After the timeout, Old Hu, with a surge of energy, did not fail He Xi Meng's trust. He immediately received He Xi Meng's pass, drove to the basket with a side step, drawing the opponent's defensive attention, and then made a bounce pass to the cutting Liu Yu Dong. Liu Yu Dong caught the ball, stopped abruptly, faked, and then executed a fadeaway jump shot, scoring two points for the Chinese team and successfully stopping the bleeding!
Although Liu Yu Dong was the one who finished the play, the initiator was Hu Wei Dong!
As a swingman with strong scoring ability, Hu Wei Dong did not hoard the ball but instead remembered He Xi Meng's instructions to activate his teammates and play with an advantage in numbers. What the Chinese team lacked was not finishers, but someone who could replace He Xi Meng as an organizer.
After Old Hu came onto the court, the Chinese team's offense became fluid again.
The Nansilas team's plan to crush the Chinese team in the third quarter was thwarted.
This Chinese team was not lacking in skill; they merely lacked an excellent point guard to help them unleash their potential.
He Xi Meng was the excellent point guard the Chinese team needed.
As a world-class powerhouse, the Yugoslav team naturally knew China's weakness. Therefore, they were willing to use double-teaming tactics to cut off He Xi Meng's connection with his teammates. This defensive strategy was certainly effective. The overall strength of the Chinese team would drop a level. However, this strategy came at a cost. The price was that the Yugoslav team was at a defensive disadvantage against other Chinese players, requiring them to expend more energy and constantly rotate and cover for each other to compensate for the drawbacks of the double-team.
Why did He Xi Meng insist on Old Hu leading the other teammates to move and circulate the ball? It was precisely to exhaust the opponents' stamina as much as possible and break their will to double-team him…
This was a process of mutual attrition and competition. Whoever couldn't keep up would be the first to break.
However, fortunately, the teammates around He Xi Meng were the most glorious Golden Generation in the history of Chinese men's basketball. They were the most tenacious generation in terms of willpower and style of play.
When He Xi Meng was first double-teamed, the game on the court was indeed a bit chaotic. But after the timeout called by He Xi Meng, coupled with substitutions and tactical adjustments, the elder brothers of the Golden Generation quickly calmed down. Each displaying their own unique skills, they successfully withstood the Yugoslav team's onslaught in the third quarter without relying on He Xi Meng for offensive support!
"Brothers, you played beautifully!" After the third quarter ended, He Xi Meng enthusiastically praised his teammates and then proceeded to outline the tactics for the final quarter.
"The Nansilas team made a push just now, but it wasn't successful. Now it's our turn to shine! After the exertion of the last quarter, at the beginning of the fourth quarter, the opponents will do everything they can to stabilize the rhythm and adjust their stamina before engaging in a final battle before the game ends! What we need to do is disrupt their rhythm and force them to bring their core players into the battle earlier..."
"Of course, I also know that the past quarter has also consumed a lot of everyone's energy. So, the starters will rest on the bench first. The substitutes, Da Ba, Sun Jun, Zheng Wu, Li Nan, you guys will go up with me first! Da Ba will play a supporting role, solely responsible for defense. The rest of you, follow me to pick up the pace and win amidst chaos..."
"Coach, do you think this strategy will work?"
Four players in, four players out? He Xi Meng's adjustment was bold!
Zhang Bing gasped, "It'll work! But what if the opponent continues to double-team you?"
"It's unlikely! The Yugoslav team isn't made of steel! Double-teaming me for a quarter is already their limit. If they continue to double-team, their help-defense rotation system will only show more flaws! Moreover, we are already planning to play a fast-paced counter-attack, not giving them a chance to set up in half-court offense..."
He Xi Meng once again accurately predicted the Yugoslav team's adjustments.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Yugoslav team's head coach intended to let Bodiroga, who had exerted a lot of energy in this game, rest for a while, and have Stojaković lead the team for the rotation period, not seeking breakthroughs but stability.
However, He Xi Meng was unwilling to give the Yugoslav team a chance to stabilize their rhythm. Upon entering the court, he immediately sped up the pace with Li Nan, Zheng Wu, and Sun Jun, intending to disrupt the Yugoslav team's rhythm.
But a world champion is a world champion. Even though He Xi Meng's plan was predicted, and the Chinese team caught them off guard, the Yugoslav team remained disorganized yet unbroken. Led by Stojaković, they stabilized their footing and re-established their defense. Just as the Chinese team withstood the Yugoslav onslaught in the third quarter, the Yugoslav team in the early fourth quarter also withstood the impact of China's rotation lineup.
He Xi Meng's plan to establish a lead advantage during the rotation period ultimately failed.
As both sides gradually put their starting players back on the court, this championship and runner-up match entered its final moments of life and death.
Bodiroga, the MVP of the European League, displayed his clutch potential in the final moments, hitting a three-pointer over Liu Yu Dong's strong defense, successfully drawing a foul from Liu Yu Dong, and then sinking the shot!
Bodiroga, who made the subsequent free throw, scored four points consecutively, extending the Yugoslav team's lead to six points! With less than a minute left in the game, the Chinese fans in the arena stared at the score on the big screen with despair!
Zhang Bing called a timeout to allow the players a breather and issued a classic command: "Give the ball to Xi Meng..."
Yes, at this critical juncture, the only tactic Zhang Bing could think of was for his players to give the ball to He Xi Meng!
Whether He Xi Meng could create another miracle, Zhang Bing did not think about it, nor did he dare to.
Being able to play to this extent against the world champion Yugoslav team, Zhang Bing felt that the Chinese team had already performed beyond expectations. As the head coach, he had no right to dictate to the players anymore. No matter how they played, Zhang Bing would approve! He would consider them all great!
He Xi Meng did not shy away. Although in the first three quarters and more, He Xi Meng's three-point shooting percentage was only 2 out of 6, a mere 33%, far below his average. But he knew at this moment, he had no other choice.
Whether to shoot or not, he decided!
Whether it goes in or not, heaven decides!
On the first possession after the timeout, Hu Wei Dong inbounded the ball from the baseline. He Xi Meng used Da Zhi's screen to receive the ball near the center court. Upon receiving the ball, He Xi Meng wasted no time, immediately isolated Bodiroga, who was guarding him out of position, and at a step beyond the three-point line, he stopped abruptly, leaped, and shot!
This shot carried a bit of Curry's "unreasonable" style...