Tang Long smiled and said, "Dwight, thank you for the fifty thousand dollars!"
Just two free throws, could they stump this young master?
It would be underestimating himself too much. He was determined to get Howard's fifty thousand dollars.
With fifty thousand dollars, he could have several lavish nights out, and it would still be more than enough.
Immediately, Tang Long effortlessly sank his first free throw.
Seeing this, Howard remained unfazed. He was anticipating Tang Long missing the second shot.
However, Tang Long didn't give him the chance to gloat. The second free throw also swished through the net with precision.
"Dwight, fifty thousand dollars! Don't forget to transfer it after the game!"
Tang Long grinned, but that smile made Howard feel intensely uncomfortable.
He then shrugged, feigning indifference.
Fifty thousand dollars was nothing to him. He was a superstar with a maximum contract!
"Tang... I have to admit, your free throws are decent. Although a bit worse than mine, you can certainly make a living in the NBA."
Howard displayed his signature happy-go-lucky smile.
Tang Long and LeBron James, upon hearing this, nearly collapsed.
"Dude, your free throws are something else, how could you even say that?"
Howard noticed LeBron and the others looking at him with disdain, but he didn't care.
After all, the Howard of those early years always prided himself on playing "happy basketball."
Moments later, with the referee's whistle, the game resumed, and the commentators were drawn to the amusing exchange.
"This is interesting. Dwight actually bet fifty thousand dollars against 'China Tang' on free throws? Isn't he just giving money away?"
Commentator Jack couldn't help but laugh.
Jeffries chimed in with a jest, "Dwight signed a max contract. Giving away fifty thousand dollars won't put a dent in his finances. He can save this money by seeing fewer girls on the road!"
"Hahaha..."
Jack burst into laughter.
Jeffries' remark was clearly a jab at Howard's numerous romantic entanglements.
NBA veterans all knew that Howard had countless encounters.
While he might not rival the Casanova-like Wilt Chamberlain, within the current league, Howard was undoubtedly the one who knew how to play the field.
After a good amount of teasing, the two regained their composure and said, "Alright, let's get back to the game. The atmosphere is still very tense. The Magic are only trailing the Cavaliers by five points. Can the Magic overcome the deficit within this precious time? Let's watch and see!"
Soon, Jameer Nelson brought the ball across half-court.
Stan Van Gundy stood outside the white line, holding his clipboard, his eyes sharp and focused on every player's performance on the court.
At this moment, Howard waved to Nelson, signaling for the ball. He had already established a good position in the paint.
But Nelson stubbornly dribbled the ball to the three-point line, ignoring Howard's request. This was Van Gundy's strategy.
It was time to leverage the strengths of the Magic's sharpshooters!
Unexpectedly, as soon as Nelson brought the ball beyond the three-point line, Larry Hughes was there to defend him.
He knew Nelson's three-point shooting ability. If he were to attempt a pull-up three-pointer here, strict defense would be necessary.
In previous years, even if Nelson's performance among shooters wasn't outstanding, he possessed a big heart and could always score in crucial moments.
Furthermore, the score difference was only five points.
It was better to concede two points than three.
With this mindset, Larry Hughes tightly guarded Nelson, denying him shooting space.
But Nelson, using a beautiful pump fake, blew past Larry Hughes.
LeBron James saw this and quickly rotated to help defend. Nelson didn't hold onto the ball and swiftly passed it to Hedo Turkoglu.
Turkoglu caught the ball and attempted a pull-up three-pointer from beyond the arc.
His shot was quick, catching the Cavaliers off guard.
Tang Long was boxing out in the paint. Turkoglu's three-pointer missed, and he quickly secured the rebound and passed the ball to his teammate.
Larry Hughes pushed the fast break, dribbled across half-court, and then made a layup.
The Magic's defense had not been timely, and Larry Hughes exploited the gap.
"Damn it, get back on defense! Why are you all so slow? Haven't you eaten?"
Head coach Van Gundy shouted in exasperation.
Now, they were trailing the Cavaliers by seven points again. If they continued like this, falling behind by more than ten points wouldn't be far off.
Transitioning from offense to defense, the Magic initiated another attack.
Nelson passed the ball to Turkoglu after crossing half-court, but Turkoglu didn't have a good shooting opportunity.
Seeing Howard still post-up in the paint calling for the ball, he simply passed it to him.
This meant Howard would go head-to-head with Tang Long.
Having been outplayed by Tang Long several times before, Howard had a fire burning inside him, vowing to make this shot.
Otherwise, how could he face his loyal fans in the future?
All the fans at the Amway Arena were the Magic's proud citizens and their most ardent supporters.
As the "Beast" of the Magic, Dwight Howard could not afford to lose face in front of his hometown fans!
Therefore, after receiving the ball, Howard used all his skills to post up Tang Long. However, his low-post skills were too rudimentary. He backed down Tang Long twice, only to find that the Chinese kid hadn't budged an inch.
What the heck?
His core strength completely outmatched him?
Howard broke into a sweat and felt a pang of apprehension.
"Damn it, as the mighty Beast, can I not even post up a Chinese player?"
Some people said Yao Ming could "eat, sleep, and beat the Beast."
Could it be that another Chinese nemesis had appeared?
Howard seemed to falter against Chinese centers.
"Damn it, if I can't back you down, I'll still go at you!"
Howard disregarded everything else, dribbled, and made a couple of fake moves, trying to draw a jump from Tang Long.
But he realized that Tang Long rarely jumped, and when he did, it was for a huge block!
"Dwight's footwork is a bit erratic. Is he panicking?"
"Facing this rookie, 'China Tang', it seems the Beast is having trouble with him."
"He tried a fake to draw a foul, but 'China Tang' didn't fall for it. Dwight is going strong!"
"Wow... not good, brother, don't do that. 'China Tang' has absolute defense in the paint!"
Jack and Jeffries exclaimed.
The next second, Howard was indeed blocked.
Did he really think he could score over me with such crude low-post moves?
What was he thinking?
Did he think I was made of clay?
"Dwight, I think your priority right now is to take a trip to Houston."
After another emphatic block that taught Howard a lesson, Tang Long said with a faint voice, suggesting Howard should visit Houston.
"Tang... what do you mean by that?"
Howard's face contorted, his expression extremely displeased.
Tang Long smiled faintly, "Because in Houston, you have not only the skilled Yao, but also the low-post master Hakeem Olajuwon. You should go learn from them, maybe even become their disciple."
"Your current low-post game is an eyesore. I'm almost embarrassed to keep dominating you!"