At the end of the game, Ginobili went onto the court to comfort the Argentinian team members.
With the old guard replaced by the new, their national team's predetermined goal for this tournament was to reach the top eight.
Although they were eliminated in the semi-finals, reaching the top four had already exceeded their target.
Moreover, they still had a chance to compete for third place and strive for a spot on the podium.
Tang Tian also took the initiative to walk over to Scola, saying many words of praise and encouragement.
Scola's performance in this game was average, but as a 39-year-old veteran, he was still able to compete on the world stage and lead his team to the top four.
That was already a living legend.
Furthermore, Argentina had already secured direct qualification for next year's Olympics. When 40-year-old Scola stood on the Olympic stage, it would be an even more legendary event.
Tang Tian and Ginobili also patted each other on the head and chatted for a while.
"You should have returned this year. I could see you itching to play on the sidelines."
Tang Tian teased Ginobili with a smile.
"Don't laugh at me. Next season, I'll be saying those words to you."
Ginobili was very familiar with Tang Tian and immediately retorted.
Tang Tian laughed heartily after hearing that.
That was the truth. Next season, he would be the boss, and he could only sit in the stands like Ginobili now.
The two teams completed the handshake ceremony, and the Chinese team players, as in previous games, stayed behind to enjoy the joy of victory with the fans.
At the same time, Weibo and forums were filled with news of the men's basketball team entering the World Cup final.
This was the second time, after the Rio Olympics, that the Chinese team had reached the final of a major world basketball tournament!
And this time, it was on their own home turf!
In other words, the Chinese team had the opportunity to lift the world championship trophy at home!
Moreover, it coincided with the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, so one could imagine the excitement of the fans.
And because the Chinese team's game was played first, fans could wait for the second semi-final later in the evening.
If Spain also had an upset like Argentina, then the Chinese team's championship would be almost guaranteed.
An hour later, the game between the United States and Spain began at the Wukesong Arena.
The attendance at the venue was also packed.
The Chinese team's coaching staff and players did not leave the stadium, but stayed to watch the semi-final.
This was both to relax after the game and to prepare for the final two days later.
After the opening ceremony, the starting lineups of the two teams were announced one after another.
For Spain, the outside players were Rubio and Rudy Fernandez, the forwards were Mirotic and Ibaka, and the center was Gasol.
In terms of pure roster strength, this Spanish team was no worse than the one in Rio, and might even be stronger with Rubio's growth.
However, in terms of star power, they were still a level below the American team.
For the United States, the outside players were Curry and Harden, the forwards were Durant and Leonard, and the center was Drummond.
Except for James and Davis, this was almost the strongest active roster of the American team.
They had been outscoring their opponents by an average of 30+ points per game since the start of the World Cup, so their dominance was evident.
In other words, this was a real Avengers team, and they were here to avenge their loss in Rio in 2016.
The game started quickly.
The fans at the scene also transformed into Spanish fans after the opening and cheered for the Spanish team.
Obviously, they were hoping for an upset by Spain, which would greatly increase China's chances of winning the championship.
Amidst the fans' cheers, the Spanish team performed quite bravely, with near-perfect offense and defense.
At the end of the first quarter, the United States only led Spain by 5 points, 25-20!
This result was beyond everyone's expectations.
Originally, based on the strength comparison between the two sides, the United States should have been able to easily suppress the Spanish team at the start.
But now, after one quarter, they were only leading by 5 points.
This score also gave the Chinese fans at the scene great confidence.
If the Spanish team could play against the American team in this way, then the Chinese team also had a chance.
Tang Tian also watched the first quarter and noticed the American team's problems.
One aspect, like the Canadian team, was due to the short team-up time and the lack of understanding between each other.
These players were mostly opponents on the NBA court and had not played together except for the All-Star Game.
With a month of training time, they could show off when their opponents were weak, thanks to their strong individual abilities.
But when facing a team like Spain, which was a real contender for the championship, their performance was very constrained.
On the other hand, even Ibaka, who was naturalized, had been playing for the Spanish team since 2011.
Not to mention that Rubio and Gasol had been long-term national teammates.
If you used data to describe it, if the American team's understanding was 60%, then the Spanish team's was at least 90%.
Another aspect was related to Popovich.
Popovich was outstanding, but he was a coach who leaned towards development.
And he emphasized the team a lot, which could be seen from the Spurs' GDP era, including Tang Tian winning the FMVP.
Without establishing a core, everyone was modest to each other, which prevented the American team from showing their true strength.
Of course, there was also a third aspect: Curry's touch was not very good, and several three-pointers that he used to make easily did not go in.
To be precise, it should be said that his outside touch had not been very good since the start of the World Cup.
These three aspects were also the most crucial points that led to the score on the court.
After watching this quarter, many fans really had high hopes for an upset by the Spanish team.
However, just as they thought so, the situation on the court suddenly changed.
The American team's super-deep bench brought on superstar-level players like Lillard, Thompson, and George.
On the other hand, the Spanish team's substitutes were mostly players from the Spanish league, with the strongest being Llull.
Moreover, there were four quarters in the game, and the Spanish coach Scariolo did not dare to compress the rotation.
As a result, the American team widened the gap to double digits during the substitution phase.
Although the Spanish team's performance was still excellent after the starters returned, they still trailed the American team by as many as 15 points at the end of the first half.
This was a case of "the starters can't kill you, but the bench will beat you to death."
In the second half, the Spanish launched a desperate counterattack.
They kept attacking inside, relying on their inside advantage.
Drummond could hardly fight four hands, and the Spanish team successfully narrowed the score to single digits.
Moreover, after entering the substitution phase, Scariolo compressed the rotation lineup.
This prevented the Spanish team from being widened the score by the American team again in this substitution phase.
When the starters from both sides returned to enter the final battle in the last quarter, the American team was only leading the Spanish team by 7 points, 101-94.
The outcome seemed very suspenseful.
However, the suspense also ended in the last half quarter.
The Spanish team's starting players had consumed a lot of energy, and their scoring efficiency obviously declined as they gritted their teeth and persevered.
On the other hand, the American team's starters were fully rested and returned with plenty of energy.
Moreover, Durant stood up at the last moment and became the core of the team, and continuous shots helped the American team widen the gap.
The Spanish team fell short, and eventually lost by a large margin of 100-118, missing the World Cup final.
Also, after the end of this game, the two teams in the World Cup final were determined.
The long-awaited China-U.S. battle!