Pierce brought the ball past half-court and quickly passed it to Ray Allen. Garnett then sprinted down the baseline, and Perkins and Garnett trapped Tang Long in the paint.
Ray Allen took a decisive shot, but at that moment, Larry Hughes had already arrived, somewhat disrupting Ray Allen's release.
The ball missed the rim. Just as Tang Long was about to jump, he found Garnett and Perkins tightly squeezing him, making it impossible to exert any force.
Perkins, behind him, grabbed the rebound and immediately slammed it home!
"Get down here!"
Tang Long leaped, his move enhanced by the **Heavenly God's Block**, overtaking Perkins and slamming the ball down!
After landing, Perkins attempted to grab the ball again.
*Slap!*
Tang Long swatted it away again.
"Are you trying to pick a fight?"
Perkins angrily bumped Tang Long with his chest, attempting to provoke him.
Tang Long was unfazed. He raised an eyebrow slightly and leaned into Perkins.
Perkins was pushed back several steps before regaining his balance. Enraged, he let out a roar and charged forward.
"Calm down!"
Garnett quickly restrained Perkins.
A shove-for-shove could at most result in a technical foul, but a physical altercation would lead to ejection.
Playing away from home was already difficult, and if Perkins was ejected, no one would be left to defend Tang Long.
"You should listen to KG. If you're not satisfied, we can put on an encore after the game. Dare to have a one-on-one? Whoever backs down is a coward!"
"Don't fall for it!"
At this point, Pierce also came over to pull Perkins back.
*Beep!*
The referee separated them, giving both Tang Long and Perkins a technical foul.
...
"The game has a lot of tension! Tang Long needs to stay calm; he and Perkins both received a technical foul."
"Perkins is just a blue-collar player for the Celtics. If Tang Long accumulates too many fouls, it won't be good for the Cavaliers."
"Did the Celtics read The Art of War? Their strategy of pitting their inferior players against the opponent's superior ones is quite clever!"
In the broadcast booth, Yu Jia and Yang Yi felt that the physical play would be significant, noting that the Celtics had always employed a lot of subtle tactics. Tang Long, on the other hand, was someone who wouldn't back down, believing that any on-court conflict should be avenged on the court. They hadn't expected such intense emotions in the first quarter.
"They need to let the game speak for itself and not be led by the nose!"
"Yang Yi, do you think the Celtics realized Tang Long was drawing fouls on Garnett and deliberately sent Perkins to provoke him to break the rhythm?"
"There's some logic to that." Yang Yi nodded. "Doc Rivers is also a master strategist; it's not surprising he can quickly devise a counter-move. We'll see how Mike Brown responds next."
...
Mike Brown frowned as he watched the teams locked in an intense battle on the court, with offense becoming secondary. He considered calling a timeout but saw LeBron James drive past Garnett, drawing another foul on him, and sat back down. At this moment, it seemed best to let the players play freely.
James made both free throws, and it was the Celtics' turn to attack.
This time, Garnett's movements were noticeably more restrained. He had already picked up two fouls before the first quarter ended, and another would likely limit his playing time. Garnett stayed away from the basket, roaming around the elbow area.
Meanwhile, Pierce drove to the basket, and Larry Hughes couldn't defend him, getting left behind with a simple change of direction.
Tang Long rushed over to defend Pierce. Seeing Tang Long, Pierce abruptly stopped. Drew Gooden also came to help, forcing Pierce to pass the ball back to Rajon Rondo at the three-point line.
Rajon Rondo dribbled back and forth, executing crossover steps as Pavlovic stayed close.
"KG, you need to come to the wing to receive the pass!"
LeBron James, guarding Garnett, initiated his taunting mode.
Garnett shot him an angry glance. "I trust my teammates."
"No, you're just afraid to catch the ball. You're worried about being blocked and drawing another foul."
"Kevin..."
Pierce, seeing this, quickly gave Garnett a look and initiated a position swap. He had initially intended for LeBron to guard him, but after swapping with Garnett, LeBron followed.
"LeBron, since when did you become a shadow?"
"Whatever you say."
LeBron shrugged indifferently and let Rajon Rondo take the shot, knowing that Rondo's shooting ability was notoriously poor across the league.
As expected, Rondo's shot missed. Tang Long grabbed the rebound.
The Cavaliers then initiated a fast break. LeBron sprinted to the basket in an instant, and amidst the cheers of the crowd, his large hands smoothly guided the ball into the hoop!
"Well done!"
The Cavaliers' bench players rose to applaud LeBron. Garnett stood at the free-throw line, looking dejected.
"This is unacceptable; our defense isn't solid enough. Everyone needs to focus."
Pierce glanced at Garnett and nodded. "Tang is still focusing on the paint. Kevin, you should take shots from the mid-range."
Garnett's eyes lit up, seeming to understand Pierce's suggestion.
On the next possession, Pierce drew Larry Hughes out with the ball. Garnett positioned himself well and received a pass from Pierce before rising for a shot.
"F***!"
The pass and shot were executed flawlessly, but the ball didn't go in. He shot an annoyed glance at the rim and quickly retreated to defense.
Tang Long grabbed the rebound and passed to Larry Hughes. Instead of immediately retreating, he received the pass at the free-throw line and took a shot.
Swish!
"KG, take a look, *this* is how you shoot!"
Garnett's eyes widened as if they could spew fire. What was most infuriating was that after his miss, Tang Long had just hit a mid-range jumper.
"My bad, I'll stick with him."
Perkins awkwardly raised his hand.
Tang Long had been near the basket, so when he positioned himself near the free-throw line this time, Perkins didn't step up to contest, allowing Tang Long an easy shot.
The camera zoomed in on Tang Long, his explosive muscles drawing gasps from countless fans!
"Look at that, those are the muscles a player should have!"
"I wonder what some of those 'white-washed' athletes would think if they saw this?"
The fans enthusiastically praised Tang Long's physique, and the commentators in the broadcast booth shared training videos of Tang Long.
"During a previous internal interview with the Cavaliers, Tang Long's training intensity was considered unparalleled within the team, far exceeding domestic standards!"
"Abroad, there are specialized coaches who tailor training plans for players, with intensity adjusted based on individual needs."
"Therefore, the training plans for our domestic athletes cannot compare to those in the United States."