**
A loud bang!
Li Feng once again swatted Scola's shot out of bounds!
The Chinese fans leaped to their feet in excitement.
This was Li Feng's 7th block!
Was he a guard?
It was unbelievable!
Even Da Yao smiled. He had 3 blocks today, which wasn't a small number, but Li Feng had 8 blocks.
Some fans hoped Li Feng would achieve a quadruple-double today!
With just over 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter, Li Feng already had 26 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, and 8 blocks.
There was a good chance he could get a quadruple-double.
However, Li Feng wasn't someone who played for statistics, so he didn't pay any attention to them.
...
Argentina struggled desperately, trying to catch up. Ginobili, in particular, knew that if they lost this game, they would be going home.
So Ginobili attacked the paint like a madman, constantly driving to the basket.
Unfortunately, Li Feng played smarter than him. Every time Ginobili broke through, Li Feng and his teammates managed to neutralize it.
With 2 minutes and 37 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the score was 97:84, with China leading by 13 points.
The Argentinian head coach gave up.
Finally, the referee blew the whistle, and the score was finalized at 104:93. The Chinese men's basketball team defeated the defending champions Argentina and advanced to the top four!
The fans at Wukesong Stadium were overjoyed. Many loyal fans were in tears, hugging each other.
The Chinese players also hugged each other, extremely excited. Da Yao and Li Feng hugged for the longest time.
Because Yao Ming knew very well that Li Feng was definitely the main contributor to China reaching the top four!
To lock down Ginobili in the second half, rendering him scoreless, was something only Li Feng could do.
Even though Ginobili was older, even in the NBA, no team's guard could lock down Ginobili.
Yonas also hugged the players one by one. He had been under immense pressure for the past six months.
Because the team only had Da Yao as a superstar, he was bound to be contained. If Da Yao was contained, China would falter, which was inevitable.
Therefore, Yonas had been desperately searching for a second offensive option on the perimeter.
But after searching high and low, from Liu Wei to Chen Jianghua, from Li Nan to Wang Shipeng, none of them could carry the burden of being the second offensive threat.
So, before the Olympics, Yonas was uneasy, feeling this might be his last time coaching the Chinese team.
Fortunately, Li Feng emerged like a meteor, bringing immense surprise to Yonas and the fans.
Not only did he complete the task, but he also had a chance to win a medal.
This added a significant stroke to Yonas's coaching career.
Not a single Chinese fan in Wukesong Stadium left. They all stood up and applauded, unwilling to depart for a long time.
The Chinese fans had waited for many years and finally witnessed this moment of joy.
Li Feng played 32 minutes today, scoring 33 points, grabbing 10 rebounds, dishing out 16 assists, and blocking 8 shots.
Yao Ming played 31 minutes, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. He also made 2 three-pointers today.
Ginobili only scored 16 points in the entire game, playing below his usual standard.
After the game, although Ginobili was sad and dejected, he still hugged the Chinese players one by one, congratulating China on their advancement.
He particularly spoke with Li Feng for the longest time.
Ginobili's gaze towards Li Feng was filled with respect and a sense of affection for a junior.
"Li Feng, you will be a future superstar in the league. Keep up the good work. If you need any help in the future, don't hesitate to contact me!"
"Ginobili, you are my idol, and always have been. Today, I was just a little luckier. I learned a lot from you."
Li Feng wasn't being humble; he genuinely considered Ginobili his idol.
"Li Feng, Yao Ming is truly fortunate to have a teammate like you. You two will achieve great things for China. I look forward to hearing good news from you!"
"Thank you, thank you. You flatter me. In fact, Yao Ming takes good care of me, and he is very important to our China."
Ginobili suddenly lowered his voice and said, half-jokingly, "You two must work hard and try to take down the United States. We beat them in the last Olympics, and now it's up to you!"
Li Feng laughed heartily, "Okay, okay, we'll do our best to try and take down the United States, haha! Actually, that's what I've been thinking too!"
The two men laughed heartily, like old friends, these two generations of superstars.
Scola and Yao Ming also chatted for a long time. As former teammates, they hadn't seen each other in a while.
Yao Ming invited Scola to spend a few days in Beijing before he returned home, and he would arrange for friends to accompany him around.
Scola readily agreed. He had a very good impression of Yao Ming and always called Yao Ming first whenever he came to China.
After exchanging pleasantries, Li Feng also accepted a media interview.
This interview was conducted by the legendary basketball player Hu Weidong.
As a former starting shooting guard for the men's national team, Hu Weidong held a high position in the hearts of fans.
His three-point shooting was unique, and he was the best scorer for the national team back then.
"Hi, Li Feng, I've wanted to meet you for a long time. I finally found the opportunity, haha!" Hu Weidong was cheerful and grabbed Li Feng's hand as soon as he approached.
Li Feng was pleasantly surprised. His father had been a big fan of Hu Weidong when he watched games.
"Coach Hu, why are you here?"
"Haha, I'm just guest-reporting for CCTV. Congratulations on reaching the top four. I'm truly overjoyed!"
It was evident that Hu Weidong was genuinely happy.
"Thank you, Coach Hu. Our entire team played very well. Reaching the top four is a collective effort."
Li Feng was humble, and Hu Weidong nodded slightly. He had a good impression of Li Feng.
Because of Li Feng's displayed humility and low profile, it aligned well with the character of the older generation.
Many young players nowadays had mediocre skills but were incredibly arrogant, with their heads in the clouds.
They showed little respect to the older generation of famous players, which was why Hu Weidong disliked those young players.
But he was fond of Li Feng and had praised him more than once on television programs.
"Li Feng, do you have the confidence to defeat the United States?" Hu Weidong asked seriously.
Li Feng paused, scratching his head, unsure how to answer.
But he gritted his teeth and replied firmly, "I have confidence, but the outcome is not important. We will work hard!"
Seeing Li Feng's determined expression, Hu Weidong appreciated it and lightly punched Li Feng's chest, praising him, "We have never defeated the United States. The hope is placed on you. I guarantee that if you win, I'll treat you to a meal!"
Li Feng smiled, "Great, great! Just for Coach Hu's meal, we will definitely work hard!"
The two men laughed heartily again.
At this moment, Yao Ming also walked over. He greeted Hu Weidong warmly.
Before Yao Ming, Hu Weidong was the top scorer for the men's national team, and they had even been brief teammates in the national team.
"Yao Ming, your three-point shooting is good, haha!"
Yao Ming shook his head with a smile, "Coach Hu, my three-point shooting can't compare to yours."
"Don't say that. Although your three-point volume isn't high, your hit rate is very good. This is a trend, and you must enrich this aspect of your game!"