Chapter 525 The Finals Arrives
If the most stunning moment of the Sydney Olympics was Vince Carter's dunk over the French center, then this year's World Championships was it. Yang Mo charged into the paint with the speed of a cannonball, sending the Spanish center, who was trying to block his shot, flying backwards, and completing a one-handed dunk.
This direct and strong collision of power is actually more fierce and direct than Vince Carter's dunk. Vince Carter's dunk is more about showing his excellent jumping ability, while Yang Mo's dunk is a real power crush.
Soon, the Spanish team doctor and volunteers on the scene rushed over, lifted the center onto a stretcher, and quickly sent him out. Now no one knows how serious this guy's injury is, but no matter what, he has to be sent to the hospital for treatment first.
Before this guy was carried off, the referee gave him a foul. Yes, FIBA referees are so unsympathetic. He believed that the Spanish center had indeed committed a foul, so a free throw was required. This has nothing to do with sympathy. The rules are the rules .
When the game started, Spain replaced the center position with Marc Gasol. Yang Mo stepped up to the free throw line and easily made the free throw. After the free throw, Yang Mo raised an eyebrow at Marc Gasol and said, "Man, I hope you don't let that affect you. You're a tough guy. You should show the courage of a Spanish bullfighter and block me as much as you can. I'll keep pushing inside."
Yang Mo's words were polite, but Marc Gasol couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. He finally understood why his brother had scolded him for being impulsive last night, and why the head coach hadn't put him in the starting lineup. If he started tonight, he was almost certain he'd suffer the same fate as the brother who had just been sent away. He even felt he might be injured even more seriously. Because... he didn't weigh as much as that guy.
Marc Gasol was terrified, but the Chinese team's morale was ignited by Yang Mo's brutal dunk. Li Muhao even excitedly followed Yang Mo and said, "Brother, that dunk you just made was so manly! If I had that kind of power, I would definitely make it to the NBA."
"Even if you don't have my strength, you can still enter the NBA. Your talent is no worse than Gasol. Tonight, show your attitude and fight with Gasol, so that the whole world knows that China also has a Pau Gasol." Yang Mo patted his shoulder and encouraged him.
Upon hearing this, Li Muhao secretly clenched his fists and said, "I'm going to give it a try tonight. I want to see how big the gap is between me and the top NBA centers."
Seeing Li Muhao's ambitious look, Yang Mo was very pleased. He liked to see young people with vigor and vitality. He even liked to see them with unconvinced expressions, because they were never afraid of power or the future. This was what young people were like!
As Gasol entered the frontcourt, he was immediately entangled by Li Muhao. Gasol was an agile inside player, as was Li Muhao. Although Gasol lacked strength, Gasol couldn't get far. Li Muhao's octopus-like defense made Gasol feel uncomfortable. This defensive style, specially taught to him by Yang Mo, combined the tangle of Garnett and the stickiness of Stockton. The combination of tangle and stickiness made Gasol difficult to break free from, after all, Li Muhao was taller than him.
In addition to Li Muhao, other players also performed their duties, strictly adhered to the defensive positions, and systematically used the team to contain the opponent.
This was particularly gratifying to Stein. Even though he'd only been around for two months, he'd already fallen in love with these kids. They were like blank slates; whatever he taught them, they absorbed it with all their might. Their tactical execution was far superior to that of the pros; only players like them could play strong defense.
China's defense was incredibly resilient, and with a free-roaming player like Yang Mo, Spain's first shot was a miss. Yang Mo grabbed the rebound and quickly initiated a fast break. Spain had no chance to keep up with him. Their fastest player, Rubio, didn't even reach the halfway line before Yang Mo left him behind. In the end, they could only watch helplessly as Yang Mo once again took off from their restricted area and blasted the ball into their own net like a bomb.
They had no solution. After all, they were facing the world's strongest basketball player. Even a veteran defensive team like the Celtics had to give up on him, so what else could Spain do? Even if they used Doraemon's bamboo helicopter, they couldn't catch up to Yang Mo's swift legs.
The game's meaning began to fade in the latter half of the second quarter, as Spain could no longer stop Yang Mo's scoring, nor could they penetrate the Chinese defense. The Chinese defense was the strongest they had ever faced, with Zhang Zhaoxu, Yi Jianlian, Li Muhao, Wang Zhelin, and Yang Mo himself, four big men constantly guarding the defense. Even the Gasol brothers, no matter how skilled they were, were helpless.
With their strongest inside players struggling, what else can they do on the perimeter? Rubio is a point guard who passes the ball, and getting him to shoot is harder than getting Zhang Fei to embroider.
In the end, the game ended without any suspense. The Chinese team defeated Spain with a final score of 77:51. Yang Mo scored 43 points alone, almost as many as the entire Spanish team.
After the game, Marc Gasol said in response to why he didn't block any of Yang Mo's shots on the court: "When my brother was dunked on in front of me, if I still maintained my impulse, then I would be a psychopath. I won't try to block Super Yang again unless he is exhausted."
Marc Gasol was frank and didn't hide his timidity at all. This, in turn, was a remarkable act of bravery.
At least Yang Mo praised him: "Marc Gasol is braver than his brother. His performance on the defensive end is memorable. Although he didn't block me, I think he will have a bright future in the NBA."
Yang Mo's compliment delighted Marc Gasol. However, Yang Mo ignored his joy, focusing instead on the upcoming American team. The two teams, who had previously boasted about competing for the world championship, finally met in the final match. One of them was bound to lose that night's match, and both believed they would ultimately triumph.
"I have no reason not to win." Yang Mo said calmly during a pre-match interview: "I've already lost a championship in the NBA, I can't lose again here."
"He has no chance of winning. His teammates are worse than NBDL players. They are all a bunch of little kids, high school students." Coach Lao K's interview was also simple, but the smell of gunpowder was stronger than Yang Mo's.
