Chapter 483: Thinking of a way to get Cousins to foul out

"The inside is the weakest link for the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team. Pass the ball more to the inside. "

"Blah blah blah..."

Coach K's tactical arrangements were much more detailed than Gentry's. Even as the timeout ended, Coach K was still explaining the offensive tactics.

...

On the Huaxia side, all the players gathered around Wade Dong, making Deng Hua feel both embarrassed and relieved.

Wade Dong said, "The M Country Men's Basketball Team will definitely increase their inside attacks. Cousins might come on after the timeout."

As soon as Wade Dong finished speaking, Gu Qi said, "I can definitely defend the inside well."

"Hmm..."

Wade Dong didn't want to embarrass Gu Qi, so he paused before saying, "You take a rest for a while. Let Li Pei come on, and I'll play the 5 position to limit M Country's inside scoring."

Gu Qi, "???"

In the end, Wade Dong still didn't fully trust Gu Qi.

...

The timeout ended.

As expected, Cousins replaced DeRozan. Moreover, Coach K initially wanted to use Curry and Thompson's familiarity with Wade Dong to limit him. When that didn't work, he also replaced Thompson with Harden.

The M Country Men's Basketball Team attacked. Harden dribbled and organized the offense. After Cousins ran to an open position, Harden threw the ball into the air.

"Bang!!!"

Cousins completed an alley-oop dunk.

When it comes to 'feeding the ball', Harden is in a league of his own. As long as he's paired with players who can run and jump, his passes are always comfortable for his teammates to receive. 

The score was now 9-7!

"This was my fault for not defending well enough."

Cousins' alley-oop dunk couldn't be blamed on the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team's defense, but Wade Dong took the responsibility upon himself.

This also showed Wade Dong's determination to win tonight.

After Lin Hao dribbled and passed the ball to Wade Dong, Wade Dong faced the defense of two big men, Cousins and Davis, in the low post. He faked a move and turned around, creating a rhythm before shooting as Cousins jumped to block.

"Beep!!!"

"Swoosh!!!"

The referee's whistle and the sound of the basketball swishing through the net sounded simultaneously.

Cousins, with a tense face, shouted at Wade Dong, "Why would a player like you use such a despicable move?!"

"Hehe~~~"

Wade Dong shrugged and walked to the free-throw line.

In international basketball, players foul out after five fouls, and many NBA players struggle to adapt to this rhythm.

In the M Country Men's Basketball Team's previous game, both Cousins and Davis fouled out. Why did Wade Dong substitute Li Pei for Gu Qi and play the inside himself? It was for this moment... He wanted to find a way to get Cousins and Davis to foul out early, making the game easier to play. 

The gap in strength between the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team and the M Country Men's Basketball Team was too large, and they didn't have enough 'lucky potion' to rely on. Without some special tactics, this game would be difficult to win.

"Swoosh!!!"

Wade Dong made the free throw.

The score was now 12-7!

This lead was only temporary. With 7 minutes left in the first quarter, Irving shot a three-pointer against Lin Hao's defense.

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball swished through the net.

The score was now 23-24!

The M Country Men's Basketball Team took the lead.

Coach K nodded, "From this point on, we should control the rhythm of the game. But Wade Dong is really strong."

The Huaxia Men's Basketball Team had scored 23 points, with 16 of those points coming from Wade Dong alone. The M Country Men's Basketball Team struggled to limit Wade Dong's scoring, just as the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team struggled to defend against Harden, Irving, and Curry's continuous attacks.

Wade Dong dribbled to the frontcourt and passed the ball to Huang Yu.

Yi Nan positioned himself near the three-second zone, with Davis about one or two meters away. Huang Yu passed the ball to Yi Nan on the weak side.

"G~~~"

Yi Nan received the ball and shot a fadeaway jumper.

Davis rushed to interfere with Yi Nan's shot, causing the ball to hit the rim and bounce off.

"Rebound! Rebound! Rebound!"

All the players rushed to the inside.

Wade Dong was the fastest, and he also had the most accurate prediction of where the ball would land. He rushed to grab the rebound and shot before even landing.

"Swoosh!!!"

The ball swished through the net.

The score was now 25-24!

Coach K clicked his tongue, "Wade Dong's sense of the ball is historically unmatched. He's truly amazing."

There were ten players on the court, and when the ball flew out, they all went for the rebound. However, because the ball bounced too high and too far, it was difficult to predict where it would land. But Wade Dong ran to the exact spot where the ball seemed to land in his hands.

There were 2 minutes and 7 seconds left in the first quarter.

Curry received the ball, turned, and shook off Huang Yu. However, Huang Yu reacted quickly and moved to the left to block Curry's layup attempt again.

"Clap!"

Curry landed on his toes and stepped back beyond the three-point line.

"Swoosh!!!"

Curry's three-pointer was a beautiful sight, as the ball drew a graceful arc in the air and swished through the net.

The score was now 25-27!

The two teams' scores continued to rise.

As the first quarter ended, the score was 29-33!

The Huaxia Men's Basketball Team trailed by 4 points.

The top scorer in the first quarter was Wade Dong, who made 8 out of 13 shots and scored 21 points, also causing Cousins to commit two defensive fouls.

...

"8 out of 13 shots is an acceptable shooting percentage."

"Brother Dong is under a lot of pressure. He's carrying the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team on his own."

"Everyone, stay focused."

Curry reminded them, "Based on my understanding of Brother Dong, he tends to explode in the fourth quarter. In the second quarter, we should try to extend our lead as much as possible, aiming for a 15-point advantage before the fourth quarter."

Coach K also said, "Curry is right. We must not underestimate the Huaxia Men's Basketball Team because they have the strongest player in the world."

"Come on, guys!"

Coach K simply encouraged the players.

Thompson pouted, as Coach K couldn't compare to Gentry in this regard. Gentry never used phrases like 'Come on' but instead shared a short fable that made the players feel like they were filled with energy.

...

On the Huaxia side, Wade Dong received the tactical board from Deng Hua, and all the players gathered around him.

Wade Dong said, "The M Country Men's Basketball Team has a very one-dimensional style of play. First, we need to pay attention to the positions of their shooters, like Thompson and Curry. With Davis' off-ball screens, they can easily get open. At that time, Huang Yu and Yi Nan, you two should immediately help defend and disrupt their shots."

"Lin Hao is very fast. When I go for the rebound, you should pull out to the perimeter and be ready for a fast break."