"Tang Long's shot was crucial. If this basket hadn't gone in, and the US team had scored another, the game would have been unplayable."
"That's the importance of Tang Long. He always steps up in critical moments, not just in scoring, but also in boosting the team's morale. We can see that after this basket, Yi Jian, Sun Yue, and a few others are clearly more energized."
"This can only be temporary. Frankly speaking, there's a significant gap in skill between the two teams," Old Bai sighed. "We'll consider it a win if we don't lose by too much in this game. The most important thing is to accumulate experience and not let it affect the next match."
"Our next opponent is Spain, another team with one of the strongest players besides the US."
The Gasol brothers, the Golden Boy Rubio, and Calderón – this Spanish squad is absolutely stacked. If not for facing the Dream Team, they would have a shot at the championship.
Even from the commentators' remarks, it's clear that even relatively professional commentators believe the Chinese team is no match for the Dream Team.
In terms of fan base, only players from the US have a massive global following.
"Look at this play..."
Just as the commentators finished their idle chat, Tang Long faced Howard's defense and drove straight to the basket. Howard was defending much better now.
In mid-air, he forced Tang Long's body to contort, but Tang Long, still in the air, managed to rotate his body 180 degrees and hook the ball into the hoop.
15:19.
The entire stadium roared Tang Long's name, and the cheers for the Chinese team resounded to the heavens.
The magnificent roar was so overwhelming that even Kobe and LeBron were stunned. The power of the Chinese fans was immense.
This also ignited a rebellious spirit in the American players.
"You're making a lot of noise, are you? We'll just play through your spirit."
Turning the tables, LeBron drove directly and dunked over Yi Jian. It must be said, that play was indeed spectacular.
Fortunately, the players' spirits were now ignited. Da Zhi, facing the American players' defense, showed no panic. In the gap created by Tang Long's pick-and-roll, Da Zhi pulled up for a three-pointer.
18:21.
The crowd's cheers grew even louder.
At this moment, Kobe made his move.
After advancing to half-court, Kobe faked a shot, drawing Sun Yue in, and then pulled up to shoot.
He hit a three-pointer and also drew a foul on Sun Yue.
Whether it was his experience or individual skill, defending the "Little Flying俠" one-on-one was extremely difficult.
"It's okay, it's just a four-point play. Don't worry about it," Tang Long patted Sun Yue's shoulder.
A 3+1 play was indeed a blow to morale. At this point, criticism would be useless and could put pressure on the players.
Sun Yue nodded, received a pass from Tang Long, and decisively shot from beyond the three-point line.
21:25.
No one expected the first quarter to unfold this way. Whenever the Chinese team was on the verge of falling far behind, a player would step up at a crucial moment.
When it was the American team's turn to attack, Sun Yue also swatted away Howard's shot.
Howard's face turned green.
If it had been Yao Ming or Tang Long, Howard might not have been so frustrated, but to be blocked by Sun Yue while shooting – how could he not be angry?
Fortunately, the ball went out of bounds, and possession remained with the American team.
After the ball was inbounded, the US team ran a triangle offense. This time, Anthony was the spearhead. As Kobe and LeBron drew the defenders away, the ball quickly reached Anthony.
Anthony faked out Da Zhi with a pump fake, then faked out Yao Ming under the basket again, and easily completed the layup.
Immediately after, Yao Ming retaliated with a thunderous dunk on the American team!
23:27.
The score remained close, further exciting the spectators.
Following that, the American team executed a fast break with a long pass.
Kobe launched a long pass to LeBron, who dunked the ball before the defenders could get back into position.
23:29.
Beep!
The whistle blew, and Jonas called a timeout.
Although the score difference wasn't large, the game was starting to turn passive. Especially after the US team sped up the tempo, the players' formations became a bit scattered. Not only was it difficult to leverage Yao Ming's center advantage, but they were also being dictated by the opponent.
"We can't get caught up in the American team's rhythm. We need to play to our strengths, especially you, Sun Yue and others. You were playing well in the first half, why aren't you making moves now? Play like you did at the beginning, regardless of whether they are NBA stars, just play your game."
"Coach, should we change the tactics?" Tang Long asked, looking at everyone. "How about the Princeton offense? We can give it a try."
Jonas thought about it and agreed to Tang Long's suggestion.
After the timeout, the change in tactics caught the American players off guard, creating an opportunity for the Chinese team to narrow the score.
Time ticked away, with only thirty seconds left until the end of the first quarter. The Chinese team had possession.
Sun Yue dribbled and passed to Tang Long, who passed to Yao Ming. Yao Ming passed to Da Zhi at the baseline, who then passed to Yi Jian. Yi Jian, in turn, passed it back to Tang Long.
This series of passes disrupted the American players' positions. Tang Long received the pass from his teammates and went straight up for a shot in the paint.
The ball went in.
29-29.
Who would have thought that the Chinese team would be tied with the Dream Team in the first quarter? This was beyond everyone's expectations.
They then successfully defended the American team's subsequent attack, ending the first quarter with a score of 29-29.
"Amazing! Who would have thought we'd be neck and neck with the US in the first quarter?" Old Bai exclaimed, his face filled with excitement as the camera cut back to the studio after the first quarter ended.
"Jonas's timeout call was excellent," Yang Yi said. "We can see that after switching to the Princeton offense, the American players were clearly unaccustomed to it, which gave our players an opportunity."
Old Bai followed up, "Wasn't that timeout called a bit too late? If it had been a little earlier, perhaps we could have even led in score, reducing the pressure for the second quarter."
"We can't say that," Director Zhang interjected. "In the last two to three minutes of the first quarter, these NBA stars didn't react immediately. If they had a few more minutes, they would have figured it out easily. This kind of surprise tactic can't be used indefinitely."
"The next part will be the most difficult," Yang Yi said. "Frankly, we have to admit the gap in skill. In the second quarter, when the American team gets serious, our players still need to withstand the pressure."
Despite the tie in the first quarter, everyone could see that the Chinese team was at a disadvantage on the court.
At the start of the second quarter, the American team displayed its dominance. Kobe drove from the left and went up for a layup against Yao Ming.
Yao Ming raised his hands high, almost blocking half of the offensive path.