pdf-ebookys Chapter 402 Two-time World Championship Winners! Team America Begins Rebuilding!
Chapter 402 Two-time World Championship Winners! Team America Begins Rebuilding!
109: 70!
When the final whistle blew, the Chinese team, with a huge advantage of 39 points, crushed the championship favorites and the German team, which had the tournament's top scorer, Nowitzki, and successfully advanced to the final!
It's worth mentioning that Nowitzki had a terrible shooting night in this game, making only 4 of 16 shots in the first three quarters, scoring just 10 points and grabbing 6 rebounds.
而同时林天这个晚上同样只打了两节多点的时间，却18投14中，3分球6投5中，罚球7罚6中，爆砍39分7篮板7助攻4抢断2盖帽的完美数据！
After scoring such a high number of points with such a high shooting percentage, Lin Tian's average score in this competition has risen to 27.5 points, while Nowitzki's average score has dropped to 26.6 points because of his poor performance in this game!
Lin Tian's average points per game surpassed Nowitzki's, making him the top scorer in this tournament!
Meanwhile, his average of 8.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game also made him the tournament's assist leader and steal leader!
Although both Germany and China have another game to play, given the current situation, unless Lin Tian has a terrible performance in the next final and Nowitzki has a godlike performance, Lin Tian will become the first person in World Championship history to simultaneously be the top scorer, assist, and stealer in a single tournament!
Although Lin Tian missed two games, his performance was still incredibly impressive! After all, the opponents in the two games Lin Tian missed weren't top-tier teams.
For Lin Tian, he lost two opportunities to boost his stats; he suffered a loss, not an advantage!
But no matter what, from any perspective, unless there are huge fluctuations and unexpected events in the upcoming finals, Lin Tian has basically secured the MVP award for this World Championships!
The so-called huge fluctuation basically means that while Lin Tian played terribly in the finals, Peja or Ginobili on the other side played like gods, and at the very least, it had to be something like a 50-point or 40+ triple-double with a game-winning shot.
Apart from that, nothing could take away the MVP trophy that was already on its way to Lin Tian's room!
The Chinese team seemed much calmer about reaching the finals than they were two years ago! After all, they were already the defending world champions, so this was nothing special!
Not worth celebrating!
The real celebration will come after we win the final and take the gold medal!
The wait for the Chinese team will certainly not be too long!
Less than 30 minutes after the end of this match, the match between Argentina and Yugoslavia also started!
From every perspective, this match can be considered the most exciting and intense match of this World Championship!
The two sides were neck and neck throughout the game, with neither side able to extend their lead. The two sides fought back and forth for a full four quarters!
With just over three minutes left in the game, Argentina briefly brought the score to 61-69 thanks to a three-pointer from Sanchez!
Just when it seemed Argentina was about to take control of the game and advance to the final, Bodiroga of Yugoslavia stepped up!
The next match became his time!
Three-pointer, mid-range shot, drawing fouls on consecutive drives, assist to Peja for a three-pointer.
一连串的表现之后，博迪洛加连拿9分1助攻，率队在最后1分30秒的时候将比分追到了71：74！
Then, Bodiroga's hero mode continued. He narrowed the gap to 1 point with a mid-range shot, and then, with Argentina only making 1 of 2 free throws, he drove into the paint again to draw a foul. After making both free throws again, the score was 75-75!
Argentina gained possession with 17 seconds remaining. Just as the Argentinians were about to make a decisive shot to end the game, Sanchez's shot was blocked by Bodiroga, sending the game into overtime!
Extra time still belongs to Bodiroga!
He first assisted Peja to make a crucial three-pointer, and Yugoslavia finally turned the tide at 78-75.
Subsequently, Ginobili, playing with an injury, missed a three-pointer, and Argentina's Walkerwitzki's shot was blocked by Divac. Opotto then fouled Bodiroga on defense, and Bodiroga made both free throws, extending Yugoslavia's lead to 80-75.
Divac then committed his fifth foul and was ejected from the game. Argentina's Oberto made both free throws, bringing the score to 80-77 with only 14 seconds left in the game. With 5 seconds remaining, Bodiroga made another crucial steal from Scola, leaving Scola with no choice but to foul.
At the crucial moment, Bodiroga once again made both of his free throws with composure.
82: 77!
Yugoslavia secured the victory and advanced to the final!
They will face off against the Chinese team in a rematch of this tournament!
Bodiroga exploded for 27 points and 9 assists, including 11 points in the fourth quarter and 4 points in overtime, becoming the team's hero! Peja also hit 6 three-pointers for 26 points, making him another important contributor to the team's success!
On the Argentine side, Ginobili sprained his ankle in the game against the United States and played only 12 minutes with the injury, without scoring any points. Ginobili's injury became the biggest reason for Argentina's loss!
Without Ginobili, they have no one to respond when Bodiroga explodes!
Argentina is extremely unwilling to accept defeat!
They lost the game unwillingly and left with a heavy heart!
In a post-match interview, Ginobili, who was making his debut in a major international tournament, couldn't hide the tears in his eyes. He told reporters, "Two years from now! Two years from now in Athens, I will prove myself, and we will prove ourselves!"
"No matter who our opponents are, we won't lose again in two years! We will win the gold medal!"
Ginobili's remarks and his brilliant performance in this World Championship immediately won him the hearts of countless Indians!
After all, it was common knowledge in Indiana that Ginobili would be joining the Pacers next season!
Bird had already announced this, and the team was incredibly excited about having such a nimble, graceful, and determined young player who was so determined to win next season!
More importantly, this excellent young man was actually scouted from the end of the second round and then raised overseas for a full three years.
Bird, what a brilliant move!
Many fans are already ready to vote for Bird, and they want to help him win the Best GM award again!
What? Fans aren't eligible to vote?
Never mind then!
Then we can only wish Bird good luck in winning the award!
The day after these two semi-final matches were played, the tournament organizers seemed to be in a great hurry to end the competition. Without giving the four teams a rest, they started back-to-back matches right away!
The 3rd and 4th place matches will be played first in the afternoon, and the final match will be played during prime time in the evening!
Everyone knew about this schedule in advance, but at this point, it's inevitable that people would complain.
Such a dense schedule will obviously affect the players' form and the excitement of the games.
But there's nothing we can do; protests are protests, and facts are facts.
In the afternoon's third-place match, Ginobili, who had no intention of fighting for the bronze medal, chose to rest. Without his support, the Argentine team did not put up much resistance and surrendered early, losing to the German team by as much as 20 points!
Dirk Nowitzki only played 20 minutes that night before going to the bench to rest. Although he won a bronze medal with 17 points and 9 rebounds, he lost the chance to compete for the scoring title!
Of course, Nowitzki obviously didn't care much about being the top scorer. After being crushed by the Chinese team, he had no intention of spending too much energy on this competition anymore.
A bronze medal is worthless.
Like Ginobili, he didn't think much of him!
In the final match that evening, the Chinese team's advantage quickly became apparent!
First of all, their match finished two hours earlier than the Yugoslavian team's, giving them two extra hours of rest.
Meanwhile, the Chinese team easily swept Germany last night. Their key players didn't even have to play from the second half of the third quarter. In the quarterfinals before that, they also easily defeated Puerto Rico.
They won two consecutive games by more than 30 points, so their main players have no problem with their stamina!
On the other hand, Yugoslavia had a much bigger problem with physical fitness!
First, they fought fiercely against the United States in the quarterfinals, battling all the way to the very end before finally winning the match. Divac, Peja, Bodiroga, and others all played for more than 35 minutes in this game!
Then, against Argentina, they went into extra time, and these key players played for more than 40 minutes!
Then, without even getting enough rest for 24 hours, they had to embark on another journey to play the final against the Chinese team!
On one side, the team was well-rested and full of fighting spirit, while on the other side, the team was exhausted after a series of battles, with only a strong desire for the championship to keep them going.
The difference in momentum and condition between the two sides is absolutely enormous!
This was also a key reason why Jiang Xingquan had the Chinese team finish the match quickly and decisively the night before!
What we need is a physical advantage!
This also shows how important the group stage match between China and Yugoslavia a few days ago was!
If Yugoslavia had won that night, then it would have been their turn to have the rested and exhausted Chinese team to sweep aside!
Faced with such a huge gap in the form between the two sides, Jiang Xingquan once again set the principle: seize the opening! Seize the speed! Lin Tian ran like crazy to speed up the pace of the game, while the others were responsible for increasing physical confrontation and accelerating the fatigue of the Yugoslavian team!
Jiang Xingquan's tactics were very successful!
At the start of the game, Lin Tian would grab the ball and sprint towards the frontcourt, regardless of whether the fast break would succeed. He was determined to make sure the Yugoslavian team had no choice but to run, they had to follow him!
Not following along?
Given Lin Tian's speed and finishing ability, it's practically handing him the points!
Follow along?
So tired! My legs feel like they're filled with lead!
Especially Divac, the veteran, ran for less than 5 minutes in the first quarter before declaring he couldn't go on and signaled to Pesic with his eyes and gestures to take him off.
I really can't run anymore!
When the Yugoslavian team attacks, the Chinese team will give them plenty of physical contact and challenges! This night, not only did the burly coach get more playing time, but the returning Zhu Fangyu and the young and strong Du Feng also had more opportunities than before!
Tonight's strategy is to overwhelm the master with a flurry of punches!
With the Chinese team starting by going all out, playing with all their might and not even caring about fouls, the Yugoslavian team's fatigue was obvious!
They really couldn't catch up with Lin Tian, and they really couldn't outmaneuver the burly men, Da Ba, Da Yao, and Lin Tian.
The huge gap in energy put them in trouble from the very beginning of the game, and they fell behind early on. Although the Chinese team did not launch a particularly fierce offensive onslaught, the gap between the two sides gradually widened without them realizing it!
22: 17!
45: 30!
64: 40!
At the end of the third quarter, China's lead had reached 24 points!
Given the Yugoslavian team's form and physical condition tonight, the outcome of this match is basically decided!
That being said, it's unrealistic to expect Yugoslavia to give up so easily! At the start of the fourth quarter, Pesic brought on his three key players: Divac, Bodiroga, and Peja, hoping they could pull themselves together and give it their all!
But when the three of them were on the court, Divac encountered a team like the tower, a team that could get into the NBA just by relying on its physicality.
Peja encountered Du Feng, who was energetic, tall, and tireless when he ran, while Bodiroga was marked by Lin Tian before he even received the ball in the backcourt!
Full press!
We're going to force you to the point where you can't even dribble the ball properly, and you won't have a single second to rest!
I'm going to exhaust you all to the point of collapse!
Facing a relentless and uncompromising Chinese team, Yugoslavia's last chance has vanished!
With six minutes left in the fourth quarter, Bodiroga suddenly fell during a contest, clutching his calf and screaming in pain.
Lin Tian reacted quickly, running over to grab his foot and help him brace it!
Lin Tian knew very well that he had overexerted himself and was cramping up!
After this cramp, even if Pesic still wanted to win, he had to consider the players' health, so he had no choice but to substitute Bodiroga.
The departure of Bodiroga, the absolute key player, basically explains the outcome of this match!
"Thanks!"
These were the last words Bodiroga uttered tonight. Then, he was helped directly into the players' tunnel for further treatment!
The following matches were rather dull and uninteresting for both sides.
Both sides lost their will to fight, and the number of mistakes and missed shots increased. At the same time, both sides tacitly sent out their most marginal players to let them experience the atmosphere and feeling of the World Championship final!
"Buzzing!"
Then, the final whistle blew!
80: 58!
Hebei China Fortune team once again easily defeated their opponent!
In all three knockout matches, they finished with a lead of more than 20 points over their opponents!
An absolute crushing victory! Absolutely effortless and effortless!
China's victory this time was not due to luck or any other factor.
It's an absolute crushing defeat in terms of strength!
Although they didn't encounter the American team, the Chinese team defeated three of the four opponents that the American team lost to, and all of them were soundly beaten and knocked down!
This year, the Chinese team won with great satisfaction!
This victory is enough to excite the entire nation of China!
champion!
we are the champion!
We are world champions!
Two consecutive championships!
We won the world championship twice in a row!
We are now the undisputed champions of the basketball world!
"Champions! Champions!" Coach Zhang Weiping shouted excitedly in the Huaxia Sports studio: "The Huaxia team has won the 2002 Indiana World Basketball Championship! Congratulations to the young men of the Huaxia team! They are heroes! They are true heroes!"
Yang Jian, a newly popular commentator who has recently gained immense popularity for his commentary on track and field events, quickly added, "Excellent! Compared to their incredibly difficult victory two years ago, where they were pushed to the brink by the American team and then staged a comeback, this year's boys are clearly more confident, and their progress is very evident!"
"This year, the Chinese team practically cruised through the competition, easily securing the championship! Aside from a loss to Brazil due to Lin Tian's absence, they won all eight remaining games! Furthermore, in the seven games Lin Tian participated in, the Chinese team averaged a margin of victory of nearly 30 points!"
"This number is almost the same as that of the Dream Team back then!"
"The Chinese team has truly demonstrated dominance this year! Relying on Lin Tian, the strength of their three interior players, and the relentless performance of their forwards, they have delivered an unparalleled performance!"
"I would call this Chinese team the strongest Chinese basketball team in history! No matter what the world's basketball community calls the American team, in my heart, this Chinese team is the dream team!"
Zhang Weiping, squinting and smiling, said, "They are also my dream team! But that's not necessarily the strongest. At least I think that Chinese team at the World Championships in Athens two years from now, or even in Sapporo, Japan four years from now, will be our strongest form!"
"Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, Zhu Fangyu and Liu Wei, including the young Du Feng—these players are far from reaching their peak, and they all have the potential to continue improving!"
"Of course, the most important person will always be Lin Tian! As long as Lin Tian can maintain his top level, as long as he remains the strongest player in the NBA and even the entire basketball world, we still have hope of continuing to compete for the world championship!"
"In the 80s, our women's volleyball team won five consecutive world-class championships! So, can our basketball team replicate that achievement this time?"
Let's wait and see!
This day is absolutely a day worth celebrating and cheering for the whole of China! On this day, the whole of China celebrates the New Year early once again, and the streets and alleys are filled with excited crowds.
When people go to work or school, and see their friends, relatives, or even neighbors and passersby, their first greeting is not "Have you eaten?" or "The weather is nice today."
The first thing they say to each other now is invariably, "Have you been watching the Men's Basketball World Championship?"
Didn't you see it?
Hurry back and watch the replay! China Sports is broadcasting it continuously throughout the day!
You watched it?
Hurry back and watch the replay again! China Sports is broadcasting it continuously throughout the day!
Have you watched it several times?
Then let me ask you, how did Lin Tian score the first basket at the start of the second quarter?
Don't you remember?
Hurry back and watch the replay again! China Sports is broadcasting it continuously throughout the day!
The whole of China is celebrating the Lunar New Year early! Although the government has not issued any official document to give people a day off today, countless schools, factories and companies have suspended operations for half a day.
While the Chinese team was celebrating their championship victory, or rather, since the US team lost to Yugoslavia, Colangelo, who was thrust into the spotlight and criticized by countless people after the US team's defeat, did not rest at all, nor did he think about resigning, apologizing, or avoiding the storm.
He has already started his work!
He admitted that the team's formation this time was a complete failure and was completely different from the lineup he had in mind!
However, Colangelo believes this is because he has only been building the team for a short time and does not have enough energy or time to persuade the players to serve their country.
This time, Colangelo decided to plan ahead!
He wants to secure the key players he wants to acquire two years in advance!
On the very night the US team lost to Yugoslavia, Colangelo finally caught up with Kidd at a nightclub in Indiana. No one knows what the two talked about, but many people who frequented the nightclub swore they saw Garnett and Bird walk into the club next!
Then, on the night that China won the championship, Colangelo had already arrived in Chicago!
He found Kobe here after training hard for more than a month with Jordan's personal trainer, Tim Glover.
"You're really pushing yourself too hard." When Colangelo found Kobe, he discovered that Kobe was at least a size bigger than he remembered. "I went to Houston to find you, only to find out that you had already finished training there. Then I went to Los Angeles, only to find out that you had already arrived in Chicago."
"This guy is a monster that the entire league fears. Even Michael was trained to the point of exhaustion by him!"
Colangelo glanced at Glover, who was sitting next to Kobe, scribbling and drawing in his notebook, and couldn't help but shake his head.
This guy is the league's number one devil trainer. Although he is famous and everyone knows that he helped Jordan evolve to his full potential, there are really not many people who dare to train with him.
"Michael's training volume is really not that great. I feel like Tim's training volume for me is just so-so, I finished it easily." Kobe pouted, looking smug.
"Who was it that I trained so hard they vomited in the bathroom for ages and couldn't sleep at night, crying in bed?" Glover scoffed. "And who was it that trained so hard they fell asleep in the weight room and ended up with a 39-degree fever? Was it me?"
"I forgot." Kobe blushed, a rare sight for him, and stood up, pulling Colangelo along. "Come on, let's go outside and talk."
"How many kilograms have you gained this summer?" Colangelo asked Kobe with some curiosity, but he wasn't in a hurry.
"About 7 kilograms!" Kobe said casually. "Next season, I'll dominate everyone!"
"Then you probably weigh more than that 'beast'."
"Who weighs more than me?" a deep, gruff voice boomed. A muscular man with a neck as thick as his head walked over. "Corangelo, what do you want?"
"Another rude jerk," Colangelo muttered. "I don't need to introduce him, Ron Artest, I think he'll be the best defensive player in the NBA in three years! Kobe Bryant, I think he..."
"You think I can beat the best defensive player in the NBA's future?" Kobe glanced at Artest, snorted, and didn't give him any face.
The two almost got into a fight last season because of their overly aggressive play!
"Let's see who beats whom. Mr. Kobe Bryant, who is known as one of the top scorers in the NBA, but has never won an MVP or a scoring title." Artest snorted disdainfully.
"Alright, let's talk about things two years from now." Colangelo clapped his hands, easing the tension between the two. "We need to rebuild Team America's glory, and you two are the two most important elements in my plan!"
No one can say for sure who the two most important figures in Colangelo's plan are, including Colangelo himself.
Because he said similar things to Bird, Kidd and Garnett a few days ago, he will definitely say the same things to O'Neal, McGrady and other players he needs in a few days.
Although he said the same words many times, Colangelo swore that every time he said them, it came from the bottom of his heart and was sincere!
Our main principle is to be honest and trustworthy, regardless of age!
As for whether the players will talk about this after the US team is actually formed?
Colangelo said: "I'm honest with everyone, young and old. Are you young or old? Neither? Then I haven't lied to you!"
Similar scenarios occurred in Miami, Los Angeles, Orlando, Seattle, and other places within a week of the US team's loss. Colangelo's flight distance during that week was enough to circle the United States three times.
Returning to the night of their World Championship victory, the Chinese team finally didn't have to worry about discipline, competition, or image anymore. After winning the gold medal, the entire team quickly gathered at Lin Tian's house.
Ladder party! Ladder party!
Of course, since Yao Ming's girlfriend, Da Zhi's wife, Da Ba's wife, Jiang Xingquan and his coaching staff, as well as some basketball association leaders, were also present, what should we say about the final program that Lin Tian prepared?
The girls walked the runway on the lawn in front of Lin Tian's house, swam a lap in the swimming pool and performed a mermaid dance before leaving.
Even though many young people were practically drooling over the sight, the girls still had no choice but to leave.
"Brother, is this capitalism?" Zhu Fangyu looked at Lin Tian with longing and yearning.
"Keep trying, give it your all, and you too may be corrupted by this damp, dark, narrow, cotton-like evil!"
At that moment, an incredible sense of holiness and determination appeared in Zhu Fangyu's eyes.
"Don't worry, bro! I'll definitely work hard, I'll strive, no! I'll come here to play basketball!" Zhu Fangyu patted his chest, setting a brand new life goal for himself.
Then, Lin Tian suddenly heard a series of "yo-yo-he-he" sounds coming from inside the house. Then he saw Da Ba, Hu Weidong, and Guo Shiqiang, three bastards who had participated in the previous Olympic Games, walking out of the house carrying Lin Tian's safe.
"Xiao Lin, don't blame me for being an old man, but I heard what's going on in there, it's our gold medal!" Hu Weidong moved the safe to the side of the swimming pool, patted his chest, and said, "Tonight, you have to return our Sydney Olympics gold medal to us! If you don't, we'll fight to the death!"
Yes! The gold medals from last year are still with Lin Tian! Hu Weidong and his team have been searching everywhere for people to examine and authenticate them for the past two years, and finally concluded that the gold medals they have are all fake!
Although the gold medal was fake, the gold was real, so it could be considered a gift from Lin Tian to them.
It's real pure gold, worth much more than the real thing!
But it's fake after all!
"You're threatening me, Lao Hu!" Lin Tian squinted, smiling as he was about to take two steps forward.
Hu Weidong, however, very alertly extended his hand and said:
"Don't move! Everyone knows how skilled you are. Let's talk this out. Don't go any further."
At the same time, Da Ba waved his hand, and Yao Ming and Da Zhi, who had also participated in the previous competition, along with Gong Xiaobin, who was very helpful, and Liu Wei, Yao Ming's best friend, all came over. The group of people displayed a posture of protecting the treasure, guarding in front of the safe.
The remaining Du Feng, Zhu Fangyu, and Li Ke were a bit confused. What should they do? Did they have to choose sides?
Fortunately, Du Feng has a great sense of the big picture. He spotted Jiang Xingquan immediately, then sprinted to Jiang's side with his men, shouting, "Coach, they're making a scene!"
"I'm not threatening you, I'm just discussing this with you, Xiao Lin," Hu Weidong said earnestly. "Tell us the password so we can take our things with us, otherwise we'll throw this thing into the swimming pool! If you have any property deeds or household registration books inside, they'll all get soaked."
"You needed the password? You should have said so earlier." Lin Tian waved his hand and said, "The password is 900603. It's a simple matter of a single sentence. Why bother moving the safe out of here?"
"Bus! Open!" As if afraid that Lin Tian would change his mind, Hu Weidong gave the order, and the bus behind him immediately began to turn the lock. After a series of clicks, the safe opened!
"Haha! It really is Old Hu! All our gold medals are here!" Da Ba exclaimed excitedly, "There are at least dozens of them inside! Old Liu and the others must be here too!"
"How many?" Hu Weidong's eyes widened. "How many pieces?"
"Around 30 yuan!"
As he spoke, he counted and took out all the gold medals inside at once.
"Xiao Lin, what the hell are you doing collecting this thing for?" Hu Weidong was completely dumbfounded.
There are so many of them, damn it!
Lin Tian only won the gold medals from their 11 people!
Lin Tian said, "Originally, I could distinguish between the real and the fake, the inside and the outside, but now that you've put them all together, I really can't tell the difference anymore."
"It's alright! It's alright if we don't know!" Hu Weidong grabbed the thirty or so gold medals, intending to stuff them all into his pocket. "Take them all, we'll examine them slowly! I'll send the fakes back to you later! Your brothers appreciate your kindness, but we won't take advantage of you!"
However, Hu Weidong was clearly too excited at the moment and did not notice that Lin Tian had already touched him.
"Get in there!" Lin Tian snatched the gold medal with one hand and pushed Hu Weidong into the pool with the other!
"You guys, are you going to jump yourself, or should I throw you in?"
"Even if so many of us rush in, you might not be able to throw us all in!" The bus stepped forward, displaying the unique domineering spirit and sense of responsibility characteristic of Mongolians.
"Go to hell!" Lin Tian said to Da Ba, then dived forward and lifted Da Ba off the floor. With a sudden burst of strength, he threw him into the pool as well!
"And you?"
"I'll do it myself!" Yao Ming snorted, took a step forward with unwavering determination, and pulled Liu Wei into the pool together!
"Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash!" (End of Chapter)