Chapter 131: Defeating Germany, Successfully Advancing as Group Leader! (Part 2/2)

As everyone chatted, the match began.

As expected, Germany’s overall strength was far superior to China’s.

By the end of the first quarter, China was already trailing by 8 points.

If the game continued at this pace, they were expected to lose by at least 30 points by the end.

Yao Ming and others, despite their best efforts, didn’t fare well.

“Tang Feng, how about you start playing earlier?” Coach Tian Bin suggested.

“No rush,” Tang Feng shook his head, “Let them play another quarter, and I’ll take the opportunity to observe Germany’s players a bit more.”

By the end of the second quarter, China was trailing by 19 points.

China fans were disheartened by the score.

But when Tang Feng entered the game, they couldn’t help but erupt in cheers.

“Tang Feng!”

“Tang Feng!”

“Go for it!”

This time, Tang Feng directly replaced Yao Ming.

Yao Ming was visibly exhausted after the first two quarters.

“Wait, isn’t Tang Feng a guard? Why is he playing as center now?”

“Isn’t he less than 1.9 meters tall? Playing as center, isn’t he just asking to be blocked?”

“Exactly, with his height, even if he’s skilled, he can’t possibly be a good center.”

However, once the third quarter began, those fans shut their mouths.

Because they witnessed Tang Feng’s dominance under the basket.

No matter the shot, Tang Feng easily caught it and dunked.

No one could stop him.

Even Germany’s 2.23-meter center couldn’t handle him.

Tang Feng even blocked the opponent three times.

The fans in the venue stood up in amazement.

“Holy shit! Am I seeing this right? Tang Feng is too fierce! He even blocked Beck!”

“His jumping ability is astonishing! Remember, he’s more than 30 cm shorter than Beck!”

“No wonder he could take Yao Ming’s spot! His performance now can definitely be called the world’s number one center!”

“The number one center won’t be pleased to hear this”

“He is mainly strong because of his physique! Compared to Tang Feng, he’s far less agile!”

Quickly, the third quarter ended with China only trailing by 2 points.

Germany’s coach gathered the players for a meeting to devise new tactics.

Clearly, they had to focus on defending Tang Feng.

They couldn’t give him any chance to score.

As long as Tang Feng didn’t get the ball, half of China’s effectiveness was gone.

“Captain, watch out! They’ll definitely target you next! Be careful!” Wang Long warned Tang Feng.

“No worries,” Tang Feng smiled slightly, “In the fourth quarter, I’ll draw their fire, and you guys score.”

“Just be careful! Don’t get injured! Otherwise, without you, the rest of us definitely won’t stand a chance in the upcoming matches,” Yao Ming advised.

“I know,” Tang Feng nodded, “I’ll try to avoid injuries.”

Soon, the fourth quarter began.

Two of Germany’s players immediately double-teamed Tang Feng.

They kept a close eye on him, trying not to give him any chance.

Tang Feng wasn’t bothered by their defense.

His movement became even more frequent.

The opponents, trying to guard him, also moved a lot, rapidly draining their energy.

Tang Feng led them around the court like playing with monkeys.

Soon, they were gasping for breath, and their defense significantly weakened.

China’s other players took the opportunity to organize attacks.

In no time, China led by 5 points.

The China fans seeing the score became incredibly excited.

They stood up from their seats, cheering loudly for China.

Seeing this, Wang Long and the others were even more motivated.

Finally, the score was locked at 88:79.

China won the match by 9 points.

Successfully advancing as the group leader to the top sixteen!

Germany, despite losing the match, also advanced thanks to their previous two victories.

However, Germany would face America in the next round.

Their chances of winning were slim.

China would face Japan.

In previous World Championships, China had always lost to Japan.

Everyone was determined to make a strong showing this time.

With Tang Feng, they were confident in making a significant impact.

Tang Feng and Yao Ming, laughing and talking, returned to their hotel and went to the dining hall.

Players from America were also there.

“Yao Ming, I heard you just defeated Germany! Impressive!” One of their players couldn’t help but give a thumbs up.

“It’s all thanks to him!” Yao Ming pointed to Tang Feng beside him.

“You’re really strong! China’s scoring efficiency has significantly improved because of you! But compared to us, there’s still a big gap! After all, China only has you and Yao Ming who are strong; the rest are not so good,” the American basketball player said indifferently looking at Tang Feng.

“My teammates are also getting stronger! I believe by the Olympics, even if I don’t play, they will still win the gold medal!” Tang Feng was full of confidence.

“Are you dreaming? That’s impossible! The gold medal will always belong to America! Others shouldn’t even think about it!” He replied arrogantly.

“Is that so? Let’s wait and see!” Tang Feng said.

They didn’t continue the conversation and turned to leave.

“People from America are really arrogant! They always think they are the strongest!” Yao Ming shook his head.

“Was it like this when you played with them?” Tang Feng asked.

“Not really. After all, the team members come from different countries. If they were all that arrogant, it would be impossible for the team to mesh well,” Yao Ming replied.

“Let’s not talk about them! Our next match is against Japan, and I have only one request: don’t let their score reach double digits!” Tang Feng changed the subject.

The team members looked at each other, silent.

“Captain, isn’t that requirement too high? Double digits mean only scoring four or five baskets, which is quite easy over such a long time,” Yao Ming said, seeing everyone’s silence.

“I know it’s a high request! But I believe as long as we work together, we can do it! After all, we’re facing Japan! Don’t talk to me about sportsmanship; I want to crush them thoroughly!” Tang Feng said, visibly excited.

“Captain, don’t worry! We will give it our all!” the team pledged.

“It’s getting late, let’s eat and then rest in our rooms,” Coach Tian Bin reminded everyone after checking his watch.

Everyone quickly finished their meal and then returned to their rooms.

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