Li Feng received the pass from Da Yao and immediately launched a fast break without stopping.
The Lithuanian players went crazy, desperately retreating and quickly setting up their defense. Li Feng stood beyond the three-point line and immediately faked a three-pointer.
China was now leading by 4 points, and time was running out. As if by reflex, the Lithuanian players lunged from behind.
This move was extremely dangerous, and the Lithuanian player lunging was Hughes, who was 2.04 meters tall, half a head taller than Li Feng, and much heavier.
If he had crashed down, Li Feng would likely have been injured.
Li Feng's Chinese teammates and the fans let out cries of concern, and Da Yao roared, "Be careful!"
But Li Feng acted as if he hadn't heard, remaining in place.
As expected, Hughes lost his balance and jumped onto Li Feng.
Just as everyone thought Li Feng would be knocked to the ground, Li Feng remained as still as an iron tower.
Hughes, however, fared much worse. He tumbled over and fell to the ground.
The scene was somewhat like Li Feng giving him a perfect shoulder throw.
Hughes fell in front of Li Feng. Li Feng's posture didn't change as he continued to shoot the three-pointer. Swish!
"Thousands of mountains and rivers, all for love, will a three-pointer do?"
Yes!
Li Feng's trailing three-pointer hit, extending the lead to 7 points!
The entire stadium of Chinese fans erupted in cheers again, embracing each other, high-fiving, and incredibly excited.
Only at this moment did they finally feel at ease. It had been too difficult!
95:88!
In the past three minutes, China had gone on a 9:0 run, decisively establishing their lead!
There was only 1 minute and 13 seconds left on the clock.
A 7-point difference.
Although the scales of victory were tipping towards China, they couldn't afford to relax.
In basketball history, there had been many dramatic comebacks in the last minute, so the players couldn't let their guard down until the final buzzer sounded!
Lithuania launched another offense. This time, they moved the ball quickly, and while avoiding Li Feng, they found Siskaukas open in the corner.
Kas was also a player with a big heart. With a decisive shot, he sank a three-pointer!
The deficit was back to 4 points, with only 56 seconds remaining.
Younas saw that, apart from Li Feng, China's starting players were starting to struggle to move, clearly exhausted.
So, he called another timeout, allowing the players to rest and strategizing for the next possession.
This offensive possession was crucial. With so little time left, scoring would definitively seal the victory!
The commentator for China's sports channel, Yu Jia, was beyond words at this moment.
Ever since Li Feng's dunk, he hadn't sat down and had been commentating while standing.
Director Zhang, being older, was also excited but remained seated.
"Haha, Director Zhang, if we win this game, we can really start to dream about this Olympics!"
"Exactly! Winning against Lithuania can be said to prove China's strength, allowing us to go toe-to-toe with any team!"
Director Zhang had also been through a lot. This game had been a roller coaster of emotions for him as well.
The old man had dedicated his life to Chinese basketball, and in his later years, he continued to contribute to the sport with his humorous and engaging commentary. It was truly commendable.
"Director Zhang, our past record against Lithuania wasn't very good. What do you think the reasons were?"
Yu Jia's question touched a sensitive point for Director Zhang. He hesitated for a moment before replying, "Actually, in the early years, the gap between us and Lithuania wasn't that large. Although we lost more often, the games weren't unwatchable."
Hearing Director Zhang's words, Yu Jia nodded slightly.
Indeed, after China's basketball professionalization, the strength of the Chinese men's basketball team had declined.
But this was a painful period of commercialization. Later, a group of talented players gradually emerged, such as Yao Ming, Wang Zhizhi, Yi Jianlian, and Sun Dasheng.
These players brought the men's basketball team's strength back up, but there was still a gap between them and international powerhouses.
Now, with Li Feng's emergence, he had filled the last weak spot in China's men's basketball, allowing them to compete with any strong team.
From Director Zhang's words, one could tell he was very gratified.
During the timeout, Younas did not emphasize specific tactics; his primary goal was for the players to rest.
"Young men, you played very well just now. With less than a minute left, just persevere, and victory will be ours!"
Although Younas was known for his strictness in training, his motivational speeches were also very effective, and the players respected him greatly.
Furthermore, his temper had improved considerably compared to his younger days; he was no longer the "devil coach."
Li Feng and Da Yao sat in the middle, clearly holding the status of core players.
Da Yao was indeed exhausted. His weight was a factor, he had covered a lot of ground, and he had been constantly battling physically with the opponent's strong players in the paint, pushing his stamina to the limit.
Li Feng whispered in his ear, "Brother Yao, just draw their attention in the paint later. They won't dare to leave you. I'll handle the outside!"
Great minds think alike; Da Yao had the same idea.
He was too tired, and his offensive success rate wouldn't be high. It would be better to use his presence in the paint to create opportunities for his teammates.
In the past, without reliable teammates on the perimeter, Da Yao had to carry the burden himself. That's why his efficiency dropped in the fourth quarter, which was a natural consequence of his weight.
Now, with Li Feng's arrival, China's men's basketball tactical problems were fundamentally resolved, and Da Yao was very satisfied with Li Feng.
On the Lithuanian side, the players were dejected and sat in their chairs with their heads down, in silence.
They seemed to ignore what the head coach was saying because everyone knew that the momentum had completely shifted to China's side.
All the players could do was to let the remaining time run out, shower in the locker room, and return to the hotel.
This was a completely different mindset from before the game, and even from the halftime break.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The players from both teams returned to the court.
The expressions on the players' faces clearly indicated their state of mind.
The Chinese players entered the court amidst the cheers of the entire stadium, filled with fighting spirit!
In contrast, the Lithuanian players looked serious, their eyes lost, and they showed no signs of life.
China was on offense. Li Feng dribbled the ball past half-court with ease. Lithuania surprisingly did not apply full-court pressure.
Past half-court, Li Feng saw Da Yao battling for position in the paint, drawing a double-team from two players.
Sun Dasheng, Yi Jianlian, and Zhu Fangyu were constantly moving and cutting.
Just as Li Feng was about to drive to the basket himself, Hughes from the opponent's team rushed forward again, attempting to collide with Li Feng. This was not the first time.
Zhu Fangyu noticed this and clenched his fists, wanting to step in and teach Hughes a lesson, but Li Feng signaled him to stay back and not act impulsively.