Apart from Petrović and Toni Kukoc, there’s also Raja, Stojko Frančović, and Vilimir Perasovic, all of whom are very strong players.
As for Brazil Team, aside from Schmidt, the other players are noticeably inferior, otherwise, Schmidt wouldn’t need to score so many points on his own.
The situation of Brazil Team is very similar to China Team, but Schmidt doesn’t have the terrifying ability of Gan Guoyang, and by halftime, Croatia was already leading Brazil Team by 15 points, removing much of the suspense from the game.
In the second half, Brazil Team didn’t have the strength to turn the tide, and Croatia merely maintained a stalemate with Brazil Team, ultimately easing to victory.
Petrović scored the team-high 22 points, while Schmidt scored the game-high 26 points.
Thus ended the first day of the men’s basketball competition at the Barcelona Olympics, with three games in each group.
Three in the morning and three in the afternoon, the schedule can be said to be quite intensive.
On the next day, July 27th, without giving the players much time to adjust and rest, the second match of the group stage continued at Badalona Sports Center.
China Team’s opponent today was Puerto Rico, with the match scheduled for 8:30 PM.
The players didn’t have much time for adjustment and training; after a good night’s sleep last night and a bit of warm-up in the morning, they had to prepare for the game in the afternoon.
Jiang Xingquan asked Gan Guoyang with some concern: "Lao Gan, how did you sleep last night? Are you feeling tired?"
Gan Guoyang nodded: "Slept alright, I recover very quickly, but I need to eat more at noon."
"For today’s game, we plan to give it our all; Puerto Rico is relatively weak in our group."
Unlike Lithuania, Puerto Rico is relatively weaker, so Jiang Xingquan hopes they can win this match.
He is currently worried about Gan Guoyang’s stamina, having just played 37 minutes of high-intensity gameplay yesterday, without a break in the second half.
If Gan Guoyang says he can’t handle it, he can rest today. It’s not worth the risk of getting injured.
"I’m fine, we’ll fight as long as we can today; if we need to rest, we’ll wait until we are confirmed to advance out of the group stage."
At the America Cup, Gan Guoyang and his teammates watched Puerto Rico’s matches.
They are relatively easier to play against, but definitely not weak, and have a completely different style from Lithuania.
Puerto Rico exemplifies American basketball, with a flamboyant playing style, fast pace, and many flashy moves, boasting strong individual skills.
In 1980 and 1989, Puerto Rico defeated Team USA to win the championship in the America Cup, showing strong team heritage.
Puerto Rico’s basketball league is also doing quite well, with its own distinct characteristics, intense competition, and a wild nature.
Many of Phil Jackson’s coaching experiences and skills were honed in Puerto Rico.
Playing against such teams, China Team is usually at a disadvantage, as they don’t know how to counter American-style teams.
However, Gan Guoyang knows how. During the morning training session, they practiced some basic tactics in preparation for the evening.
The most watched game today is the one between Team USA and Croatia at 2:30 PM.
The Dream Team’s bus arrived at the sports center once again, surrounded by cheers, with even more people at the entrance than yesterday.
Some fans broke through the security line and surrounded Team USA’s bus, and only with the full efforts of the police, did the bus barely make it into the parking lot.
Before the game started, the TV cameras frequently focused on Croatia’s young forward Toni Kukoc.
Kukoc, 23 years old, wearing a white jersey, has a tall and elegant stature, with looks that don’t lose out to Petrović.
Currently, in Europe, he is practically undefeated, with an annual salary reaching 3 million US Dollars, plus nearly equivalent endorsement and advertisement fees.
He is 6 feet 11 inches tall, just a tad bit taller than Gan Guoyang, but he’s truly an outside player.
Left-handed, with excellent dribbling and shooting, possessing coordination and agility beyond his height.
People call him the "Magic of Europe," and he is believed to make a remarkable impact in the NBA.
After Gan Guoyang’s inside-out performance in the 1992 finals, people now say Kukoc is the "Ah Gan of Europe."
However, when journalists asked Petrović if Kukoc and Ah Gan could be compared, Petrović gave a definitive no without hesitation.
"I love Tony, I love him, but he can’t be compared to Ah Gan, not a chance. Don’t use this way to praise Tony to the skies; it won’t do him any good."
After playing three years in the NBA and winning three championships, Petrović has matured considerably and knows exactly how strong Ah Gan is.
Kukoc is a typical outside talent, completely different from Ah Gan, making comparisons impossible.
Besides, Croatia’s number one enemy right now is not China, but America.
Team USA also considers Croatia a formidable opponent, with Jordan and Pippen’s fighting spirits very high tonight.
Before the match, in Team USA’s locker room, the atmosphere was much tenser than when facing Angola because Bobby Berman kept saying: "If you don’t take this game seriously, we could very well lose!"
Then he talked to Jordan about how excellent Petrović is, emphasizing Petrović’s crucial role in the 91 and 92 finals.
Especially during the games in Chicago, Petrović’s crucial shots pierced the hearts of the Bulls players and their fans.