Chapter 1866 83: No Spearhead_2

This young man, only 19 years old, played 21 minutes as a substitute, went 6 for 3 from the field, 7 for 5 from free throws, efficiently scoring 11 points, along with 4 rebounds and 1 steal.

He has already started attracting the attention of the NBA.

Then, in the match between Lithuania and Yugoslavia, Lithuania unexpectedly defeated Yugoslavia.

Actually, it wasn't much of an upset because Yugoslavia is no longer the Yugoslavia it once was.

After 1991, the talented Croatia and Slovenia have separated from this country.

By the time of the Kosovo War in 1999, Yugoslavia was further divided.

The once six-nation union of Yugoslavia now only consists of Serbia and Montenegro.

Soon, the name Yugoslavia will disappear from the long river of history.

Despite not having a smooth group stage, Lithuania lost their three matches influenced by luck; their strength is actually quite formidable.

As for Yugoslavia, NBA players like Divac and Stojakovic did not participate in this Olympics.

They played well in the group stage, but were no longer a match for Lithuania in the knockout stage, losing without suspense by a margin of 13 points.

These two once-strong federal nations, after experiencing political turmoil and national division, saw a significant decline in their sports influence as well.

However, this did not stop the emergence of Slavic sports talents, and in the decades that follow, people often fantasize: if only their players were still from one country, how powerful they would be.

In the afternoon, the third match of the knockout round began between China and Australia.

The Australian fans at the scene were wildly cheering for their home team, with Luke Langley standing at the center circle for the jump ball against Yao Ming.

After the Chicago Bulls disbanded in 1998, Luke Langley signed with the Phoenix Suns.

This year he is 31, right at an age where a center is strong and vigorous, but seeing the 36-year-old Ah Gan still made his heart tremble.

He thought after the 2000 season ended, he wouldn't come across Ah Gan again, but who knew he would have to face him again at the Olympics.

"Don't be nervous, Luke, I'm not matching up against you. Yao is my little brother, take care of him."

"This is the Olympics, Sonny."

"Oh really, thanks for reminding me. Well then, I'll keep an eye on you."

"..."

Langley was inexplicably marked, even hesitating during the jump ball, allowing China Team to gain possession.

Once Gan Guoyang got the ball, he immediately launched an attack, receiving the ball and directly making a strong drive to the basket through the middle.

After pushing off Luke Langley, he easily made a layup.

Australia hadn't yet set up their defensive formation before Gan Guoyang aggressively broke through.

The Australian Team entered the state somewhat slowly, their offense also missed, with an opportunity for an outside three-pointer that didn't go in.

Gan Guoyang retaliated again, driving with the ball, using his strong body to slice through the middle like a hot knife through butter, pushing off Langley once more, and made a move hook shot, scoring two more points.

Even though the Australian team had compacted their defense and surrounded the basket, Gan Guoyang still found a gap, using a skilled and hard-to-defend hook shot, leaving Langley looking on in regret.

Clearly, Gan Guoyang was off to a fast start, which took the Australian team's head coach by surprise.

During pre-game preparations, they all thought Gan Guoyang would continue the first half holding back, and unleash his power in the second half.

After all, whether in the NBA or this Olympics, this was how Gan Guoyang usually paced his games.

However, as the saying goes, in warfare, deception is crucial, and there are no set patterns in knockout games. Gan Guoyang himself is a very cunning player, adept at using various deceitful strategies.

For this match, in order to counteract the referees' influence, he poured on early efforts to establish a lead for the team, pressing down on the Australian team.

Moreover, since Sydney is the Australian team's home court, if you don't overwhelm the opponent with momentum, falling behind will only make the match more difficult.

As Gan Guoyang hit another three-pointer on a fast break, the beginning already saw China Team setting Australia back 11:2, 9 points ahead.

Australia had no choice but to call a timeout, wondering why Gan wasn't following the usual routine and exploding in the first half instead of saving it for the second half.

Of course, playing this way carries its risks, it is 2000, not 1992.

In 1992, after twice defeating Jordan in the finals and securing a second three-peat, Gan Guoyang was truly invincible.

In Barcelona, he bulldozed through everyone all the way to the finals where he finally couldn't push past the Dream Team.

Now, as he returned to the bench during the timeout, Gan Guoyang felt the need to calm his breath a bit, requiring a teammate to step up and continue the offensive firepower.

And tonight, Wang Zhizhi and Hu Weidong rose to the occasion. After the timeout, Australia launched a fierce counterattack.

Their defense intensified, while their offense was aggressive, relying on home court and some referee leniency, playing recklessly.

As Australia closed a 4-point gap, Wang Zhizhi received the ball, turned, utilized his footwork to score successfully, and drew a foul, making the bonus free throw.

Then Hu Weidong successfully intercepted a pass on defense, counterattacked with the ball, and scored with a fast-break dunk!

The pair scored 5 consecutive points, interrupting Australia's comeback momentum.

After the initial strong surge, both sides entered a standoff phase.

Shooting accuracy decreased, and the referees' whistles started to blow frequently, controlling both teams' actions.

Some Australian fans with low etiquette on the sidelines cursed incessantly, trying to disrupt China Team's offense and defense.

However, as professional players, they have witnessed countless similar situations and remained unfazed.