This was the first, and possibly the last, chance!
He Xi Meng did not want to give up, nor would he hold back.
The Argentine team had the same attitude!
As the captain of the Argentine team, Ginobili led his team in a fierce assault on the Chinese team from the start of the game!
This was the peak showdown between the Chinese and Argentine teams, and also the peak showdown between He Xi Meng and Ginobili!
The Argentine team, with their more fluid passing and cutting coordination than the Chinese team, consistently had the upper hand.
The Chinese team, relying on Yao Ming's advantage in the paint, kept the score close.
For He Xi Meng, the Argentine team consistently employed a double-team strategy, refusing to let him score easily.
Several times, He Xi Meng tried to lead the Chinese team to a comeback with explosive bursts of energy, only for Ginobili to counter with a basket for a basket, strongly repelling him!
As the game neared its end, the Argentine team seemed poised to avenge the humiliation of being eliminated by He Xi Meng two years ago!
He Xi Meng adjusted the tactics at a critical moment!
First, He Xi Meng set up a screen for Da Zhi, who received the ball and hit a corner three-pointer, assisting Da Zhi in making a corner three!
Then, capitalizing on an Argentine miss on the counter-attack, He Xi Meng rapidly pushed the ball forward. Ginobili and Nocioni converged from front and back, attempting to steal the ball from He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng turned their intention to his advantage, making a very risky skip pass that penetrated the Argentine defense of four players and went directly to Hu Wei Dong, who had driven to the left!
Hu Wei Dong caught the ball and took flight, hanging in the air to evade Scola's block, and made a high-difficulty reverse layup, banking it in!
If Michael Jordan were watching this Olympic final on television, he would surely have praised Lao Hu's layup!
This move was something Michael Jordan had taught Hu Wei Dong during their time with the Wizards, during their rest periods.
In these two possessions, the Argentine team had focused all their defensive attention on He Xi Meng!
Unexpectedly, He Xi Meng used this very choice by the Argentine team to deliver two consecutive assists, leading his teammates in a 5-0 run against Argentina, successfully taking a 1-point lead!
Little time remained on the clock!
The Argentine team called a timeout for a final offensive possession, while He Xi Meng, seizing the opportunity, devised a game-winning play for the team!
After the timeout, Ginobili executed the final play, driving strong with a Euro step for a layup!
Even though He Xi Meng had anticipated Ginobili's move, he was unable to effectively block it. At the crucial moment, He Xi Meng chose to foul, sending Ginobili to the free-throw line.
Ginobili held his nerve and made both free throws, helping Argentina regain a 1-point lead over China!
The game felt like a return to the final moments of the World Championships two years ago!
At that time, after a rapid advance, He Xi Meng had pulled up near the logo, hitting a buzzer-beater from beyond half-court to eliminate Argentina, becoming the most spectacular game-winning shot in FIBA history. Unequaled.
Now, history seemed to have arrived at the same crossroads.
Fans worldwide began to anticipate whether He Xi Meng could once again pull off a dramatic game-winner!
The Argentine team, having been on the receiving end of such a tragedy two years ago, was naturally fully prepared this time!
After the timeout, three Argentine players surrounded He Xi Meng, giving him no space to receive the ball!
Failing to receive the ball upfront, He Xi Meng suddenly made a back-door cut, shaking off the tugging from Ginobili and Nocioni, and accelerated along the right sideline towards the frontcourt!
Hu Wei Dong, inbounding the ball from the baseline, delivered a perfect, four-quarterback-style one-armed heave that went directly towards the right side of the basket!
Ginobili immediately sensed danger and jumped with all his might to intercept the pass!
But Hu Wei Dong's throw was exceptionally well-executed! The ball had spin, with a high arc initially, before rapidly dropping in the latter stages, successfully avoiding being intercepted by the Argentine team!
He Xi Meng cut in from the right sideline. To avoid interference from Nocioni and others, he did not slow down, exploding upwards in mid-air, catching the ball, and slamming it into the basket with both hands!
"Wow!"
"Alley-oop game-winner!"
Hu Wei Dong and He Xi Meng executed a very American-style alley-oop two-handed dunk for the win!
However, such dunks were typically executed by powerful big men, like Garnett, Kenyon Martin, or Stoudemire.
On the guard line, it was rare to see such alley-oops.
Vince Carter had performed them most frequently, and Kobe Bryant in his early years could also do it. Tracy McGrady might have been capable, but rarely did it.
Fans worldwide had not expected He Xi Meng to win the game with such a play!
They had anticipated a half-court three-pointer from He Xi Meng, or a driving layup with a hang-time spin, but this alley-oop dunk was beyond the comprehension of fans worldwide!
Naturally, it was also beyond the comprehension of the Argentine team!
Even Ginobili, who had been He Xi Meng's teammate for six years, did not expect He Xi Meng to handle the final play in such a manner!
But precisely because no one anticipated it, the strategy achieved its intended effect!
With this play, He Xi Meng completed the comeback in just 1 second!
Leaving the Argentine team with 2 seconds remaining!
Strictly speaking, the Argentine team had an opportunity for a final comeback against China.
However, the Argentine team's final play failed to materialize. Ginobili, tightly guarded by He Xi Meng beyond the three-point line, forced up a shot that bounced off the rim. The game ended!
Although the Chinese fans present were few, their cheers and shouts instantly resounded throughout the arena.
The local Greek fans also offered their applause to the new Olympic champions!
Chinese fans watching on television were already in a frenzy, and the entire nation was plunged into a sea of joy!
The Argentine team, just like two years ago at the World Championships, had once again fallen at the feet of the Chinese team, being just 2 seconds away from the Olympic gold medal!
But these 2 seconds became an insurmountable gap for Argentina!
He Xi Meng's scoring in this game was not high, only 26 points! But these 26 points, scored under the constant double-teaming of the Argentine team, made them extremely precious!
Especially the flying alley-oop dunk in the final 2 seconds, a powerful slam dunk, which once again became the most spectacular moment in the history of Chinese basketball!
For the following month, whenever sports channels broadcasted exciting sports moments, He Xi Meng's dunk, combining power and elegance, would always be featured in the most prominent positions...
The Chinese men's basketball team, rising since 1998 and fighting for 6 years, finally achieved a grand slam in basketball in 2004!
From the World Championships to the Olympics, they had successfully made all the world's strong teams bow before them!
Speaking on behalf of the Chinese men's basketball team after the game, He Xi Meng took a deep breath and said something that surprised fans worldwide!
"I think I can consider retiring..."