The second quarter began, and the Australian team finally reacted. If they continued to be stubborn, they might be defeated by He Xi Meng alone.
Thus, they had to reluctantly abandon their established plan. Since they couldn't borrow the referee's help, they decided to rely on themselves and see if they could open up their outside shooting under the "leniency" of the Chinese team.
The Australian team's intentions were good, but the Chinese team clearly wasn't going to let them have their way easily. The reason for shifting the Australian team's offensive focus to the perimeter was to prevent the Australians from playing dirty, using their home-court advantage and the referee's whistle to create unnecessary trouble for Yao Ming, Da Zhi, and Da Ba in the paint. It was not to truly allow them to take open shots from the outside...
So, as soon as the Australian team started to adjust and wanted to go all out against China on the perimeter, He Xi Meng immediately directed his teammates to extend their defense and begin to block the Australian team's outside shots...
"This is killing me! You were the one who told me to shoot freely from the outside before, and now you're stopping me, what exactly do you want?"
What did the Chinese team want? Of course, they wanted to make the Australian team uncomfortable! The Chinese team played in whatever way made the Australian team suffer the most. There was no doubt about that.
What was most fatal for the Australian team was that the Chinese team's response, or adjustments, were always one step ahead of the Australian team! This was because the Australian team's commander was off the court, while the Chinese team's commander was actually on the court!
Whenever the Australian team's offensive and defensive coordination changed, the Chinese team could always make adjustments and counter them at the first moment, simply not allowing the Australian team to play comfortably! The Australian team, whose shooting ability was originally inferior to the Chinese team, played poorly in the second quarter as they were hindered from both sides.
By the end of halftime, the Chinese team had extended their lead to 20 points! What should have been a semi-final match was turned into a group stage game by the Chinese team.
And among them, the most outstanding performer was undoubtedly the Chinese team's core point guard, He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng hit six three-pointers in the first half, scoring a game-high 21 points, 6 assists, 5 steals, 3 rebounds, and 2 blocks, his all-around performance completely baffling the Australian players and fans!
During halftime, Zhang Bing asked He Xi Meng, "Do you want to rest in the second half?"
He Xi Meng retorted, "Why should I rest?"
Zhang Bing replied, "I'm worried the Australian team might play dirty in the second half..."
Zhang Bing's concerns were not unfounded. Even a rabbit bites when cornered, let alone a kangaroo?
He Xi Meng seriously considered Zhang Bing's worries and replied, "Let's play another quarter! Once victory is secured, I'll come off the court..."
Zhang Bing naturally had no objections. Deep down, Zhang Bing wished He Xi Meng could play the entire game like he did against the Dream Team IV! If that were the case, the Australian team would definitely have no hope of a comeback, and he could steadily aim for the finals, exceeding the predetermined task before the game!
However, as the head coach, and a coach who had watched He Xi Meng grow step by step over the past few years, Comrade Zhang Bing still held a sense of responsibility and did not want He Xi Meng to be injured during the game, affecting his future career. After all, after decades, China had finally produced such a world-class point guard, and he hoped to use him for a few more years...
At the start of the second half, He Xi Meng's shooting touch was still scorching hot, his three-point accuracy no less than in the first half. The Australian team, seeing no hope of a comeback, became increasingly rough in their play. In their defense, it was no longer limited to pulling and pushing but also included potential elbowing and tripping moves. He Xi Meng maintained a twelve-point vigilance and ultimately did not let the Australian team's retaliation succeed!
By the end of the third quarter, He Xi Meng had scored 36 points, 10 assists, 7 steals, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks, successfully helping the Chinese team maintain a 20-point lead. Then, he checked out of the game, giving the Australian team no further opportunities.
In the final quarter, the Australian team attempted to launch a counter-attack in He Xi Meng's absence. However, with the combined efforts of Hu Wei Dong and Liu Yu Dong, they successfully withstood the Australian team's surge.
In the end, the Chinese team defeated the host nation Australia by 12 points, 87:75, in the semi-finals, successfully advancing to the Sydney Olympics finals!
The Chinese team's mission of competing for a medal had been successfully completed. Head coach Zhang Bing could now relax and prepare to receive commendations from the State Sports Administration. The only suspense now was whether the Chinese team could continue to create miracles and also claim the Olympic gold medal?
Looking at the Dream Team IV's performance in the semi-finals, the Chinese team was not without a chance. After all, Lithuania had pushed the Dream Team IV to the brink of defeat!
With nine seconds left, the United States led Lithuania by one point. Kidd made one of two free throws, giving Lithuania a chance for the final possession. However, Lithuania failed to seize the opportunity, missing a contested three-pointer from the outside. They ultimately lost by two points, 83:85, and were eliminated from the finals.
The Dream Team IV narrowly escaped and would meet China in the final!
During the group stage, China had defeated Lithuania by about 10 points. If this was a benchmark, China actually had a good chance of defeating the Dream Team IV in the final.
Before this final game, the confidence of Chinese fans was fully mobilized. They all yearned for the Chinese team to go all out, defeat the Dream Team, and win the gold medal at the Sydney Olympics!
In the past, the Chinese team only dreamed of reaching the quarterfinals as a historic achievement. Now, the Chinese team was dreaming of overcoming the mountain that was the Dream Team and reaching the pinnacle of world basketball...
But the Dream Team was still the Dream Team. After nearly being defeated by China in the group stage, Tomjanovich and his coaching staff meticulously analyzed this Chinese team, identifying He Xi Meng, Yao Ming, and Da Zhi as the three offensive threats! Before this, the American team thought that only He Xi Meng and Da Zhi posed a threat to them. However, after the group stage encounter, Coach Tomjanovich believed that Yao Ming posed even more of a threat than Da Zhi!
Because Yao Ming's height allowed China to achieve a balanced attack between the inside and outside. When the Dream Team tightened its defense, China would focus on the perimeter. When the Dream Team expanded its defense, China would focus on the paint. This back-and-forth stretching of the defense left the Americans exhausted, unable to guard anyone effectively.
He Xi Meng was not to be trifled with, extremely not to be trifled with. This had become the common understanding of all teams in this Olympics, including the Dream Team IV.
Therefore, learning from the near-defeat in the group stage and referencing Australia's experience of defeating Italy and being heavily defeated by China, the Dream Team decided to focus their breakthrough attempt on China's interior player, the young number 11, Yao Ming!