The referee was unsure how to call this play, as Gasol had used his body to initiate contact with Tang Long, who was in a defensive stance. Furthermore, there were no excessive movements involved in the physical contact, so after a moment of hesitation, the referee signaled for the game to continue.
"Fuck..."
Gasol was about to curse when the Cavaliers had already driven to the basket. James, towering over Odom and Mnouchkin, managed to score.
Gasol grew even more incensed! If the referee hadn't called Tang Long for a foul, how could James have scored so easily? It was all the referee's fault.
"Referee, this basket is invalid. I was just discussing it with you, and we should have had a timeout."
"I did not signal for a timeout."
The referee glared at Gasol and told the Lakers to inbound the ball.
"This is unfair!"
Gasol continued to complain to the referee.
"Paul, play ball!"
Kobe pulled Gasol back. It wasn't wise to incur the referee's displeasure so early in the game.
Gasol nodded and went to the sideline to prepare to inbound the ball. He wasn't unaware of this, but sometimes emotions got the better of him.
The Lakers initiated their offense, with Fisher bringing the ball up. Fisher's court vision was certainly commendable. As soon as he crossed half-court, he accelerated and changed direction, immediately picking up the pace of the Cavaliers' defense. As a result, Mnouchkin, who had already sprinted to the baseline, received Fisher's pass and was completely unguarded. He shot and made a three-pointer!
The score was 2-3. The Lakers, surprisingly, did not focus on Kobe in their initial offense, which caught Tang Long off guard. Was their strategy to reduce Kobe's shot attempts and create opportunities for his teammates? They would likely focus on Odom and Gasol. Only when they took shots would they be relatively stable, and opportunities would be plentiful.
"Tang, keep it up, beat them!"
The Cavaliers began their offense. Larry Hughes passed the ball to Tang Long, and they separated for a one-on-one. In the paint, everyone held their breath, afraid to miss a single moment of the exciting game. Only Scarlett, cupping her hands, loudly cheered for Tang Long. However, her voice was so sharp and out of place. The surrounding fans all looked at her. Scarlett seemed to realize her behavior was a bit excessive, and a blush spread across her delicate face as she quickly lowered her head to apologize to everyone.
Beautiful women certainly receive preferential treatment. If it had been someone else, the fans might have already started booing. However, after Scarlett apologized, the fans showed leniency and actually expressed their understanding.
Just then, the commentator's excited voice rang out.
"Oh my god! Tang scored with a fantastic hook shot! This kind of rhythmic play has clearly left Gasol helpless!"
"The Lakers already know that Gasol alone can't stop Tang. They still haven't learned from their previous failures."
On the big screen, a slow-motion replay showed Tang Long’s one-on-one against Gasol. The players spread out, Gasol planted his feet firmly, blocking Tang Long from cutting inside, and his hands were slightly extended to prevent Tang Long from taking a step-back jumper. Gasol knew Tang Long very well after these few games. But he didn't expect Tang Long to have so many moves, a dream shake followed by a fake layup. It was a bit like Hakeem Olajuwon, and a bit like Yao Ming.
The score was 4-3.
"Paul, maybe I should guard that damn Tang with you!"
Mnouchkin walked over, intending to relieve Gasol of some pressure. But to Gasol, it sounded like he couldn't guard Tang Long as well as Mnouchkin. How could Gasol tolerate that?
"No need! I'll do it myself!"
Gasol refused his teammate's help outright. "I know that Tang well enough. I believe he won't be able to score on me easily next time!" Gasol vowed.
"Okay, including that, we believe in you!"
Mnouchkin glanced at Gasol helplessly, not saying the rest of his thought. After all, Gasol was the Lakers' second option, and it was uncertain if Gasol would even listen to him. Moreover, Gasol had become more tenacious in his play, and it wouldn't be good to affect his defensive aggressiveness now.
The Lakers initiated their offense again. Gasol and Odom were positioned at two corners of a triangle, a classic triangle offense employed by the Zen Master. Kobe, the arrowhead, seemed uninterested in driving to the basket, only running back and forth near the free-throw line, drawing defensive attention. At this moment, Larry Hughes aggressively pressed Fisher, who was controlling the ball, and Kobe came up to set a screen for Fisher. Seizing this opening, Fisher drove from the left side into the three-second area. Tang Long didn't come out to defend, so Drew Gooden stepped up. Fisher took two steps and went for a layup, but as Tang Long moved, he passed the ball to Odom. Drew Gooden, who was guarding him, had been drawn away by Fisher, and Fisher had blocked Tang Long's help defense route. The unguarded Odom easily sank a two-pointer from the elbow.
The score was 4-5. In both of the Lakers' field goals, Kobe had not been involved, instead doing the grunt work. Mike Brown, who had been sitting back calmly, suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed on the changes on the court.
On the Cavaliers' side, LeBron James drove to the baseline for a layup but was blocked. The Lakers gained possession and immediately launched a fast break. Tang Long was still on the opponent's half. Kobe, dribbling the ball, drove to the basket as if no one was there! Pavlovic and Gooden, trailing behind, simply couldn't stop his drive!
The score was 4-7. Immediately after, James hit a pull-up jumper from the free-throw line.
The score was 6-7. Back to half-court offense, the Lakers played patiently. Fisher was responsible for organizing the offense, and Kobe's movement drew the Cavaliers' defense. However, they couldn't just let Kobe run freely, as his ability was undeniable. Not keeping a close eye on him would be akin to letting Kobe aim for sixty points! It was crucial to not let Kobe have his way now, but he wasn't holding the ball, making him even harder to guard.
As the players stretched the defense to its limits, Fisher once again drove to the basket. Drew Gooden offered a slight help defense before retreating. He had fallen for this trap before, and Odom had gained a scoring opportunity after he came out. Seeing that he wasn't taking the bait, Fisher decided to go for it himself. He drove to the basket and banked in a layup.
The score was 6-9.
On the ensuing possession, the Cavaliers launched their offense. After four consecutive games between the two teams, the Lakers adjusted their defensive focus. Initially, they had Gasol guarding Tang Long one-on-one while double-teaming LeBron James, with the other two players providing help defense. The Lakers' strategy was clear: stop James first, limit his performance, and then have Tang Long and Gasol battle it out in the paint, which theoretically offered a higher chance of defensive success. This way, they could limit the Cavaliers' twin stars to the greatest extent possible! At the same time, on offense, Kobe wouldn't hold the ball, drawing more defensive attention from the Cavaliers, maximizing the players' advantages, and also wearing down the stamina of the Cavaliers' starting five. This tactic caught the Cavaliers off guard at the beginning, leaving them somewhat passive!