Mike Brown still believed in Tang Long’s defensive capabilities!
At least, whether it was the regular season or the playoffs, for the most part, the Cavaliers had confidently handed over the basket to Tang Long, which allowed them to achieve a winning streak and even make it to the Finals!
So, this short timeout, aside from stalling the Lakers’ rhythm, was also for Mike Brown to change tactics and assign Tang Long more defensive tasks!
After all, this was a crucial scoring period. If Tang Long could secure the interior defense, the pressure on others would decrease, and they would have more energy to focus on offense.
Mike Brown’s timeout was quite effective. When the Lakers returned to the court, under the Cavaliers’ defense, they had virtually no good passing routes.
As Fisher was still dribbling, he heard the Zen Master’s voice yelling from the sidelines: "Derek, it’s almost 20 seconds, what are you thinking?"
Fisher, flustered, finally passed the ball to Kobe.
Kobe took a shot from three-point range, but it missed.
Tang Long and Gasol vied for the rebound.
On their home court, Tang Long naturally couldn’t let Gasol snatch this rebound from above his head.
But just as the two were going head-to-head, Odom grabbed the rebound and then leaped high as if his feet had springs.
Was he trying to dunk?
Trying to dunk over Tang Long?
"Damn, Lamar is trying to throw it down on Tang?"
Someone in the crowd nervously exclaimed.
How could Tang Long allow such a thing to happen?
"Get down here!"
Tang Long jumped up and delivered a massive block, swatting Odom’s shot away. Before Tang Long even landed, the basketball was already in Fisher's hands.
Fisher leaped, and Tang Long blocked him again.
Gasol grabbed the ball again.
*Pa!*
Another huge block!
All three were blocked, and what’s more, Tang Long not only blocked three Lakers players but also recovered possession.
Gasol’s mentality was shattered.
What was this guy made of? His vertical leap was too incredible.
Tang Long’s mentality was also shattered.
Because as soon as the ball was passed past half-court, Larry Hughes was called for an offensive foul.
"How can that be a foul? Don’t you have eyes?"
The referee frowned and stared at Larry Hughes.
"I want to challenge…"
"No, you don't."
Tang Long quickly pulled Larry Hughes back. Offending the referee on the court was not a wise choice.
Besides, it was clear from earlier that Larry Hughes had flipped his wrist while driving.
Possession returned to the Lakers.
Kobe didn’t demand the ball and worked with Fisher. Fisher held the ball, looking for an opportunity, while Kobe moved to the other side, maintaining the rhythm of driving baseline.
Gasol came up to set a pick-and-roll with Fisher. As Fisher drove past Pavlović, Drew Gooden was already closing in.
Old Fish calmly passed behind his back, and the ball reached Vujacic.
Vujacic caught the ball and shot, hitting a precise three-pointer.
25-33.
The Lakers’ lead had extended to eight points!
As James was about to inbound the ball, Tang Long walked over and said, "We can’t rush. We need to slow down the pace. LeBron, you organize the offense."
One advantage of LeBron organizing the offense was that he could drive to the basket or pass.
As long as the teammates moved and created open spaces, LeBron would have opportunities to drive. His performance under the basket, whether for rebounds or low-post offense, would be enhanced.
"Okay, I understand."
James reorganized the offense. Just as Tang Long predicted, as soon as James dribbled outside the three-point line, two Lakers players immediately came to defend him.
At this point, Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden, abandoning their previous stationary positions, ran crisscross patterns, and the Lakers players were momentarily distracted by them.
Seeing this, James broke away from his defender and drove into the lane. When he was trapped, he passed the ball to Drew Gooden.
Unfortunately, the shot missed.
"Fuck, it missed? The rhythm was so good."
Drew Gooden frowned in annoyance.
The opportunity was too good. It was in his familiar spot, with no one guarding him, and he still missed this shot.
"Don't be discouraged. Our strategy was successful just now, it was just that the shot didn’t go in. Don't doubt yourself, we’ll stick to the same strategy."
Tang Long patted Drew Gooden on the shoulder.
Basketball is like this. Missing an open shot can indeed affect morale.
But the ball is round. If this one misses, the next one will go in.
The key is to maintain a stable mindset, especially when trailing, and execute strategies that create opportunities.
Gooden’s miss gave the Lakers another scoring opportunity.
Kobe smoothly scored two points, and the Lakers’ lead extended to ten.
With the second quarter past the halfway mark, the Cavaliers were trailing by ten points at home, and the spectators watched with bated breath, not daring to exhale.
"Go Cavaliers! Go Cleveland!"
The veteran fans stood up and shouted loudly. Soon, the scattered voices gradually converged into a surging wave of power!
"See? The fans are cheering for us."
They say fans are the sixth man on the court, and their support fuels the players.
James received a pass from Larry Hughes. Tang Long drove to the paint, and with Tang Long drawing attention, James successfully penetrated to the basket. It was the same spot as Gooden.
Two points were made.
On the other end, the Cavaliers again adopted a 1-3-1 defense on the perimeter. Everyone had faith in Tang Long’s abilities.
He didn't disappoint them. When the Lakers drove to the basket again, Gasol posted up. They battled in the paint for a few seconds. Gasol couldn't turn around, and with Drew Gooden rotating to help, Gasol could only pass to Odom.
Odom shot again, but as soon as he leaped, he saw a dark shadow rushing towards him!
He quickly shot, but the shadow was faster.
The shot was blocked again!
Odom rushed to protect the ball, even if it meant fouling, he had to stop the ball.
But before he landed, the dark shadow was already dribbling towards the Lakers’ basket.
"Oh my god, what am I seeing?!"
"Tang blocked Odom’s shot and is now dribbling towards the Lakers’ basket."
"He’s too fast! Tang is like a cheetah spotting its prey now. This speed is faster than a sprinter!"
"Beautiful."
"Block, steal, dribble, and layup, all in one fluid motion. Tang’s score is too spectacular! This is undoubtedly the best play of the Finals!"
The commentator couldn't control his excitement, standing up and waving his arms wildly.
Cavaliers players also ran over to high-five Tang Long.
...
"Can a center do something like this?"
Guo Qiang stared at the TV screen. Although he was back in China and watching the game wasn't as thrilling as being on the court, watching on TV had its advantages: there were slow-motion replays.
Seeing Tang Long block Odom and then go coast-to-coast for a layup, Guo Qiang was utterly stunned!