During the opening ceremony, the players from both sides were introduced one after another, followed by a pre-match handshake at center court.

The players from both teams walked to the center of the court to shake hands, facing each other.

A very interesting scene unfolded at this moment. Durant was facing Tang Tian, and he secretly tried to take advantage when shaking Tang Tian's hand.

Tang Tian felt it and used even more force in response, causing Durant to grimace in pain.

When Tang Tian released his hand, Durant's eyes flickered, and he finally snorted coldly.

He suffered a loss in silence.

However, this detail also showed that this game was not just between China and the United States; the rivalry between Tang Tian and Durant would be even more intense than in the group stage.

After the opening ceremony, the starting players from both teams took to the court one after another.

The American team's lineup was the same as in the group stage: Irving and Butler in the backcourt, Durant and Anthony on the forward line, and Jordan at center.

The Chinese team's lineup had changed, with Guo Ailun replacing Zhao Jiwei as the starting point guard.

This change was somewhat sudden, considering that Zhao Jiwei had been partnering with Tang Tian since the beginning of the Olympics, and the results had been very good.

Coach K was also obviously not expecting this change from the Chinese team, but he didn't pay too much attention to it.

Apart from Tang Tian and Yi Jianlian, the other players on the Chinese team were not that far apart in strength and would not have a significant impact on the game.

Amidst the cheers of the fans, Jordan tipped the ball back to the American team's half, officially kicking off the final of the Olympic Games.

Jordan pinned Yi Jianlian under the basket, while Durant, Irving, and Butler spread out beyond the three-point line. Anthony held the ball in the low post, backing down Ke Lanbaike.

Coach K reacted quickly; he had spotted the weakness in the Chinese team's lineup during their game against Spain yesterday.

Ke Lanbaike tried hard, but he was simply outmatched by Anthony. Anthony turned and used his large frame to push Ke Lanbaike away, scoring the first two points with a layup.

On the Chinese team's attack, the American team's double-teaming was resolute, and Tang Tian passed out to Zhou Peng.

Zhou Peng's release wasn't very quick, and Anthony quickly recovered to put pressure on him. His shot was contested, and the basketball bounced off the rim.

Jordan secured the defensive rebound, and when the American team got to the offensive end, Anthony continued to post up, this time with Zhou Peng providing help defense. Anthony passed the ball to Butler.

Butler flew to the basket and scored with a dunk.

Anthony didn't like to pass the ball in the NBA, which had something to do with his teammates, but he would pass the ball in international games.

The American team started smoothly and played very rationally.

After losing the group stage game, Coach K clearly took the Chinese team seriously and played very deliberately.

Tang Tian's shot from the double team didn't go in. The American team launched a fast break, with Irving accelerating from the backcourt, changing pace in the frontcourt to get past Guo Ailun and score with a layup.

6-0!

The American team completely seized the initiative at the very beginning!

This was the overall strength of the American team; they weren't just Durant.

With the pre-game preparations, it was going to be very difficult for the Chinese team to win.

At this time, fans on the internet started to jeer, saying it was a pity that Spain lost, that a completely one-sided game wasn't entertaining, and so on.

Just when they were about to reach a climax, something suddenly changed on the court.

While Tang Tian was driving to the basket, Guo Ailun, who was originally in the corner, quietly cut towards the basket.

Tang Tian made a beautiful bounce pass from the double team, and Guo Ailun caught the ball and scored with a flying layup!

The one-star-four-shooter lineup became one-star-three-shooter, with one more cutting point!

Guo Ailun's breakthrough ability and speed were his advantages, and this kind of scoring method was very suitable for him.

The Chinese team finally scored, but in return, Anthony continued to attack Ke Lanbaike, and his turnaround shot drew a defensive foul from the latter.

The gap in ability couldn't be made up for by just being active and working hard.

Tang Tian signaled Zhou Qi to come on.

Anthony made both free throws, giving the American team an 8-2 lead.

On the Chinese team's attack, using the same tactic, Guo Ailun continued to receive the ball and attempt a layup. This time, he successfully drew a blocking foul from Anthony, earning a chance to shoot free throws.

Coach K, after watching two possessions, realized the purpose of the Chinese team's substitution.

He also made a substitution while Guo Ailun was shooting free throws, replacing Jordan and Anthony with Thompson and Green, playing a small-ball lineup!

The Golden State Warriors' four-star lineup hadn't officially debuted in a game yet. Coach K was showcasing the upgraded version of the Warriors in the national team's game first!

The Chinese team also followed suit with a substitution, replacing the recently substituted Zhou Qi with Ke Lanbaike again.

Both sides were making frequent substitutions; Tang Tian and Coach K were going head-to-head.

Guo Ailun made one of two free throws. Green boxed out Yi Jianlian, and Durant grabbed the defensive rebound.

Green held the ball at the arc, and Thompson and Durant ran off-ball under his direction.

A major characteristic of Coach K's ability to coach talented teams was giving the players freedom on the court. Green's instinct was to organize from the arc.

Thompson curled out to receive a pass from Green and attempted a three-pointer. Because he had just entered the game, the shot was a bit off, and the basketball bounced off the rim.

However, the play was very successful. Every member of the American team had top-tier ability, and even a little bit of tactical play was amplified.

On the Chinese team's attack, Tang Tian passed to Guo Ailun again. The advantage of the small-ball lineup was displayed, and Guo Ailun's shot was blocked by Durant, who had rotated over to help defend.

Back on the other end, Green continued to hold the ball at the arc. This time, Durant seized the opportunity and made a three-pointer after receiving the ball.

11-3. The American team completely suppressed the Chinese team at the start.

The Chinese fans on the sidelines were in an uproar. The American team's serious appearance was truly terrifying.

At a crucial moment, Tang Tian hit a turnaround fadeaway jumper over Butler on the front, drawing cheers from the fans.

However, Green continued to organize, sending a high pass to Butler, who cut to the basket, scoring another 2 points with a flying layup.

The American team's starting lineup had a reasonable offensive and defensive configuration, but it lacked an organizing point. Green's presence freed up the American team's offense.

On the Chinese team's attack, Tang Tian passed out to Yi Jianlian, creating a very good open look.

However, the small-ball lineup's rotation speed was too fast, and Yi Jianlian didn't have a chance to shoot, so he had to pass the ball back to Tang Tian.

With little time left on the shot clock, Tang Tian's difficult contested fadeaway shot went wide.

The sidelines were in an uproar.

Although Tang Tian's individual ability was very strong, the small-ball lineup limited the Chinese team's other offensive options, in addition to enhancing their offense.

It was going to be really difficult to play against a team like this.

At the end of the first half, the American team led 50-30.

The 20-point difference already demonstrated the disparity in strength between the two teams.

This even had little to do with the Chinese team. When Dream Team XII got serious, not to mention the Chinese team, even Spain had no chance.

Although their performance in the group stage was not satisfactory, the facts proved that this year's gold medal still belonged only to the American team; no other team could take it away.