Chapter 487: The Largest Point Difference in the Game

The Chinese men's basketball team's bench players have similar skills!

Wade Dong asked this question to test who was more confident. Those hesitant players would not only be unable to contribute but might also become a huge liability for the team, so they should not be put on the court.

"Brother Dong, I'm ready!"

Li Shu was the first to stand up, showing his determination.

"Brother Dong, I'm ready too!"

"..."

"Brother Dong, I'm also ready!"

After Li Shu took the lead, the other players also expressed their readiness to play.

"Hmm..."

Wade Dong nodded. These guys were quite confident, but at least they had the courage to face the M country's men's basketball team head-on, which was a good thing.

"Except for me, all the main players should rest."

Wade Dong threw the tactical board and said, "There are two minutes and twenty-seven seconds left in the third quarter. These young players will go on the court with me!"

"Come on! Come on! Come on!"

If it were up to Deng Hua's coaching style, he wouldn't let four young bench players be on the court during a critical moment in the game. It would be too risky, but since Wade Dong made the substitution, Deng Hua thought it made perfect sense.

...

Yu Jia, "Oh, the bench players are coming in?"

Zhang, "That's quite bold, even though it's only for two minutes. It's still dangerous."

Yu Jia, "Relying on the young players to make a push isn't necessarily a bad thing. If we can reduce the point difference to within 10 points, the fourth quarter will be much easier!"

...

The timeout ended.

Wade Dong, beyond the three-point line, faked out Irving and took a shot!

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball went straight through the net.

80:88!!!

Even though the Chinese men's basketball team couldn't stop the M country's team, Irving couldn't stop Wade Dong either.

Cousins received the ball under the basket and went for a power move, but Li Shu reacted quickly and fouled Cousins before he could shoot.

One foul wasn't a big deal; at least it disrupted Cousins' offensive rhythm!

Harden went to the sideline to inbound the ball. After receiving the pass from Harden, Irving passed the ball to Cousins again for a one-on-one play. Cousins drove to the basket, but before he could shoot, Ding Hang reached in and fouled him again!

However, this foul also sent Cousins to the free-throw line.

"Fuck!!!"

Cousins stood at the free-throw line, looking at the spectators on the sidelines, ready to throw the ball away and charge at them.

What did the spectators do to make Cousins so angry?

"Stop!"

Harden and Irving pulled Cousins back, telling him not to be impulsive. The whole world was watching this game, and this wasn't in the M country. If Cousins hit a spectator, he might end up in jail in Madrid.

The spectator was just holding a poster, which showed a picture of Cousins getting beaten up by Draymond Green during a game between the Suns and the Kings.

"G~~~"

"G~~~"

Disturbed by the spectators, Cousins missed both free throws, and Wade Dong grabbed the rebound.

There was one minute and forty-six seconds left in the third quarter.

Wade Dong, double-teamed by Irving and Harden, forced a shot and missed. The M country's team seized the opportunity to launch a fast break. Unable to stop the M country's offense, Li Shu, Guo Sen, and several others started to foul frequently, sending the M country's team to the free-throw line.

85:96!!!

The third quarter ended with the M country's team leading by 11 points.

...

Deng Hua was already very satisfied with this result. With Wade Dong leading four bench players, the point difference had not widened.

"A professional player knows his physical condition very well. I want you to be honest with me. How much longer do you need to rest?"

During the timeout, Wade Dong asked Yi Nan and the others about their frequent offensive and defensive mistakes in the second half of the third quarter, which were due to fatigue.

Huang Yu said, "I'm good to go, Brother Dong!"

"Me too!"

Yi Nan looked at Wade Dong with determination.

Gu Qi and Lin Hao hesitated, "We need two to three more minutes of rest."

"Okay, you can rest for three more minutes."

Wade Dong nodded, "Guo Sen and Li Shu will play for three more minutes. My only requirement is to avoid unnecessary mistakes."

This was a matter of national honor. The Chinese men's basketball team's determination to win was stronger than that of the M country's team. Moreover, the incident in the fourth quarter of the 2012 Olympics, where Wade Dong scolded Gu Qi, had become a legend in the national team, forming a team culture that no matter how strong the opponent was, the Chinese flag must always fly higher than the American flag.

...

The crucial fourth quarter began.

Coach K played it safe, keeping Irving and Harden, who had played the most minutes, on the bench. The players on the court were Curry, Thompson, DeRozan, Cousins, and Plumlee.

The M country's team started their offense.

Thompson made a cut without the ball, and when he found himself wide open beyond the three-point line, Cousins, who had the ball in the paint, didn't pass to him but instead drove to the basket to challenge Wade Dong!

"Clang!!!"

Wade Dong then blocked his shot.

"Too inexperienced~"

Watching the live broadcast, Alvin Gentry shook his head, "Don't these players know why Brother Dong became the block king?"

Wade Dong became the block king not because of his height of 1.98 meters, but because he understood all the players, even the lesser-known ones, and their offensive styles.

Just like this play.

When Cousins made his first move, Wade Dong already knew what his third move would be, allowing him to perfectly block Cousins' shot.

Guo Sen got the ball and dribbled down the court!

Thompson tried to stop him, but Guo Sen dribbled past him and made a layup!

87:96!!!

"Good job, Guo Sen!"

Deng Hua jumped up and punched the air in excitement. Guo Sen's one-on-one play and layup were a pleasant surprise.

"Clap!"

When Guo Sen returned to defense, his senior teammate Yi Nan also gave him a high-five.

Curry whispered to Thompson, "Make a cut, and I'll pass you the ball!"

This temporary 'Dream Eleven' team, after going through the group stage, round of 16, quarterfinals, and semifinals, still lacked chemistry. These players were all proud and were leaders on their own teams, so they didn't respect each other.

"Whoosh~~~"

Curry dribbled and drove to the basket, then passed the ball to Thompson.

"Swoosh!!!"

Thompson raised his hand and made a three-pointer, the ball going straight through the net.

87:99!!!

Then, Curry and Thompson connected multiple times, hitting four consecutive three-pointers.

93:111!!!

In the third minute of the fourth quarter, the Chinese men's basketball team trailed by 18 points, the largest point difference in the entire final.