Got it! The quarterfinals pit me against another old friend: Gasol!
The Spanish team hadn't reached their peak strength yet, but Gasol, Juan Carlos, and Reyes, forming a formidable trident, were already making their mark on the international stage.
Spain's style of play was a blend of offense and defense, balanced inside and out, with no obvious weaknesses. They were following the same path as the current Chinese team.
The strategy designated by head coach Zhang Bing before the game was to set up a formation with Spain and focus primarily on half-court offense.
With their three center powerhouses, the Chinese team now feared nothing more than half-court battles.
Compared to the Russian team, Spain's defense wasn't as ferocious, but their offensive fluidity was significantly higher!
Therefore, after the game started, even with He Xi Meng orchestrating, the Chinese team couldn't establish a significant lead. The scores remained neck and neck.
He Xi Meng had intended to let his teammates fully utilize their energy before making a push in the latter half of the fourth quarter and gradually taking over the game.
However, an unexpected incident occurred. Just as the fourth quarter began, Hu Wei Dong fell to the ground during a collision with Juan Carlos, injuring his ankle.
After a brief treatment, Hu Wei Dong attempted to play on, but after only one possession, He Xi Meng noticed something was wrong with Hu Wei Dong's expression. He decisively signaled the coaching staff to call a timeout and substituted Old Hu out.
While the World Championship was important, Hu Wei Dong's career was even more so.
"I can still play! It's fine, Coach, trust me..." Hu Wei Dong himself didn't want to leave the court, wanting to overcome the ankle pain with sheer willpower.
Seeing that persuasion wouldn't work, He Xi Meng spoke sternly, "Your current condition will ruin your career, and worse, you could drag us down..."
"Xi Meng, how can you say that?" Gong Xiao Bin, leaning on a crutch and with his leg in a brace, became unhappy upon hearing this.
"Old Hu's spirit is one of never giving up! If I could play through the pain without this damn brace, I would too..."
"You guys! You don't take care of your bodies enough! As athletes, your bodies are your weapons. If you don't protect your weapons, how can you serve the country? Don't place too much importance on winning or losing a single game..."
"This isn't just any game; it's a crucial battle directly related to whether we can break through history and advance to the semifinals..." Hu Wei Dong muttered, stating his reason for wanting to play through the injury.
"Aren't we human? If we lose you, will we definitely lose? Are the teammates behind you just spectators? Please, don't think of yourself as so indispensable. The world won't end without one Hu Wei Dong! And China won't necessarily lose to Spain without one Hu Wei Dong..."
"Old Zheng, after Old Hu is substituted out, can you step up?" He Xi Meng turned and asked backup point guard Zheng Wu.
Zheng Wu chuckled, "I've been waiting for this day! Old Hu, it's not that I'm rebelling, but the truth is, if you weren't blocking my path, I might very well have been Xi Meng's best partner... Without you, we'll still crush Spain!"
"Old Hu, just go down and rest. Xi Meng is right, nothing is more important than your own body..." Although Big Yao usually didn't say much, he was the first to step forward and support He Xi Meng at this critical moment. He knew that He Xi Meng was looking out for Hu Wei Dong.
With Zheng Wu's endorsement and Big Yao's support, Da Zhi and Liu Yu Dong also stepped forward one after another to persuade Hu Wei Dong not to push himself, emphasizing the importance of his health.
"Based on my years of coaching experience, your ankle is at least a soft tissue contusion. If you force yourself to play, it could lead to a ligament tear..." He Xi Meng said with an air of experienced wisdom, pointing to Hu Wei Dong's visibly swollen ankle.
"What coaching experience do you have!" Head coach Zhang Bing couldn't listen any longer and gently patted the back of He Xi Meng's head, signaling him to step aside.
Zhang Bing's initial intention was for Hu Wei Dong to persevere, as Old Hu held a very important position in this Chinese team. Zheng Wu was also skilled, but not as versatile as Old Hu. Therefore, Zhang Bing had remained silent when He Xi Meng first suggested Hu Wei Dong be substituted.
Zhang Bing admitted that he had a personal motive in wanting Hu Wei Dong to play through the injury, as he desperately wanted the team to win, and hadn't paid too much attention to the unknown risks this might pose to Hu Wei Dong.
However, after He Xi Meng's persistent persuasion, Zhang Bing could no longer pretend not to see it. As head coach, he confirmed that he had a responsibility for the players' future careers.
"Zheng Wu, you replace Hu Wei Dong!" Zhang Bing decisively declared.
"Team doctor! Doctor, hurry up with some ice for Old Hu!" He Xi Meng immediately called for the team doctor and simultaneously directed his teammates to make a seat for Hu Wei Dong.
"And you, Old Gong, what are you standing there for? Make some space! Yes, right next to you. You two injured players, sit together and watch us defeat Spain..."
It would be dishonest to say that Hu Wei Dong's injury withdrawal had no impact on the current Chinese team. Zheng Wu was skilled, but not as versatile as Old Hu.
For He Xi Meng, Old Hu was as crucial to this Chinese team as Pippen was to Jordan.
When He Xi Meng was handling the ball, Old Hu would help spread the floor, either lurking on the wing or cutting for layups.
When He Xi Meng wasn't dribbling, Old Hu would assist with ball-handling, facilitating plays, or finding opportunities to pass to a cutting He Xi Meng.
Old Hu's defensive capabilities were also good, and when needed, he could help He Xi Meng with rotations...
It was no exaggeration to say that Old Hu was He Xi Meng's best partner on this Chinese team!
Now that Old Hu was injured, He Xi Meng was forced to take on more responsibility and pressure. Zheng Wu could partially compensate for Hu Wei Dong's scoring and defense, but in terms of passing and ball control, Zheng Wu was more like a dashing swordsman, adept at killing opponents himself but not as skilled at setting up teammates to do so.
But the current Chinese team had no other choice! Given the uncertainty of Hu Wei Dong's injury, He Xi Meng, acting responsibly towards Old Hu, insisted on his substitution by Zhang Bing.
Old Hu's injury was not a good omen for the Chinese team.
After the timeout, He Xi Meng, having calmed himself down, first initiated a drive-and-kick, connecting with Big Yao in the paint, intending for Big Yao to turn and overpower Gasol to boost the team's morale.
Gasol at this time was as lean as Yao Ming. However, perhaps due to the higher intensity of the Spanish league compared to the Chinese league, Gasol's core strength was clearly a level above Yao Ming's at this point. He firmly held down Yao Ming's base, preventing him from getting close to the basket...
Seeing the unfavorable situation, He Xi Meng quickly called for another off-ball screen from Zheng Wu, then cut back into the paint, making a feint, taking the ball from Yao Ming, and driving into the lane...
Facing Gasol's block attempt, He Xi Meng executed a difficult, acrobatic layup, evading Gasol's reach and forcefully scoring...