Last night's Basketball World Cup event was jaw-dropping. Spectators who were expecting a wonderful matchup, with the early exit of the Chinese men's basketball team, pinned their hopes on matches such as the United States vs. Lithuania and Spain vs. Canada.
Let's start with a match between the United States and Lithuania. With two strong centre forwards, Valanciunas and Motai Younas, on the inside and excellent pitchers such as Kuzminskas on the outside, Lithuania looks like a semifinalist. However, the Serbian team left them feeling powerless.
Against Lithuania, Serbia cleverly applied pressure on the inside, constantly making high blocks, effectively limiting the opponent's defense. The Lithuanian team had to replace Motai Younas early, which led to problems with fitness and fouls. As the pressure on the inside was complete, Serbia began to attack fiercely from the outside, and Bogdanovic even made some over-range three-pointers, leaving Lithuania's defense in jeopardy.
Valanciunas was forced to stand near the free throw line with the inside completely exposed, which allowed Serbia to complete the dunk scoring with ease. Lithuania had trailed by more than 20 points at the start of the second half, and they eventually gave up on the center and tried their best to shoot, but still struggled to turn the tide.
People began to wonder if the American team deliberately lost to Lithuania in hopes of challenging Italy. After all, while Italy advanced to the quarterfinals, it was clear that there were some fatal problems with the lineup: they didn't have tall interior players or reliable three-point shooters.
The U.S. team went through two difficult games at this basketball World Cup, one against Montenegro and the other against Lithuania. Against Montenegro, they fell behind in the first half but managed to reverse in the second. Against Lithuania, in addition to having difficulty dealing with the two interior players Valanciunas and Motaiyounas, they were also defeated by the opponent's outside shooter, resulting in a direct loss.
At the end of the first half, Italy made just 2 of 19 three-pointers, scoring just 24 points, already 22 points behind, and the game had almost entered garbage time. The U.S. team's defensive and fast-breaking performance was excellent, and Bridges was efficient in the game, scoring 24 points and seven rebounds, reminiscent of Durant.
Durant himself expressed his joy after the game, writing on social media: "Seriously, brothers, go home with another gold medal! ”
The results of this series of games reflect the rapid improvement of basketball in the world, and to become a strong team must be well-rounded, have players in different positions, have excellent three-point performance, and be fast
Offense and defensive conversion ability. None of them are necessary, otherwise the opponent will find a flaw and turn the game around.
Looking back at these two games, despite the difference in points, this does not mean that the level of play is low or not exciting. On the contrary, it shows the fierce competition in world basketball, where each team is constantly improving and adjusting to become the strongest competitor.
In the basketball World Cup, every game is a challenge and an opportunity. While the score may be disappointing, the moments and the team's fighting spirit are unforgettable. Basketball, like life, requires perseverance and constant improvement in order to win on the arena.
So, let's look forward to the next games together and see which team can make their mark on the basketball World Cup and show true strength and courage. The world of basketball is always full of unknown wonders, and every game is an opportunity to show your strength. It is hoped that the Chinese men's basketball team can also usher in more victories in future games and contribute to the development of Chinese basketball.