Chapter 475: The Semi-Final Opponent

If we can't catch up... then we've basically lost this game.

The BZ men's basketball team attacked, with Splitter receiving a pass from Nene in the paint and scoring a layup.

53:37!!!

Still trailing by 16 points.

Lin Hao dribbled to the frontcourt, passed the ball to Wade Dong, and then all the other players spread out, giving Wade Dong space to go one-on-one.

"Pat! Pat! Pat!"

With a cross-step dribble, Wade Dong easily got past Barbosa and snaked his way to the basket for a layup!

This move was even more flamboyant than Ginobili's... and had a stronger sense of rhythm. The first step of the three-step layup was very fast, but the second step, as he approached Nene, suddenly slowed down, with a very obvious pause.

Nene subconsciously reached out and poked! Then, for some inexplicable reason, he got hooked on Wade Dong's arm.

"Hehe..."

Wade Dong chuckled and tossed the ball towards the basket.

"Beep!!!

The referee blew the whistle again, calling a defensive foul on Nene.

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

"Damn it!"

Nene jumped up and down in place, tears welling up in his eyes... He swore that this foul was not intentional.

But when Wade Dong slowed down his layup step as he approached him, Nene, acting on pure instinct as a professional player, reached out to poke at the ball. He thought it would be easy to intercept the ball, but suddenly, he found himself hooked on Wade Dong's arm.

"This is called using your opponent's own tactics against them."

Deng Hua couldn't hide his excitement, "I think I understand Coach Gentry's joy now."

"Swish!!!"

"Swish!!!"

After making both free throws, Wade Dong gently reminded the BZ men's basketball coach, "Both of these players have four fouls. Are you sure you don't want to give them a rest?"

"!!!"

The BZ men's basketball team was as dejected as they were joyful when Varejao flopped, and now they were twice as dejected.

On the next possession, Varejao received a pass and took a step towards the paint, but unfortunately, he collided with Wade Dong.

"Swish!!!"

Although Varejao managed to put the ball in the basket, he was completely flustered...

During the attack, he noticed that Wade Dong had already positioned himself well in the paint. If Wade Dong fell back, he would definitely be called for an offensive foul!

"Hmm..."

The referee also noticed that Varejao might have committed an offensive foul and hesitated to blow the whistle.

However, seeing that Wade Dong didn't fall, the Suns were already preparing for the baseline inbound pass, so the referee let it go... Varejao already had four fouls, and if he was called for another one, he would be disqualified. The referee decided to let it slide this time.

55:39!!!

"Stop it, Wade~"

As soon as the basketball returned to Wade Dong's hands, the BZ men's basketball coach started praying in his heart.

He was worried that this was just the beginning...

Wade Dong held the ball at mid-range, noticed that Lin Hao was open beyond the three-point line, and passed the ball to him. Then, he turned around and cut to the basket for a return pass.

"Whoosh~~~"

Lin Hao passed the ball back to Wade Dong.

Wade Dong faked a shot, but Varejao didn't move. Then, Wade Dong faked another shot... This time, Varejao couldn't hold back and jumped to block Wade Dong's shot.

But Wade Dong had no intention of shooting.

He jumped a step later than Varejao, and Varejao's descending arm hit Wade Dong's arm.

"Beep!!!"

The referee had no choice but to blow the whistle; the foul was too obvious.

"I'm done!"

Varejao kicked the basketball away in anger.

The situation suddenly became chaotic... Wade Dong coldly said, "Can't take a loss?"

Wade Dong didn't do anything special; he just used Varejao's idea but executed a more advanced move, causing Varejao to foul out with his fifth foul.

"You're next."

After Varejao left the court, Wade Dong pointed at Nene, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"I... I'm innocent!"

Nene was nervous. Varejao was the one who flopped, not him.

Wade Dong was being too harsh, so Nene walked up to Wade Dong and pleaded, "We're all trying to make a living in the NBA. Brother Dong, please give me some face, okay?"

"Okay!"

Wade Dong nodded in agreement.

In the seventh minute of the third quarter, Wade Dong drove to the basket for a layup. After stopping the ball, he executed a perfect rhythm and timing move, and Nene rushed over...

"Beep!!!"

The referee's whistle sounded, and Nene fouled out with his fifth foul!

The BZ men's basketball team lost two of their three big men, and with the fourth quarter still to come, there were thirteen minutes left in the game—thirteen minutes of slaughter.

107:49!!!

In the Round of 16, the China men's basketball team crushed the BZ men's basketball team by 58 points.

Game stats:

Wade Dong: 53 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 11 blocks.

...

Wade Dong was just one assist away from a quadruple-double in the Men's Basketball World Cup, but he was never a stat-padder... He only scored 21 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, dished out 1 assist, and had 3 steals and 6 blocks in the fourth quarter when the BZ men's basketball team was short-handed.

Many former China men's basketball players were watching this game live.

Wade Dong led his team to a dominant victory over the BZ men's basketball team, forcing their two big men to foul out with five fouls. This game could be summed up in two words: satisfying.

You know...

The China men's basketball team and the BZ men's basketball team had a long-standing grudge, dating back to a few years ago when Wade Dong was still in college. A friendly match between the two teams shocked the basketball world, and the China men's basketball team became famous overnight, not for their basketball skills but for their fighting skills.

After the game, the BZ men's basketball team didn't invite Wade Dong for a group photo.

They didn't even take a single group photo on the court. When the final buzzer sounded, everyone stormed off in anger.

...

After the game, the China men's basketball team didn't leave.

In this arena, two hours later, there was another game between the F country men's basketball team and the XB men's basketball team. The winner of this game would face the China men's basketball team in the semi-finals.

Without Parker, the F country men's basketball team was significantly weaker, and their lineup was slightly inferior to the XB men's basketball team. Additionally, this was the XB men's basketball team's home court, so the crowd overwhelmingly supported them.

The China men's basketball team sat in the front row of the audience, and before the game, Li Pei asked, "Brother Dong, which team do you think will win this game?"

"There's a gap in strength between the two teams, and this is the XB men's basketball team's home court."

Wade Dong analyzed, "Even if the F country team wants to win, they'll have to fight for their lives."

Watching the opponents' game from the sidelines was a very relaxed feeling, and almost every player on the China men's basketball team had a drink in hand.

Deng Hua said, "That's true. The F country men's basketball team only managed a 3-2 record in the group stage, ranking third in Group B. In their game against the XB men's basketball team, they lost by 24 points."

"Let's focus on the game."

Wade Dong said, "No matter which team advances to the semi-finals, we have to beat them."

Yi Nan smiled and said, "I actually hope the F country men's basketball team wins. Compared to the XB men's basketball team, they're much easier to beat."

"Brother Dong~"

Before the game started, several players from both the F country men's basketball team and the XB men's basketball team came over to greet Wade Dong.