Chapter 2 Section 2
The second section began with Li Feng resting on the sidelines, and Liu Wei replacing him on the court. Chen Jianghua also entered the game.
With this lineup, all the organizing was left to Liu Wei.
Liu Wei's strength lay in his steadiness, but his passing lacked creativity.
Fortunately, Angola's substitutes played even more chaotically, leading to a "free-for-all" on the court, with the scores alternating.
Chen Jianghua was a master of chaotic play; his steals and breakthrough layups caused significant trouble for the opponents.
At 5:32 into the second quarter, the score reached 34:27, with China leading by seven points.
With a wave of his banner, coach Jonas sent Li Feng back onto the court.
As Li Feng stood up, the entire crowd rose to their feet in cheers and applause; it was clear everyone had been waiting for a long time.
For these Chinese fans, they wished Li Feng could play the entire game, not resting for a single second!
After Li Feng took the court with Du Feng, Li Nan, Wang Zhizhi, Wang Shipeng, and Wang Lei, they once again dominated the game.
Li Feng started to attack!
He was no longer focused on organizing as he had been in the first quarter, but instead prioritized his own offense.
The Angolan players were in for a tough time; they simply couldn't defend Li Feng, watching him score time and time again, as easily as slicing through vegetables.
However, Angola's coach and players were quite simple. Although they couldn't defend Li Feng, they didn't resort to any dirty tricks, merely trying their best.
In less than four minutes, Li Feng scored 13 points, an absolute demonstration of skill beyond comparison.
Afterward, Li Feng seemed to feel a bit too much, as he switched his offensive mode and began passing to his teammates.
By halftime, China led with a score of 57:36, a commanding 21-point lead, effectively sealing the game!
China could finally enter the second half with a lead.
The fans were overjoyed, and the Wukesong stadium once again became a sea of joy!
During the halftime break, Jonas sought Li Feng's opinion, asking if he would play in the second half.
Li Feng nodded and said, "I'll play another quarter to improve my chemistry with my teammates. In the upcoming knockout rounds, I'll definitely have more playing time."
Jonas nodded with satisfaction; Li Feng was thinking even further ahead than he was.
The knockout stage would undoubtedly be a fierce battle, with every minute being crucial.
Li Feng's playing time would certainly increase, and he needed to adapt to tactics with different players on the court.
...
The second half began, and Li Feng continued to play.
Angola stood no chance, and Li Feng played with ease, seamlessly switching between his own offense and facilitating his teammates.
The point difference widened further.
By the end of the third quarter, the score was 87:59, a difference of 28 points.
Li Feng played 22 minutes, scoring 23 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 17 assists!
Another unusual stat line, with his assists nearly reaching 20.
Li Feng did not play in the fourth quarter, mainly out of consideration.
With such a significant lead, it would have seemed like bullying for Li Feng to continue playing.
Finally, the entire game concluded with China defeating Angola 104:72, completing their group stage.
With a record of 5 wins and 1 loss, China proudly advanced to the quarterfinals!
Although this victory was expected, the fans and coaching staff were still very excited upon securing it.
They high-fived each other, celebrated, with joy of victory on their faces.
Li Feng, as expected, was once again named the Most Valuable Player of the game.
Compared to the dramatic comebacks in previous games, Li Feng displayed even greater on-court control and an air of strategic command today.
...
The smoke of the group stage had cleared, and the brutal knockout stage was about to begin!
The group stage matches for Groups A and B of the 2008 Olympic Men's Basketball tournament were all completed, and the top eight teams emerged.
China, as the second seed in Group B, would face Argentina, the third seed from Group A, in a head-to-head matchup!
Argentina was not in top form this year, only managing to finish third in Group A, which surprised many.
Their star player, Ginobili, was still performing excellently.
This Spurs' super sixth man, back in the 2004 Olympics, had single-handedly overthrown the invincible Dream Team, shocking the world.
Li Feng had a deep impression of this superstar from his childhood, with his flowing long hair making him very handsome.
Especially his performance for the Spurs, often coming off the bench to change the momentum of games, earning him the nickname "Demon Blade."
Among Spurs fans, there was also a saying: watch Parker for brilliance, the "Stone Buddha" for adversity, and Manu for desperation!
Although it was a bit exaggerated, there was no denying Ginobili's significant impact on the game.
When Jonas and the coaching staff learned that their opponent was Argentina, they treated it with great importance and concern.
This was because Argentina possessed a unique style in international competitions, combining excellent skill with strong willpower.
Especially in the final stages, Argentina always seemed to unleash tremendous energy to defeat their opponents.
Furthermore, South American teams differed from European teams.
European teams had a more traditional tactical approach, following predictable patterns.
However, South American players, much like their football, were full of imagination; you could never anticipate how they would finish the next play.
Therefore, playing against South American teams could be very troublesome.
Moreover, after defeating the USA's Dream Team, the confidence of the Argentinian players had soared.
The reason for Argentina's subpar performance in the group stage was partly due to the aging of their players, resulting in insufficient stamina.
Another reason was that the coach was conserving their strength and managing the veterans' stamina.
Regardless, as long as they reached the knockout stage, Argentina feared no one and had no need to deliberately strive for ranking.
This was the foundation and confidence of a championship team.
Jonas knew that Argentina would be a tough opponent, so as soon as he learned their opponent was Argentina, he organized the entire team to watch recordings of Argentina's recent games.
After reviewing the footage, Jonas asked the players to share their brief thoughts.
Yao Ming, leading the team, had faced Argentina several times and had lost each time, so he was eager for revenge on home soil this time.
"Let me say a few words first. Argentina is indeed very strong, and their players are experienced, but their weaknesses are also very apparent; their core players lack stamina, like Ginobili and Scola, who are over thirty."
"What we need to do is to keep the score close through the first three quarters, not giving the veteran Argentinian players time to rest, and then in the fourth quarter, we'll go all out to defeat them!"
Jonas and the players nodded in agreement; Yao's statement was very reasonable, and the strategic direction was correct.
Then, Jonas looked towards Li Feng, hoping he would also share his thoughts.
Li Feng pondered for a moment and said, "I believe defense is very important in the game against Argentina. Their games follow a pattern: as soon as they get on a roll for a few plays, their shooting becomes very smooth, with consecutive hits."
"But if we can contain them, their shooting percentage will drop later. So, Argentina is actually quite an emotional team!"