Chapter 385: Yao Ming's Halftime Domination, His Transformation
The miracle did not arrive, but something just as valuable did.
Confidence.
China had gone toe to toe with Team USA for 3 quarters. They had taken the lead. They had forced the so called Redemption Team to sweat in Beijing. Even in a loss, the Chinese men walked away with a new baseline for what they could demand from themselves.
If they played with that level of edge every night, no opponent would feel comfortable.
After the buzzer, Chen Yan exchanged quick words with the Americans and Coach K. It was simple basketball etiquette, win or lose, you keep your composure.
"Great game," one of the Team USA players told him.
"That was special," another added, shaking his head like he still did not believe the shot making.
Even the opponents could not deny what they had just watched.
Then Chen Yan turned toward the sideline microphones.
The camera zoomed in as flags waved behind him and the crowd chanted for him like he had dropped a trophy, not a group stage game. His face was calm, but the fatigue was obvious in the sweat on his brow and the heaviness in his shoulders, so the reporter kept it brief.
"Chen Yan, you led China to an incredible performance tonight and even took the lead in the 3rd. Did you expect a game this close against Team USA?"
"Team USA is the strongest team in the world," Chen Yan said evenly. "Before the game, my focus was getting into rhythm fast and staying locked in. I did not spend energy imagining the result."
"Any regrets?"
"This was valuable, no matter the score," Chen Yan replied, nodding once. "I gave everything I had. No regrets."
"And next up is Spain. What are your chances?"
Chen Yan smiled politely, the kind of smile that answers without answering. "No matter who we play, my teammates and I will give everything. Thank you for supporting us."
With that, he walked toward the tunnel.
…
Overnight, headlines flooded every screen.
"Glorious in defeat, China pushes Team USA deep into the 4th."
"Smallest margin ever against Team USA, only 13."
"19 in a quarter, Chen Yan ignites Beijing."
"44 points, near triple double, Chen Yan scares the Dream Team."
The talk did not just stay inside the basketball world. It spilled into everything, even overshadowing a few gold medal events, because that is what basketball is in China. A second language, sometimes spoken louder than the first.
Across the Pacific, the reaction was the opposite emotion, same volume.
Team USA had won, but American media still came down hard. The public expectation for that roster was not just victory, it was dominance with style. The first game did not match the brand.
This was supposed to be the Redemption Team.
After 1 game, plenty of people questioned whether redemption was even possible.
Then, 2 days later, those doubts started to get quieter.
Because China looked different.
…
Against Spain, China opened the game with a 9 to 2 burst and never played timid. With the early lead in hand, they kept pressing, kept running their sets, kept attacking the paint with purpose.
At halftime, the scoreboard stunned the building.
China 51, Spain 36.
A 15 point lead.
And Spain was not some random opponent. This was the European powerhouse of that era, a team that could genuinely trade punches with Team USA.
Back in the locker room, the Chinese players were buzzing. The Team USA game had built their belief, and belief changed everything. When fear disappears, effort stops being cautious. People stop bracing for impact and start throwing it.
There was also a matchup reality at play. Spain did not have Team USA's insane transition athleticism, and they were not the kind of team that turned every broken possession into a sprinting dunk contest. That mattered, because China's biggest weakness had been exposed in transition against the Americans.
Spain also did not live and die by relentless, superhuman 3 point volume.
Against this opponent, China's flaws were not magnified into a crisis.
And inside, China held firm. With Yao Ming anchoring and Yi Jianlian providing size and mobility, Spain could not lean on their usual interior advantage the way they liked. That mattered too, because Spain's identity was built on smart structure and strong inside play. If the paint was not theirs, the game got harder.
Chen Yan was sharp again. In the first half, he went 7 for 12 from the field, 3 for 5 from 3, and 3 for 4 at the line for 20 points, plus 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
At halftime, Jonas praised them, then immediately pulled the reins back in.
The players could be emotional. The head coach could not.
The game was only halfway done.
…
The second half began quickly.
China's lineup: Liu Wei, Chen Yan, Zhu, Yi Jianlian, Yao Ming.
Spain's lineup: Jose Calderon, Juan Carlos Navarro, Felipe Reyes, Carlos Jimenez, Pau Gasol.
Spain was balanced, and their bench was deep too, with names like Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, and Marc Gasol ready to change the rhythm. This Olympics was a golden generation moment for both countries.
Spain had the first possession.
Calderon walked it over the line.
Navarro came off a screen beyond the arc, but the action was not clean. Jimenez did not hold Chen Yan long enough, and Chen Yan stayed connected, chasing Navarro off the catch.
Navarro did not force it. He swung it back to Calderon.
That was the European difference. Less hero ball, more patience, more passing, more trying to find the right shot instead of proving who owned the ball.
Calderon swung it again. Reyes caught, Jimenez stepped up, and after a dribble, Reyes dropped it to Jimenez. Jimenez took a jump step into the lane and fed Pau Gasol.
The look was there, but Yao Ming's length bothered the finish. Gasol missed.
Jimenez crashed hard, snatched the offensive rebound, and powered in the putback.
38 to 51.
That was Jimenez in a snapshot. A classic glue guy. Not the biggest, not the flashiest, but relentless with effort, defense, rebounds, and timely points that felt like punches.
On the sideline, Spain's veteran coach Aito Garcia Reneses clapped and barked encouragement, demanding toughness and patience.
Reneses had the kind of resume that made players listen without thinking, domestic titles, European titles, a long career built on structure and standards. Spain trusted him, and he trusted that their slow start was fixable.
Possession changed.
China came up with much less pressure on the ball than they had seen against Team USA. Liu Wei crossed half court cleanly and called the set.
Chen Yan slid to the right wing, around the 45 degree slot, and caught.
Yao Ming arrived quickly for the screen.
Chen Yan dropped his hips and drove off it into the lane.
Spain collapsed, reading the threat. Chen Yan did not bite. A step inside the free throw line, he twisted his torso and fired the pass back to Yao at the high post.
That adaptability was one of Chen Yan's biggest strengths. He could shift from NCAA rhythm to NBA speed, then into FIBA spacing, and still find the right solution before the defense finished blinking.
Yao Ming lifted the ball, squared to the rim, and took the long 2.
Swish.
All the attention had been pulled toward Chen Yan, and Yao's shot came with clean air.
The previous game's scare also changed Yao's approach. He was not trying to wrestle in the paint every possession. He was picking his moments, facilitating, and working the midrange instead of living in constant collisions.
That adjustment was not accidental.
Before the Spain game, Chen Yan had spoken with the staff about protecting Yao. Less grinding contact now meant less risk, and in the long run, it could extend Yao's career. With Chen Yan carrying scoring responsibility, Yao did not need to drag an injured leg into war every trip just to keep the offense alive.
So far, it was working.
At this point, Yao Ming was 6 for 8 from the field, 2 for 2 at the line, with 14 points and 4 assists.
As they jogged back, Yao reached out and high fived Chen Yan, a rare little flash of joy.
A center reinventing himself in real time, and doing it because his team finally had another star to share the weight.
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