What exactly is the CIS? Russia? Belarus? Or the Soviet Union? Yes, and yet no.
This forcibly cobbled-together confederation greatly diminishes the athletes’ sense of honor in representing their country.
China Team is entirely different. Having made it to the semifinals, they are no longer satisfied; they want to reach the finals and secure a medal.
Especially since the women’s basketball team has already reached the finals, shouldn’t the men’s team also fight for the finals? Sports shouldn’t always be dominated by women.
Moreover, with the success of the quarterfinals’ buzzer-beater against Croatia, the players know that the strategy of concentrating on defense and leaving the offense to Ah Gan is effective.
Even if the game looks ugly, as long as we win, who cares? Anyway, China Team’s games weren’t that visually appealing before either.
Before tonight’s match, Coach Jiang Xingquan clearly ordered, "Resolutely organize the offense and defense around Comrade Gan, play slow, play on the half-court, play for efficiency, manage defense well, and strive fully for the Olympic finals!"
The Olympic Committee leaders came over for a pre-match pep talk. If both men’s and women’s basketball teams can reach the finals, it would be a tremendous encouragement for Chinese sports.
After all, a comprehensive sport like basketball is different from smaller individual events that win gold; especially for men, a medal has significant meaning.
Once the game began, Gan Guoyang quickly got into his groove, effortlessly scoring over Volkov under the basket with a baseline spin followed by a hook shot.
Then, Gan Guoyang entered an unstoppable one-on-one state in the low post, receiving the ball and scoring almost every possession.
Volkov at 218 pounds was like an innocent little car, unable to withstand the truck that is Gan Guoyang.
In the group stage, Gan Guoyang kept setting up plays, passing, assisting teammates, but by the semifinals, he dropped the façade, resorting to unlimited solo plays.
Catching and playing one-on-one in the low post, from a 45-degree angle, in the corner—he could score from any angle once he cleared out space.
The CIS attempted to double-team, but Gan Guoyang could ignore and continue attacking, or pass if a teammate had a clear opportunity.
The CIS’s height disadvantage was glaring, and their double-teaming wasn’t as efficient as Croatia’s, incapable of defending Gan Guoyang well.
The result of this match: Gan Guoyang blasted the CIS with 51 points, leading the team to an 81:73 victory, an 8-point advantage, suppressing and defeating the CIS from start to finish!
The game became a personal offensive showcase for Gan Guoyang, demonstrating to the Spanish fans what it means to be the top basketball player with various shots, hooks, immaculate footwork in the low post, solid fundamentals paired with a wide range of skills.
As the game neared its end, all the fans stood up to cheer for Gan Guoyang’s brilliant performance, and he spread his arms, soaking in the enthusiastic Spanish applause.
On the sidelines, Team USA players were clapping, and Jordan, Barkley, and others were all smiles, knowing that the long-awaited opportunity had finally arrived.
Bird, chewing gum and crossing his arms, said, "Don’t get too happy too soon, guys. That’s Ah Gan. Think about what it would be like if we lost in the finals, guys."
As soon as Bird finished speaking, all smiles from the Dream Team disappeared, and they imagined losing to China Team and Gan Guoyang in the finals.
A nightmare, an absolute nightmare.
"I would kill myself," Barkley bluntly stated.
"I’d kill Leroy Walker first."
"I’m serious," he added.