BEEP!
The referee's whistle blew, and the second game between the Cavaliers and the Magic officially began.
"Dear friends and viewers, we are now broadcasting the second round of the NBA playoffs, a game between the Cavaliers and the Magic. The Cavaliers are initiating the offense."
In the broadcast booth, Yang Yi was enthusiastically introducing the players from both teams.
Since the experts in the United States had translated Gortat's provocative words on the court, Yang Yi had grown to like Tang Long even more.
He had good skills, good character, and most importantly, a strong sense of justice.
Now that he was showing his dominance on the court, how could Yang Yi not be proud of his countryman?
He was still introducing the Magic's starting lineup when Tang Long had already executed a spectacular dunk. Yang Yi excitedly slapped his thigh.
"That dunk was absolutely brilliant. With only five or six seconds into the game, Tang Long received a pass from James and made a great start in the Magic's own style. Only Tang Long and James could cooperate so perfectly for such a spectacular shot. It's truly a feast for the eyes."
...
"Beautiful."
James was very happy to get an assist.
"We said we'd beat them 4-0, and we'll beat them 4-0."
James pulled Tang Long aside and said, "I advise you to be careful. The media these days are very tricky. They specifically hired experts to decipher what we say on the court. If you say something like that, you'll be attacked again."
Tang Long shrugged indifferently. "Are you scared?"
"Of course not."
"Then why are we talking about it?"
James thought about it and realized it made sense.
As they were talking, Turkoglu had already brought the ball past half-court. The Cavaliers had adopted a zone defense strategy, which was clearly intended to prevent breakthroughs when their stamina was at its peak.
The Cavaliers' zone defense was clearly within Turkoglu's expectations. As he dribbled, Morris Evans came up for a pick-and-roll. Turkoglu used the space created by the screen to drive directly to the Cavaliers' basket.
Facing Tang Long's defense, Turkoglu opted for a floater.
Tang Long reached out to block it, but couldn't quite get there. The Magic followed up with a two-point score.
The Magic had clearly made tactical adjustments for this game, learning from the previous one. They were no longer deliberately seeking out Lewis on offense. Turkoglu was responsible for scoring, Evans was responsible for setting screens, and Nelson was looking for opportunities on the perimeter.
This change in strategy put the Cavaliers on the back foot initially. Fortunately, Tang Long and James both stepped up on offense, and the two teams traded blows. At the end of the first quarter, the score was tied at twenty-nine.
James had scored 10 points, and Tang Long had 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists.
On the Magic's side, Turkoglu had already scored 14 points in the first quarter, accounting for nearly half of the team's points. Nelson was second in scoring, having made three three-pointers in a row.
Lewis had primarily focused on drawing the Cavaliers' attention in the first quarter, with limited shooting opportunities. He shot 1 for 3 from the field, scoring two points.
Entering the second quarter, the Cavaliers changed their tactics. James continued to defend Lewis, while Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden double-teamed Turkoglu. Pavlovic was guarding Nelson.
With the Cavaliers' change in defensive strategy, the Magic struggled significantly in the second quarter. Their outside shots were clanging off the rim, forcing them to rely on Howard in the paint.
However, facing Tang Long's defense, Howard found it difficult to score. In the second quarter, he shot 3 for 10 from the field, scoring only 6 points, which still accounted for more than half of the Magic's total points.
In the second quarter, the Cavaliers scored 21 points, while the Magic managed only 10.
"If we win this game, we'll have completed more than half of the task."
During the break, the Cavaliers players were clearly excited. Even James was beginning to show a touch of arrogance.
Mike Brown, having learned his lesson, couldn't let his players get carried away. He said with a grim expression, "Don't forget, we got complacent after winning two games against the Hawks."
The Cavaliers players exchanged glances, clearly recalling the embarrassing situation where they were almost eliminated by the Hawks.
Despite Mike Brown's attempt to caution the players during the break, the elated players quickly forgot his words. Especially the players who came off the bench, seeing the team leading by ten points, started playing selfishly and abandoning teamwork for individual heroics.
As a result, the Cavaliers scored 28 points in the third quarter, similar to the first, but allowed the Magic to score 36 points. By the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers' lead had shrunk to just two points.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, Mike Brown put the starting five back on the court. However, the Magic's resilience had been ignited by their performance in the third quarter, and their shooting touch had improved, boosting the confidence of the Magic players.
With one minute left in the game, the Cavaliers led 95-90 by five points. This score was actually precarious, as the Cavaliers had experienced situations where they had tied games at this stage. The entire team was cautious.
With a five-point lead, the ball was in the Cavaliers' possession.
If they scored this basket, the Cavaliers could essentially secure the victory. If they turned the ball over, the Magic would have a chance.
At this moment, Van Gundy called a timeout.
"The Cavaliers will definitely give this play to Tang Long. A three-point shot is full of uncertainty, but they will try to consume time, or even have James feign a drive to draw attention."
"So Lewis needs to contain James, and Howard needs to give Tang Long an opportunity to drive. When he receives the ball, you and Evans need to block Tang Long immediately. It would be best if you can block his shot. Do you understand?"
Howard's eyes were sharp. Despite his heavy breathing, there was a newfound ambition for victory in his gaze.
"If we can't defend this play, we have to foul. We absolutely cannot let Tang Long score this basket."
While Van Gundy was still strategizing, the referee's whistle blew.
"Remember, don't give them a chance to score a three-point play."
Van Gundy's voice was still echoing from the sidelines as the Cavaliers began their inbound pass.
Just as Van Gundy had predicted, the Cavaliers slowed down their offensive pace, clearly intending to consume the twenty seconds before initiating their offense.
As per Van Gundy's strategy, Lewis stepped up to contest. At this moment, Howard ceded a little space, allowing Tang Long to better receive the ball.
Originally, the Cavaliers' strategy was to consume time, but James saw an open space for Tang Long and passed him the ball.
Almost as soon as he passed the ball, Howard lunged towards Tang Long with a sudden change of direction. Evans also converged from the other side.
They stayed extremely close to Tang Long, giving him no room to shoot. Howard also slapped at the ball intermittently, clearly intending to steal it.