defeat North Carolina!"
...
The Wildcats players' morale was once again ignited.
The North Carolina players were arrogant. Seeing the Wildcats' rallying cries, they sneered.
The game resumed with the Wildcats on offense.
Li Feng took the ball again, crossed half-court, and Danny Green stepped up for tight defense.
He knew his strength was inferior to Li Feng's, so he intended to use his height and reach to defend.
But Li Feng used his "Fancy Dribbling" and a behind-the-back move to shake Danny Green off his back.
Green wasn't flustered, knowing that North Carolina's help defense was strong and his teammates would assist him.
As expected, Harrington and Hansbrough rushed over together!
Li Feng had adapted to the intensity of their help defense and didn't force his way through. Instead, he drove towards the baseline.
This appeared to be an attempt to evade, but it was actually Li Feng's strategy for breaking free.
North Carolina's defense was truly airtight. Lawson and Danny Green reappeared in front of Li Feng.
Li Feng unleashed a move from his "Offensive Kaleidoscope," and under the double-team, he suddenly pulled up for a jumper, complete with a fadeaway.
Although Li Feng had used fadeaways before, this time, he knew he had to reach the absolute limit to evade the opponents' defense.
Danny Green stretched out his long arms to contest Li Feng's shot.
Swish!
It was incredibly close.
The moment Li Feng released the ball, Danny Green's fingers were already there, almost touching the basketball.
The ball went through the net!
It was so difficult!
After scoring, Li Feng excitedly clenched his fist and glared at Danny Green.
Danny Green snorted and shouted at Li Feng, "There won't be a next time!"
Li Feng retorted, "I'll hit you three times in a row!"
Their trash talk, picked up by the nearby microphones and broadcast, immediately became a focal point of the game!
The tension was escalating!