Chapter 106: Trailing by 18 Points in the First Quarter

The highly anticipated basketball game, with viewership surpassing the NBA Finals, finally began.

Guo Qi and Tyson Chandler jumped for the ball.

Guo Qi, with his height and wingspan advantage, touched the ball first and tipped it to Wade Dong.

Wade Dong, after receiving the ball, dribbled to the frontcourt, faked out Kobe Bryant, and made a quick jump shot!

"Swish!!!"

The ball went straight through the net.

After scoring, Wade Dong glanced at Coach Kidd, who winked at him. This was Coach Kidd's gift to Wade Dong because Kobe Bryant didn't put much effort into defense on the first play, otherwise Wade Dong wouldn't have easily faked him out.

"Go, Team China!"

The fans cheered loudly as the Chinese men's basketball team scored first.

However, Coach Kidd's gift was only for that one shot.

After Wade Dong scored, the USA men's basketball team immediately retaliated. Kevin Durant made a sharp cut, dribbled past Yi Nan, and dunked the ball!

For the USA men's basketball team, if it weren't for Wade Dong, the Chinese men's basketball team might have been one of the weakest teams they faced... They dominated in four out of the five positions on the court.

"Everyone, focus on defense!"

Wade Dong shouted at his teammates, dribbling the ball to attack. This was Wade Dong's biggest challenge, facing the star-studded USA men's basketball team. Winning this game was far more difficult than winning the NBA Finals.

Before the game, some media outlets had analyzed that the Dream Team's lineup was as strong as the original Dream Team from the previous century.

Some even joked that with such a lineup, even if the coaching staff were tied up, the Dream Team could still win easily.

...

All Chinese basketball fans were watching this game.

In the live broadcast room:

Yu Jia, "Wade Dong is preparing to attack. Whether we win this game depends solely on Wade Dong."

Coach Zhang, "Currently, this national team's lineup, apart from Wade Dong, is not on the same level as the USA men's basketball team. Wade Dong would need to score 70 or 80 points for us to have a chance of winning."

Yu Jia, "Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are double-teaming Wade Dong?"

Coach Zhang, "This... is too unreasonable!"

Yu Jia, "If they play like this, there's no way we can win."

Coach Zhang, "I never thought there would be a player who needs Kobe Bryant and LeBron James to double-team him."

...

After Wade Dong scored, when he got the ball again, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James both came to defend him.

The USA team didn't want to give China any chances.

When the Dream Team was being assembled, the head coach chose Coach Kidd not only because he was a championship-winning coach but also because he was the most familiar with Wade Dong.

Having Kobe Bryant and LeBron James defend Wade Dong, in their eyes, the other Chinese players were as good as invisible.

"Idols~ You two are actually teaming up."

Wade Dong joked, but facing the double-team defense of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James was tough. He tried several crossovers but couldn't shake them off, so he had to pass the ball to Guo Yang.

Guo Yang dribbled the ball twice before Chris Paul stole it!

The USA men's basketball team immediately launched a fast break. Kevin Durant received the pass from Chris Paul and dunked the ball!

2:4!!!

The USA men's basketball team took the lead.

"If you have a chance, shoot directly. If not, pass the ball."

Wade Dong said to Guo Yang. This time, he didn't scold Guo Yang because the inexperienced Guo Yang was no match for the veteran Chris Paul. The ball being stolen wasn't entirely Guo Yang's fault; the gap in skill couldn't be made up just by being serious.

On the next attack, Guo Yang passed the ball to Guo Qi. Guo Qi, in the paint, looked for Wade Dong first, but Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were tightly guarding him.

Guo Qi didn't have a good passing opportunity, and in that moment of hesitation, Kevin Durant stole the ball again.

The USA team launched another fast break!

Chris Paul received the pass from Kevin Durant and rushed towards the basket!

"Damn!!!"

Wade Dong cursed and turned to chase after him!

Chris Paul didn't expect Wade Dong to catch up. He tried to finish the attack with a layup.

But as Chris Paul jumped, Wade Dong "flew" from behind him.

Chris Paul seemed to see a shadow above his head.

"Slam!!!"

Wade Dong blocked the shot!

Chris Paul was stunned, but Wade Dong had already started the counterattack. However, facing the USA men's basketball team, his teammates couldn't muster the same intensity as in previous games. They were hesitant and afraid to attack or defend.

With no help from his teammates on offense, Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt and faced the defense of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, shooting a three-pointer.

"Swish!!!"

The ball went straight through the net, a combination of skill and luck.

"Go, Wade Dong!!!"

"Go, Wade Dong!!!"

"Go, Wade Dong!!!"

The fans' cheers were now solely for Wade Dong.

Everyone could see that in this game, the other players were unreliable, and they could only count on Wade Dong.

This shot was a microcosm of the game.

Wade Dong scored almost every time he attacked, relying on his exceptional individual ability against the defense of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

With three and a half minutes left in the first quarter, the score was 17:29!!!

The Chinese men's basketball team was trailing by 12 points, and out of those 17 points, Wade Dong had scored 15.

Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were replaced by James Harden and Carmelo Anthony, reducing the defensive pressure on Wade Dong. However, Harden and Anthony were both strong on offense, and although Wade Dong was scoring, almost no one on the Chinese team could stop Harden and Anthony's attacks.

27:45!!!

The first quarter ended with China trailing by 18 points.

...

In China, bars, and barbecue stalls... all the places where people were watching the game fell silent.

The excitement from before the game was gone. The fans knew there was a gap between the Chinese men's basketball team and the Dream Team, but they didn't expect the gap to be so large. Facing the USA men's basketball team, the Chinese players, except for Wade Dong, didn't even have the courage to attack.

The previous games had made the fans overly confident.

Now, they realized that the Chinese men's basketball team still had a gap compared to the world's top teams.

The lamb skewers didn't taste as good anymore.

The beer didn't go down as smoothly.

But no one was smashing bottles in frustration. After all, the Chinese men's basketball team had come a long way.

Some people couldn't bear to watch anymore and left.

They just waited for the morning news to see how many points the USA men's basketball team won by.

...

At the end of the first quarter, Wade Dong patiently gave instructions to his teammates on the sidelines.

He still had confidence in winning this game. Besides giving instructions, Wade Dong was also encouraging his teammates.

On the other hand, the USA men's basketball team didn't let up despite their large lead. They were still listening attentively to Coach Kidd's instructions.

Wade Dong also noticed this.

Indeed, the difference between the two teams was not just in skill level; the top players in the world had a different attitude towards the game compared to ordinary players!

The USA men's basketball team's attitude towards the game made it even more challenging.