"Coach Zhang, what other changes do you think the teams will make to their lineups?" Yu Jia glanced at Coach Zhang.
"The changes upfront should be minimal, as both sides have chosen their regular starting lineups. If there are any changes, they'll likely be with the bench players," Coach Zhang replied.
Yu Jia added, "Last game, Vujacic played poorly. Do you think Coach Jackson will still send him out at crucial moments in this game?"
"That's hard to say. In fact, the Lakers don't have many available players on their bench." Coach Zhang spoke earnestly. "Vujacic, who was highly anticipated, has not been stable enough in the past few games. Ariza is still developing. On the other hand, Manjokic can consistently start for his own reasons. Although he sometimes plays poorly, he is more stable than Vujacic!"
"The Cavaliers also have players like West and Varejão, who are inconsistent, playing well one game and poorly the next. So, the bench lineups seem similar. It's not like at the beginning of the Finals, when everyone was convinced the Lakers had the advantage!"
Yang Yi chimed in, "The Cavaliers have a problem: their stamina is weaker than the Lakers'. In the previous games, the Lakers managed their player rotation quite reasonably."
"Although Kobe, Gasol, and Odom are playing an average of 40 minutes per game, Fisher and Manjokic are also playing over 25 minutes."
"The Cavaliers' starters are basically playing 40 minutes. Besides the stamina issue, there's also the integration problem."
"Mike Brown has tried to use other players, but unfortunately, the chemistry isn't there. Later, Mike Brown had to stick with the starters."
"The Finals score differences are usually not too large, so the bench players don't get much playing time. This creates another problem: using the bench might lead to a loss. But if they don't use the bench, the starters won't have enough stamina, and the upcoming games will only get tougher!"
"Yang Yi's points are very valid, especially concerning Tang Long's stamina." Coach Zhang agreed. "It's already mid-June, and Tang Long will return at the earliest in late June, followed by national team preparations for the Olympic men's basketball in August. His stamina directly determines how far the national team can go!"
"Besides, players need time to integrate; they can't just play immediately after arriving."
"I hope Tang Long can win the championship in this game so he can at least rest for a few more days."
Meanwhile, at the Cleveland Cavaliers' arena.
"Coach Brown, may I ask..."
"I'm sorry, the pre-game press conference has ended. I need to brief the players now and cannot accept interviews. Please come back after the game."
As the players returned to the locker room tunnel, many reporters were waiting to interview them. However, Mike Brown had given strict orders that no one was allowed to give interviews from before the game until its conclusion.
Just as he was entering, Mike Brown saw Xiao Gen and stopped, gesturing for her to come over and ask a question.
"Coach Mike, you're already leading 3-1. Playing at home in this game, are you confident you can beat the Lakers? If you win this game against the Lakers, do you have any celebration plans, Coach?"
Mike Brown nodded. "Of course, we are confident, but it's too early to talk about winning the championship, as the game hasn't started yet, and we cannot be careless. Remember, the Lakers are a great team, capable of giving us any kind of trouble!"
"Thank you, Coach Brown, for accepting our interview on Fox Sports. We also wish Coach Brown success in winning the championship!" Xiao Gen was no longer objective at this point, but so what? She never hid the fact that she was a Cavaliers fan, even if she hadn't been one for long.
...
"I won't say any more unnecessary words! Everyone, if we win this game, victory will belong to Cleveland!"
"You will be legends in this team's history. Countless future generations will see your championship-winning moment. You will inspire them to continue striving and fighting, my young men!" Mike Brown high-fived each of the Cavaliers' starting five.
On the other side, the Lakers players were also preparing to take the court, fully geared up. Tang Long glanced towards the Lakers' side. He heard that Coach Jackson had taken Kobe, Gasol, and others to visit former Lakers championship legends. He figured that, besides their desire for victory, these guys had likely gained a lot of championship experience by now.
"Tang!" Hearing his name called, Tang Long turned his head and saw Swift waving at him. Just as he was about to greet Swift, another voice sounded from not far away: "Tang, finish them off, and if you win the championship, I'll be your girlfriend!"
It was Gal Gadot. After the release of "Wonder Woman," Gal Gadot was the first of the three to become famous. "Iron Man 2" hadn't been released yet, and Swift was just starting to gain popularity, not yet settled. Thus, the cowboys were not very familiar with her. So, when "Wonder Woman" loudly declared she would be Tang Long's girlfriend in front of tens of thousands of spectators, it immediately drew countless fans' attention. Of course, there were also whistles from the crowd!
Countless cameras flashed, turning towards Gal Gadot and capturing her image. The story of a hero and a beauty always captures attention, and adding a touch of romance makes it a critically and commercially successful Hollywood blockbuster! Moreover, with the added prestige of a championship, Gal Gadot's public declaration of affection instantly became the focus of the entire venue.
When the big screen camera panned over, Gal Gadot showed no signs of stage fright and even blew a kiss at the camera. Jack beside her wished he could disappear into a hole. If he had known Gal Gadot would be this bold, he would never have sat next to her.
"Becoming Tang's girlfriend after winning the championship! You wish! Tang, whether you win the championship or not..." Scarlett Johansson under the spotlight was truly stunning! Tang Long could even hear the beating of countless hearts. But with this situation, he didn't know who to greet first. More importantly, the three girls usually sat together. Tonight, however, they were in the same general area but separated by several rows, clearly making it impossible to play it off.
At this critical moment, it was James who bailed Tang Long out. While countless fans were curiously watching to see who Tang Long would greet, the passionate music suddenly began to play, and James walked onto the court, performing his signature move. White powder was tossed into the air! The dust swirled, and the fans excitedly chanted James's name!