After the steal, Li Feng immediately launched a counterattack!
Although Li Feng's steal was brilliant, Lithuania was also prepared and immediately tried to surround him!
Almost all defensive focus shifted towards Li Feng.
Li Feng weaved left and right, breaking through to half-court, and from beyond the three-point line, he raised his hands to shoot!
Unfortunately, the Lithuanian players were too physical, pulling at him, and the referee saw nothing.
The basketball hit the rim and bounced out.
Li Feng missed a golden opportunity to take the lead.
Even though it didn't go in, there was still enough time. Li Feng knew very well that his system's long-range shooting stat wasn't high enough yet.
To improve his three-point rating, he needed to strengthen himself as soon as possible.
While the China team was locked in a fierce battle with Lithuania, Curry was at Davidson College, preparing for the upcoming March Madness season.
It wasn't just the players; the coach of Davidson College's Wildcats, Bob McKillop, was also in a state of utter exasperation.
This was because several of Curry's key teammates, including his pick-and-roll partner and a reliable rebounder, had already graduated.
The underclassmen, on the other hand, lacked the necessary skills and couldn't step up to fill the void.
A good cook cannot make a meal without ingredients!
The coach was at his wit's end, realizing that besides Curry, the team had no other reliable scorers.
Moreover, Curry's physical prowess was average; he had agility but lacked strength.
He believed that once Curry entered the NBA, he would only be able to play point guard.
But who else on the team could share the scoring burden?
As McKillop fretted, he turned on the television and switched to the Olympic channel. He saw the men's basketball group stage games were intensely underway, with the China team facing Lithuania.
In McKillop's memory, Lithuania was stronger than China.
But when he saw the score, he was stunned!
The two teams were only separated by 2 points?
Furthermore, Li Feng's performance was exceptionally dazzling; he was actually being double-teamed by two of the opponent's starting players!
This...
Was this kid so incredible?
*Bang bang!*
The two Lithuanian defenders were sent flying by Li Feng's charge!
Not only that, but Li Feng's open three-pointers were also highly confident. The moment he released the shot, he raised his arms high, already celebrating!
Such was his self-assurance!
McKillop suddenly stood up, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Li Feng? He used to just be a reserve on the team!"
He immediately went online to check the stats.
At that moment, Li Feng had already scored 26 points, dished out 11 assists, and recorded 5 steals.
He checked further and found that Li Feng had played less than 20 minutes!
"My God, did this kid suddenly have an epiphany?"
McKillop murmured to himself, utterly incredulous.
His mind was racing with thoughts.
"This kid must be nurtured properly; his talent shouldn't be buried."
With that thought, he immediately contacted several NBA scouts.
He had been recommending Curry to scouts all along, as in his eyes, Curry was one of a kind.
But after seeing Li Feng today, his heart was once again shaken.
McKillop had a hunch that Curry and Li Feng would become influential figures in the NBA!
So, just as he had recommended Curry, he began to strongly advocate for Li Feng, hoping the scouts would pay attention to this young man.
Actually, he was still a step behind; scouts had already taken notice of Li Feng, such as Leo Brown from the Knicks, who had already made contact with Li Feng.
The game between China and Lithuania was still raging on.
In the final three minutes, the game became incredibly intense. Li Feng missed a chance to take the lead, but Lithuania's offense also faltered.
Under Da Yao's disruption, Lithuania's interior offense was once again thwarted. Yi Jianlian secured the rebound and initiated a counterattack.
The Lithuanian players started playing dirty again. They found themselves helpless against Li Feng, but they could target Yi Jianlian.
So, as Yi Jianlian was about to cross half-court, Šiškauskas charged at him fiercely from the side and behind!
*Bang!*
Yi Jianlian also had good physical attributes, but he couldn't compare to Li Feng, and his center of gravity was higher.
The collision was quite severe. Yi Jianlian rolled several times on the ground and lay there, his expression full of pain!
Šiškauskas's action caused widespread outrage. The fans began to curse loudly, and the Chinese players also became agitated, rushing forward!
Zhu Fangyu, in particular, was furious and threw a punch at Šiškauskas.
Li Feng remained very calm. He understood the petty tactics of the Lithuanian players.
The momentum was with the China team now, so they wanted to disrupt the game, lure the Chinese players into making mistakes, and then win.
Seeing Zhu Fangyu about to fall into the trap, Li Feng quickly hugged him and pushed him towards the bench to calm down.
It was important to note that although Zhu Fangyu was a small forward, when he got riled up, even Da Yao couldn't stop him.
Yet, Li Feng managed to push Zhu Fangyu to the bench by himself. Zhu Fangyu was shocked; Li Feng's strength was terrifying!
The referees rushed over, separated the players from both sides, and then headed to the technical table to meticulously review the replay to determine the penalty for the incident.
After the review, the referee immediately called a technical foul, and China received two free throws and possession.
Lithuania's head coach waved his hand in disappointment. He had been hoping for chaos, which would lead to the ejection of several Chinese players.
Especially Li Feng.
He saw that Li Feng was very young, and if he couldn't control his emotions and got ejected, Lithuania would have a guaranteed win.
Who knew that Li Feng would be exceptionally calm? Not only did he not lose his temper himself, but he also pacified Zhu Fangyu, truly showing the makings of a superstar.
Yi Jianlian, with his solid physical condition, recovered after lying on the ground for a while, and it seemed he was not seriously injured.
After calming Zhu Fangyu down, Li Feng crouched beside Yi Jianlian, quietly asking about his condition.
Da Yao watched from the side and nodded slightly. He realized that Li Feng not only possessed astonishing skills but was also very sincere in his interactions.
A player like this would be a locker room leader wherever he went; there was no room for argument!
After a few minutes of chaos, the game resumed.
This minor interlude provided both teams with a brief respite, akin to a long timeout.
Li Feng took the free throws, sinking both. The score was now tied at 88!
This was the first time the score had been tied since the game began, with 2 minutes and 44 seconds left on the clock.
Both teams were back on equal footing, but the China team's morale had significantly boosted, placing them in a clearly advantageous position.
Lithuania had limited timeouts remaining, and their head coach could only use them sparingly. He shouted loudly from the sidelines, waving his arms wildly.
"Defense! Retreat quickly!"
The Lithuanian players retreated at full speed; they couldn't afford to concede any more points!
However, Lithuania's defense was incapable of stopping Li Feng.
Their players looked visibly tense.
The moment Li Feng got the ball, he felt an immense threat.
After crossing half-court, Li Feng faked a pass, and the Lithuanian players immediately moved to cut off his passing lane.