Chapter 153: The First Time (Part 1)

"As the game has progressed to this point, one could say both teams are back at the starting line. However, relatively speaking, I believe the North American Youth team has a higher chance of winning. After all, many of their players have come up through more formal competitive structures in elementary, middle, and high schools, as well as universities. On the other hand, the Xinjiang Youth team has only four players with collegiate league experience, and not a single one of them ever saw playing time in those leagues. Therefore, from an experiential standpoint, the North American Youth team holds the advantage. In the end, what basketball really comes down to at this stage is who can more consistently execute what they practice on a daily basis. Having experience versus having no experience are two entirely different concepts."

Inside the CCTV broadcast booth, Zhang Guohai was holding forth. The score was tied at sixty apiece after the first three quarters, leaving only the final quarter to play. Anchor Huang Zhoucheng brought up the topic to let the two guest commentators—primarily Zhang Guohai—analyze the situation, while Lin Zhifei basically remained silent.

"Coach Zhang, your analysis is very insightful. This National Games' comprehensive invitation to overseas Chinese players can be said to be a major pioneering move. Not only does it effectively foster connections among global overseas Chinese, but it also unearths more talent for our athletic endeavors. Coach Lin, do you have any predictions for the outcome of the match?"

Huang Zhoucheng still had to show some regard for Lin Zhifei. Even though this fellow was notoriously unreliable, keeping completely silent the entire time would inevitably draw trouble afterward.

"I favor the Xinjiang Youth team. My reason is that they possess superior stamina."

Lin Zhifei summarized his view in a single, concise sentence. He currently held a very high opinion of Wang Lei and the Xinjiang Youth team, while also harboring a deep interest in Wang Lei's coaching capabilities.

This brief remark left both Zhang Guohai and Huang Zhoucheng feeling depressed once again. This "Big Cannon Lin" was truly impossible to figure out.

At the very start of the fourth quarter, the North American Youth team made the first substitution. Their starting players had played nearly the entirety of the third quarter and performed very well, erasing a fourteen-point deficit. Now that the final quarter had arrived, Gao Ming could no longer afford to leave his starters without a rest.

Wang Lei did not send out his core starting lineup either; Turgun, Cai Aihong, and Hawul remained on the bench, with only Wang Zhaohui and Sun Dexun—who had rested for half a quarter—taking the court.

Counting the intermission, Turgun had rested for nearly ten minutes. Yet Wang Lei refused to sub in Turgun, despite the player actively requesting to enter. Wang Lei knew very well that putting Turgun in right at that moment would not yield much effect; rather than doing that, it was better to save him for a final, decisive clash against the opponents.

With lineups primarily composed of bench players, Sun Dexun's speed advantage was not fully manifested due to the opponents' outstanding physical qualities. However, his ball-handling was sound, and he could push the pace of transition. Once they crossed half-court, it was still Wang Zhaohui orchestrating the team's offense.

Although Wang Zhaohui lacked any particularly glaring standout traits, his all-around capability was unmatched by anyone else. His passes might not have possessed Turgun's cleverness and novelty, but they were exceptionally reliable; the moment a teammate found an opening, his pass would arrive without delay.

With Wang Zhaohui organizing the attack, and despite the Xinjiang Youth team's significant defensive shortcomings, the two sides managed to keep the score close.

The North American Youth team's substitutes had seen zero playing time in the third quarter, making them look slightly out of sorts upon entering the fourth. This allowed the Xinjiang Youth team to stay within striking distance; otherwise, they likely would have collapsed under a single wave of attacks from their opponents.

Time ticked away second by second, with both head coaches standing motionless by the sidelines, observing the unfolding situation on the floor.

At this stage of the match, the battle truly came down to sheer willpower. The Xinjiang Youth team's "wolf pack tactic" in the third quarter had seemingly drained a massive amount of their stamina, resulting in a sluggish period late in the third quarter, but it had simultaneously sapped the energy of the North American Youth team's players, especially their main starters. It was a mutual attrition strategy, and now both sides were accumulating their strength, awaiting the ultimate showdown in the fourth quarter.

With seven minutes remaining in the final quarter, the Xinjiang Youth team trailed the North American Youth team by four points. Lacking sufficient scoring options, the Xinjiang Youth team's offense was not proving particularly effective.

Wang Lei called his first timeout of the fourth quarter. He could wait no longer; capitalizing on the opponent's starters not yet having fully recovered their stamina, Wang Lei needed to make the first move.

"I won't say too much more. With seven minutes left, I assume no one intends to back down at this juncture. Coaches Xu and Xue often call me the 'Wet Nurse Coach' for spoon-feeding you too much, but I won't do that now. My only hope is that we can return to Urumqi without regrets, because moving forward, no one can guarantee whether this team will even be able to continue. Haha, that isn't a bad thing—it's a good thing. Don't sell yourselves short right now either. I believe many of you will receive offers from professional teams after this tournament concludes. Whether you go or not is up to you, but I hope you carefully consider your future paths. Alright, get out there, boys. Don't let my nurturing go to waste."

Wang Lei was not a talkative person, but he was indeed reining in his urge to keep speaking. Deep inside, he had countless instructions and arrangements for the game, but he also knew that saying them aloud now would yield little effect. Instead of that, it was better to let the boys loose to fight it out, leaving the final verdict to sheer strength and ability.

Turgun, Hawul, Cai Aihong, Wang Zhaohui, and the currently impressive Si Junwei—this was the Xinjiang Youth lineup chosen for the upcoming stretch.

Gao Ming also sent all of his team's heaviest hitters back onto the floor. Unlike Wang Lei, however, he had a great deal to say to his players, offering specific admonitions to Robert Lee, who had already racked up twenty-two points, urging him to reduce his isolation shots and focus as much as possible on team play. Gao Ming had no idea how much influence his words would carry, but he felt compelled to speak nonetheless.

The match resumed. Turgun dribbled the ball up the court and initiated a pick-and-roll with Cai Aihong.

The North American Youth team now had experience defending the pick-and-roll, but Turgun suddenly accelerated toward the basket, utilizing Cai Aihong's screen.

Robert Lee immediately rotated to defend the paint, while the remaining North American players refrained from collapsing too tightly; after all, they were well aware of the Xinjiang Youth team's tendencies, and packing the defense at that moment risked leaving perimeter shooters open.

However, upon driving into the lane, Turgun executed a sudden step-back and launched a contested jumper. The shot was released with blazing speed, catching Robert Lee entirely off guard.

The basketball struck the backboard high up and dropped straight through the net, narrowing the Xinjiang Youth team's deficit to just two points.