The arena roared as the big screen lit up with the starting lineups.
China:
Yao Ming
Yi Jianlian
Lin Yi
Wang Shipeng
Sun Yue.
Argentina:
Luis Scola
Andrés Nocioni
Facundo Campazzo
Carlos Delfino
Manu Ginóbili.
Players from both sides walked to the center court. The moment had arrived.
At the jump ball, Yao Ming barely needed to leap. As his arm went up, Scola already knew the result.
Yu Jia couldn't hide his excitement.
"Yao Ming wins the tip. You could say his Olympic journey has been nothing but steady steps forward."
Sun Yue brought the ball up. True to habit—and perhaps instinct—he moved it to Lin Yi the moment he crossed half court.
Argentina assigned Nocioni to Lin Yi. A forward who could slide between the three and four, Nocioni had size, strength, and respectable range. In the NBA, he'd carved out a role with toughness and a reliable outside shot, though he was never a star.
Argentina opened in a zone. Lin Yi was leading the tournament in scoring, and head coach Julio Lamas wasn't about to take chances—even if trying to contain a 7-foot ball-handler felt unnatural on a whiteboard.
Lin Yi glanced at Yao Ming. One look was enough.
Scola fronted hard, but it didn't matter. Lin Yi lofted the pass over the top, and Yao caught it cleanly. One step, one rise, one-handed dunk.
2-0, China.
"Look at Julio Lamas on the sideline," Yu Jia said. "China's size inside really puts pressure on any opponent."
"And Lin Yi's decision-making," Xu Jicheng added, "that pass was perfectly timed."
Argentina answered immediately. Delfino and Scola ran a pick-and-roll. Scola spun smoothly as Yao stepped up, forcing Yi Jianlian to rotate. There was contact—just enough. The whistle blew.
Scola went to the line and calmly knocked down both free throws.
2–2.
"Yi Jianlian has to be careful," Yu Jia noted. "Five fouls and you're done in FIBA rules."
"Exactly," Xu Jicheng agreed. "Contest, but don't reach. Lin Yi's been very disciplined in that area throughout the group stage."
China's next possession went right back inside. Lin Yi lobbed again. Campazzo rushed in to double, and Yao immediately kicked the ball out.
Sun Yue was wide open.
The shot missed—clean air.
Sun Yue's shooting struggles were no secret. But his defense kept him on the floor. Without him, China's perimeter would be exposed.
Argentina pushed back. This time Scola tried to spin again—but Lin Yi rotated over. The timing was perfect. Scola had nowhere to pass and no angle left.
Lin Yi met him at the rim and swatted the ball cleanly.
Sun Yue grabbed the loose ball. Lin Yi, already the tournament's leading scorer, was also leading in blocks.
Scola didn't argue or sulk. He turned and sprinted back. Argentina couldn't afford to slow the game—they didn't have the depth.
Sun Yue crossed half court and found Lin Yi again. Lin Yi mimed a pass, then exploded forward. One step—Nocioni was beaten. The defense collapsed, still choosing to leave Sun Yue open.
Lin Yi kept going. Two long strides. A smooth finish at the rim.
Ginóbili, watching from nearby, shook his head.
"No wonder Pop says he'll be impossible to guard someday," he muttered.
"Lin Yi's first step was massive," Yu Jia said.
"There's an NBA tracking stat," Xu Jicheng added, "that shows his initial burst is faster than most guards. Once he gets downhill, stopping him without fouling is almost impossible."
4-2, China.
Ginóbili responded immediately. Left-handed, calm, deceptive. He slipped past Sun Yue, slowed just enough to read the help, and floated the ball softly before Lin Yi could contest.
Swish.
4–4.
Among Argentina's golden generation, Ginóbili was the one who thrived most in international play. When things tightened, he was the answer.
Lin Yi tried to answer back, pulling up over Scola's contest.
Miss.
Yi Jianlian cleaned it up, rising for the put-back dunk.
6-4
"This is where China's size really shows," Xu Jicheng said. "Scola has to watch Yao and Yi at the same time. That's exhausting."
Argentina struck again. Ginóbili drove, drew the defense, then fired a no-look pass to Delfino in the corner.
Three points.
6–7.
Lin Yi answered by attacking the rim. He lowered his shoulder into Nocioni, absorbed contact, and forced the referee's hand. The whistle came quickly.
Nocioni protested, but the call stood.
Lin Yi went to the line and made both.
8–7.
The plan was clear. Stay close through three quarters. Let Argentina's veterans wear down. Then strike.
Argentina understood that too. And as the game tightened, Ginóbili—Argentina's blade—once again pressed forward, testing the limits of China's Great Wall defense.
. . .
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