The outside world knew little about this scrimmage. Only a sharp-eyed reporter, noticing the players hadn't left after the press conference and had instead regrouped, used their professional instinct to double back.
The stadium was closed, so they could only wait outside.
It wasn't until nearly midnight that they saw the players emerge from the stadium. These giants were all exhausted, several leaning on each other for support.
The final round of the Stankovic Cup matches saw Team Longguo face off against Team Big Mao, and Angola against Slavic.
If Team Longguo defeated Team Big Mao in this match, they would clinch the championship of the tournament!
Team Longguo had always placed great importance on honor.
However, knowing that the players from Team Longguo were not their match, Team Big Mao had come with the intention of using this as a training opportunity, fielding their youth team directly.
This brought a sigh of relief to Guo Qiang, along with a hint of regret.
With Team Big Mao fielding their youth team, this match was essentially a guaranteed win, and the Stankovic Cup championship was now within their grasp. He could report back to his superiors and the fans with a satisfactory outcome.
The regret stemmed from the low quality of this match and the lack of intense competition, which would not be very helpful for their training before the Olympics.
During his pre-game press conference, Guo Qiang had also stated that they would continue to play friendly matches against strong European teams.
Despite the insufficient competitiveness of this game, the stadium was packed with spectators.
One reason was to cheer for the national team, and another was the considerable fan base for Tang Long and Yao Ming.
In this match, Yunas's lineup caught everyone by surprise as he fielded the strongest possible team from the start.
Tang Long, Yao Ming, Yi, Sun Yue, and Zhou Peng.
Just as the game began, Tang Long received a pass from Yao Ming and initiated a super-fast dribble, moving like lightning. Before the Team Big Mao players could react, Tang Long had already leaped high and executed a powerful reverse dunk that ignited the entire arena!
Tang Long scored the opening points for his team. Following this, Yao Ming asserted his dominance, appearing unstoppable in the paint. Led by Tang Long and Yao Ming, Yi and the other two players also found their rhythm.
At the end of the first quarter, Team Longguo led by twenty-two points, 30-8, having only allowed Team Big Mao a mere eight points for the entire quarter.
In the second quarter, Da Zhi replaced Yao Ming, and Ding Mianhui replaced Tang Long. While the fans felt they were missing out on some excitement, they also understood that other players needed opportunities.
As soon as Da Zhi entered the court, he received a lightning-fast pass from Zhou Peng and sank a three-pointer from behind the arc.
His connection and passing with Yi were also remarkably synchronized.
Most crucially, after Yao Ming and Tang Long left the court, Yi resumed his role as the center.
This time, however, he wasn't just shooting from the perimeter. Upon receiving the ball, he attacked the basket with fierce determination, regardless of whether he was defended by one or two opponents.
Receiving another pass from Da Zhi, Yi drove hard to the basket against his defender and made a layup for two points.
"This game truly allows us to see the players' progress."
In the commentary booth, Yang Yi remarked with emotion, "Previously, when Da Zhi and Yi connected, although they had a wide range of movement, their rebounding was insufficient, which was a weakness for Team Longguo."
"In this game, we can see that with Yi playing decisively in the paint, the rebounding has been effectively secured. If they play like this in every game, we might stand a chance against Team USA!"
"The youth team doesn't reveal much yet. We'll see in the upcoming friendly matches. If they can maintain this level of performance against these traditional European teams, then this Olympics will be truly exciting."
As Su Qun finished speaking, Da Zhi's layup attempt from the baseline missed, but Yi grabbed the offensive rebound and followed it up with a dunk!
Team Big Mao's youth team had expected to close the gap after Tang Long and Yao Ming left the court, but they hadn't anticipated the formidable combination of Da Zhi and Yi still being so potent!
Just past halftime, the score was 40-15, with Team Longguo in control of the game and dominating the court.
At this point, Yunas made another substitution.
Zhu Fangyu replaced Da Zhi, and Liu Wei replaced Yi, fielding an almost entirely reserve lineup for Team Longguo.
With the renewed substitutions, Team Longguo found themselves in a back-and-forth game with Team Big Mao, who seemed to have found their rhythm and drew two consecutive fouls on Team Longguo players.
Following this, the Team Big Mao players continued to perform steadily, hitting two consecutive three-pointers before the end of the half.
The score became 43-27.
During halftime, Su Qun and Yang Yi began their analysis of the game.
"I believe this game has given everyone a clear understanding of our players' capabilities, which will help in forming a more precise assessment of both teams' strengths!"
"I agree with your assessment,"
Yang Yi nodded. "We currently have three players playing in the NBA, so there is indeed a gap in skill level. Yunas's precise lineup strategy has also conveyed a clear message: our Olympic goal is to primarily secure a medal!"
"Even a bronze medal would be our best historical achievement!"
Evidently.
Yunas's lineup strategy in this game served not only to temper the fans' expectations but also to manage the expectations of the higher authorities.
He had already sensed that with Tang Long's return, everyone's focus had shifted from the original plan, and they were now thinking about competing with Team USA.
This game also made many people realize that China's basketball strength might not be as formidable as they had imagined.
The third quarter began with Tang Long and Yao Ming not on the court, while Da Zhi and Yi returned to the game.
The third quarter seemed to transform into Da Zhi's personal showcase, with a super long-range three-pointer drawing a standing ovation from the entire audience!
Thanks to the outstanding performance of Da Zhi and Yi in the third quarter, Team Longguo's lead was once again extended to twenty-five points.
In the fourth quarter, Tang Long and Yao Ming teamed up with Ding Mianhui, Zhu Fangyu, and Liu Wei. For the first five minutes, Team Longguo focused on offense, and then they switched to practicing defense.
In the final five minutes of the fourth quarter, under the defensive pressure of Tang Long and Yao Ming, Team Big Mao's youth team only managed to score two points.
The game concluded with Team Longguo defeating Team Big Mao's youth team 80-40, securing the championship of the Stankovic Cup with an undefeated record of three wins!
Tang Long scored a game-high twenty points, and Yao Ming scored fifteen.
It's worth noting that both players only played two quarters, and spent half of that time on defense.
Da Zhi alone scored a game-high twenty-five points in this match, earning him the Best Sixth Man award!
After the game, Yao Ming was named the best center of the tournament.
Tang Long was awarded the best power forward.
The best shooting guard went to Angus's Mores.
The best point guard was taken by Big Mao's Sergeyev.
In addition to his strong performances against Slavic and Angola, Sergeyev gained widespread recognition for drawing several fouls against Team Longguo players after Tang Long and Yao Ming left the court in their match.
The best small forward was awarded to Slavic's Markwan!