The ball still went in.
Kobe, with his outstanding individual talent, managed to put the ball through the hoop.
Not only did he score, but he also drew a foul on Yao Ming.
Kobe made the free throw.
A 2+1 play.
Immediately after, on offense, Da Zhi's pass was intercepted. The ball intended for Yi Lian was anticipated by veteran Kidd.
Kidd quickly passed to James. Yi Lian moved in to defend, and James instinctively passed the ball to Tang Long.
Tang Long was stunned.
Then, the American player, Ya Ma, was stunned.
The Chinese players started to question which team Tang Long truly belonged to.
Even the spectators, who had been shouting encouragement, were now gaping, unable to make a sound, as if they had been acupoint-sealed.
Tang Long himself paused for a moment, but he quickly reacted. After receiving the ball, he unleashed a high-speed dribble, so fast that it was dazzling, leaving only a blur on the court.
The next clear image was Tang Long executing a spectacular one-handed dunk.
It was only then that the American players snapped back to reality.
"LeBron, who are you really playing for?"
Howard looked at James with a different expression.
It was one thing for him to have sided with Tang Long initially, but to pass to Tang Long when the score was so close, Howard had reason to suspect he was an American mole.
"If I said this was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"
"Do you think I would?"
Seeing the two of them butting heads, Kobe quickly intervened to mediate: "LeBron and Tang are teammates with good chemistry. A momentary lapse is understandable."
"Kobe's right. Look at his perspective... Wait a minute..." James finally came to his senses and glared at Kobe, "What do you mean 'momentary lapse,' Kobe? What kind of talk is that?"
"Shut up and focus on the game."
If it had been Howard, James would have argued back, but Kobe's status within the team was too transcendent. James opened his mouth, but held back.
"It's alright, I've got your back."
Tang Long came over and patted James on the shoulder.
"Get out of here."
James shoved Tang Long out of their half of the court unceremoniously. The audience erupted in laughter.
It was evident that the two of them had a really good relationship.
After this basket, the score became 31:32, with the United States leading by just one point.
Although James's misplaced pass had shifted the tense atmosphere towards amusement, it had also ignited James's competitive spirit.
On offense, James acted like a tank, driving into the Chinese paint, and drawing another foul on Yao Ming.
The Chinese offense stalled. Coach Krzyzewski had a clear understanding of Tang Long: he could not be allowed to operate freely. Therefore, as soon as Tang Long had the ball, James and Anthony would immediately double-team him. Even when Tang Long was off the ball, James stayed close behind.
With Tang Long's performance stifled, the remaining three players adopted a zone defense strategy, forcing the Chinese players to drive to the basket and only allowing outside shots.
Sun Yue's shot missed.
Da Zhi's three-pointer still clanged off the rim.
Past the halfway mark of the second quarter, the score difference rapidly widened.
33-40.
In over five minutes of the second quarter, the United States had only allowed China to score 2 points.
Then Kobe hit another three-pointer, making the score 33-43.
The United States' powerful lineup advantage seemed to be steering the game towards a predictable outcome, especially with China's relatively conservative tactics. Trying to break through the American defense through the interior or quick passes was proving ineffective; the formidable American team had long been accustomed to such strategies.
"We can't keep playing like this."
Receiving a pass from Yao Ming, Tang Long frowned.
Their offense was struggling to get going, and they had no advantage on defense. Tang Long, as a power forward, could contain the player with the ball, but facing all superstars with far superior court vision than ordinary players, he could only block one or perhaps disrupt another player's offense. He couldn't defend five superstars.
Therefore, their only option was to focus on offense.
"Even though you have an advantage over Howard, our passing and receiving coordination is our weakness. We're not ahead in speed or agility. You draw the defensive pressure in the paint, and I'll handle the offense with Yi Lian."
Tang Long called Yi Lian over: "You roam around the low block on both sides. You have a good mid-range shot; Yao Ge and I will create opportunities for you."
"Da Zhi, you and Yi Lian will set screens for each other. Whoever has a good look will take the shot."
"Will this work?"
Yi Lian looked at Tang Long hesitantly.
This was not a strategy called by the coach. If it worked, it would be fine, but if the offense continued to falter and they deviated from the coach's game plan, Yunas would surely scold them.
"Let's try it first."
At this critical juncture, Yao Ming chose to support Tang Long's strategy.
With the two core players on the inside agreeing, the others could only follow suit.
On the next possession, after crossing half-court, Sun Yue passed the ball to Tang Long. Tang Long drove left, faked out Anthony, and shot over James.
Just then, Kobe came over to help.
The crowd couldn't help but gasp.
A triple-team.
Tang Long's sturdy frame was enveloped by three American superstars, and the audience could only glimpse him through tiny gaps.
But that was enough.
[Unorthodox Shot]
With even a sliver of space, no one could stop the unorthodox shot.
The basketball slipped out from under James's armpit at an aggressive, tricky angle.
35-40.
"That shot actually went in."
"That was amazing!"
"It had to be Tang Long."
The cheers of the crowd erupted once more.
"Tang's individual ability is outstanding, but basketball is a team sport. He can't be this dominant for an entire game. All our players in the United States are as outstanding as Tang, or even more so."
The former Secretary of State explained to two former American presidents.
"Just wait, next time he won't get the chance to shoot."
As soon as he finished speaking, Anthony accelerated suddenly, feigning a drive to the left. His pivot foot didn't move. As Tang Long committed, he retracted his pivot foot, spun 360 degrees, and drove inside.
The moment he took a step, Tang Long's hand appeared like a phantom, stripping the ball clean. Simultaneously, he threw the ball with all his might and sprinted after it, crossing half-court in the blink of an eye.
"It's okay, we already have three players back on defense."
But what followed was a moment that slapped them in the face.
As they double-teamed Tang Long, Da Zhi had already arrived from behind.
Receiving a post-up pass from Tang Long, Da Zhi shot from the free-throw line.
Two points.
Then, Tang Long had the ball, drawing the defenders into the paint. Da Zhi set a screen, and amidst the chaos in the paint, the ball reached Yi Lian.
This was his specialty.
39-40.
After the United States scored a three-pointer, Yi Lian made a cut from the right, Da Zhi roamed the left for a mid-range shot, and Yao Ming drew Howard's attention in the paint. Tang Long surprisingly had a one-on-one opportunity!