Popovich invented the fronting defense, and it was the first time he encountered an opponent.
Thomas also refused to believe it, attributing it to insufficient concentration and a slower jump than Tang Long. He continued to front Tang Long.
After scoring five baskets against Thomas consecutively, Tang Long himself felt a bit embarrassed.
As the second quarter was nearing its end, he had already scored 16 points and grabbed 9 rebounds, one point more than James.
"What on earth are the Spurs trying to do?"
The Cavaliers were leading the Spurs by twelve points, with ten of those coming from Tang Long over Thomas.
Tang Long shook his head, admitting he couldn't figure it out either.
On the Cavaliers' final possession of the second quarter, Parker drove to the basket and scored.
At this moment, the Cavaliers led the Spurs 50-40 by ten points.
However, the Spurs players seemed relaxed, while the Cavaliers' players had much more expressive faces. Unlike the bench players, the starting five all had furrowed brows.
A tactical master couldn't possibly miss the changes on the court, yet he didn't even call a timeout at such a crucial moment.
Tang Long looked at Mike Brown.
Mike Brown was still explaining the upcoming strategy and clearly wasn't paying much attention to these matters.
James nudged Tang Long with his shoulder, "What do you think?"
"I think the Spurs' focus is no longer on this game."
James nodded, "I have the same feeling. I think Popovich wants to study you, to prepare for the playoffs."
"This old fox," Tang Long couldn't help but chuckle. "He's thinking quite far ahead. But is he that confident he can beat the Lakers?"
The Lakers, with Gasol and Bynum this season, were ranked second in the Western Conference. In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs were eliminated by the Lakers 4-1.
Although one should be farsighted, this was perhaps too far ahead!
"It's also possible that the Spurs believe they can't defend you, so they're letting Duncan rest more in this game to prepare for future matches."
"I think both are possible."
Tang Long nodded slightly and said, "Never mind, let's win this game first."
James patted Tang Long's shoulder and got up to head back onto the court.
"Tang, do you want to rest?"
Mike Brown looked at Tang Long eagerly.
With Tang Long on the court, the situation was always under control, and he worried that continuous play would exhaust Tang Long.
"No need, Coach Brown, I can handle it."
Mike Brown nodded and said nothing more.
He planned to let Tang Long play a few minutes in the third quarter to ensure they maintained control of the game before subbing him out.
Beep!
The referee's whistle blew, and the third quarter began.
The Cavaliers had possession.
At the start of the third quarter, the Spurs played with exceptional determination. The moment the ball reached LeBron James, Finley charged over to double-team him.
However, Finley alone wasn't enough to contain James.
James shifted his body, faked Finley with the ball, and then made a sharp change of direction, passing to Pavlovic at the baseline.
As soon as Pavlovic received the ball, Parker was already closing in, and Bowen also came to help. Pavlovic glanced at the positions of James and Tang Long and decisively passed to Tang Long, who was in a better position to receive.
Tang Long calmly analyzed the situation, adjusted his shooting form, and then jumped.
Swish!
Nothing but net.
Tang Long once again demonstrated his precise shooting in front of Duncan.
"If a dominant center can also master a good jump shot, they become incredibly difficult to defend."
Zhang Weiping, in the commentary booth, couldn't help but applaud Tang Long's shot.
Deron Williams had troubled Yao Ming with his mid-range jumper, and now Tang Long's mid-range jumper was making Duncan experience Yao Ming's pain.
"I wonder if Popovich will have Duncan front Tang Long?" Yang Yi quipped. "Thomas couldn't stop Tang Long by fronting him, but Duncan might."
"I don't think so. This is Tim Duncan, he has pride."
As soon as Coach Zhang finished speaking, Duncan had already moved in front of Tang Long and established position.
"This... the Spurs' desire for victory is something we should learn from."
Zhang Weiping tried to backtrack, looking quite dejected.
The Spurs, Tim Duncan...
Fronting Tang Long?
While it proved Tang Long had established himself, it was still somewhat absurd.
Not only did Zhang Weiping find it absurd, but Duncan also felt he would be ridiculed after the game.
But this was an instruction from Popovich, and he had no choice.
The greatest strength of the Spurs was that Popovich's authority could not be challenged.
"Tim, how could you do this?"
As the Cavaliers drove to the Spurs' basket, James was holding the ball and looking for an opportunity. Tang Long was battling Duncan, and especially with him blocking his way, it felt like the lights in the AT&T Center weren't as bright.
Duncan scowled but remained silent, sticking close to Tang Long, raising his hands to disrupt James's pass to Tang Long.
James refused to believe it and passed the ball directly to Tang Long, who jumped. However, Duncan's wingspan combined with his height still blocked his path, and he jumped slightly faster than Tang Long.
With that slight advantage, Tim Duncan securely grabbed the ball.
Duncan held the ball for a moment, then passed it directly to Parker, who had already reached half-court. Parker faked out Drew Gooden with a slick crossover dribble and then charged towards the Cavaliers' basket.
The Spurs' offense was incredibly fast. Parker was practically unguarded.
Naturally, the ball went in!
"That fast break was spectacular, like a flowing stream that caught the Cavaliers off guard. It seems Duncan's fronting defense was effective."
"Ever since Deron Williams's mid-range jumper shattered the traditional center's mold, traditional centers have found it very difficult. If the Cavaliers continue to be this passive, the opponent can just send a traditional tall center to front Tang Long, and he'll be almost completely restricted in the low post. While the mid-range jumper can solve some problems, Tang Long's position becomes awkward."
Yang Yi and Zhang Weiping were surprised by the effectiveness of the Spurs' tactical change and began to worry about Tang Long.
Tang Long himself didn't feel anything.
He hadn't expected Duncan to employ a fronting defense just then and was momentarily caught off guard.
"LeBron, lob pass."
"Okay, no problem."
James immediately understood Tang Long's intention.
After crossing half-court, both teams spread out. Duncan fronted Tang Long again, and at this point, Tang Long was only about a meter from the basket.
Was Duncan going to try his old trick again?
James initially feigned a drive, drawing the Spurs' attention, and then opted for a lob pass.
This time, Tang Long jumped first, a palm's width ahead of Duncan.
Duncan was prepared. Seeing that he couldn't steal the ball, he simply swatted it away.
The ball went out of bounds, successfully disrupting the Cavaliers' offense. This defensive strategy is worth advocating.
...