Rekindling the dream of becoming a star

Chapter 391 I kept my word

"A miraculous goal!"

"Patricio Garino actually managed to dodge Chen Wang's interference and then hit a three-pointer!"

"This Argentine star, who once played for the Orlando Magic in the NBA and now plays for the Baskonia basketball club in the Spanish league, had an exceptional performance today."

"With this goal, the first half ends, Argentina leads by 9 points, 42-51, going into halftime."

As Yu Jia's voice rang out, the television screen went into commercial break, leaving countless fans who had watched the game feeling disappointed.

Despite the commentators' repeated attempts to downplay the strength of Argentina and tell fans that it was a world-class team, the audience was too blindly optimistic about Chen and Wang, and overlooked the strength of the Chinese team.

But the first half shattered that illusion.

Although Chen Fang started the game and played for 14 minutes in the first half, the score didn't lie; the Chinese team was completely suppressed.

Andy's strategy was sound, as evidenced by the first quarter's draw with Argentina. However, even the most perfect tactics require careful execution.

With only seven players available for unlimited switching on defense, and given that stamina is a recurring problem for the Chinese team, the strategy began to lose its effectiveness after the first quarter when they substituted in players who only had a superficial understanding of the game.

There was a lack of teamwork, people started to be left out, and in the rush of things, mistakes were made, and they were overwhelmed and defeated.

Argentina relied on its complete squad, with nine key players rotating in to maintain pressure on the Chinese team. Even though Chen Fang gave his all, his teammates did not provide much help when he was double-teamed in attack.

Yi's 9 points, Li Kai'er's 5 points, Zhao Rui's 4 points, Xiao Chuan's 3 points, and Abu's 2 points were all the points scored by the Chinese team except for Chen Fang.

Chen Fang's 19 points were the highest for both sides, but it was to no avail. Argentina had two players in double figures and nine players scoring in the first half.

Danger!

In the studio behind, the commentator is analyzing the situation, with Yang Yi taking the lead.

As the go-to reporter for Blue Ocean, Yang Yi already had a clear understanding of his role and direction, and he pointed out the reasons for the Chinese team's decline without reservation.

"Unable to defend or attack, Argentina's high intensity and strict discipline stripped us of our false strength, revealing our true, emaciated physique."

"In the Chinese team, apart from Yi Jianlian and Li Kaier, who can keep up with the rotation, none of the players, including Zhao Rui, Abu, Xiao Chuan, Zhou Qi, and Shen Zijie, have done a good job on defense."

"The reason why Argentina made 7 of 12 three-pointers in the first half, a frighteningly high shooting percentage, is that we left too many players open, with wide-open shots everywhere."

Faced with Yang Yi's merciless words, Su Qun had nothing to say, and Yang Jian smoothed things over.

"Now we'll see how the Chinese team adjusts during halftime."

"We played well in the first quarter because our five starters were fine." Yang Yi wanted to clarify the issue and avoid a post-game public opinion situation that would be unfavorable to Chen Fang.

"Zhou Qi, Zhao Rui, Yi Jianlian, Li Kaier, Chen Fang."

“Look at this starting lineup, it might be the best five-man starting lineup in Chinese history.” Yang Yi didn’t care that such a statement would cause controversy. He continued, “But Zhao Rui and Zhou Qi’s stamina is a big problem.”

"Zhao Rui is a little better, but his movements started to go awry in the second half, and he lost his offensive ability. Zhou Qi has always been criticized for his stamina, and he started to show slow defensive switching and getting outmaneuvered halfway through the quarter."

"Yi Jianlian and Li Ke'er's lateral movement is also a problem. Switching on defense requires high skill from the players; both lateral and vertical movements need to be fast and strong."

"It's fair to say that without Chen Fang, Argentina would have blown us out in the first quarter!"

"With as many as four effective passes and all five players running pick-and-rolls and cuts to find open shots, Argentina figured out our strategy in one quarter and then launched a massive attack in the second quarter, going on a 12-3 run."

Yang Yi's comments were, to be honest, very insightful.

The guests in the studio also remained silent.

The atmosphere in the home team's locker room was quite somber.

With Zhang Siyu's help, Chen Fang is using a special breathing method to lower his heart rate and accelerate his physical recovery.

Andy was analyzing the problems in the first half, and Sun Lexian quickly translated for the whole team.

Li Nan and Buson are exchanging ideas and discussing their lineup for the second half.

The choice is between two paths.

The first strategy is to continue using a seven-man rotation to hold the line and keep the score close, allowing Chen Fang to solve the problem in the end.

The second strategy is to launch a counterattack, engage in fierce battles, and focus on attacking Chen Wang as the primary target.

After only a few seconds of consideration, Li Nan agreed to the second option.

In the first half, Li Nan clearly realized that China's current lineup was not capable of playing advanced offensive and defensive tactics, and would be in trouble if they switched defenses indefinitely.

Buson nodded, then walked toward Andy.

After whispering to each other, Andy admired Li Nan's decisiveness, so he took the opportunity to arrange the tactics for the second half.

Chen Fang wasn't surprised; this was the result of communication. Chen Fang immediately felt that continuing to fight was unwise.

Instead of fearing Argentina's scoring chances, we should open up our game and launch an attacking offensive.

At the start of the second half, Guo Ailun, who had been sidelined, was reawakened.

Chen Fang, Guo Ailun, Li Kaier, Yi Jianlian, and Zhou Qi.

"China has brought back the starting lineup from the first four games, which is a sign that things are about to change," Yu Jia said excitedly.

Argentina continued with their starting lineup.

Facundo Campazzo (Point Guard)
Nicolas Brussino (Shooting Guard)
Nicolas Laprovittola (Small Forward)

Luis Scola (Power Forward)

Gariz Tejavik (center)

This lineup is undeniably strong, featuring Campazzo's penetration and assist abilities, Brussino's three-point shooting, Laprovittola's all-around offensive and defensive style, Scola's world-class power forward level, and Teiavka's excellent rim protection and post-up skills.

With this lineup, Argentina can hold their own against any team in this tournament, even the United States and Spain.

Campazzo passed the ball from the edge of the box to Brussino on the right, then moved to the left wing to create an off-the-ball opportunity for Laprovittola, who shook off Chen Fang's defense and reached the edge of the box.

He received the ball from Brussino, pulled Yi out of the penalty area to help defend, and then passed it back to Campazzo by hand.

At this moment, three Chinese players were moved around by Argentina at the top of the key. This is the charm of the pick and roll, which confuses the defender's thinking.

Scott, who had been in the short corner, cut across the penalty area and came to the other side.

Campazzo, with the ball in hand, broke through under double screens, forcing Zhou Qi, who was protecting the rim, to turn and help defend him. He then made a low bounce pass to Scott.

Like a venomous snake waiting, Scott received the ball and immediately used his footwork to get past Zhou Qi, who was turning around, before making a reverse layup on the baseline, leaving Zhou Qi with nothing but air to block.

"Great shot! 18 points, Scott!"

"42 to 53, Argentina's lead has reached double digits!"

"We need to score!" Yu Jia's words revealed his inner anxiety.

It wasn't just him; the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Performing Arts Center, a stadium that can hold 15000 people, was filled with the same longing from the audience and the hundreds of millions of fans watching.

Guo Ailun dribbled the ball across half-court and handed it hand-to-hand to Chen Fang, who had pulled out of the court.

The moment he received the ball, Laprovittola was already using both his hands and feet.

The two played against each other a lot in the first half. Chen Fang didn't think the Argentine defense was particularly strong, but Argentina's defensive coverage was very effective, and sometimes their small fouls would interfere with his attacks.

Chen Fang turned sideways, grabbed the ball with one hand, and used his peripheral vision to check his teammates' positions before deciding what to do next.

He nudged his opponent with his shoulder, then dribbled backwards, dragging his feet to move sideways. As Laprovittola began to follow suit, Chen Fang suddenly dribbled behind his back and changed direction.

The change happened quickly, but because they were so close, half of Laprovittola's body still leaned against Chen Fang.

The opposing forces caused Laprovittola to sink backward. At that moment, he was horrified to see that Chen Fang did not accelerate as expected, but instead returned to the starting position by dribbling back after a pause.

This seemingly unchanging exchange caused Laprovittola to lose his defensive position, while Chen Fang only needed one step to accelerate and completely shake off his opponent.

Chen Fang's dribbling wasn't particularly fast, but he reached the three-point line slightly to the left of the arc in just three steps.

Campazzo decisively abandoned Guo Ailun and came up to help defend. He directly rushed out to the three-point line. Before the game, Coach Hernandez repeatedly emphasized that when defending Chen Wang, we must be on high alert to prevent his shooting.

Chen Fang passed the ball back to Guo Ailun, who was open. Guo Ailun, however, did not shoot despite being open, because it was not his job.

According to the tactical arrangement, Guo Ailun dribbled the ball in the opposite direction towards Chen Fang. The two crossed paths and separated. The ball had returned to Chen Fang's hands. Facing the situation where Guo Ailun was blocking him and Laprovittola, who was covering for him, was still two meters away, Chen Fang jumped up with the ball.

"Chen Wang divides the spoils!"

"Goal! This is Chen Wang's fourth three-pointer today, bringing the score difference back to 8 points!" Amid the cheers of the crowd, Yu Jia was also extremely happy. With a player like this, it's hard not to feel admiration while commentating.

Argentina's head coach Hernandez angrily swung his arm. The player was still too slow to react; despite repeated reminders, he still wasn't attentive enough.

When Argentina crossed the halfway line, Guo Ailun couldn't keep up with Campazzo while defending and resorted to using his hands too much, which was caught by the referee and called a hand-holding foul.

At half-court inbounds, Laprovittola and Campazzo executed an off-ball play. After receiving the ball, Campazzo noticed that Guo Ailun wasn't following up, so he drove into the three-point line and scored two points with a floater.

A 10-point gap!
Li Nan stomped his foot, and Guo Ailun's problem of losing focus during the game still exists. He gets too excited and is always attracted to the movement of other players, thus neglecting his own defender.

It's China's turn to attack.

Guo Ailun dribbled the ball across half-court and was suddenly double-teamed in the middle by Argentina. Campazzo and Laprovittola suddenly surrounded him, causing the ball to go out of play.

Chen Fang immediately went up to receive the pass, but Brussino was quick to follow. When Guo Ailun made a slow pass of poor quality, it was immediately intercepted by the latter.

Chen was furious and chased after him to block the shot, but Brussino passed the ball to Scola, who was following up on the wing, just as he was about to make a layup.

Scola, being a veteran, paused for a moment after receiving the ball, drawing Chen Fang to jump a second time after landing before approaching him.

"Beep!" With the whistle, the ball touched the backboard and fell into the basket.

The entire audience wailed!
Chen Fang shook his head and walked out of the restricted area helplessly, while not far away, Guo Ailun looked dejected.

"2+1, Chen Fang has committed his third foul." Yu Jia was furious. Guo Ailun had been having problems for a while, no wonder he wasn't allowed to play in the first half.

Li Nan decisively substituted Guo Ailun. Losing points was secondary; what was most unforgivable was letting Chen Fang commit a foul.

If you follow up with another rule, then we're done for today.

"Today's ruling is open to discussion!"

"Chen Wang committed one offensive foul and two defensive fouls. Apart from this one, the previous two were ambiguous." Yu Jia was very dissatisfied. As a CCTV commentator, he shouldn't be too subjective, but in the current situation, he couldn't care less.

Chen Fang walked toward the referee. He didn't ask about the previous call, but said, "If I had left the field too quickly, this match would have been very controversial."

The referee, Domic, is a 52-year-old from Finland with extensive officiating experience. Facing Chen Fang, he felt an invisible pressure and smiled, saying, "That depends on your behavior!"

Chen Fang laughed and turned to leave.

Scola made the free throw, bringing the lead to 13 points.

Zhao Rui, who came on as a substitute, used his excellent physique to squeeze past the midfield and pass the ball to Chen Fang, who was there to receive it.

After receiving the ball, Chen Fang dribbled laterally. He was still some distance from the three-point line, and Argentina only had Laprovittola, who was in charge of defense, closely following him.

Yi came up to set a screen, but it wasn't very effective, and Argentina took the opportunity to double-team Chen Fang, the ball handler.

After passing the ball to Yi, Chen Fang tried to receive it again, but was closely marked and interfered with. Having already committed three fouls, he dared not make any big moves and was locked down for a moment.

Lee immediately came up to receive the ball, dribbled to the wing, and then leaned against Scola. After receiving the ball, he used his body to push against Scola twice, then turned and shot with a one-legged fadeaway.

Goal!

"Great! Yes, when Chen Wang is double-teamed, the Chinese team must step up!" Duan Ran, who had been very quiet, shouted.

Despite Yi's goal, Argentina's head coach Hernandez remained unmoved, knowing full well one thing.

The Chinese team is not the Clippers; it has too many weaknesses. Chen Fang has few supporting players, and their availability is inconsistent.

This was a decision made by the coaching staff before the game: to resolutely double-team Chen and Wang, create foul trouble, and be prepared for a long battle with the Chinese team.

Guo Ailun's mistake just now, which resulted in Chen Wang committing a foul, was the happiest thing for Hernandez.

The game continued, and Chen Fang's role was more about drawing defenders away from the field. Just like in the first half, he needed his teammates to be more offensive so that Argentina would relax their marking on him.

On the defensive end, since Argentina no longer uses the switch-everything defense, they have more opportunities to shoot, but their shooting percentage is not good; otherwise, the point difference would be even greater.

"The situation for the Chinese team is very bad!" Du Feng sighed. As a coach, he was now clear-headed.

The gap in strength between China and Argentina is like a generation.

Aside from Lee and Yi, it's hard to find a fourth player who can keep up with the pace of the game. Everyone else is simply suppressed when they come on the court, and the Argentine coach doesn't even need to use timeouts to address it; the players can handle it on their own.

Although Argentina used two players to lock down Chen Wang, the other three players managed to defend effectively.

The three formed a central axis, with Brussino providing excellent flexibility in his double-teaming of Chen Fang. He didn't use a rigid double-team, but rather cleverly cut off the Chinese team's passing lanes.

The most troublesome thing is that whenever Chen Fang gets the ball through off-ball movement and screens, Argentina will immediately double-team him. Apart from center Teiavka, the other four players can do this kind of tacit understanding.

As soon as Chen Fang has the ball, they immediately double-team him.

When not in possession of the ball, one player leads the defense while multiple players provide support, clearly indicating the strong and weak sides. They maintain constant pressure on the player with the ball, preventing them from passing the ball comfortably. There is always someone cutting off Chen Fang's receiving routes.

This level of tactical skill puts the Chinese team far ahead.

As a club coach, Du Feng is very clear that when players are of similar skill levels, tactics are the key to winning.

In situations of unequal strength, tactics can help to catch up.

A player's ability can be divided into three main parts.

First, technology;
Second, physical confrontation;

Third, tactical skills.

Only by considering all three aspects can a player's role on the court be accurately assessed. When selecting foreign players, the first thing they look at is the player's ability and competence in executing tactics, followed by their scoring ability.

Watching this game, the Argentine players demonstrated excellent overall ability and a strong ability to seize opportunities. In terms of coordinated defense, this was the first time Du Feng had seen Chen Wang effectively shut down. After three quarters, the score was 58-73.

The point difference widened to 15 points.

The Foshan fans also fell silent; they didn't feel the joy of the Beijing fans, even though Chen Fang scored 27 points, it was too fragmented.

And there were 12 free throws among them.

The number of assists says it all.

Chen Fang only had 3 assists, which shows that Argentina's separation of him from his teammates was extremely effective.

Duan Ran sighed and asked Du Feng a question during the muted microphone period.

“Is the gap so big?”

Du Feng shook his head: "Actually, it's not a big problem. The issue is that Yi is an inside player, and it's difficult for him to coordinate with Chen Fang."

“Lee is not a scorer. He can orchestrate the offense, but he is not the one who decides the score.”

Duan Ran suddenly realized and blurted out, "That's why the Clippers added Butler?"

“Yes, Butler can lead the other three players and play very well even after Chen Fang is locked down,” Du Feng replied.

Duan Ran grew increasingly anxious, and asked pleadingly, "So how do we win now?"

"If we lose, we might have to play Spain in the quarterfinals!"

Du Feng said helplessly, "The strength is there. To be honest, without Chen Wang, it would be very difficult to qualify."

"We've already secured our Olympic ticket, which is the best possible outcome," Du Feng said, implying that he should be content.

Is Duan Ran content?

Perhaps we should be content!

But Chen Fang didn't. The first thing he did after leaving the field was to take off his left shoe and remove the protective gear.

This device can effectively prevent ankle sprains and relieve some of the pressure on the ankle from the downward pressure of the body, but it also hinders Chen Fang's more agile gait.

Without further ado, Chen Fang, fueled by anger, took off his socks and then tore off his foot bindings.

The camera kept focusing on this, and upon seeing this scene, a chorus of gasps erupted from the stands.

The commentators who witnessed this scene were almost unable to hold back their emotions, while Li Nan, on the bench, wanted to go over but hesitated.

Andy came out again. He squatted down in front of Chen Fang, not saying a word, just staring at him.

"If we fight this battle, what about the next one?"

Are there big differences between Spain and Serbia?

"You must remember that it is wise to fight only when the strength is equal; otherwise, it is foolish."

Three sentences extinguished most of Chen Fang's anger.

“Play normally. You’re only 21 years old. The Olympics are still ahead. What you need now is to wait for others, not to charge forward alone.” Andy took the bandage and took the initiative to tie Chen Fang’s foot.

The competition had already begun, but because of this incident, Li Nan had Sun Minghui take his place.

Two minutes later, Chen Fang returned to the field.

He was immediately marked by a defender, but he made a quick run to get past him and, after receiving a pass from Zhao Rui, took a step back.

The Chinese team was positioned too far apart, and Brussino couldn't double-team them even if he wanted to. Leaving Zhao Rui, who has a good shot, open was obviously not a good idea.

This was also Andy's strategy: spread out completely, place players in the corners, send inside players to the wings, and leave the middle wide open. If Argentina tries to double-team, then it's a gamble.

Facing the menacing Chen Fang, Laprovittola offered almost no resistance, immediately fouling Chen Fang to stop the offensive play the moment he got past him.

The ball was taken back to the baseline, and Chen Fang received it again outside the center circle. This time, Laprovittola learned his lesson and did not lead the defense, but instead positioned himself two meters outside the arc.

Chen Fang pressed forward, and when they were two meters apart, Laprovittola began to step forward, lifted his leg, and Chen Fang caught the ball and shot.

The ball was incredibly fast, and amidst gasps of surprise, it swished through the basket, splashing water across the net like waves.

This was Chen Fang's fifth three-pointer. Amidst the cheers that filled the air, Chen Fang walked back with a dark expression.

He hadn't felt the pain of losing in a long time, and today, when that feeling came over him, he experienced extreme discomfort.

Andy is right, but Chen Fang will not give up. There are still 7 minutes left, and anything is possible.

The more people think it's impossible, the more determined he is to turn the tables.

I'm just trying to prove them wrong.

Argentina's passing was quick, they set up their positions rapidly, and within three touches they got to Scola in the paint.

With a flick of his feet and a swing of his shoulders, Scola used a masterful back-to-the-basket move to shake off Zhou Qi, who was two heads taller than him, and then scored with a short, floated shot.

The 12-point gap has now widened to 14 points.

61: 75.

Before the fourth quarter, the head coach warned the team not to relax, saying that 15 points might be useful to others, but not necessarily to Chen Wang.

The coach's voice was still ringing in his ears when Chen Fang turned around and made a breakthrough, overpowering three players to score and create a 2+1 play.

Even a new fan now knows that Chen Wang is serious.

Chen Fang calmly made the free throw, bringing his score to 33 points.

This is also the first time Chen Fang has broken the 30+ mark this year.

Argentina's next offensive possession failed. Campazzo's drive to the basket missed, and Yi grabbed the rebound. Chen Fang was right there, received the ball, and rushed out.

At this point in the fight, the abundance of qi and blood can make one overlook many subtle sensations, let alone someone like Chen Fang whose blood is easily aroused.

Argentina witnessed for the first time what extreme speed meant. Compared to Guo Ailun's wild boar-like breakthrough, Chen Fang was more like a golden roc spreading its wings, sweeping across the entire court without touching the ground, and fiercely slashing the ball into the basket.

66: 75.

The entire stadium erupted in cheers; this was the first time domestic fans had witnessed what true speed was all about.

This also means that King Chen has begun the battle without holding back!
Andy's serious expression on the sidelines brought back that familiar feeling—March Madness, facing a desperate situation, that's exactly how Chen Fang is!
He may be right, but that doesn't mean it's the best option.

"He's closed the gap to single digits again! He's going all out to claim the title, he's here!" Yu Jia cheered.

The fans were cheering, and the teammates were also excited.

In the next round, the Chinese team effectively shut down Argentina's relentless attack with both aggressiveness and efficiency.

Unfortunately, Chen Fang's attacks were all stopped by Argentina with fouls. The first foul wasn't called, and the second was just a regular foul.

The referee remained expressionless in the face of the boos.

In positional play, China spread out again, but Argentina did a good job this time, double-teaming Zhao Rui early, forcing the ball to be passed to him.

Zhao Rui wanted to find Chen Fang, but Chen Fang was completely blocked and could only pass the call to Li Kai'er.

Lee Kerr attacked from the wing, but his layup was disrupted. Argentina quickly executed a long pass transition, bringing the score back to 11 points.

66:77.

Turning back, Chen Fang used multiple screens to drive to the three-point line and hit a mid-range jump shot from the wing to bring the score difference back to single digits.

"37 points!" Yu Jia found it unbelievable. It was only in the blink of an eye. He had only scored 27 points in the third quarter, and now, after playing for less than 4 minutes, he had already scored 10 points.

Is it fast?

Chen Fang felt it wasn't enough!
Argentina's long-range shot missed, and the Chinese team quickly inbounded the ball. Chen Fang used a screen to get rid of Campazzo's interference, dribbled the ball across half-court, and faced Brussino's retreat. He made a series of in-and-out plays and then made a smooth one-handed layup, grazing the high backboard and scoring.

A 7-point gap!
70: 77.

The 15,000 fans at the scene were almost in a frenzy. Witnessing such a comeback and the madness of one person, how could they not be excited?

Previously, I could only see Chen Wang being this fierce in NBA broadcasts. Now, seeing him in person is incredibly impactful.

"Five minutes left, a seven-point deficit!"

"Even Argentina is finding it difficult to cope at this moment."

Argentina's head coach Hernandez called a timeout. He had to; Chen Wang's previous strategy was clearly not strong enough now.

They took it very seriously, but still didn't stop them; they're simply invincible!

Suppressing his inner emotions, Hernandez rearranged his defense, abandoning the double-team approach and instead trying a high-zone zone defense.

"Dummy fall when necessary!" The South American character is full of cunning.

The game continued, with Argentina trying to create opportunities from the high post, but Brussino made a ghost run to the bottom corner. From the moment he released the ball to Chen Fang diving to him, it was all over in an instant.

"Beep beep!" The linesman blew his whistle. Chen Fang glanced at Brussino, who had fallen to the ground after shooting, and then looked at the referee's gesture. He was furious.

He was certain he hadn't touched it, so he immediately performed the video replay surgery. Li Nan became even angrier and left to confront the technician, but Liu Peng stopped her.

Amidst a chorus of boos, the two referees reviewed the footage repeatedly, but the cameras from 19 didn't have the same scientific experience as the NBA, and several angles failed to prove whether Chen Fang's tackle had actually touched his hand.

Although Chen Fang knew he hadn't touched it, at this point, it was useless for him to defend himself.

The long wait was closely watched by the commentators, and the director could switch back to the recording, so everyone in the stadium was watching.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, both coaches actively made adjustments.

One minute later, the referee returned to the court and gestured that the call was correct and that number 21 had committed a foul.

The audience erupted in uproar, but Chen Fang calmed down. He was also watching the video playback. Without a better camera angle, he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference if someone else had been in the position.

Bad luck!

It's quite an omen of bad luck this year.

Amid boos from the crowd, Brussino calmly made all three free throws, bringing the score difference back to 10 points.

In every subsequent possession, Chen Fang was plagued by fouls, requiring him to be cautious not only on defense but also on offense, opting for more shots.

Time was ticking away, and with one minute left, the score was 81 to 90.

This was a desperate point difference, but Argentina managed to maintain their advantage through a more solid offense and defense.

Chen Fang had 45 points at this moment, but his expression showed that he was in a very bad state.

He was still trying, making one of two long-range three-pointers.

48 points!
And the time was down to the last 28 seconds.

84:90.

Argentina chose to control the pace of the game, while China drew fouls.

After seeing Campazzo calmly score both goals, Yu Jia knew that the game was over.

"King Chen did his best in this battle."

"48 points set a new single-game scoring record for this World Championship, but the victory did not belong to us, which is something we should reflect on."

“We need more people to step forward, but not today.”

"Yi Jianlian 18 points, Li Kai'er 11 points, Zhao Rui 8 points." Yu Jia couldn't continue. Today, Argentina had 4 players scoring in double figures and 10 players scoring. This was a typical team victory over individual performance.

Chen Fang, who was substituted off the field, stood on the sidelines and bowed to all four sides to apologize, which earned him continuous applause from the entire audience.

After apologizing, Chen Fang walked towards the bench, where Andy went up to him and hugged him.

"This is not the end of the world, my child. You must learn to find the flower of victory in failure."

"Thank you, Coach." Chen Fang returned the hug.

A dozen seconds later, the final whistle blew.

"84 to 92."

"Congratulations to Argentina, they won all five of their matches and took first place in Group I." Yu Jia's voice was bitter. This defeat meant that the road to the quarterfinals would be even more difficult.

Chen Fang volunteered to attend the post-match press conference.

Sitting there, listening to the reporters bombard Li Nan with questions, when it was finally his turn, when a reporter asked him why he lost despite scoring 48 points, Chen Fang replied: "The reason I'm sitting here is to apologize to fans across the country."

"This loss does not mean that our path to the next round is difficult. In fact, it will be a difficult task no matter who we play against."

"We haven't fallen yet. This defeat has made us stronger and more eager for victory."

"China must make it to the semi-finals!"

"I do what I say!"

After uttering these resounding words, Chen Fang stood up, signifying the end of the press conference. The reporters present were awestruck by Chen Fang's imposing presence, and no one raised any questions.

And this statement became the biggest news after the match.

Because the fans were energized by the loss, Chen Wang rarely made boastful claims; he always kept his word.

Now, we just have to wait for the other group matches to finish so that the one who decides the semi-final spot will be either Spain or Serbia.

Everyone knows how terrifying Chen Fang will be in the next round.

(End of this chapter)