Howard reacted quickly, turning a dunk into a layup.
His explosiveness and vertical leap ranked him among the top five in the league.
But against Yao Ming at this moment, the top five wasn't enough.
With all stats boosted by 20%, Howard's rushed layup had too many flaws and no protection, practically a gift of points.
"Hand it over!"
Yao Ming snatched the ball directly from Howard's hands.
Before even landing, Yao Ming noticed Tang Long charging from their own half towards the opponent's.
Without hesitation, he spun 180 degrees in mid-air, using that momentum to fling the basketball directly to Tang Long.
"Holy crap, what am I seeing?"
"Is that something Yao Ming would do?"
"He's so... fluid!"
"Yao's court vision is incredible. When he grabbed the rebound, he already saw Tang Long breaking away."
And it wasn't over yet.
Receiving Yao Ming's pass, Tang Long was already at the free-throw line, with no defenders chasing him.
The moment Tang Long's feet touched the free-throw line, he leaped into the air, his body unfurling to showcase the perfect blend of muscle mechanics and aesthetics.
Boom!
A thunderous slam dunk.
75-85.
The Dragon Country team not only defended the opposing team's offense but also completed a dunk.
"Tang Long is amazing!"
"That was so cool!"
The spectators' hands were red from clapping. That play was truly spectacular.
Being able to witness that dunk live was something they could brag about for a year.
"Fuck..."
Seeing the Dragon Country citizens around him cheering Tang Long's name with raised arms, several former high-ranking officials from Flower Flag Country's faces grew even more grim.
What were these guys doing?
How could they allow Dragon Country people to have such opportunities on the court?
"Go tell Coach K that we need a dunk too. Smash that damn rim."
Two old men, furious, immediately put the pressure on Coach K.
Coach K was even more enraged.
These politicians were utterly clueless.
If they hadn't interfered earlier, Coach K wouldn't have let his players go one-on-one against Tang Long.
At least they would have been leading by six points by now, holding a sixteen-point lead and complete control of the game. They could have toyed with the Dragon Country players then, instead of being in this predicament.
But the leaders had spoken, and they were some of the most influential figures in Flower Flag Country. Coach K dared not disobey.
He had no choice but to call a timeout, gather his players, and re-strategize.
...
"That play was beautiful."
Yang Yi was so excited that his eyes were red. The key was that the entire team was involved in that score.
Sun Yue had silently appeared next to Kobe, defending against the Mamba's offense and forcing him to pass to Howard.
Howard had initially intended to dunk over Yao Ming, but the shot didn't go in and was blocked by Yao Ming.
This wasn't just Tang Long's performance; it was a contribution from the whole team.
"Yao's court vision has been on full display in this game," Zhang Zhi commented, then added, "I don't know if you noticed, but Yao's pass was something he'd never done before. With his height, and after gaining muscle, not only could he see Tang Long, but he could also make that pass before landing. That's rarely seen!"
Lao Bai continued, "Sun Yue's defense was also unexpected. When Kobe changed direction, Sun Yue was clearly faked out, but he managed to recover and block Kobe. That's a first."
"My God, our players seem to have suddenly woken up. If we keep playing like this, we can win!"
Win?
The three commentators grew increasingly excited.
It wasn't just the commentators; almost every viewer watching the game raised their arms and cheered the moment Tang Long dunked.
The possibility of winning, something they had never dared to imagine before, now entered the minds of all their countrymen.
It wasn't just the spectators; even the players themselves were a bit bewildered.
When Kobe drove to the basket, Sun Yue instinctively followed his movement. When Kobe changed direction, Sun Yue knew he had been drawn out.
In the past, he might have been fooled by Kobe, but this time, the moment he felt he had made a mistake, his body automatically adjusted, and he smoothly turned around.
Yao Ming felt his muscles explode with power while also exhibiting flexibility.
And the passing vision!
He was destined to be the tallest on the court, but he never had such excellent vision before. It felt like he could now see everyone's movement and direction, and even anticipate them.
Feeling the surging power and flexibility within him, Yao Ming even thought he could dunk like Howard.
This was simply miraculous!
"Wipe them out!"
After a twenty-second timeout, as the players returned to the court, their demeanor was completely different from before.
They had always felt inferior in talent and physique, but now their confidence had soared, giving them a feeling of brothers returning to fight together.
The two teams lined up on opposite sides, their eyes meeting. The Flower Flag Country players were surprised to find that the Dragon Country players no longer seemed to fear them.
Mentally, they couldn't accept it.
Why?
Shouldn't they be in awe and look up to us?
Why were they all like they had been injected with chicken blood!
We must crush their arrogance.
Kobe gave Kidd a look, and Kidd, understanding, initiated a fast break right from the start.
Kobe's speed was astonishing, like a lightning bolt streaking towards the basket. Even the cheering spectators were stunned.
Sun Yue tried to block Kobe's path, but Kobe was not only fast but also far more agile than Sun Yue. Kobe bent down, dribbled the ball between his legs, and then leaped like an eagle.
Sun Yue's hand was almost touching the ball, but it was just a hair's breadth short.
The ball passed through the net with a dull thud.
As he landed, the entire stadium erupted in cheers, especially the former high-ranking officials like Old Bu, whose faces turned red with excitement.
Kobe's shot was incredibly spectacular, and the Dragon Country fans in the stands didn't hold back their applause.
75-87.
The score gap widened to twelve points again.
On the ensuing possession, Dragon Country attacked. Tang Long took the initiative, jumping and shooting from the free-throw line over both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
77-87.
Although this unconventional shot wasn't as spectacular as Kobe's, it maintained the ten-point difference.
The momentum of pursuit continued. If they could reach single digits, Dragon Country truly had a chance to overthrow Flower Flag Country in this game.
The Flower Flag Country players understood this as well, and Coach K was already yelling from the sidelines!
However, he shouldn't have affected the players' mentality during an offensive play. Kidd had intended to shoot a three-pointer and then pass to LeBron on the baseline.
But the shout disrupted Kidd's pass. The ball, meant for LeBron, ended up going to Anthony.
Tang Long was right there on Anthony's side!