60 seconds, 59 seconds, 58 seconds…
Time ticked by, second by second. The individual skills of the star players were undeniably excellent. Stealing their ball was an extremely difficult task, especially after several successful steals when the opponents were already extremely wary.
Bosh and Tang Long exchanged a glance, contemplating whether to foul.
Tang Long shook his head. Fouling Paul was not worth it; it would only gift them two free points.
He glanced at the timer. There were still fifty-five seconds left.
"Give them space."
Tang Long shouted. The players who had been defending closely immediately created an opening. Paul hesitated but couldn't resist the urge to attack, quickly flashing past Kidd.
Seeing this, Duncan also sprinted towards the basket. Tang Long was the only one inside.
Two on one!
Tang Long closely followed Paul. Paul had already experienced Tang Long's prowess near the basket. After drawing Tang Long's attention, he spun the ball around his body, passing it to Duncan at an extremely tricky angle.
Duncan caught the ball and jumped.
This time, he was going to dunk behind Tang Long.
Duncan raised the ball high, smashing it towards the rim with hands as heavy as a thousand pounds.
Slam!
The sound of a palm hitting the basketball made the entire crowd jump to their feet in excitement.
Tang Long spun 360 degrees in mid-air. He had originally moved to block Paul's action but miraculously turned around and swatted Duncan's dunk away.
[Divine Block]
No one could slam the ball into the hoop in front of the divine presence, and Duncan was no exception.
The cheers from the audience outside the court froze.
Even the commentators stared at the court in disbelief.
What just happened?
The Western Conference All-Stars were in a two-on-one situation, and Duncan's dunk was blocked by Tang Long.
While everyone was still stunned, Tang Long had already thrown the ball to James, who was at the three-point line. James didn't hesitate and drove towards the opponent's basket.
Kobe reacted the fastest, immediately chasing after James. As James stepped into the three-second zone, Kobe was already right behind him.
James jumped and released the ball seamlessly.
Kobe reached out to swat the ball from behind but froze.
James wasn't shooting.
What was going on?
While Kobe was still puzzled, he felt a figure closely following him. That person accurately grabbed the basketball and slammed it into the hoop with immense power!
"Tang, it's Tang from China again. He first stole Duncan's dunk, then passed the ball to James, and then executed a beautiful play with James."
"It's evident that the chemistry between the two is incredible. James knew Kobe was right behind him, so he didn't choose to lay it up."
"He bounced the ball off the backboard. Kobe was unable to block it in mid-air. At this moment, Tang Long caught up and steadily made the shot."
"What I want to say is that James didn't look back while he was dribbling. He had no idea if a teammate was behind him. From this, it's easy to see how great the chemistry is between Little Emperor and Tang. The Cavaliers' thirty-game winning streak is truly well-deserved."
"There are forty-five seconds left in the game. The East is now trailing 132-133, only one point behind. Who would have thought they were trailing by twenty-five points earlier."
The commentators excitedly analyzed the situation. Tang Long celebrated the basket with his teammates before rushing back to defense.
"Guys, this time we need to defend the perimeter well and absolutely not give them any three-point opportunities."
"Okay."
At this moment, both Wade and Bosh had absolute faith in Tang Long. Their objective was clear: they could allow the West to drive for two points, but they absolutely would not allow them to shoot three-pointers. 138 Reading Net
Many fans in the stadium began to entertain the possibility that the East might actually win this game.
"Defend."
The sounds of defense echoed through the arena. Everyone cheered for the East All-Stars. Even Doug Rivers couldn't help but admire Tang Long.
This guy truly had an aura that ignited people's passion!
In stark contrast to the high-spirited East All-Stars, the Western Conference players' expressions were grim. This time, Kobe decided to step up.
The Little Flying侠 played cautiously, preferring to attempt a three-pointer.
Yao Ming also charged towards the basket. If Kobe's three-pointer missed, he would grab the rebound.
Kobe dribbled, probing constantly. Facing James, who occasionally extended his hand, Kobe didn't immediately make a fake move, merely protecting the ball with caution.
He turned, backing into James, and attempted to drive inside.
Just as James was about to let Kobe enter the two-point area, Kobe seized the opportunity, took a quick step back, and pulled up for a three-pointer.
"Shit."
James hadn't expected Kobe to be so cunning and could only turn his head to watch the ball arc gracefully towards the basket.
Swish!
It went in cleanly.
132-136. The score difference was back to four points.
"Fuck."
James couldn't help but curse.
"There's still time. Our strategy was correct. It was just Kobe who took the shot."
Tang Long came over to comfort James, "I believe if you had taken that shot, it would have gone in too. It's okay, let's keep defending."
James nodded, glanced at Kobe, and instinctively clenched his fist.
"Kobe's shot was crucial. If that shot hadn't gone in, the initiative would have fallen into the East's hands. Now that the lead is four points, the East needs at least two more possessions, which is highly unlikely."
The commentators also couldn't help but praise Kobe's shot.
"I wonder if the East All-Stars will go for a two-pointer or a three-pointer."
As soon as the commentators finished speaking, the East had already reached half-court. Kidd passed the ball to Wade, who immediately accelerated towards the Western Conference basket.
Yao Ming and Duncan double-teamed Wade. Wade passed the ball out at a forty-five-degree angle, and it landed in Tang Long's hands. Anthony, seeing this, didn't hesitate and immediately moved to block Tang Long's shooting lane.
Slam!
Anthony put all his strength into this swat, clearly intending to prevent Tang Long from scoring, even if he couldn't block the shot successfully.
Tang Long endured the pain in his arm, maintaining a slight bit of control, and instinctively tossed the ball towards the hoop.
"Swish."
The ball dropped into the basket.
At this moment, the referee's whistle blew. Anthony had fouled him.
And-one.
The crowd erupted in thunderous applause, and countless fans chanted Tang Long's name.
Who would have thought that the Cavaliers would initiate a fast break, securing two points, but then Anthony would give Tang Long an extra point at this moment?
Anthony stared with annoyance at Tang Long as he walked to the free-throw line.
Tang Long bounced the ball, then paused before shooting.
"Carmelo, your glare is making me uncomfortable. Are you planning to interfere with my free throw?"
Tang Long looked at Anthony with a playful smile.