The fourth quarter was less than a minute old, and they had already conceded two points and lost a key player.
Lithuania's head coach was on the verge of collapse. He sighed and had no choice but to bring in his starting lineup.
Meanwhile, the Chinese team still had Li Feng leading four substitutes.
Although Li Feng was fierce, Lithuania was still a strong team, and their full starting lineup was very powerful.
Two minutes later, Lithuania scored a few more baskets, widening the gap to 13 points, 81:68!
This caused some despair among Chinese fans. Time was running out, and the deficit had increased again. How could they win?
Some extremist fans began to curse Jonas.
"Hurry up and put in the starters, are you going to let Li Feng carry the team alone? Stupid Jonas!"
"It's already the fourth quarter, and you're still saving energy? Are you crazy, coach?"
"Idiot coach, make substitutions quickly, or the deficit will be 20 points again soon!"
...
Jonas also sensed the danger and quickly called a timeout, preparing to bring in the full starting lineup.
Despite his youth, Li Feng's stamina was still heavily taxed by the recent surge.
Jonas was very concerned about Li Feng and quietly asked him, "Do you need a break?"
Li Feng shook his head firmly. "No, I can handle it. I must be on the court at the crucial moment!"
The other Chinese players were inspired by Li Feng's strong will. They all put their hands together and cheered in unison!
Cohesion was very important. The Chinese players were now a united team.
The starting lineups from both sides returned to the court, except for Lithuania's Javtokas, whose facial injury was quite severe, a consequence of his own actions.
The referee blew the whistle, and the game resumed.
The true decisive battle began, with 6 minutes and 52 seconds remaining in the game.
Lithuania still led by 13 points.
The Chinese team was on offense, and their pass in the frontcourt was deflected out of bounds by a Lithuanian player.
Yao Ming inbounded the ball, passing it directly to Sun Dasheng, who was open on the left. Sun Dasheng immediately attempted a jump shot, but it missed.
Lithuania's center, Krestas, secured the ball.
Suddenly, Li Feng burst from behind like a ghost and also grabbed the basketball. They both vied for possession.
The audience was stunned. This was Lithuania's dominant center, Krestas, who stood at 2.13 meters and was quite strong!
His large hands were like fluttering fans. How could Li Feng possibly snatch the ball?
But Li Feng refused to back down. He let out a roar, pulling the ball inwards with all his might, and astonishingly, he managed to wrestle the ball away!
Not only was Krestas stunned, but the Chinese players also looked at Li Feng with incredulous eyes, finding it hard to believe.
Krestas lost face. He was a head taller than Li Feng, so he tried to regain possession, but Li Feng forcefully shook him off, and with a thud!
Krestas's massive frame fell directly to the ground.
Good heavens, Li Feng's strength was terrifying!
The entire stadium erupted in an uproar!
Only Li Feng knew that his strength was maxed out. Of course, he feared no one, no matter who it was!
After grabbing the offensive rebound, Li Feng let out another roar and then exploded forward, dunking the ball with one hand. Bang!
Lithuania's defender, Hughes, who came to help, also committed a foul.
2+1!
Li Feng, standing at just 1.90 meters, played like a forward.
He was incredibly tough!
This play greatly boosted morale. The 13-point deficit had already made some Chinese players feel dejected.
Li Feng's toughness allowed them to see hope for victory again!
Big Yao excitedly high-fived Li Feng to celebrate, shouting, "Beautiful! You're amazing!"
His teammates also came over to celebrate. Li Feng hoped his performance would inspire his teammates.
Li Feng stood at the free-throw line, took a deep breath, and calmly made the shot!
81:71.
The deficit was back to 10 points.
With 6 minutes and 26 seconds remaining.
Seeing China's momentum surging again, Lithuania's head coach immediately called a timeout.
Due to Li Feng's outstanding performance, American basketball media outlets like ESPN and TNT were highly complimentary.
"Pig" Barkley exclaimed, "China has not produced a decent guard since Yao Ming's emergence. Li Feng has filled this void, it's truly astonishing!"
Smith also praised Li Feng. Unlike Barkley, his commentary was generally not exaggerated and always objective.
"Li Feng's physical abilities and tactical skills have reached NBA standards. Furthermore, his mental fortitude far exceeds his age; he is mature, calm, and possesses a big heart. Such a player will surely be hotly pursued by NBA teams!"
Their comments were supported by American fans, with fans from various teams leaving messages on official websites, hoping their teams would sign Li Feng.
During the timeout, Lithuania's head coach made further adjustments. They would not only double-team Li Feng but also cut off his passing lanes.
There was no other way; Li Feng's organizational skills were too outstanding.
After the timeout, the players returned to the court. With a 10-point deficit, the suspense remained!
Lithuania's strategy proved very effective. Li Feng was not only double-teamed, but his passing lanes were also tightly blocked.
Their players were all tall and long-limbed giants, effectively locking down the court.
Li Feng was forced into a corner. In desperation, he cleverly bounced the ball off an opponent's leg, sending it out of bounds.
The possession was still theirs, and Yi Jianlian inbounded the ball.
Li Feng moved without the ball, drawing away several Lithuanian players. Big Yao seized the opportunity to receive the ball in the paint!
Bang!
Big Yao made a powerful dunk, scoring another 2 points.
Li Feng's off-ball movement once again created an easy scoring opportunity for his teammates.
The deficit was now only 8 points.
The Lithuanian players were somewhat frustrated, but they couldn't help it. Li Feng's abilities were too formidable, and they dared not ignore him.
In the following several possessions, both teams played at a high level, with the scores alternating and the gap fluctuating between 7 and 8 points.
With 4 minutes and 37 seconds left in the game, the score was 88:80, with China still trailing.
The Chinese fans in the stadium held their breath, not daring to exhale loudly. In their hearts, they felt the hope for a comeback was slim.
After all, the opponent was also playing very well, and time was ticking away.
Li Feng also felt the urgency.
After a successful defensive play, Li Feng grabbed the rebound and immediately initiated a fast break, charging to the half-court logo.
Kuzminskas reacted quickly and stayed close, preventing Li Feng from making a fast break.
Li Feng caught sight of Kuzminskas out of the corner of his eye and then suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
To stop so abruptly while moving at such high speed was almost superhuman!
The league's fastest first step, and now such a monstrous braking ability. It was terrifying.
Kuzminskas never expected Li Feng to stop so suddenly. He couldn't brake in time and tumbled outwards!
The fans in the arena couldn't help but chuckle. Kuzminskas's move was too clumsy.
Li Feng took advantage of his fall and started again, driving to a spot more than a meter beyond the three-point line.
All players on the court were stunned. What was happening?
Not going for 2 points? Going for 3 points?
Perhaps only a Curry of the future would have such an idea, but Li Feng was already doing it now!
The system had given Li Feng top-tier three-point ability, a perfect 100!
Swish!