174. Facing the USA Team
They really feel that way now because the USA Team next door is struggling a lot.
In the first round of the competition, the USA Team faced Puerto Rico. When everyone thought they were going to slaughter this little-known Puerto Rico team again, the result of the game surprised everyone. They lost the game 73-92.
The USA Team accomplished an incredible feat, losing to Puerto Rico by a massive 19-point margin.
In the following games, the USA Team, spurred by their defeat, rallied to win two consecutive matches.
However, everyone greatly underestimated the limits of the Dream 6 Team, because in their next match, they lost to the young Lithuania team.
Under these circumstances, the USA Team stumbled into the top eight.
In the semifinals, the USA Team will face off against the National Team led by Li Chen.
It is worth mentioning that Li Chen once again set a record, leading the National Team to a perfect record in the quarterfinals.
That day, Li Chen had just finished training when he received a call from Bill Duffy.
"Fuck, God! Chen, I've really lost out this time."
Before Li Chen could speak, Bill Duffy swore.
Unfortunately, he never expected that Google's IPO process would be so bumpy and constantly targeted. During that time, he certainly didn't hold back in making fun of Li Chen!
But now his face was being slapped hard, left and right, front and back. He couldn't just be described as regretful; he was filled with deep remorse.
To put it simply, 100 times 10 million is a return of 1 billion US dollars! Oh, a billion US dollars!
Whenever he thought about this, Bill Duffy felt suicidal.
Yes, he really wanted to just die.
Li Chen smiled faintly, but instead of rubbing salt into Bill Duffy's wounds, he said, "Bill, it's not too late to invest now."
Bill Duffy was taken aback by Li Chen's words, then hesitated and asked, "Chen, it's already up to $100, can it really go up more?"
"Hey! I'm a time traveler! Your doubts are an insult to me!" Li Chen thought to himself.
However, he said aloud, "Whatever, I've already told you."
Li Chen's casual tone made Bill Duffy's lips twitch. Fuck, this kid used the same tone with him last time.
After thinking for a moment, Bill Duffy gritted his teeth and decided to go all in. "Chen, I'm going all in this time."
Upon hearing this, Li Chen quickly said, "Bill, don't be impulsive. You should leave yourself a way out! After all, this is stock!"
Bill Duffy nodded and said, "I know what I'm doing."
The next day.
On the day of the match between the National Team and the USA Team, the arena was bustling with excitement, as fans eagerly anticipated the game.
The USA Team's fans were full of confidence, believing their team could win easily.
Although the great Eastern power has Li Chen, the Finals MVP, they also have superstars like Duncan, Iverson, and LeBron James.
Meanwhile, domestic fans and some neutral fans are filled with strong expectations, hoping that their team can create a miracle.
Yes, miracles are always highly anticipated; they are like poison, addictive and fascinating.
Before the game started, the USA Team members were all eager to show their strength on the court.
This also includes their coach, Larry Brown.
To be honest, Larry Brown was very unhappy about losing to the Clippers in the NBA Finals, and this was his chance to prove himself.
Actually, the US Chinese Basketball Association initially wanted Alvin Gentry, an NBA champion coach, to coach the USA Team.
However, Alvin Gentry knew that Li Chen would also participate in the Olympics, so he decisively postponed it due to physical discomfort.
Because no one knows better than him how strong his students are, he doesn't have high hopes for the US National Team.
In the USA Team's rest area, Larry Brown was carefully outlining tactics. In his view, as long as Li Chen's offense was contained, victory would be theirs.
Larry Brown was right; the strength of the USA Team has once again caused a lack of confidence in the National Team.
Seeing this, Li Chen was speechless. This truly proved the saying: kneeling for too long will make you lose all your backbone.
The starting lineup for the USA Team: Duncan, Iverson, Marbury, James, and Marion.
The National Team lineup includes: Li Chen, Yao Ming, Zhu Fangyu, Yi Jianlian, and Li Nan.
The game began with a jump ball between the two teams. Duncan displayed his dominance and successfully tipped the ball to Iverson.
Meanwhile, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this match is [Duel Master].
This skill is a powerful tool for taking on a group of opponents single-handedly. The accuracy increases by 10% for each additional defender.
In other words, his shooting percentage will increase by 20% when double-teamed.
In chaotic situations under the basket, this can even increase by 30% to 40%.
This skill is really good, so Li Chen immediately started equipping it.
[Unrestrained], [Pull-up Jumper], [Assist Master], [Miracle Shot], [Fancy].
Iverson easily gained possession of the ball and quickly dribbled forward.
The National Team's defense was abysmal, and Iverson successfully broke through the National Team's defense with his dribbling skills and speed.
He drew Yao Ming's defense, then passed the ball to Duncan, who shot off the backboard at a 45-degree angle.
The USA Team leads 2-0.
The shift from offense to defense.
Li Chen used his skills and speed to successfully break through to the basket, but was double-teamed. He then passed the ball to Zhu Fangyu.
Zhu Fangyu's jump shot missed under pressure from Marion.
Although Zhu Fangyu's shot was decisive, his mentality is currently fluctuating greatly, so it's perfectly normal that the shot missed.
However, Yao Ming made a crucial play and grabbed the rebound.
But just as Yao Ming grabbed the rebound, Duncan and James double-teamed Yao Ming.
Just then, Li Chen raised his hand, signaling Yao Ming to pass the ball to him.
After receiving a pass from Yao Ming, Li Chen on the perimeter took a Pull-up Jumper.
The National Team has taken a 3-2 lead.
The following match left the fans wincing in disbelief. Good heavens, both teams kept missing shots; it looked like they'd stumbled into a blacksmith's shop.
At the end of the first quarter, the USA Team led by 5 points, 25-20.
After the start of the second quarter, the USA Team gradually gained the upper hand on the court thanks to their strength and skills.
Their scorers continued to score thanks to their shooting and dribbling skills.
Despite the National Team's desperate defense, their defense struggled due to the significant gap in physical attributes.
The USA Team, leveraging their technical and physical advantages, repeatedly broke through the defense, gradually widening the score USA Team.
At halftime, the USA Team led 55-40 by 15 points.
At this moment, the USA Team players stood up straight, as if they had finally found victory.
However, when the third quarter began, Li Chen regained his touch, hitting consecutive Pull-up Jumper that left Iverson questioning his life choices.
Iverson is 1.83 meters tall, while Li Chen is 2 meters tall, making it very difficult for Iverson to defend.
Larry Brown reacted immediately, with Marion and Iverson double-teaming Li Chen.
However, the players in Dream Team 6 were either too young or lacked defensive skills; they were typically powerful offensively but their Defensive Ability were less than promising.
Moreover, Li Chen's random S-rank Skill in this game is [Duel Master], which makes his shooting more effective the more people defending him.
Seeing Li Chen play against those NBA superstars like it was nothing, the National Team players also relaxed.
Without the pressure, they displayed amazing teamwork and willpower in the third quarter.
With Li Chen's [unrestrained] and S-level [Assist Master] skills, the National Team gradually gained the upper hand on the field.
Zhu Yao Ming, Fang Yu, Yi Jianlian, Li Nan scored consecutively with passes from Li Chen, gradually narrowing the gap. As the third quarter was about to end, Li Chen hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer, leaving them trailing by only two points.