It must be admitted that Argentina's style is somewhat similar to Australia's, in that they employ a lot of minor tactics.
As a result, Li Feng felt the defensive intensity, and his offense was not as smooth.
Moreover, in the knockout stage, the referees were not as strict.
Li Feng's three-point shot was interfered with by Ginobili and bounced off the rim.
On the contrary, Argentina's players began to find their touch and made consecutive shots.
With Delfino hitting a three-pointer, Argentina took a two-point lead.
Younes felt something was wrong and quickly called a timeout.
He realized that the intensity of the Chinese team was not keeping up with Argentina.
Although it looked like they were evenly matched, the coaches' sensitivity was still there.
Apart from Big Yao and Li Feng, everyone else was a bit nervous.
This was not a good omen.
"Children, this is a knockout game, do you understand? If we lose, there will be no next game! Are you still holding back?"
Sun Dasheng and Yi Jianlian lowered their heads. They had indeed been nervous just now, and instead of taking open shots, they hesitated.
When Li Feng and Big Yao were tightly guarded, their teammates had to step up.
Li Feng and Big Yao were in sync; they walked to Sun Dasheng and Yi Jianlian respectively and began their "psychological counseling."
"Dasheng, I thought you were a carefree person, why are you nervous?" Li Feng asked, patting Sun Dasheng's shoulder.
Sun Dasheng blushed. On the surface, he was an optimist who seemed indifferent to everything, but in important matches, he still showed signs of nervousness.
"Li Feng, I... I will play well."
"Really, don't be nervous. To be honest, if we lose this game, Big Yao and I will take the blame. You won't be criticized, so shoot with confidence!"
Sun Dasheng scratched his head, thinking that it was indeed true.
Meanwhile, Yao Ming was also counseling Yi Jianlian.
"A Lian, do you know how old I am?"
"Yes, I do..."
"In the next Olympics, I might not even be able to play. By then, you will be the core of our Chinese team."
Yi Jianlian understood Yao Ming's meaning and lowered his head with some shame.
"So you need to grow up quickly, don't hesitate, and show your strength!"
"Brother Yao, I was wrong."
"Don't say that, there's no wrong team, just be a bit bolder. Actually, I was nervous in my first international competition too!"
...
Under the guidance of Li Feng and Big Yao, Yi Jianlian and Sun Dasheng shed their psychological burdens, and their spirits were renewed.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed.
The Chinese team was on offense, and Sun Dasheng received a pass from Li Feng. Without further hesitation, he immediately shot!
*Clang!*
It fell short and bounced out.
Sun Dasheng's heart tightened.
However, Li Feng leaped high and, with a *bang*, slammed home a put-back dunk!
After the dunk, Li Feng held onto the rim with one hand and pointed at Sun Dasheng with the other.
The message was clear: Shoot with confidence, and I'll grab the rebound for you!
This action drew cheers from the entire audience; it was so cool!
As the first quarter was nearing its end, with 17 seconds left, the score was tied at 25.
At this moment, the Chinese team launched a counterattack. Big Yao made a long pass from near the baseline to Li Feng.
After receiving the ball, Li Feng found Ginobili blocking his way.
The others did not come over, allowing the two to duel one-on-one!
The spectators all stood up, applauding and cheering for both players.
The game was about stars, and as the most sought-after Chinese core, Li Feng became the focus of the entire arena.
Ginobili also had many fans in China, so their duel became a highlight of the match.
As time ticked away, Li Feng made his move with 4 seconds left.
With a *whoosh*, Li Feng broke to the left using his speed, and Ginobili, prepared, immediately moved to cut him off.
But Li Feng executed a change of direction without slowing down, and dashed to the right.
It must be said that Ginobili had excellent defensive awareness; he anticipated the move and also closed in.
*Bang!*
Li Feng, with his robust physique and immense strength, directly pushed Ginobili aside!
In reality, Ginobili was slightly taller than Li Feng and appeared more muscular.
However, Li Feng was not at a disadvantage in terms of strength, sending Manu flying over two meters away!
"My God, Li Feng knocked Ginobili flying!"
"Ginobili has never suffered such a disadvantage in a physical confrontation, unbelievable!"
"This is so exciting, this is what a game should be, knockout stages are always more interesting!"
...
The fans cheered for Li Feng's dominant attack, and the stadium erupted in thunderous applause that lasted for a long time.
After knocking Ginobili aside, Li Feng took flight and delivered a powerful dunk!
Simultaneously, the buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the first quarter. The Chinese team led by two points, with a score of 27:25.
Ginobili shook his head in annoyance, feeling dejected.
In his eyes, Li Feng was the man he was ten years ago, full of spirit and youthful vigor!
In the United States, countless fans were also watching the game.
In the t.n.t. broadcast booth, Barkley and Smith were also providing commentary, and they were highly anticipating this match.
This was Li Feng's first time facing an NBA-level guard, and it was considered a major test for him.
In the first quarter, Li Feng delivered a satisfactory performance.
"Li Feng is doing well, holding his own against Ginobili, even slightly better!"
Smith nodded and said, "He does have an edge. Ginobili is a few years older. If it were ten years ago, they would have been evenly matched."
"Let's look at the stats. In the first quarter, Li Feng took 5 shots, made 4, scored 10 points, had 3 assists, and grabbed 5 rebounds."
"Ginobili, on the other hand, took 6 shots, made 4, had 2 assists, but also had 1 turnover and grabbed 2 rebounds."
Smith nodded and said, "From this perspective, Li Feng indeed has the advantage and a greater impact on the team."
"Indeed. If Yao Ming can maintain his stamina today, Argentina will be in trouble. Now, China's inside and outside threats are both top-notch."
"It's a pity. If the Rockets had a guard like Li Feng, Yao Ming would have achieved greater success in the playoffs."
Barkley had been gradually won over by Yao Ming.
From his initial sarcastic remarks to becoming a "Yao Ming fan."
"Barkley, in your playing days, what kind of achievements do you think Li Feng could have reached?"
Smith suddenly posed the question.
Barkley thought about it seriously and replied, "He would definitely be on the same level as Payton, and even stronger offensively."
Smith was shocked; he hadn't expected Barkley to have such a high opinion of Li Feng.
"Barkley, you're not just saying that for the show, are you? You know Payton was a DPOY, his defensive ability was historically great."
Barkley said seriously, "I'm not joking, I'm telling the truth. Although Li Feng still has many issues, the traits he possesses are definitely superstar-level!"
The second quarter began, and both teams substituted their players.
Since the Chinese reserves had been given ample playing time previously, they performed quite well today.