"Paul, your brother is also on the roster. Why aren't you and your brother starting together? You could completely use a dual-center strategy to defeat the opponent with your height advantage."
Tip-off.
Gasol really didn't want to bother with Tang Long.
But the question was a serious one, and if he didn't answer, it would seem ungentlemanly.
"That's because..."
As soon as Gasol opened his mouth, the referee blew the whistle for the game to start. The basketball was then tossed high into the air. Tang Long's feet pushed off the ground, and he shot up like a rocket, directly swatting the ball to Sun Yue.
"Tang, you despicable and shameless brat."
Gasol cursed furiously.
However, everyone's attention wasn't as fast as the ball's movement. By the time the Spanish players realized Yao Ming had already reached the basket, they were all angrily glaring at Tang Long.
Boom.
Yao Ming opened the scoring with a two-handed slam dunk.
"Damn it, you guys just wait."
The Spanish players were thoroughly enraged.
After Gasol's free throw, Calderón brought the ball up, passed to the wing in the half-court, and Fernndez took the shot.
3-pointer made.
2-3.
Although the Dragon Country players scored first, the Spanish players shot more decisively.
Fortunately, our players' confidence soared after defeating the United States. They immediately executed a beautiful offensive play in the paint after Yi Jianlian received the pass.
Following that, Spain committed a passing error, Tang Long successfully stole the ball and scored another goal with a dunk in the paint.
7-3.
China's aggressive early strategy had caught Spain off guard.
"Gasol, come out and facilitate."
Garcia shouted from the sidelines.
Spain was having trouble holding onto the ball, and Gasol didn't have a significant advantage when contesting positions with Yao Ming, making it difficult to pass the ball comfortably to Gasol. Therefore, Garcia decided to initiate the Horns offense earlier.
Gasol was on the left, Jiménez on the right, and Calderón could either control the ball or drive to the baseline, organizing the offense.
The idea was sound.
But Tang Long and Yi Jianlian switched positions.
As Gasol moved forward, Tang Long proactively moved to mark him.
"Are you some kind of phantom, always haunting me?"
If Tang Long didn't have men like Scarlett and Swift by his side, Gasol would have almost suspected Tang Long was in love with him.
However, if Gasol knew that Tang Long had remained pure with these beautiful women for so long, he probably wouldn't have dared to let Tang Long get close to him during the game.
But Tang Long's close-marking was very effective, making it difficult for Gasol to receive the ball.
Tang Long was fast and had excellent judgment. He could often predict the opponent's passing lanes the moment they were about to pass. Coupled with Murasakibara Atsushi's leaping ability and solid physique, he directly cut off one side of Spain's offense at its source.
Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded.
While everyone had expected a close match, no one anticipated that Dragon Country would completely suppress Spain in the first quarter.
Midway through the first quarter, Dragon Country led Spain by ten points, 15-5.
This score clearly exceeded everyone's expectations.
More importantly, in these fifteen points, Tang Long's scoring was not high. Most of the fifteen points came from Yao Ming and other teammates.
The Dragon Country players were playing exceptionally well. After Gasol was contained, Spain's offense became sluggish. Combined with cold shooting from the perimeter, the team missed shot after shot, scoring only five points in five or six minutes.
Spain's coach wanted to call a timeout, but there were only two timeouts in the first half. Calling one now would leave them with only one for the rest of the half.
So, he hesitated and chose to direct from the sidelines instead of calling a timeout.
"Gasol, you go inside, and let Fernndez play your spot."
There was no three-second rule in the Olympics, which greatly benefited tall players. This was also why Dragon Country could suppress Spain initially.
With our Great Yao standing under the basket, and Gasol pulled out, it was like facing a giant to try and score in the paint for the Spanish players – essentially asking for their shots to be blocked.
Garcia also saw this and switched Gasol back.
After Gasol returned to the paint, Spain's offense picked up. Calderón drove to the frontcourt, lobbed a pass to Gasol, and Gasol posted up Yao Ming.
Their heights and weights were relatively close. Gasol pushed Yao Ming inside, getting closer to the basket. Yao Ming braced Gasol with his chest, raising his hands to block his shot.
Gasol cradled the ball and used his shoulder to push Yao Ming away, then hooked for a layup.
15-7.
This basket was crucial for Spain. If they had missed this one and Dragon Country had scored two more points, the gap would have widened to over ten points, which would have put a lot of pressure on Spain.
Following that, Tang Long from Dragon Country hit a two-point shot from the mid-range.
Spain's offensive strategy gradually became simpler. After crossing half-court, the players spread out for isolation plays. At this point, the ball was given to Gasol, letting him go one-on-one with Yao Ming.
They exchanged baskets. By the end of the first quarter, Dragon Country led by seven points, 21-14.
...
"This Olympic Games might truly be an Olympic Games full of miracles. We defeated the formidable United States and have already rewritten the history of Dragon Country basketball. Now, facing Spain, we are dominating them on the court. If we win this game, we will not only achieve a second consecutive victory in the Olympics but also break the embarrassing streak of six consecutive losses to Spain."
During the timeout, the C5 camera cut back to the broadcast booth, and Old Bai's face was flushed with excitement.
This commentary assignment was indeed the right choice.
"Indeed, this men's basketball team has given us too many surprises." Director Zhang said with a chuckle. "Since Tang Long joined the men's basketball team, he has brought not only tactical richness but also temperament to the team, which is the most precious thing. Regardless of whether the team is trailing or needs someone to step up on the court, Tang Long can always step up and stabilize the team. This quality, even in the NBA, not every superstar possesses."
"To have a player like this is truly the luck of the men's basketball team!"
Director Zhang sighed with emotion.
...
Indeed, having Tang Long is an absolute stroke of luck.
But for the enemies, facing Tang Long is not a pleasant experience.
As the second quarter began, Tang Long stole the ball from Calderón and immediately executed a dunk. Following that, Gasol posted up Yao Ming, but he took too long, and Tang Long seized the opportunity to block his shot from behind.
These two consecutive offensive plays by Tang Long dealt a blow to Spain. As they struggled to create an offensive opportunity and were on the verge of a violation, Garcia quickly called a timeout.
Less than a minute into the quarter, Garcia's forced timeout was called with great frustration.
These two possessions essentially stemmed from turnovers. Gasol's was slightly better, as the block by Tang Long wasn't a turnover itself. But losing possession and failing to generate offense was infuriating!