"Damn Martin! Box out! Can't you two, you and Marcus, even handle one person for the rebounds?"
Head coach George Karl shouted from the sidelines.
More often than not, rebounds could decide the outcome of a game.
Grabbing a rebound meant the opportunity for a second-chance offense, equivalent to an extra offensive possession.
This was also one of the main reasons for the Cavaliers' recent eight-game winning streak.
Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby exchanged glances and nodded.
They were determined to secure more rebounds. 138 Reading Network
The Nuggets had possession. Iverson brought the ball up, flicking his left hand outward, signaling everyone to spread out.
Facing Pavlovic, Iverson drove to the basket from the right.
His speed was too much; Pavlovic could barely keep up.
Seeing this, Iverson made a sharp change of direction, pulling back and directly shaking Pavlovic to the baseline!
At this point, there was no one in front of Iverson, and Tang Long couldn't get back in time to help.
Iverson easily shot a pull-up jumper, scoring two points.
32:23
The score was brought back to single digits.
The ball returned to the Cavaliers. James held the ball.
Upon reaching the frontcourt, he exchanged a look with Tang Long.
The latter moved up, setting a screen for the point guard Pavlovic.
Tang Long's screen was exceptionally effective, and the smaller Iverson couldn't get through it.
Pavlovic found himself open at the 45-degree angle and received James's pass right on time.
It was a great opportunity, but unfortunately, Pavlovic failed to capitalize, and the ball bounced off the rim.
Both James and Tang Long were bold and cautious. Pavlovic, having been scored on by Iverson, was likely experiencing some emotional fluctuation.
So, they specifically ran a play to give him an open shot.
It was a shame it didn't go in.
The game continued, and Iverson signaled for a one-on-one play.
Another spectacular crossover. This time, Pavlovic was smarter, falling back a step in time and maintaining his defensive position.
Iverson suddenly accelerated again, driving past Pavlovic.
This time, Pavlovic could only watch the ball go by.
Tang Long quickly came over to help, closing down Iverson's shooting space.
Iverson faked a shot, then passed to Marcus Camby under the basket, who easily laid it in.
"That was a beautiful play by the Nuggets! A combination of individual skill and teamwork!"
"Marcus Camby finally scores his first basket of the game!"
"The Nuggets have been playing exceptionally well in the second quarter!"
Although Joe Tett was a staunch Cavaliers fan, he still applauded every brilliant play.
On the sidelines.
Mike Brown frowned, contemplating defensive strategies.
Neither of their two perimeter guards had the ability to defend one-on-one, and Iverson was adept at breaking double-teams, making him difficult to contain.
James couldn't constantly rotate to help defend; he already had his hands full with Melo.
All they could do was see how well Tang Long could perform.
On the court.
James held the ball and also signaled for a one-on-one play.
Iverson scoring repeatedly on isolation plays could dampen the team's morale.
At this moment, the Cavaliers needed someone to step up and respond.
Tang Long was a center, not ideally suited for such tasks. This responsibility fell to James.
"Come on, brother! Let's see if you've improved recently!"
After a triple-threat move, James drove to the right. As he came into close contact with Anthony, he used his body to create space and turned.
A beautiful drive!
Anthony couldn't keep up and was thoroughly beaten.
James drove to the basket and unleashed his signature tomahawk dunk!
"It's still LeBron! He is the King of Cleveland!"
"King! King! King!"
"LeBron's dunk is brutal! So cool!"
"It's not just your Allen who can go one-on-one! Our King is just as good!"
James's dunk ignited the entire arena, and the fans cheered wildly.
At this moment, James didn't interact with the fans. Instead, his eyes were fierce, glaring menacingly at the Nuggets players.
He had entered beast mode!
It wasn't quite the "eyes of death" level yet, but it signified that he was serious!
Carmelo Anthony understood that his good brother was serious, and the ball was passed back to him.
It wasn't that he couldn't play, but his shooting percentage couldn't be guaranteed!
Iverson, seeing this, prepared to drive again.
Larry Hughes saw this and moved closer, ready to help defend at any moment.
Iverson faked a shoulder shimmy to the left and then accelerated to the right. Pavlovic barely kept up.
The next moment, he suddenly pulled back!
Pavlovic couldn't react in time, slipped, and fell directly to the ground.
Iverson flashed his signature smile, but his movements didn't slow down. He immediately pulled up for a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
The ball went through the net cleanly!
"Oh my god!!! Is this Allen? Is this the Answer?"
"He just shook Pavlovic off his feet!"
"I hope Pavlovic works on his ankles when he gets back; don't want them to snap!"
"Truly a man who single-handedly took down the OK combination!"
The commentators exclaimed.
If I don't like that person, I'll put them in my highlight reel!
This wasn't just talk; it was a promise kept!
The Nuggets' reserves all stood up, waving their towels frantically!
Pavlovic slowly got to his feet, stunned, wondering how he had fallen.
"Let's switch! You guard that little guy."
Larry Hughes, seeing Pavlovic's state, proactively offered to switch.
On the Cavaliers' offensive possession, Tang Long, who had been quiet for two minutes, actively called for the ball in the paint.
James didn't hesitate and passed it to him.
At this point, it was about which of the star players would perform better, who could better motivate their teammates' morale, and who could better determine the game's direction.
And James certainly trusted Tang Long.
Tang Long received the ball in the low post and backed down Marcus Camby.
Tang Long pushed him back two steps, and Kenyon Martin quickly stepped in to double-team.
This was precisely the instruction from head coach George Karl.
Tang Long reacted incredibly quickly. He immediately gathered the ball, turned, and used his strong physique to push Kenyon Martin away, sinking a little hook shot.
The play was executed with extreme speed, and Kenyon Martin's double-team had almost no effect.
"China Tang handled that play so smartly! It was incredibly beautiful!"
"Kenyon Martin's double-team was fast, but Tang's reaction was even faster!"
"This is a textbook move for centers breaking a double-team. I think centers everywhere should study it!"
"While that's true, it requires both incredible physical ability and delicate touch. It's not easy!"
"I can only think of two players in the league who can do this: one is Shaq, and the other is Yao from China!"
Joe Tett immediately lavished praise; he loved complimenting Tang Long the most!
On the sidelines, George Karl pressed his forehead. This Tang Long guy was too difficult to deal with.
Most rookies would be flustered when facing a double-team, but this guy was as proficient as if he had been playing basketball for twenty years!
Tang Long was naturally proficient. With the boost from the Murasakibara Atsushi template and his memories of later generations, how could he not know how to break a double-team!