In the other two matches of Group A, Team USA effortlessly defeated New Zealand, while France beat Italy in a life-and-death battle, preserving the suspense of advancement.
Though Team USA struggled in the first match against China, they won easily against Italy, Lithuania, and New Zealand in the following matches.
They achieved a massive 46-point victory over New Zealand and defeated Italy by 28 points with no suspense. However, against Lithuania, they only won by a single-digit margin; Lithuania's strength is indeed formidable.
China Team also relied on Gan Guoyang's performance and Jasikevicius's mistakes to defeat Lithuania. If they were to play again, giving Lithuania a chance to adjust, the outcome would be uncertain.
In short, after biting into the tough bone that is Lithuania, the prospects for China Team suddenly brightened. They could win or lose the final battle against Italy.
If they lose to Italy, China Team will finish third in the group and be in the same bracket as Team USA, potentially facing them in the semifinals.
If they defeat Italy, China Team will finish second in the group and be moved to the lower bracket, only facing Team USA in the final.
Concerning whether to go all out for the final match in order to enter the lower bracket or to conserve strength, the coaching group had some debates after the match.
One side believes they should go all out to win, secure the second spot, and avoid Team USA.
The other side believes that for the quarterfinals, the main players should rest and not go all out.
If they can win, great, but if they can't, that's okay. Even in third place, facing Team USA in the semifinals is the same.
If defeating Team USA is necessary, defeating them in the semifinals might not be a bad choice.
After some discussion, the final decision was left to Gan Guoyang.
This is because if the final match was to rest, Jiang Xingquan planned to let Gan Guoyang take a rest day.
After all, at 36 years old, the Olympic schedule is intense, and the physical demands are high.
For the sake of advancing in the quarterfinals, the coaching team believes Gan Guoyang needs some rest.
Gan Guoyang himself was indifferent; rest days were never in his dictionary.
"Many Chinese fans will come to watch the match in person; I can't take a rest day."
At this point in Gan Guoyang's career, each match could be his last, so every match for China Team is packed.
Not only do Chinese fans come to watch, but American fans also travel to Sydney in groups. If Gan Guoyang rests, they would be very disappointed.
Finally, a compromise was made: Gan Guoyang would not rest in the final match but would reduce his playtime, allowing more opportunities for young and substitute players.
If they win, all the better, entering the lower bracket in second place; if they lose, it's not a big deal.
The semifinals against the USA would indeed be a good opportunity to crush them.
On September 25th, the last matchday in Group A, Lithuania easily defeated New Zealand Team in the first match.
Thus, whether Lithuania, France, or Italy could advance to the quarterfinals depended on China Team's performance.
Italy definitely wanted to win this match. In the second match against China, they were fully prepared to double-team Gan Guoyang and contain this superstar.
However, the progress of the game was unexpected. Gan Guoyang did not dominate the match but kept creating opportunities for his teammates.
Relaxed after securing an advancement opportunity, China Team played with ease. Jiang Xingquan set up the players, allowing Bartel, Li Nan, and other young players to play more.
As a result, Li Nan was unstoppable from the outside, making three-pointers with precision every time he received a pass from Gan Guoyang.
Not only when open, as long as there was a slight opportunity on the outside, he would shoot with success, hitting 7 out of 8 three-pointers with an astonishingly high accuracy.
Under Li Nan's fierce three-point firepower, the Italian Team was at a loss because Li Nan's emergence was completely unexpected.
During pregame preparations, the Italian coaching staff didn't even think Li Nan would play in the China Team's lineup.
This dark horse from the Bayi Basketball Team became the trump card of the match and a crucial figure in determining the final rankings of Group A.
Due to Li Nan's precise three-point shooting, the nickname "Little Li Flying Dagger" began circulating among Chinese fans.
Ultimately, in this crucial match determining group rankings, China Team defeated the European powerhouse Italy by 93:85, an 8-point advantage, securing second place in the group and advancing to the quarterfinals.
In the last match, France Team easily defeated the weakest team, New Zealand, and due to the win-loss relationships, despite sharing a 2-3 record, surpassed Italy to finish fourth in the group, with Lithuania third.
Italy and New Zealand were eliminated.
In the other B Group, Canada and Yugoslavia both ended with 4-1 records, ranking first and second, with host Australia Team third and Russia Team fourth.
Thus, Group A's second, China Team, would face Australia Team in the quarterfinals, which would undoubtedly be a highly anticipated battle.
The match was scheduled for September 28th, giving players a two-day rest period to adjust well and prepare for the knockout round.
Even without Gan Guoyang, if China Team reached this point, they would have completed their goal.
The likelihood of winning in the quarterfinals is very slim.
This single-match knockout system elevates the intensity and pressure of the game to a higher level.
Of course, having Gan Guoyang changes things; he would elevate the intensity by three notches, making it unbearable for opponents.
In the match against Italy on the 25th, Gan Guoyang played, but because others performed well, he didn't have to give his all.