Span, despite his arrogance, felt a tinge of apprehension towards Li Feng in his heart.
This was because Li Feng had effectively shut him down in the first quarter.
Seeing Li Feng re-enter the game, his heart skipped a beat.
However, Span maintained a pretense of composure, retorting, "Beat me? You're still too green!"
Li Feng didn't waste words; he intended to teach the arrogant fellow a lesson through his actions on the court!
As China advanced, Li Feng's first shot after receiving the ball was an extremely difficult fadeaway three-pointer!
It was evident that Li Feng had been itching to play during his time on the bench.
He didn't even pass to the towering Yao Ming in the paint, opting to take the shot himself.
Swish!
Li Feng lived up to expectations, sinking the three-pointer amidst the roar of the crowd!
"Awesome! Li Feng's awesome!"
"Another one! Li Feng, get him!"
"Reverse Greece! China will win!"
...
Coach Jonas on the sidelines felt a sense of vindication. He believed his strategy was correct; he wanted Li Feng's unleashed ferocity!
Li Feng's three-pointer was shot right over Span!
The Greek head coach feared Li Feng. After Li Feng made the three, he yelled at Span, blaming him for poor defense.
Span felt wronged. Li Feng's fadeaway three-pointer was so smooth, it was simply unguardable.
Now, being scolded by the coach, he could only swallow his bitterness.
Next, the Greek team attacked. Span wanted to score through team coordination, especially since Greece still held a significant lead.
As the Greek team executed dazzling passing and cutting, Li Feng had already seen through their tactics.
Li Feng, who had been sitting during the second quarter, hadn't wasted his time. He had indeed been studying the Greek team's coordinated plays.
He then used his lightning-fast first step to bypass the screens, consistently staying in front of Span.
Span was completely frustrated, unable to receive the ball for an extended period.
Even when he did get the ball, Li Feng wouldn't give him a chance to shoot.
As a result, after all their efforts, Greece's 24-second shot clock expired, resulting in a turnover!
The Chinese fans let out boos and jeers.
Span, utterly dejected, sheepishly retreated to his half of the court for defense.
Li Feng's presence on the court instantly shifted the momentum on both offense and defense, putting Greece on the back foot.
55:37, China was still trailing by 18 points!
The Chinese team gained another offensive opportunity, with Li Feng bringing the ball past half-court.
Span knew he couldn't defend Li Feng and signaled his teammates to double-team.
Li Feng saw the fear in his eyes and sneered inwardly. He was there to shatter Span's confidence!
As expected, the Greek defense began to spread out. Yao Ming found his opportunity in the paint!
Li Feng, feigning a one-on-one play, suddenly threw a sharp pass to the towering Yao Ming in the low post!
With Li Feng drawing attention on the perimeter, Yao Ming had a much easier time. After receiving the ball, he leaned into the Greek center, spun, and made a soft hook shot. Swish!
Two more points!
Wow!
The Chinese fans at the Wukesong stadium were ecstatic. In less than a minute of the second half, China had scored 5 points!
This efficiency was like slicing through vegetables!
Anyone with eyes could see that this transformation was all thanks to Li Feng.
Sports commentators Yu Jia and Zhang Wei finally showed smiles.
After the second quarter of the first half, they hadn't smiled, their faces etched with worry and sighs.
"Haha, Coach Zhang, the team's energy has ignited since Li Feng stepped onto the court!"
"Exactly! Li Feng's offense is undeniable; he can score himself and pass to the inside. On defense, he's completely locked down Span, a defensive wall!"
"I initially thought a 21-point deficit was hard to overcome, but now it seems the chances of a comeback are very high!"
"Right, Li Feng, go get 'em!"
Coach Zhang once again uttered his famous phrase – "Get 'em!"
The Greek players were starting to panic. They had, in fact, become a bit careless.
Since the second half had just begun, the coach hadn't called a timeout. The players were encouraging each other on the court, hoping to stabilize.
Just as the Chinese players were celebrating, Greece suddenly launched a fast break. Vasvopoulos took the inbound pass from the baseline and launched a long throw!
The pass was of high quality, crossing the half-court line. Span had already run to the frontcourt, with no one in front of him!
Everyone assumed Span would definitely score this basket.
The audience shook their heads in disappointment, thinking the Chinese players were too complacent, relaxing after just scoring a basket.
Suddenly, a red lightning bolt streaked from the backcourt to the frontcourt, catching up to Span!
So fast!
Span pushed himself to the limit, driving to the basket, preparing for an easy layup.
The red lightning bolt soared into the air and delivered a thunderous block, pinning the ball against the backboard! This block was a perfect replica of LeBron James's block on Iguodala in the 2016 Finals!
However, this was 2008, and people hadn't yet experienced that era.
Seeing this block, everyone was stunned!
The timing of this block was impeccable; any later and it would have been a goaltend.
Only when the two players landed did the audience clearly see that this red lightning bolt was Li Feng!
A full-court pass, a full-court chase-down block!
Spectacular!
Span could never have imagined that his layup would be blocked.
He turned his head, staring at Li Feng with a deathly pale face, his body trembling slightly.
But Li Feng ignored him and immediately launched a counter-attack!
Charles Barkley, witnessing Li Feng's chase-down block, exclaimed, holding his head, that this play not only required top-tier anticipation but also incredible willpower!
Because when Span received the ball, he was already several meters past half-court; any other opponent would have given up.
The spirit of never giving up, explosive physical prowess, perfectly combined – that was Li Feng!
TNT television's statistics immediately came in: Li Feng had chased down 16 meters in 2.67 seconds!
It was a superhuman stat!
His top speed reached 31.65 km/h!
The allowable error margin for the block was only 0.2 seconds, a fleeting moment.
Li Feng, with this relentless pursuit, strove for that 0.2-second possibility!
This was the charm of competitive sports; Li Feng demonstrated to the fans what true perseverance meant!
Some described this concept as faster than the uncorking of a champagne bottle!
Everyone marveled at Li Feng's incredible block, praising it highly. They knew Li Feng was about to go off!
Li Feng held the ball and initiated the counter-attack. After breaking into the paint, he once again caused chaos among the Greek defense.
Drawing the attention, he passed the ball to Yao Ming, who slammed it home with a powerful dunk!
The Chinese fans erupted with thunderous applause and cheers once more. They had been suppressed for too long and needed to vent.
Li Feng and Yao Ming's astonishing performances gave the spectators a glimmer of hope for victory.
Yao Ming had a great time dunking in these two possessions, excitedly running over to high-five Li Feng in celebration.
55:39!
The grand spectacle of a comeback was unfolding...
Time to go after Perkanos.