"Yinxian de Tang, you wait for me!"
Garnett glared fiercely at Tang Long.
This isn't a foul, is it? Then I'll do it too.
As the league's king of trash talk, Garnett was an expert in all the dirty tricks on the court.
Since Tang Long was playing dirty now, he didn't mind competing with Tang Long to see who could pull off more dirty moves.
Just as Tang Long had expected, Garnett was locked in. Whether on offense or defense, as long as he had the ball, he would pretty much target Tang Long.
Mike Brown asked him to anticipate Garnett's offense, which was indeed quite difficult.
Now, it was much easier. Garnett would shoot whenever he had a chance, and if he didn't have a chance, he'd force it. The difficulty of defending him was clearly reduced.
Although Garnett resorted to some annoying little tricks where the referees couldn't see them, Tang Long was naturally more willing to choose victory over that.
Doc Rivers was so angry he wanted to bench Garnett on the spot.
The original game plan was for Garnett and Pierce to draw attention and then pass to Ray Allen for the shot. But with Garnett playing like this, Ray Allen hardly got any opportunities to shoot.
Beep!
Doc Rivers helplessly called another timeout.
"Kevin, why aren't you executing the game plan?"
Before Garnett could even walk off the court, Doc Rivers immediately lashed out at him!
"Didn't you see Allen had several open shots? If you'd passed him the ball, we wouldn't be trailing by so much. Don't you understand this? Please, snap out of it, we're still behind!"
80-72.
The Celtics were still trailing the Cavaliers by eight points.
At this point, they needed to create more opportunities for three-pointers on the perimeter, and Garnett and Perkins needed to secure as many offensive rebounds as possible for the team to catch up.
"I..."
Garnett opened his mouth, then swallowed his words.
He wanted to argue that Tang Long had provoked him, but saying that would make him seem unprofessional.
So, Garnett could only drink water dejectedly.
"Kevin, we're a team. You have to believe in your teammates, and you have to believe in Allen!"
After scolding Garnett, Doc Rivers resorted to flattery: "Kevin, if we lose this game, we'll be in a very passive position. Even if we can split the two home games to tie the series 2-2, the Cavaliers will still have the home-court advantage with one more home game. So, you need to put the bigger picture first, understand?"
"Coach Doc, I was wrong. I'll focus on playing the game well."
"That's good, Kevin. You have unique talent! You were the Big Ticket, the Big Ticket, the Big Ticket. You need to be the alpha wolf, and your teammates are counting on you. You need to be clear-headed."
"I understand, Coach!"
Doc Rivers nodded in satisfaction.
Soon, the referees blew their whistles, and the game resumed.
Tang Long was surprised to find that Garnett was no longer specifically targeting him.
Just moments ago, when Garnett had the ball for a one-on-one, the Cavaliers players gave them space to play. They were waiting for Tang Long to defend the play, and then launch their own offense.
Just as everyone was thinking this, Garnett drew Tang Long out and immediately passed the ball to an unguarded Ray Allen in the corner. Ray Allen jumped and shot from the baseline.
Clang!
The ball hit the rim.
Tang Long was drawn out, and Garnett established position inside, allowing him and Perkins to secure the offensive rebound together.
Garnett got the ball and jumped, with Tang Long closing in to defend.
The ball traced a faint arc from behind and was passed again to Ray Allen, who was lurking in the corner.
Another shot!
Swish!
This time, it went in, a clean swish. The Celtics made a three-pointer.
Making a three-pointer wasn't a big deal for the Cavaliers.
During the offensive transition, after LeBron James made a two-point shot, the Celtics used the same tactic again.
This time, Ray Allen's shot was still accurate. He was indeed the gentleman, a famous sharpshooter in history.
Following that, Drew Gooden fumbled the ball, and the Celtics launched a fast break. Rajon Rondo drove in for a layup, scoring another two points.
82-70.
The Celtics had a strong run, scoring eight unanswered points.
Beep!
Seeing the Celtics gaining momentum, Mike Brown immediately called a timeout.
"The Celtics have changed their tactics. Now they're getting more scoring opportunities from the outside, especially from Ray Allen. So, we need to change our tactics as well."
Mike Brown looked at Larry Hughes: "Larry, I want you to guard Ray Allen. We'll switch to a 2-1-2 zone defense."
"Coach, after you called this timeout, don't you think the Celtics will realize we're specifically targeting them and make corresponding adjustments? Then they'll take the opportunity to change their tactics and have Garnett and Pierce play inside again?"
Mike Brown paused, then began to ponder.
Tang Long's point was not unreasonable.
It was like playing rock-paper-scissors; there was a sequence to their moves.
If he predicted your prediction and made another move, he would always be ahead!
"What I said earlier remains unchanged, but if the Celtics change their formation, you'll revert to the zone defense."
Mike Brown patted LeBron James and Tang Long on the shoulders and said sternly, "You are the soldiers on the battlefield. Sometimes you need to adapt to the situation. Whatever they do, you adjust accordingly. I have only one request: never let the damn Celtics win at the Quicken Loans Arena."
"Let's go!"
The players high-fived each other and returned to the court.
Just as Tang Long had predicted, the Celtics, who returned to the court, did not continue to focus on outside shooting. Instead, Paul Pierce resolutely initiated isolation plays.
Fortunately, Tang Long and his teammates were prepared and did not give them too many easy opportunities to score in the low post.
Time ticked away, and the two teams traded blows.
However, neither could gain a significant advantage. The Celtics played with more determination, scoring 28 points in the third quarter, while the Cavaliers scored 25.
Despite this, with the advantage built up in the first three quarters, the Cavaliers still defeated the Celtics 103-97 at home, securing their second victory in the Eastern Conference Finals!
2-0.
The Cavaliers had gained the initiative!
On the other side, the Lakers demonstrated terrifying interior dominance.
In the first game against the Spurs, although neither team scored over 90 points, the Spurs maintained sufficient firepower and staged a comeback in the fourth quarter to win.
After adapting to the Spurs' tempo, the Lakers crushed the Spurs by over thirty points in the second game, winning 101-71!
In the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers were still winning by a large margin, which was a testament to their dominance!
Although the Lakers lost one game to the Spurs, fans and media still did not favor the Cavaliers' chances against the Lakers.
In this era, with the Western Conference being stronger than the Eastern Conference, most experienced fans and media believed that even if the Cavaliers managed to reach the playoffs, they would likely be defeated by the Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant!