"Vujacic has made his move."
"It's Vujacic again. After that terrible performance earlier, Vujacic has come out and hit consecutive shots, giving the Cavaliers a 5-0 mini-run."
"Phil Jackson's substitution has yielded immediate results."
"The score difference has narrowed further. The Lakers still have a chance."
The commentators couldn't help but applaud Vujacic at this moment.
"I'll guard him!"
Larry Hughes had been invisible for much of this game, but thankfully, he was willing to step up at a crucial moment.
"I'll get the steal in the middle."
Drew Gooden added.
Vujacic, after all, wasn't a superstar. With Larry Hughes guarding him closely and Drew Gooden lurking, it wasn't easy for him to get the ball.
After weighing the pros and cons, Fisher passed the ball to Gasol in the paint for a one-on-one against Tang Long.
Gasol drove to the basket, shouldering Tang Long. Their shoulders met, and after a few clashes of strength, Gasol didn't continue to confront Tang Long. He passed the ball to Odom, who was positioned at the elbow.
Odom caught the ball and shot. By this time, Tang Long had already arrived.
A massive hand flew towards the ball, startling Odom. He immediately threw the shot.
Clang!
The ball hit the rim and bounced far away.
Larry Hughes and Fisher arrived almost simultaneously, but Larry Hughes was a step faster and secured the ball.
Meanwhile, Fisher's veteran savvy came into play.
He started jostling with Larry Hughes, neither giving way.
The referee quickly stepped in to stop them and called for a jump ball.
"How can this be a jump ball?"
Larry Hughes complained to the referee, who glared back at him.
"I..."
"Larry, forget it. It's a jump ball, and you're not afraid of losing a jump ball to Fisher, that slippery fish?"
Larry Hughes brightened.
"Tang, you know me best."
With that, he shot a fierce look at Fisher. "Old Fish, watch your back."
"Kid, remember to buy pacifiers after the game."
Fisher, the old fox, wouldn't be outdone in a verbal spar.
"Alright, jump ball."
The referee glanced at them and tossed the ball up.
Larry Hughes jumped almost as soon as the whistle blew.
Fisher knew he couldn't jump as high as Larry Hughes. So, he waited until Larry Hughes had secured the ball and his feet had landed. Then, with all his might, he swiftly swatted at Larry Hughes.
Larry Hughes didn't have time to react before Fisher stole the ball.
Fisher then quickly dribbled the ball towards the basket and laid it up off the board before the double-team could form.
Two points were good!
92-83.
This basket also ended the Lakers' scoring drought.
"We have the lead. Even if we don't score ourselves, we can't let the Lakers build momentum. So, everyone needs to tighten up their defense from now on."
"No problem."
Tang Long's words were met with agreement from all the Cavaliers players.
Due to the increased defensive pressure, the game tempo slowed significantly. Although the Lakers tried to pick up the pace, they felt helpless against the Cavaliers' "turtle shell" defense.
The Cavaliers' offensive pace was even slower, never shooting in less than twenty seconds.
This made the Lakers players increasingly impatient, and their actions began to become more aggressive.
After several such possessions, Odom couldn't hold back. As Tang Long battled for a rebound under the basket, he deliberately shoved Tang Long, who was jumping, out of the way.
Fortunately, Tang Long's core strength prevented him from falling, but he ended up diving towards the spectator stands.
Beep!
The referee quickly stepped between them and blew his whistle.
Odom received a technical foul, and with the original foul, it was two free throws and possession.
"You be careful!"
Tang Long was genuinely angry this time. He had faced many players who used physical play, and some who played dirty, but those were merely annoying.
Odom's move, if he hadn't landed steadily, could have resulted in a sprained ankle, and perhaps even missing the rest of the game.
"I didn't mean to."
Odom said dismissively and turned away.
The referee kept a close eye on Tang Long, fearing he might make an irrational move out of anger.
Fortunately, Tang Long took the ball to the free-throw line, which completely relieved the referee.
Despite his anger, Tang Long's free-throw accuracy was unaffected. He made both shots.
95-83.
The Cavaliers' lead had extended to twelve points.
Just as he made the third shot, and before Gasol could shoot his free throws, the referee's whistle blew again.
Mike Brown called a timeout.
"Tang, you rest for a bit. Big Z, you'll go in next. Make sure the defense is solid."
"Coach Brown, I'm not tired..."
Tang Long thought Mike Brown was worried he might be affected by his anger, and he was about to tell him that he was a professional and wouldn't do anything irrational.
Mike Brown quickly explained, "Tang, I believe in your professionalism. But there are only a few minutes left in the game, and the Finals are a long series. You need to rest. Big Z will be enough on defense."
He then patted Tang Long on the shoulder. "Believe in your teammates."
With the head coach saying so, Tang Long could only nod resignedly.
Mike Brown called a short timeout, calmed Tang Long down, discussed some tactics, and the game resumed.
He had initially thought that with Big Z on the court, even if his offensive contribution was lacking, his defense would be stable. Who knew that Big Z, having not played for a long time, was stiff, and was suppressed by Gasol on both offense and defense!
In less than two minutes of Big Z's appearance, the Lakers went on a 5-0 run.
95-88.
The Cavaliers' lead was reduced to only seven points.
With over ninety seconds left in the game and the Lakers surging, Mike Brown had no choice but to put Tang Long back in!
Having played less than three minutes, Big Z was clearly a bit unhappy.
"Leave the game to me. The Finals are still long. We all believe in your strength."
"Crush them. We have to win this game."
Big Z patted Tang Long on the shoulder.
Tang Long's words of encouragement were surprisingly effective.
After coming off the court, Big Z didn't throw a tantrum. He remained tense, watching the game intently and cheering for his teammates.
With Tang Long back on the court, the passive situation gradually eased. He also connected with LeBron James again!
LeBron drove to the basket, drawing defenders and passing the ball to Tang Long.
Tang Long drove to the basket against Gasol and scored.
He also drew a foul on Gasol!
With the free throw made, the score became 98-88.
The Lakers were still not giving up. Kobe's three-pointer missed, and Tang Long grabbed the rebound without rushing to attack.
Soon, the referee blew the final whistle.
The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 98-88, securing victory in the first game of the Finals!