Daniel Gibson's agent had informed him that several teams were interested and willing to sign him at a 50% salary increase.
Although a million dollars becoming a million and a half couldn't compare to the superstars, Gibson was already content.
"I want to dunk on him whenever I get the chance."
Tang Long glanced at the Spurs players who had already started their charge with the ball.
Duncan wasn't rushing towards the inside.
Tang Long's brow twitched slightly.
Were the Spurs trying to run a pick-and-roll?
Looking at his teammates' positioning, it was clear they hadn't seen through the Spurs' strategy.
While he hesitated, Matt Bonner had the ball at the three-point line. As Daniel Gibson went to defend, he collided squarely with Duncan's shoulder.
"Daniel, be careful. That was a good attempt."
Duncan taunted him.
The man who was usually expressionless couldn't help but grin, then turned his head to watch Matt Bonner jump.
He was already preparing to retreat and defend.
*Smack!!*
The solid sound of a block made Duncan turn back to look.
Matt Bonner, who had jumped at the three-point line, had been blocked.
And the one who blocked it was none other than Tang Long.
How did this guy get here?
"Fuck."
Duncan couldn't help but curse and quickly sprinted towards the basket.
Tang Long blocked Matt Bonner's shot. The ball didn't go out of bounds and was swatted to Varejão.
Varejão didn't hesitate at all and charged straight towards the Spurs' basket. He rarely had such a satisfying dunking opportunity.
This was a game, and the opponent was the Spurs.
"Roar!!"
After the dunk, Varejão pounded his chest and roared excitedly at the fans.
"Tang Long's positioning was perfect. After the pick-and-roll, as Matt Bonner was about to shoot, Duncan, while screening Daniel Gibson, also blocked Matt Bonner's line of sight from the other side. If they continue playing like this, the Spurs will have to put in their starters."
"I wonder how many quarters the Spurs will let Duncan play? Duncan's stamina is a concern," Yang Yi said with a smile. "After all, Tang Long's stamina is famously robust in the NBA; most people can only play for about three consecutive quarters."
"That's Tang Long's competitive advantage," Zhang Weiping agreed. "But Tang Long can't overexert himself just because he's young; otherwise, his career won't be long."
"Coach Zhang is right," Yang Yi nodded. "Tang Long will definitely participate in the Olympics, and we might even get to see him then."
"That should be possible."
Zhang Weiping nodded, his excitement building at the thought of seeing Tang Long.
The more excellent basketball players there were domestically, the better the achievements in international competitions would naturally be.
If Yao Ming and Tang Long teamed up, along with other outstanding players like Yi Jianlian and Wang Dazhi, Long Guo's basketball team would surely have a chance to bring back an honor in international competitions!
Zhang Weiping's mind wandered, and Yang Yi felt much the same.
These people truly loved basketball and paid close attention to the progress of domestic players.
As they were chatting, Yang Yi exclaimed, "Varejão was a bit impulsive. With Tang Long in the paint, he could have completely blocked the Spurs' offense. Committing a foul at the free-throw line and still allowing them to get an and-one is really inexcusable."
On the court, Varejão was a bit annoyed. Matt Bonner usually shot threes from the perimeter, but this time he actually drove inside and faked a shot, which completely fooled him.
"Don't worry, we're still ahead. Even if he makes it, we can just score back."
Tang Long patted Varejão's shoulder, signaling him not to get agitated.
Varejão looked at Tang Long and nodded slightly.
Matt Bonner stepped up to the free-throw line and calmly made the shot.
In the second quarter, the two teams had played for four minutes, with the Cavaliers still leading by two points, 30-28.
It was the Cavaliers' possession.
This time, after crossing half-court, the Cavaliers immediately passed the ball to Tang Long, who was near the three-second area. Tang Long caught the ball and immediately accelerated towards the basket.
Duncan, having suffered a loss before, didn't jump to contest but merely used his hands to block Tang Long.
Tang Long, however, deliberately ran into Duncan. As Duncan hit his arm, he also threw the ball towards the hoop.
A 2+1.
Just now, Matt Bonner had scored a 2+1 against Varejão, and Tang Long immediately returned the favor.
"Tang, well done!"
Varejão excitedly hugged Tang Long, feeling immensely vindicated.
Duncan's face had fallen considerably; he hadn't expected to be ambushed by this guy Tang Long again.
Tang Long made the free throw, extending the lead to five points.
*Beep!*
A whistle blew.
The Spurs subbed in Parker and the others again.
Seeing this, Mike Brown also brought in LeBron James and the others, and the two teams were once again at full strength.
However, Duncan's running speed had slowed down a bit.
Popovich frowned upon seeing this.
It was only the second quarter. If Duncan's stamina ran out later, there would be no one in the paint to defend Tang Long.
After a moment's hesitation, Popovich made a decision.
He decided to substitute Duncan out to rest, and let Thomas face Tang Long in the paint.
With Duncan off the court, the Spurs' offense relied more on drives and outside shots. However, as the Cavaliers switched to a zone defense, the Spurs' drives became more difficult.
With their offense stalled and the Cavaliers scoring repeatedly, in just a few minutes with the starters back on, the point difference had widened to ten.
The Cavaliers led the Spurs 43-33.
During halftime, Mike Brown looked at the scores of both teams, as if he were reliving the moments from the Finals.
Except back then, it was the Spurs who were leading, the Cavaliers couldn't get into the paint, and had to rely on outside shots, resulting in brick after brick.
Mike Brown had never dared to dream of winning a championship before, but now, he felt that facing the Celtics and the Lakers in the playoffs, the Cavaliers were not without a chance.
As soon as the third quarter began, just as the Cavaliers were about to launch an offense, the referee blew the whistle to stop the game.
The Cavaliers players were completely bewildered.
LeBron James looked at Tang Long, who shook his head.
No one understood what the Spurs were doing.
Popovich called a short timeout. After this timeout, the previously aggressive Cavaliers had to proceed in an orderly fashion, with Larry Hughes bringing the ball across half-court and passing it to James to initiate the offense.
At this point, Tang Long understood. The Spurs wanted to disrupt their offensive rhythm.
This was too cunning!
Calling a timeout right at the start of the quarter?
As soon as James got the ball, two Spurs players double-teamed him. It was clear the Spurs' strategy was well-defined.
First, disrupt the Cavaliers' offensive rhythm, then limit James's scoring ability, with Thomas playing a denial defense and wearing down Tang Long's stamina in the paint.
At this moment, Tang Long felt he had to step up.
He raised his hand, and James, understanding him, passed the ball over.
Thomas leaped almost simultaneously with Tang Long. Just as he thought he could grab the ball, Tang Long had already slammed it into the basket!!
"Thomas, fronting doesn't bother me. You're still too green!"