"Tang, did you see Josh's pre-game interview? Do you have anything you want to say back to him?"
Xiao Gen held the microphone, her big eyes blinking at Tang Long.
This was the advantage of having your own people.
If it were someone else or Catherine, they wouldn't use the word "retaliate." They would at least stir the pot, exaggerate Josh's words first, and then provoke Tang Long to respond. If the two sides clashed, that would be even better.
Even though she was just a news courier, sales were guaranteed.
"The last guy who was this arrogant in front of me is still questioning his life. I think it's necessary to teach him a lesson."
Xiao Gen blinked: "Tang, are you trying to say that even though everyone is in a different position, we can still discuss experiences, right?"
Xiao Gen was being very tactful.
Of course.
She was mainly trying to prevent her peers from having anything to write about randomly.
If this got out, there would be traffic, but Tang Long would definitely get into a verbal spat with the Hawks players, and Tang Long didn't need that right now.
"It's fine, just report it. If Josh isn't satisfied, he can find me on Twitter after the game. Hawks fans are also welcome to verify on Twitter after the game."
"Uh..."
Xiao Gen's eyes were practically sparkling.
It had to be Tang Long.
Even during interviews, he didn't forget to advertise.
If it were someone else, Xiao Gen would definitely curse them for only thinking about advertising, but seeing Tang Long do this, she felt he had a great business acumen.
"Tang, the Cavaliers will definitely advance, go for it."
Xiao Gen said, waving her little fist.
"With your blessing, we will definitely advance."
Tang Long playfully winked at Xiao Gen, and a blush crept up her cheeks.
Is he hinting at me?
Xiao Gen walked towards the press seats in a daze, looking at Tang Long, who was on the court, bending his knees, ready to jump like an eagle about to spread its wings and soar into the sky. She became even more infatuated.
Beep.
With the referee's whistle, Game 7 between the Cavaliers and the Hawks officially began.
As soon as the referee's whistle blew, LeBron James saw the basketball tossed into the air being batted towards him by a powerful hand. The owner of that hand quickly drove to the baseline after passing the ball to him, his movements fluid and seamless.
LeBron James hesitated not at all, rushing to the basket with lightning speed.
The fans at the Quicken Loans Arena were all chanting LeBron's name.
"LeBron, dunk it."
"LeBron, teach them what a spectacular dunk is."
Amidst the fans' cheers, LeBron James raised his arm high, like a pillar supporting the sky, and smashed directly towards the hoop.
"Oh yeah."
Many fans stood up, clapping and cheering for LeBron's powerful dunk. Even the Cavaliers' bench players stood up to cheer for LeBron.
A powerful dunk to start the game indicated that the entire Cavaliers team was brimming with fire.
After being up 2-0, they thought they could easily defeat their opponent, but the series was tied at 3-3.
What's more, their biggest competitor in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics, had swept their opponent 4-0. Doc Rivers had even indirectly mocked Mike Brown to the media, saying that Mike Brown could only rely on the star players on his team.
Therefore, Mike Brown had issued a strict order for this game: they had to suppress their opponent from the start and not give the Hawks any room to maneuver.
However, the Hawks, who had made it to the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, were not weak. Even though they were playing away, their morale was high.
After LeBron's dunk, Joe Johnson also led the Hawks in their offensive attack.
After a few passes, Josh Smith successfully broke through to the basket.
"What future league-best center? I think he's just all show. Are those stats all inflated?"
He followed up by jumping high, wanting to match the Cavaliers with a dunk.
As soon as his words fell, Tang Long had already reacted swiftly. He reached Josh Smith in two steps, and as Josh jumped, Tang Long entered his "zone" mode and swatted the rising basketball away.
Beep!!
Out of bounds.
Although the ball possession still belonged to the Hawks, Josh Smith's expression was extremely displeased. Especially with the Cavaliers fans chanting Tang Long's name wildly, it made Josh Smith's face even more ashen.
"These guys are really stubborn, why don't they learn their lesson?"
Tang Long exclaimed.
Just then, Al Horford inbounded the ball. After a screen from Joe Johnson, Al Horford broke past the defender Drew Gooden. Al Horford and Mike Bibby positioned themselves to create space for Joe Johnson's layup.
"The Hawks' offense was played beautifully. This is a testament to team basketball! After the ball was inbounded, Al Horford first set a screen, and then went to position himself, successfully blocking the Cavaliers' anchor with Mike Bibby... Oh my!"
"This shot was blocked again? What's going on?"
The commentators on the scene were stunned.
The replay showed that Al Horford and Mike Bibby had already established good positions, leaving only a narrow gap. To everyone's surprise, Tang Long used this tiny space, like a butterfly flitting through flowers, to break through.
Joe Johnson, who was shooting, was startled and instinctively didn't put full force into his shot. As a result, Tang Long intercepted the ball.
This block was simply spectacular.
So much so that the Quicken Loans Arena was chanting Tang Long's name.
In the cheering audience, two people were intently watching the developments on the court.
National team head coach Jonas Kazlauskas and Guo Qiang.
Watching film made it difficult to observe the overall picture and make the most accurate assessment of Tang Long. Therefore, Jonas decided to come to the United States in person to observe Tang Long.
"What do you think? Can Tang Long's defense be described as an 'iron wall'?"
Jonas did not refute Guo Qiang's words.
At the beginning of the game, it was difficult to discern much. Based on the current observations, Tang Long's strengths were mainly in defense and rebounding. This position might overlap with Yao Ming's.
If Tang Long were to play as a sixth man, it would be a waste of such great talent. Therefore, Jonas did not immediately make a decision.
"This is a good prospect, and also the youngest MVP of this year's All-Star game. His future is limitless. Therefore, it would be better to have him partner with Yao Ming."
Jonas glanced at Guo Qiang but remained silent.
If Tang Long and Yao Ming were to play on the court simultaneously, it would mean one player had to be a substitute. However, this would make the team's chemistry awkward, and it would be difficult to fully utilize their collective strength.
However, seeing the excited look in Guo Qiang's eyes, Jonas couldn't bring himself to pour cold water on his enthusiasm. He simply said, "Let's observe his offense further. If his offense is also up to par, then perhaps he and Yao Ming can coexist on the court."
Jonas and Guo Qiang's discussion did not attract anyone's attention. As they were talking, the Cavaliers were going on offense.