China's new tactics are very advanced, with some NBA teams already playing this way.
Li Feng also hopes that this change will lead Da Yao to give up gaining weight and, even more so, that the Rockets' coach will see it and allow Da Yao to shoot three-pointers, increasing his offensive options.
After the timeout, Argentina initiated their offense.
Scola still received the ball in the paint, but instead of forcing a shot, he used his post presence to pass the ball to Delfino at the 45-degree angle.
Delfino had also been teammates with Da Yao on the Rockets and was a very accurate three-point shooter.
Sun Dasheng was momentarily distracted and was beaten by half a step by Delfino. By the time he pounced again, it was too late.
*Clang!*
Although Delfino missed the shot, he fell to the ground after being shoved by Sun Dasheng. The referee blew his whistle, awarding him a 3+1!
Even though Sun Dasheng felt it was unfair, the referee was unmoved and still gave Delfino three free throws.
Li Feng and the other teammates didn't blame Sun Dasheng; it was just a lack of experience. He walked over and patted Sun Dasheng on the back, telling him to calm down.
Delfino made two out of three free throws, making the score 59-57. China's offense.
Since Da Yao had just made a three-pointer, the Chinese fans in the stadium all stood up, eager to see what new tricks China would unveil on this possession.
Li Feng dribbled past half-court. Ginobili was guarding him one-on-one, with no double-team.
Da Yao, this time, didn't go to the corner but lingered near the paint.
Suddenly, Da Yao ran towards the corner. Oberto, who was prepared, immediately followed him, leaving the paint open.
Yi Jianlian, who had been leisurely "strolling" at the 45-degree angle, suddenly accelerated and cut towards the basket.
Scola reacted, but it was too late. He was closely trailing, but already a step behind. Li Feng immediately passed the ball to him!
A beautiful cut, and a beautiful pass!
The ball found Yi Jianlian comfortably, and he soared for a thunderous dunk!
61-57!
The coordination was fluid and seamless!
Da Yao's three-pointer had opened up more tactical options, making Yi Jianlian's cuts much easier.
Argentina's head coach Prigioni angrily threw his arm, realizing he had been tricked.
Oberto chose to guard Yao Ming in the corner, leaving the interior empty.
Li Feng easily dished out two assists, and China went on a scoring run!
The Argentinian players seemed dazed. They were caught off guard by China's diverse tactics.
Even Ginobili, with his vast experience, looked somewhat helpless at this moment.
But a "demon knife" is still a "demon knife." He possessed extreme mental fortitude. He tried to calm himself down and gestured to his teammates, urging them to steady themselves.
"It's okay, there's still plenty of time. Being down by four points is nothing. Keep fighting!"
Encouraged by Ginobili, the Argentinian players' morale improved significantly, and they initiated their offense again.
Ginobili dribbled past half-court and passed the ball to Oberto, which was also an Argentinian tactic.
Doesn't Yao Ming want to save energy?
Fine, then I'll have my center battle it out with you and wear you down!
Da Yao was well aware of the opponent's intentions but couldn't ignore it. He firmly held his ground against Oberto, preventing him from posting up.
At this moment, Li Feng suddenly made a gesture to Da Yao, and Da Yao understood.
Li Feng was going to deal with Oberto himself, saving Da Yao some energy!
After receiving the ball, Oberto aggressively drove towards the basket, expecting Da Yao to battle him head-on.
To his surprise, Da Yao retreated step-by-step, allowing himself to be pushed closer to the basket.
Oberto was ecstatic.
In the first half, he had posted up Da Yao several times, only succeeding once. He was very frustrated, but he never expected to succeed on his first attempt against Yao Ming in the second half!
Oberto thought to himself: Da Yao has gone soft! I won't hold back then!
Having pushed closer to the basket, he felt Da Yao behind him no longer daring to contest him. He rose up forcefully, intending to slam dunk.
The moment he rose up, Li Feng jumped from behind him again, swung his fist, and with a volleyball-like motion, forcefully swatted the ball out of Oberto's hands!
*Bang!*
The sound was so loud that the entire arena could hear it clearly!
*Whoosh!*
The crowd was once again stunned by Li Feng's volleyball-style block. Everyone's mouths hung open, unable to close.
Oberto, in particular, was furious, his face turning dark.
The basketball was directly smashed to Scola's front. As Scola was about to grab the ball, Zhu Fangyu was one step faster, snatching the ball and launching a counter-attack.
Zhu Fangyu and Yi Jianlian attacked together, killing their way past half-court, with Yi Jianlian finishing with a powerful dunk!
63-57!
China had extended their lead to six points.
Li Feng's block count had reached four!
Simply terrifying!
Was this the kind of stat a guard should have?
China's team had complete control of both offense and defense, showing signs of establishing a winning lead.
Argentina's head coach Prigioni kept shaking his head and sighing. He had just called a timeout and couldn't do so again.
Only two minutes had passed in the second half.
Ginobili was truly anxious, his face ashen. He dribbled the ball and initiated an attack.
Li Feng saw the "demon knife's" change in demeanor and knew he was getting impatient.
So, Li Feng faked being beaten by him, but stayed close behind.
Ginobili had his teammates set a screen for him, then he made a snake-like drive to the other side of the basket, intending to lay it up.
Unexpectedly, Li Feng appeared again, anticipating the play and jumping high to swat away Ginobili's sure basket.
The consecutive blocks sent the atmosphere of the stadium to its peak. The arena vibrated with the shouts of the Chinese fans.
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"Li Feng, I love you, I want to have your babies!"
"Go Li Feng, into the semi-finals!"
...
Ginobili was truly enraged and started competing with Li Feng. In the following few possessions, he made continuous drives.
What was frightening was how rapidly Li Feng's defensive ability had improved.
Ginobili's various breakthrough methods were all countered by Li Feng and his teammates.
For example, Ginobili had his teammates set a double screen to try and shake off Li Feng.
But Li Feng, like an eel, squeezed through the gaps.
His ability to squeeze through was due to both his incredible speed and his considerable strength.
Ginobili repeatedly cried out in distress. Li Feng was like a ghost, present everywhere. In the five minutes he played in the second half, Ginobili had scored zero points!
Seeing that Ginobili was getting a bit heated, Prigioni substituted him out.
After all, he was a veteran, and his energy needed to be preserved; otherwise, Ginobili wouldn't be able to play much in the fourth quarter.
Once Ginobili left the court, Argentina struggled even more.
Da Yao, with ample energy, played more freely. He began switching between three-point shots and post-ups.
Poor Oberto of Argentina was being toyed with by Da Yao.
When he followed Da Yao out, Da Yao would initiate the pick-and-roll. If he didn't follow, Da Yao would shoot a three-pointer.
Yi Jianlian, Li Feng, and Sun Dasheng frequently cut to the basket, tearing open Argentina's defense. The point difference continued to widen.