Melo extended his left hand and gestured outwards, signaling for the other players to spread out.
Naturally, no one disobeyed the team's leader, and Iverson also showed him due respect.
James lowered his center of gravity, his hand extended forward to disrupt the dribble.
Even though he knew Melo would most likely drive, James didn't retreat.
One reason was the fear that Melo might pretend to banter with Tang Long but actually create space for a three-point shot. Trash talk was always in service of scoring, so it was a normal tactic.
The other reason was absolute confidence in Tang Long.
James believed that if Melo drove in, Tang Long would surely deliver a thunderous block!
Melo half-turned, feigning a move while making physical contact with James, preventing him from quickly adjusting his balance.
He then spun back, driving past from the right, a beautiful crossover!
James was completely faked out. The other players had spread to the three-point line, and Tang Long was a step inside the baseline.
Melo's mind was already envisioning the dunk.
Tang Long was still so far away!
There was no way he could recover for the block!
Melo took three steps and leaped off one foot, preparing for a thunderous dunk.
Suddenly, a tall figure appeared, casting a shadow over him!
Focusing his gaze, he saw it was Tang Long.
Melo's eyes widened in shock. How could this Dragon Country kid be so fast?!
His hands couldn't react in time, and the basketball was violently swatted away by Tang Long!
The ball flew into the stands and was caught by a handsome white boy.
"China Tang! His recovery speed is insane! Carmelo got completely rejected out of bounds!"
"China Tang was just at the baseline, and a second later he was in front of Melo!"
"I didn't expect Carmelo's embarrassment to come so quickly. Just two minutes into the game, he's already on the receiving end of a block from China Tang!"
"Melo should have done more homework before the game. Tang's recovery is that fast. Look at Carmelo, he was stunned in mid-air!"
Jonte Tait was extremely excited. Tang Long had performed well on offense, and now he was blocking the Nuggets' star player on defense!
The fans by the sideline were also going wild!
They cupped their hands around their mouths and shouted at the court, "Tang! Oh my god, you're so handsome!"
"You don't have to worry about dinner tonight! Melo is taking you out for hot pot!"
"Don't talk smack during the pre-game interview, Carmelo is going to have to pay up today!"
Melo's face was stiff. He had actually been blocked by Tang Long!
And it wasn't a light touch on the ball, but a forceful swat that sent it flying.
The ball had been knocked all the way into the stands!
Spectacular!
Melo quickly turned and pretended to prepare to receive the ball, afraid that Tang Long would bring up the pre-game trash talk.
But how could Tang Long miss this opportunity?
"Carmelo, I was just wondering what to eat tonight. That hot pot place in downtown Cleveland seems pretty good."
Although hot pot was a colloquial term originating from Dragon Country, NBA stars were generally aware of it.
Coincidentally, there was indeed a hot pot restaurant in Cleveland, also run by a Dragon Country national.
Melo was momentarily speechless and could only glare at Tang Long fiercely.
"You punk, you just wait. I'll make you look foolish."
Tang Long shrugged indifferently, "I blocked you once, and I can block you again. I don't want things to get too ugly, you know!"
Melo had no desire to reply and turned to receive the ball.
LeBron James, standing nearby, couldn't help but chuckle. As Melo's good friend, he rarely saw him in such an embarrassing situation.
Of course, LeBron was relishing the schadenfreude. Good friends were always there to be teased.
The more you tease, the better the relationship!
The game continued. Kenyon Martin stood out of bounds to inbound the ball.
Iverson made a backdoor cut and received the pass easily. This time, he planned to take matters into his own hands.
The Nuggets of today were somewhat similar to the Nets of the future, with most of their tactics involving spacing the floor for their star players to go one-on-one.
Seeing that Melo hadn't gained an advantage, Iverson naturally wanted to make up for it.
After a beautiful screen and roll with Marcus Camby, Tang Long switched onto Iverson.
"Big man, be careful not to fall!"
Iverson threw out some trash talk and drove from the right.
Tang Long reacted lightning fast and immediately followed.
However, Iverson unexpectedly faked, instantly changing direction and bringing the ball to his left hand.
It was his signature crossover!
As expected of Iverson, he was too fast!
Tang Long was momentarily caught off guard.
Despite his top-tier physical attributes and lateral quickness, defending smaller guards one-on-one was still somewhat difficult for Tang Long.
This was also an attribute Tang Long planned to upgrade from the system store.
He had to equip himself with everything to win the championship!
Iverson saw he had created enough space with the crossover and immediately jumped into a pull-up jumper.
Iverson's shot felt good today; he sensed it would go in before releasing it.
But suddenly, a pair of large hands appeared and violently swatted the basketball away!
It was Tang Long again!
My one-on-one defense against point guards might be lacking, but my jumping speed is top-notch!
Iverson's height was still his weakness, and his pull-up jumper wasn't taken from a very high release point.
Tang Long leaped from a step away and timed it perfectly.
Another volleyball-style block!
The ball hit the floor heavily and bounced towards the Nuggets' half.
LeBron James reacted quickly and immediately sprinted down the court for a fast break score.
Adding two more points for the Cavaliers!
At this moment, the Nuggets players were still frozen in place.
"Another unbelievable block! This is China Tang! This is China Tang!"
"In this single possession, Tang delivered two consecutive blocks!"
"China Tang is truly hospitable, treating the Nuggets' dynamic backcourt to a big hot pot right at home!"
"Never try to challenge China Tang's defense! Allen is no exception!"
Jonte Tait shook his head in enjoyment. He loved the feeling of serving hot pot to opponents at home.
Especially when it was serving two!
Nuggets head coach George Karl had no choice but to call a timeout. If they continued like this, their morale would quickly dissipate.
He needed to properly comfort his players' emotions.
During the break as his players walked off the court, George Karl cast a deep look at Tang Long.
This young man from Dragon Country was terrifyingly formidable, possessing such incredible speed and leaping ability for his size.
He was like a monster in NBA 2K, and one that had used cheat codes!
"Tang! Well done! Keep playing like this!"
LeBron James and Tang Long high-fived in celebration. His performance was truly outstanding!
LeBron had discovered a new synergy for the LeBron-Tang combination: Tang blocks perimeter players, and LeBron immediately attacks the opponent's half for a fast break score!
A block that also resulted in an assist!
This feeling was simply magnificent!
Head coach Mike Brown was also all smiles. He had been worried about this matchup against the Nuggets.
But after seeing Tang Long's performance, his nervousness immediately vanished.
Anyone who drove in would get a big block, and pick-and-roll plays or isolation wouldn't work against Tang Long!
If the Nuggets' outside shooting wasn't hot, they had basically lost this game!