The Lithuanian head coach held his head, looking extremely dejected.
That was a 20-point deficit, which had been narrowed down to 11, with over 10 minutes still on the clock.
He quickly called a timeout, aiming to break China's momentum and re-strategize to curb Li Feng's explosive performance.
The entire stadium erupted into a joyous sea. Chinese fans saw hope for an astonishing comeback and leaped to their feet, cheering.
"Li Feng is incredible!"
"Da Yao has help, that's amazing!"
"China will win!"
"Look at China's comeback!"
…
Despite the excitement of the fans and his teammates, Li Feng remained extraordinarily calm.
He knew they were still trailing by 11 points, the outcome was uncertain, and they needed to keep pushing!
During the timeout, Jonas didn't elaborate on complex tactics; he solely emphasized defense.
Indeed, the offense had opened up, but without solid defense, they couldn't close the gap.
Da Yao stood beside Li Feng, and while excited, he was also discussing something with him.
Having experienced major games, Yao Ming deeply understood Li Feng's significance to the team.
Lithuania's "meat grinder" defensive formation in the paint had made Da Yao suffer immensely, highlighting the urgent need for an outside player to share the burden.
The timeout ended, and both teams' players returned to the court.
The previously dejected Lithuanian players regained their morale.
Their coach was right; they were still leading. As long as they could lock down Li Feng, victory would still belong to Lithuania!
The sentiment was correct, but could they truly lock down Li Feng?
Li Feng stepped onto the court, noticing the opponent's formation change. As expected, besides Jafetokas, Kaukenas was also standing beside him.
It was clear they intended to focus their defense on him.
They aimed not only to prevent his fast-break drives but also to cut off his passing lanes.
Li Feng let out a soft snort, his expression unreadable. He intended to respond with his performance on the court!
Lithuania initiated their offense, deliberately avoiding Li Feng's defensive zone. They shifted the ball to the right, where Jasikevicius received it and took a three-point shot!
Swish!
Three points made!
The deficit returned to 14 points.
Li Feng's heart tightened, realizing a teammate had made a mistake; Sun Dasheng seemed to have lost focus.
However, this was a critical juncture of the game, and dwelling on mistakes was pointless. He could only do his best to salvage the situation.
China inbounded the ball for their offense.
Due to Li Feng being heavily guarded, he directed his teammates to pass the ball to Da Yao in the low post.
Da Yao's stamina was faltering; he was exhausted from battling in the paint against the opponents.
After receiving the ball, Da Yao clearly couldn't hold on any longer and had to resort to a fadeaway jump shot.
This was his specialty, a shot he rarely missed.
Unfortunately, under Lavrinovicius's collision, his aim was disrupted, and the shot missed.
Siskaukas secured the rebound and initiated a fast break, with Kaukenas scoring two more points on the counter!
The deficit instantly stretched back to 16 points.
The once boisterous stadium fell silent.
Chinese fans felt as if a bucket of cold water had been doused over them, their hearts chilling.
Seeing his teammates' low spirits, Li Feng quickly clapped his hands vigorously, encouraging them.
"Brothers, we still have enough time, don't get discouraged, let's go!"
Despite panting from exhaustion, Da Yao didn't give up. Gritting his teeth, he nodded in agreement with Li Feng.
"Li Feng is right, we still have time, we need to keep fighting!"
Jonas considered calling another timeout to let the players rest.
However, seeing Li Feng and Yao Ming effectively leading on the court, he decided against it, entrusting the game to the players.
The two commentators for China Sports Channel, Yu Jia and Director Zhang, were visibly tense.
Especially after the opponent scored five consecutive points, extending the lead back to 16, their voices took on a tone of despair.
Yu Jia sighed and shook his head, "What a shame. Li Feng led the team to a 9-point comeback, and now they've given up 5 points. It's going to be tough today."
Director Zhang also expressed his helplessness, "Yes, Lithuania is truly a resilient team. For China to make a comeback, a bigger miracle is needed."
"It's too difficult, Director Zhang. Do you think Li Feng can still perform well with their tight defense?"
Director Zhang pondered for a moment before nodding firmly, "I think the chances are very high. This young man Li Feng has displayed extraordinary personal ability and a tenacious fighting spirit, which is rare!"
Hearing Director Zhang's words, Yu Jia and the many fans watching on television were re-energized.
China's offense began, and this time Li Feng possessed the ball from the backcourt.
"You won't let me receive the ball? Fine! Then I'll show you what a solo run looks like!"
Given Li Feng's recent display of passing and playmaking, he dribbled the ball, looking left and right, full of deceptive moves.
Despite the double-teams and intense pressure from the Lithuanian players, Li Feng, with his exceptional dribbling skills, easily crossed half-court.
At that moment, Da Yao suddenly drove to the paint from the 45-degree angle. The Lithuanian paint was thrown into disarray, and they quickly converged to double-team Da Yao.
With only five players on the court, two were double-teaming Da Yao, two were double-teaming Li Feng, leaving everyone else wide open.
Li Feng then faked another move, pretending to drive, and passed the ball to an unguarded Yi Jianlian!
Yi Jianlian lived up to expectations, immediately rising for a long two-pointer!
Swish!
China scored another 2 points!
The entire stadium erupted in thunderous applause once more.
Those who understood the game knew that most of the credit for this basket belonged to Li Feng.
His feigned drive had thrown Lithuania's formation into chaos, and coupled with Da Yao's draw in the paint, Yi Jianlian had an almost uncontested shot, making it incredibly easy!
The deficit returned to 14 points, with over 10 minutes remaining.
There was still enough time. The most crucial aspect now was defense!
Li Feng roared, "Full-court man-to-man!"
This was the ultimate defensive tactic, involving relentless effort, marking opponents one-on-one from the backcourt, creating immense pressure!
The Chinese players seemed energized, fueled by the cheers of the home crowd, and defended with all their might.
The Lithuanian players were momentarily caught off guard. Kaukenas's pass was slightly hurried and careless, and Li Feng anticipated it.
The league's fastest first step – an astonishing burst of speed.
Li Feng stole the ball and immediately launched a counter-attack.
Steals were the biggest morale boosters. The stadium roared to life the moment he made the steal.
The fans were all chanting: "Li Feng! Li Feng! Dunk it!"
Li Feng did not disappoint his fans. Before the opponents could react, he crossed half-court, drove straight to the basket, and soared for a powerful slam dunk!
Bang!
The explosively powerful dunk seemed to threaten to break the rim. The deafening sound made the entire stadium tremble.
73:61!
The score gap narrowed to 12 points!
"Li Feng is awesome!"
"China will win!"
…