Swish!
Tang Long's muscles seemed to explode, like bamboo shoots after a spring rain, revealing the power of the earth to the unsuspecting!
Then came a sense of sudden enlightenment.
Although the audience had already witnessed Tang Long's astonishing defensive plays, blocking Nowitzki's fadeaway jumper was a move that was as aesthetically pleasing as it was shocking!
Nowitzki was also disbelieving.
Damn it, this guy is too fast!
He seemed even faster than during league matchups.
Nowitzki had a premonition that the NBA would usher in an era belonging to Tang Long!
No, he had to tell the owner to bring in two more star players this summer, otherwise, the Mavericks wouldn't even dream of the playoffs this summer.
...
"I wonder if you two feel this way, that from the moment the game started, you felt it was a sure win, that we could defeat our opponents."
As Dazhi solved Hamann and Tang Long froze Nowitzki, Long Country went on a 14-3 run, forcing Ballman to call another timeout.
Ballman had already used both of his timeouts before the first quarter even ended.
They had achieved similar scores against the United States and Spain before.
But everyone thought it was just temporary luck. Now, in this game, fans and even commentators felt it was a sure thing.
"Germany's scoring methods are also relatively singular," said Coach Zhang. "Germany's offense still relies on Nowitzki to initiate. Against other teams, Kaman could still be effective, but against us, Kaman can't gain an advantage against Yao Ming, and Tang Long has directly neutralized Nowitzki's presence. Playing like this, Germany is indeed very passive."
Lao Bai chimed in, "We saw earlier that Ball had Hamann guard Tang Long's position, and then Dazhi dealt with Hamann. This time, Ballman called a timeout probably to solve the problem of Nowitzki not being able to receive the ball or get it out."
"It remains to be seen how Jonas will respond, but as Yang Yi said, at this point in the game, everyone has a feeling that the game is very stable, the rhythm is in our hands, and the opponent is always being led by the nose!"
Just as Yang Yi was about to continue, he saw the players from both sides coming onto the court and quickly added, "The players are back on the court. We can see that Ballman has substituted Pasgow, a player born in '76."
Yang Yi was also a bit surprised by Ballman's words.
"Although Pasgow is only 1.8 meters tall, the experience unique to an old player is exactly what the German team needs right now. Germany needs a point guard who can read the game. This substitution might seem bold, but it's also very reasonable."
...
Pasgow entered the game, and Nowitzki's attempt to drive against Tang Long failed.
He had initially shot in a hurry, but after Pasgow came on and shook off Sun Yue, he received the ball from Nowitzki in the left paint.
Two points!
Following Sun Yue's missed three-pointer, Pasgow initiated a fast break.
He directed his teammates' movements from beyond the three-point line, but then he suddenly attacked, faked out Sun Yue, and drove to the baseline. As he was surrounded, he used a "look-back" pass to Nowitzki.
Nowitzki caught the ball with both hands and dunked it without hesitation.
The audience couldn't help but gasp.
That was a beautiful play, flowing seamlessly. It was also Germany's most fluid offensive possession so far in the first quarter.
"Germany's play was beautiful. The Driver is still Germany's backbone!"
"We still need to defend the Driver."
Seeing Nowitzki pumping his fist in celebration, venting his previous frustration, the fans were delighted and shouted: "Tang Long, defend him to the death, don't show him any mercy."
Tang Long couldn't help but chuckle.
"No problem, we still need to let the Driver score a basket, otherwise, what if the Driver gets upset?"
The audience was even more amused.
Seeing Tang Long's lively interaction with the audience, Nowitzki kept glancing at him.
Although he couldn't clearly understand what they were talking about, he was sure it was about him.
As Tang Long returned to his own half and brushed past Nowitzki, the latter couldn't help but ask, "Tang, what are the audience shouting?"
"They're praising you, saying you're Germany's hero, leading the team forward alone. It's a great honor to be your teammate."
"Really?" Nowitzki looked at Tang Long with disbelief.
Did the audience say that much?
Long Country's culture is truly profound; a few words can convey so much meaning.
The Beijing Olympics were truly worth the trip.
"You're a troublemaker!"
As soon as he returned to his defensive position, Yao Ming teased him.
He couldn't hear clearly in the noisy stadium, but judging by Tang Long's expression, he knew he wasn't saying anything good.
"I was just praising him, is that not allowed?"
Tang Long felt extremely wronged; he was indeed praising Nowitzki.
As a nation of etiquette, it's only right to praise opponents.
And it worked very well.
The Long Country team reorganized their offense. To impress the Long Country audience, Nowitzki chose to double-team Yao Ming under the basket with Kaman.
Using Yao Ming's screen, Tang Long received a pass from Sun Yue at the top of the arc and hit a floater for two points.
This basket couldn't be said to be entirely unrelated to Tang Long's taunt, nor could it be said to be entirely related.
Tang Long noticed a detail: after Pasgow entered the game, Germany's offense became significantly more seasoned.
And this guy had a weakness: he liked to direct his teammates' movements and initiate offense while they were moving.
Germany came back again, and Pasgow indeed directed his teammates' movements along the three-point line.
While his teammates were moving, he quickly attacked towards the basket, drawing the Long Country defense with him.
"Sun Yue, when you guard him, don't pay attention to how he directs his teammates' movements; just stick to him!"
"No problem, leave it to me."
Pasgow attacked again, but Sun Yue stayed close to him. Unable to break through, he passed the ball to Nowitzki.
Tang Long, who had been watching him, rushed over and snatched the ball from Nowitzki's hands before him, then launched a fast break.
With his high-speed dribbling, the German players could only watch Tang Long drive in for a layup like a whirlwind!
In addition to Tang Long's performance, Yao Ming's dominance in the paint also became evident. Kaman was no match for Yao Ming when facing him one-on-one.
Long Country led Germany by nine points with a score of 19:9 at the end of the first quarter.
Tang Long scored 6 points, and Yao Ming scored 6 points.
Long Country maintained their dominance over Germany in the first quarter. Although Germany intensified their offense in the second quarter!
Rolle, who had just come on, hit two consecutive three-pointers. And with Tang Long's three-pointer and Yao Ming's dunk, Germany's counterattack was once again suppressed!