China's dream start had the home fans roaring with excitement.
This was a knockout match! If China could press their advantage and build a lead in the first half, the second half would be much easier.
Just as the fans and players were feeling optimistic, the game took a dramatic turn!
Lithuania suddenly increased their drives to the basket.
Drives weren't the issue; the Chinese team was prepared and countered with a zone defense.
What the Chinese players didn't expect was the strange officiating.
Li Feng was called for two fouls for obstructing a Lithuanian guard's drive, and Yao Ming also received one foul.
Under FIBA rules, five fouls lead to disqualification, one less than in the NBA.
This meant Li Feng, with two early fouls, couldn't play in the first half.
The home crowd was stunned. Everyone knew that without Li Feng, China was a different team, their strength reduced by several notches.
Li Feng was frustrated, shaking his head and walking dejectedly to the sidelines.
Deng Huade was also furious, yelling at the referees. If Li Feng and the assistant coach hadn't restrained him, Deng Huade would have charged at the referees and beaten them up.
Because of Deng Huade's excessive agitation, he was also given a technical foul, resulting in a free throw for Lithuania.
After Li Feng left the court, China's offense immediately stalled.
Fortunately, with Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian on defense, they could still hold on.
But Lithuania seized this opportunity to start closing the gap.
With over six minutes played in the first quarter, the score was 13-9, Lithuania leading by four points.
Deng Huade reluctantly called a timeout.
Although the combination of Chen Jianghua and Liu Wei was decent, their shooting and defense were far inferior to Li Feng's.
Lithuania's perimeter players were unstoppable, tearing China's defense to shreds.
Li Feng sat on the bench, his face a mask of anger.
But with the situation as it was, he could only hope his teammates could hold on, at least not get blown out in the first half.
As long as the deficit was within 20 points, Li Feng believed he could lead the team to a comeback in the second half.
However, the more Li Feng watched, the more disappointed he became.
Lithuania, living up to their reputation as an experienced powerhouse, seized the opportunity of Li Feng's absence to target Yao Ming.
With over seven minutes played in the first quarter, Yao Ming also received his second foul and had to go to the bench.
Zhang Zhaoxu came in, and Yi Jianlian continued to lead the team.
The gap widened.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 33-18, with China trailing by 15 points.
Li Feng's face was ashen. He knew that at this rate, they would likely be down by over 30 points at halftime.
This was a knockout game!
Who could reverse a 30-point deficit against a team like Lithuania?
Deng Huade also looked bewildered. He had been so optimistic, but reality had dealt him a harsh blow.
At the start of the second quarter, both teams adjusted their lineups. Deng Huade hoped for a breakout performance from his bench players.
But when the substitute players entered the court, they faced fierce pressure from Lithuania.
Shooters like Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng could barely get their hands on the ball, as Lithuania's defense was too intense.
The score continued to widen.
With over three minutes played in the second quarter, the deficit reached 20 points.
Seeing that China's situation was dire, the home fans fell into despair.
Some female fans were even close to tears.
Just then, a deep, resonant voice was heard from the bench:
"Coach, let me go in."
Deng Huade turned and saw that it was Wang Dazhi!
As a veteran of the Bayi team, Wang Dazhi was on this trip primarily to stabilize morale, even serving in an assistant coach capacity.
At this moment, Wang Dazhi had a solemn expression, exuding a spirit of fighting to the death.
Li Feng and the other players were moved, looking at Dazhi with admiration.
Deng Huade had no other good options, so he nodded and said, "Alright, go in, and be careful not to get injured."
In reality, at his age, after so many years of playing, Dazhi had quite a few minor injuries, similar to Yao Ming.
Yet, he persevered.
Dazhi replaced Zhang Zhaoxu and joined Zhou Peng, Zhu Fangyu, Wang Shipeng, and Liu Wei on the court.
Then, something astonishing happened that shocked the Chinese fans!
Wang Dazhi seemed to be re-energized, as if he had returned to his prime.
Upon entering the game, he received the ball just beyond the three-point line, faked out his defender, drove into the paint, and made a mid-range jump shot.
In the subsequent defensive possession, he swatted an opponent's forward's shot, sending the ball directly to Zhu Fangyu.
Zhu Fangyu raced past half-court and hit a chase-down three-pointer!
In less than 20 seconds, China had scored 5 points!
Lithuania's head coach, Antanas, sensing the shift in momentum, didn't expect this veteran Chinese player to explode like this and quickly called a timeout.
Li Feng and Yao Ming jumped up excitedly, chest-bumping Dazhi in celebration and shouting loudly.
"Brother Dazhi, awesome! Fantastic!"
"Haha, Dazhi, you've regained your youth!"
Yao Ming was the most excited.
When Yao Ming first rose to prominence, Dazhi was his idol. Every move he made was learned from Dazhi.
Although Yao Ming later forged his own path, Dazhi had always held a special place in his heart.
Despite playing with great satisfaction, the intensity of those two possessions had quickly depleted Dazhi's energy, and he was gasping for air.
But he knew that if he could hold on for a few minutes in the second quarter and prevent the score from widening further, there would be a chance in the second half!
Lithuania's head coach devised an urgent defensive strategy, instructing his players to deny Dazhi the ball by playing him in front of the basket.
After the timeout, the game resumed.
Lithuania's strategy had a limited effect; Wang Dazhi was an experienced player.
Facing the denial defense, he employed a turn-and-cut tactic, leaving the opposing defenders dizzy.
After receiving the ball, Wang Dazhi faked a drive and then surprisingly executed a step-back three-pointer!
Wang Dazhi's ball-handling skills were exceptional, performing actions typically seen from a guard.
In this regard, Dazhi was even stronger than Yao Ming!
Swish!
The step-back three-pointer was good!
This three-pointer greatly boosted the morale of the Chinese players, and they all roared!
The deficit continued to shrink, and the Lithuanian players started to get flustered, beginning to apply physical pressure on Dazhi.
Bang!
Bang!
The Lithuanian players relentlessly bumped into Wang Dazhi.
Dazhi's shooting accuracy began to decline.
However, with his excellent basketball IQ, Dazhi started to orchestrate the offense.
Receiving the ball in the middle, he faked left and right, drawing the defenders' attention before suddenly passing.
Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng got several open looks.
Swish!
Swish!
They seized their opportunities admirably, converting most of them.
The deficit narrowed further.
With over seven minutes played in the second quarter, the score was 48-41, with China only trailing by 7 points!
The Chinese fans were ecstatic, waving their national flags and singing the national anthem to cheer on their players!
Li Feng was also thrilled, feeling the passion of team sports – this was the true strength of the Chinese men's basketball team!
However, as Wang Dazhi's stamina waned, his threat diminished, and the Lithuanian players gradually adapted to his style of play.
Simultaneously, Zhu Fangyu and Wang Shipeng's shooting touch started to cool down.
The score began to widen again.
At the end of the first half, the score was 58-47, with Lithuania leading by 11 points.
This was still a significant lead, but Li Feng was satisfied.
With effort in the second half, there was still hope for a comeback.
He stood by the sideline, hugging and encouraging every reserve player.
Wang Dazhi, in particular, had truly given his all.
As he walked off the court, Dazhi's steps were even faltering; Lithuania had subjected him to intense physical contact.
Li Feng hugged Wang Dazhi and said repeatedly, "Brother Dazhi, you've worked so hard, you're truly amazing!"
Wang Dazhi grinned, gasping for air, and said, "It's... nothing... I haven't played this hard in a long time... I'm actually a little... a little tired!"
His teammates also rushed over to help Dazhi sit down, and the team doctor came to give him a massage.
Dazhi's effort in the second quarter was crucial for China.
The home crowd began chanting Dazhi's name, creating a moving scene.
During the halftime break, Charles Barkley of TNT analyzed the game.
"Li Feng getting into foul trouble, I really didn't see that coming!" Barkley shook his head, finding it unbelievable.
"The referees were a bit excessive; that's not how you call it, those were ticky-tack fouls!" Smith was also indignant.
"Perhaps it's to make the game more exciting, hoping for a more intense contest."
"That doesn't make sense either; with Li Feng off the court, the game becomes less exciting."
"The Chinese men's basketball team is also showing some grit. That Wang Dazhi, he looks somewhat familiar?"
"I know him. Wang Dazhi played in the NBA for a while, with the Mavericks."
"No wonder he looks older; he's still very skilled!"
"Yes, there were many reasons why he couldn't sustain his NBA career, but his skill is undeniable."
"I hope Li Feng can explode in the second half, otherwise, the game won't be as interesting."
"If the Chinese men's basketball team doesn't make it to the semifinals, the game loses its appeal."
...
During the halftime break, in the Chinese men's basketball locker room.
The team doctor announced that Wang Dazhi would not play in the second half due to a hamstring cramp and a recurrence of his back injury.
Upon hearing this news, the Chinese players remained silent, but each clenched their fists tightly!
Dazhi had truly given everything for the team!
Li Feng stood up, extended his right hand, and shouted loudly, "Brothers, compatriots, for Dazhi, let's go all out in the second half!"
"For Dazhi, all out!"
"For Dazhi, all out!"
...
Every Chinese player's blood was boiling!
The second half began.
Both teams' starting lineups returned to the court.
The Lithuanian players walked onto the court with full confidence, but when they saw the Chinese players, they were startled.
The Chinese players had gritted teeth and flushed faces!
They didn't look like they were here to play a game; they looked like they were fighting for their lives!
China's first offensive possession caught Lithuania off guard.
Li Feng called for a screen, accelerated to the basket, drew the defense, and then made a quick pass to Yao Ming.
Yao Ming slammed home a one-handed dunk, igniting China's offensive surge in the second half!
The crowd erupted in jubilation once again, flags waving, and cheers deafening!
Lithuania's head coach, Antanas, felt the momentum of the Chinese men's basketball team and frantically waved from the sideline, urging his players not to be affected.
But it was impossible not to be affected.
On Lithuania's next offensive possession, hesitation crept in, and Li Feng capitalized, making a steal and passing to Chen Jianghua.
Guard Marius Grigonis hurried to chase, with Li Feng close behind.
Chen Jianghua didn't force the play. He noticed the Lithuanian guard closing in aggressively.
So, he made a behind-the-back pass directly to Li Feng.
Li Feng caught the ball, drove to the basket, and flew in for a powerful dunk!
China scored another 2 points!
The deficit narrowed to 7 points!
Lithuania's head coach, Antanas, couldn't stand it any longer and called a timeout.
It was unusual to call a timeout just 47 seconds into the third quarter.
Amidst the cheers of the Chinese fans, Li Feng and his teammates ran to the sideline to interact with the crowd.
This was a new spirit Li Feng had brought to the Chinese men's basketball team!
Eastern cultures are characterized by reserve and modesty, so Chinese players were not accustomed to interacting with fans.
Li Feng, with his outgoing personality and NBA experience, knew how to energize the crowd.
This was very important.
Especially in overseas competitions, mobilizing the fans' emotions was equivalent to having an extra home-court advantage.
Under Li Feng and his teammates' encouragement, the fans in the arena chanted in unison, "China will win!"
Even some neutral local fans joined in the chant.
With the British men's basketball team eliminated, these local fans had no particular team to support.
But the Chinese men's basketball team, led by Li Feng, with their flashy style of play and active fan interaction, quickly gained many followers.
The Lithuanian players were frustrated.
Originally, both teams were playing abroad, but it felt as if China had the home advantage...
After the timeout, the game resumed.
Lithuania's players, with their experience, calmed down after the timeout.
After all, they were still leading, and if they could control the tempo, their chances of winning were still high.
Indeed, Lithuania began to play steadily, making two consecutive baskets, and the deficit returned to 11 points.
Li Feng was anxious. It was already the third quarter, and if the deficit widened again, the game would be over!
So, Li Feng entered his "crazy" mode once more!
He feigned a move to the corner, then suddenly cut back, coming to the center circle. He received a pass from Yi Jianlian and sank an ultra-long three-pointer.
He then followed up with a monster block and initiated a fast break.
Li Feng transformed into "Li Feng" once again!
With Li Feng leading the charge, Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian displayed their finals-level intensity, dominating the game on both offense and defense.
The Lithuanian players were overwhelmed by China's surge, fumbling the ball.
Head coach Antanas seemed desperate. He didn't call another timeout, instead standing by the sideline with his arms crossed, his face grim and silent.
At the end of the third quarter, China had a 9-point lead.
78-69!
Li Feng scored 18 points in the third quarter alone!
China not only had overturned the deficit but had also demoralized Lithuania.
It was evident from the Lithuanian players' expressions that they had no answer for Li Feng.
The referees had called two fouls on Li Feng in the first half and one in the second half.
But Li Feng no longer cared. If they wanted to foul him out, let them!
Fortunately, the referees didn't go too far, and the second half was relatively fair.
At the start of the fourth quarter, Li Feng rested on the bench, while Wang Shipeng, Zhu Fangyu, and Zhou Peng led the reserve lineup.
Perhaps inspired by Li Feng and Wang Dazhi, the reserve players seemed to have found a surge of energy. From the moment they stepped onto the court, they were proactive and aggressive.
Wang Shipeng, in particular, seemed to have reverted to his younger days as a swift player.
Two consecutive three-pointers widened the lead again!