"It's fine, everyone has cold shooting streaks. Just shoot a few more."
With their outside shots freezing, Tang Long didn't complain, even offering comfort to Sun Yue and Da Zhi.
However, shooting slumps aren't magically fixed with a few comforting words.
After several consecutive misses, Long Guo had fallen behind by six points.
The spectators occasionally let out sighs of regret.
By this point in the game, players and fans were united, sharing in their honor and disgrace. Naturally, they didn't want their team to lose.
At this juncture, Tang Long couldn't let the perimeter players keep taking wild shots.
"Brother Yao, let's attack the paint!"
"I think that's a good idea!"
Yao Ming, half-bent at the waist, hands on his knees, gasped for air.
Fast breaks were extremely taxing for Yao Ming.
Despite "Little Shark" weighing over three hundred pounds, their support points differed.
There were many nimble fat players, but almost no nimble big men.
Tang Long hesitated for a moment, then decided to voice his thoughts.
"Brother Yao, how about you play inside on defense, and I'll handle the offense in the paint?"
As he said this, Tang Long had to be careful.
After all, Yao Ming was a top active center, and saying something like this could easily offend him, making Tang Long seem emotionally unintelligent.
"Then I'll position myself around the free-throw line to cooperate with you!"
In reality, Yao Ming hadn't thought that far ahead. Tang Long had abundant energy and was the most formidable inside player in the league.
For him to go up against "Little Shark" was indeed the optimal tactical choice.
"Brother Yao, your magnanimity and character, I truly admire."
Tang Long couldn't help but give him a thumbs-up, sincerely.
"What, you think I'd think you've gone too far?"
Yao Ming chuckled, "Who do you think is as petty as you are?"
This was a well-known fact.
In the NBA, Tang Long was notoriously petty. If he targeted someone, that person would doubt their life throughout the entire game.
"Brother Yao, you're not being fair!"
Tang Long joined in the laughter.
After they swapped positions, the offense indeed became much smoother.
Especially with Yao Ming pulling out, there was a reliable target for mid-range passes, and the ball could easily reach him.
A single Greek player couldn't contain Yao Ming. When two players moved to defend elsewhere, opportunities arose.
Moreover, with Tang Long inside, Skerzaitis, out of pride, didn't employ a front-court defense, making it easier for Tang Long to receive the ball.
Long Guo continuously attacked the basket, and the score became very close.
By the midpoint of the fourth quarter, the score was 76-80, with Long Guo still trailing by four points.
The offensive issues were resolved, and on defense, with Yao Ming no longer having to battle Skerzaitis in the paint, his stamina gradually gave him an advantage. It was no longer easy for "Little Shark" to push Yao Ming aside!
After Spanoulis once again passed the ball inside, Skerzaitis was directly blocked by Yao Ming.
Immediately, Long Guo initiated a fast break, and Da Zhi hit a three-pointer to close the gap to just one point.
Then Spanoulis made a two-point shot, making the score 79-82.
Long Guo took the inbound pass and moved up the court. Tang Long received the ball in the frontcourt, attracting the attention of two Greek players.
This time, Tang Long didn't drive inside. He dribbled all the way to the corner.
Yao Ming, with great chemistry, cut to the paint, appearing as if he was going to attack inside again. However, the ball circled back to Tang Long, who was still beyond the three-point line in the corner.
When he shot, the Greek players dared not give him space.
Diamantidis quickly moved to contest, but Tang Long shot over him.
Although the shot missed, it resulted in a foul on Diamantidis.
Three free throws!
Tang Long's free throws were steady, and the score became 82-82.
Following this, both teams traded possessions, but with increased defensive intensity, the game became fiercely contested.
As soon as Tang Long received the ball inside, at least two players swarmed him.
Fortunately, Yao Ming's mid-range shots were also very consistent, allowing them to score reliably.
In the final minute of the fourth quarter, the score was tied at 88.
The ball was with the Greek team. Spanoulis slowed down the tempo, dribbling and observing the game situation.
Sun Yue stepped up to pressure him. Spanoulis, with his body sideways, continued to dribble forward. Diamantidis came to set a screen, attempting to create space for Spanoulis to drive!
Their coordination was excellent. When Spanoulis made his move, the focused Sun Yue completely missed that Diamantidis had already set his position.
He initiated his move and directly bumped into Diamantidis.
"Damn it!"
Sun Yue exclaimed, realizing they had been driven past.
The Greek team's penetration was very sharp. A large portion of their points came from driving to the basket and layups.
Conceding easy points at such a crucial moment immediately put pressure on Long Guo.
As Sun Yue was lamenting, a figure intercepted Spanoulis.
Spanoulis seemed surprised by the player who suddenly appeared, and by the time he reacted, it was too late.
Tang Long made his move!
In that split second, Tang Long directly stole the ball.
Spanoulis was the point guard, and his teammates were all ahead of him.
With Tang Long stealing the ball, there were no defenders in their own half. Spanoulis could only grit his teeth and chase back.
However, Tang Long's speed was too great. The moment he accelerated, Tang Long was already under the basket.
This was followed by a thunderous dunk!
It was Long Guo's home court, and the Long Guo fans, seeing Tang Long's spectacular steal and dunk, erupted in cheers!
The play was not only beautiful but also incredibly powerful!
His prediction of Spanoulis's driving lane was also accurate.
Tang Long's basket also made the Greek players feel the strength of an NBA superstar.
The fact that he could still sprint for a dunk at this moment proved he was indeed the most frequently appearing star in the NBA.
The one with the most distressed expression was Skerzaitis.
Originally, Greece could have crushed Long Guo, given their respective strengths. But unexpectedly, Tang Long, with a team of silver-level players, had pushed them into a diamond-level game!
He was already panting after just two steps, and the thought of having to duel Tang Long after the game made Skerzaitis feel overwhelmed!
This hesitation also made Skerzaitis play less decisively in the paint.
While he was contemplating whether to conserve energy, a huge mistake occurred.
He failed to catch Spanoulis's pass, and the ball went out of bounds.
Tang Long, of course, wouldn't miss such a hard-won opportunity, smoothly scoring two more points.
With only thirty-odd seconds left in the game, Greece trailed by four points.
Even though the ball was still with the Greek team, they would need to score at least two baskets to tie the game, forcing them to go for fast breaks!
Long Guo was well aware of Greece's intentions. They gritted their teeth, determined not to give the Greek players easy shots.
Time ticked away. With fifteen seconds remaining, Spanoulis couldn't find a suitable opportunity and had to resort to a pull-up jumper, an off-balance shot!