This match was the toughest He Xi Meng had faced in this World Championship so far.
One reason was the sheer strength of Spain; their tactical discipline was exceptional. He Xi Meng wasn't afraid of teams like Russia that relied on physical prowess, but he was wary of teams like Spain that depended on tactics.
While he could compensate for the former with skill and agility against brute force, the Chinese team lacked the power to overcome Spain's tactical advantage. He Xi Meng's own skills and tactical acumen would be halved in effectiveness against the Spanish. The result was a hard-fought, grueling battle where the outcome would be decided in the final moments...
Adding to the difficulty, Old Hu's unexpected injury cost He Xi Meng a valuable partner, placing even greater pressure on his shoulders during the critical junctures.
Fortunately, He Xi Meng withstood all the pressure and didn't crumble against the Spanish team. He unleashed his full offensive power in the final quarter, scoring 12 points while dishing out 4 assists and making 2 steals. He finished the game with 29 points, 12 assists, 4 rebounds, 4 steals, and 1 block, once again earning the Most Valuable Player award.
The Chinese team had successfully broken their historical record and advanced to the semi-finals of the World Tournament. The happiest person wasn't He Xi Meng, nor his teammates, but head coach Zhang Bing!
He Xi Meng had come into the tournament with the mindset of breaking records; reaching the semi-finals was merely a baseline objective for him. Having spent time in the NBA, He Xi Meng's sights were set solely on the championship...
The Chinese players were undoubtedly ecstatic, but being young, they were prone to dreaming. They always envisioned a day when they would surpass the achievements of their predecessors, never imagining it would come so suddenly and so soon.
Zhang Bing, however, was a man of vast experience. He understood just how difficult it was for China to break the quarter-final record and advance to the final four.
Before the tournament began, Zhang Bing wouldn't have dared to imagine this goal. In his estimation, even with He Xi Meng's participation, he would have been content if the Chinese team simply reached the quarter-finals and matched China's historical best.
For this quarter-final showdown, Zhang Bing approached it with a learning attitude. Success would be a bonus; failure wouldn't be the end. As long as the Chinese team could win just one more game in the 5th-8th place playoffs, ranking higher than eighth would, in Zhang Bing's mind, represent a historic breakthrough!
Especially after Hu Wei Dong's injury early in the fourth quarter, he believed the game was effectively over.
To his astonishment, He Xi Meng delivered a monumental surprise: the Chinese team had advanced yet again!
Overjoyed, Zhang Bing could hardly believe his eyes after the game, repeatedly asking Zhang Yide beside him, "Did we advance?"
Zhang Yide understood Zhang Bing's current emotions perfectly. It was like when he coached Zhuji Middle School, watching He Xi Meng lead his team from one victory to another; he too struggled to comprehend if it was reality or a dream... If it were a dream, he would wish to remain in it forever.
Now, his own past experiences were unfolding before his senior fellow disciple, Zhang Bing. As someone who had lived through it, Zhang Yide assured Zhang Bing with absolute certainty, "Enjoy the joy of victory wholeheartedly! This is all real! With He Xi Meng here, your magical coaching journey is far from over..."
While the Chinese team achieved a historic breakthrough, the Spanish team was left with immense regret.
Many of their players still couldn't believe they had lost to China...
Just after the group stages concluded, the Spanish team had even mocked Italy and Germany, fellow European powerhouses, for losing to China!
Before this, only Pau Gasol had subtly warned the coaching staff and his teammates that this Chinese team was not to be trifled with!
However, no one had taken Gasol's words seriously!
Yes, China had a player in the NBA, so what? Basketball was a team sport; one person couldn't defeat an entire team...
A sense of complacency permeated the Spanish team. Apart from Gasol, everyone believed that facing China in the quarter-finals was a stroke of luck...
Yet, the fate of Italy and Germany was tragically repeated by Spain today...
It wasn't until the final buzzer that they finally realized this Chinese team was truly formidable!
Perhaps He Xi Meng alone couldn't contend with the entire Spanish team, but under his leadership, this Chinese team was far from the world's second or third-tier team of the past. It wasn't solely because of He Xi Meng; this Chinese team was genuinely the strongest and most brilliant golden generation in China's history...
As the game ended, while his teammates were still immersed in their disbelief and sorrow, a mentally prepared Gasol, with great sportsmanship, walked to the center circle and found He Xi Meng to offer his congratulations.
"You're getting stronger and stronger! It seems the NBA really is a good place to improve your skills..."
"Of course, after all, playing there, you encounter players stronger than you every day..."
"However, the American team doesn't seem as strong this year..." Gasol remarked meaningfully to He Xi Meng.
In another quarter-final match that had already concluded, the United States had been pushed into overtime by Italy. Had it not been for Italy's significant drop in stamina, leading to a decrease in their outside shooting accuracy in overtime, it was debatable whether the United States would have defeated Italy.
Spain's strength was not inferior to Italy's. If Italy could push this American team to the brink of elimination, then theoretically, Spain had the capability to do the same.
It appeared that He Xi Meng wasn't the only one who recognized the limitations of this American team; other countries had also seen through their façade. They looked like fearsome dragons, but lacked the actual power... Every strong team was planning to transform into dragon slayers and seize this golden opportunity to experience the thrill of slaying a dragon...
"Don't miss this chance to create a miracle! Absolutely don't miss it..." Gasol said, patting He Xi Meng on the shoulder and earnestly urging him.
He Xi Meng intentionally played mysterious, lowering his voice to whisper in Gasol's ear, "This World Championship, I came for them..."
Gasol raised an eyebrow in surprise, then composed himself and pointed at He Xi Meng, "So you knew all along that the American team was a paper tiger..."
"Damn! You even know the term 'paper tiger'?"
"Of course! I think I saw it in a book written by you Chinese..."
"Your erudition amazes me!"
"You flatter me! We can chat about literature sometime..."
"Sorry, I'm not very interested in literature!"
"How about art? Or music? Do you prefer classical music or opera?"
"Opera can even be considered music?"
"Opera is a combination of music and drama, so it naturally falls within the scope of music!"
"Well, you're amazing! Goodbye! No need to see me out..."