Chapter 1 The Beginning
With the final two minutes of the first quarter remaining, the Lakers led by thirteen points, 32-19.
Everyone except Bynum had contributed with outside shots.
The Cavaliers, on the other hand, were struggling. LeBron James and Tang Long combined for sixteen points.
Additionally, only Larry Hughes had made a free throw and Drew Gooden had hit a mid-range jumper.
Even with the strong duo of LeBron and Tang Long, they couldn't win a game two-on-five.
LeBron James was already panting, every basket he made was a hard-fought drive, facing constant physical confrontation.
Walton was also smart, not committing any fouls and giving LeBron no free throw opportunities.
Since Tang Long had not yet developed his ball-handling offensive skills, he could only look for opportunities for one-on-one plays in the paint.
Bynum and Odom would even double-team, one fronting and the other providing help defense.
Unless they had a passing maestro like Paul, it was difficult to get the ball to Tang Long.
The Cavaliers' offense fell into a deadlock, and the home fans were ecstatic, cheering madly for their team.
When Kobe made another three-pointer, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch!
35-19.
Considering that scoring rarely broke a hundred points in this era, the Lakers had already racked up thirty-five points before the first quarter even ended.
The Lakers' shooting touch was truly on fire today.
LeBron James, catching his breath, took the inbound pass from Tang Long.
They couldn't let the deficit widen further; otherwise, the rest of the game would be incredibly difficult.
Phil Jackson watched from the sidelines with a smile, the game was under his control.
"Double-team him, don't give LeBron any space to drive!"
LeBron's stamina was already significantly depleted; a little more defensive pressure would break him.
Walton quickly stepped up, closing down LeBron's dribbling space.
LeBron could only use half of his body to protect the ball, trying to force his way inside.
Fisher saw this and immediately doubled, firmly establishing his position.
LeBron had no choice but to secure the ball to maintain possession.
"LeBron, pass!"
Tang Long's voice rang out.
LeBron's vision was blocked, so he could only fling the ball to his left.
The pass was a bit high, but luckily Tang Long's leaping ability was excellent. He grabbed the ball and, stepping inside the three-point line, took a shot.
Bynum, guarding Tang Long, was taken aback. This guy could shoot from outside?
He shot so decisively!
The ball arced beautifully through the air and landed squarely in the net.
"You can shoot? Was that a fluke?"
Seeing Bynum's bewildered expression, Tang Long almost burst out laughing.
"Hey, Andrew, I've always been able to shoot; you just didn't know."
"Really? I don't believe you! Not unless you make another one on the next possession!"
Tang Long nodded with a smile.
With the Cavaliers' offense struggling, he planned to use his mid-range game to break the deadlock.
Although a seventy mid-range wasn't enough to dominate, it should be sufficient for a while.
Combined with Drew Gooden's mid-range ability, it would undoubtedly create significant defensive problems for the Lakers.
The commentators were also slow to react.
"Damn, when did China Tang develop such range? He can shoot from the three-point line?"
"His previous shots were at most two steps inside the arc, and now he's shooting from the three-point line!"
"Tang's progress is too fast; is shooting that easy to develop?"
"Or does he already have shooting ability, but just wasn't showing it? Oh... that's terrifying!"
"Playing the underdog to hide his strength? That's absolutely scary; I'd rather believe it was a lucky shot!"
Even Phil Jackson's brow furrowed slightly. He detested inaccurate pre-game intelligence.
If a player suddenly displayed an ability they didn't possess on the court, it meant his control over the game was compromised.
He hoped Tang Long's shot was just a stroke of luck.
However, Phil Jackson soon realized there was indeed a problem.
On the Cavaliers' next offensive possession, Tang Long once again displayed his shooting ability.
Still from the left forty-five-degree angle, stepping on the three-point line, he shot.
Bynum, like all defensive centers who stayed near the basket, had a fatal flaw: his defensive range couldn't extend to the perimeter.
With no one guarding him, Tang Long easily sank the shot.
35-23!
In the subsequent two possessions, neither team scored.
The score remained until the end of the first quarter.
As the players returned to their locker rooms, despite the Lakers' lead, Phil Jackson's expression was grim.
In the Lakers' locker room, Phil Jackson turned to his assistant coach and asked, "In previous games, did Tang show this level of shooting ability?"
The assistant coach flipped through his notes and shook his head.
"In previous games, Tang did show some shooting ability, with a soft touch similar to another Chinese center, Yao Ming, but his shooting range was limited, generally within two steps of the three-point line, and he rarely shot from the three-point line itself."
"Players with this kind of range typically possess three-point ability."
Phil Jackson was speechless. Tang Long had made two consecutive mid-range shots, both clean swishes, clearly not lucky shots!
If Tang Long truly possessed this shooting ability, then this game would be very difficult to win.
Especially Bynum's defensive range was too small; he couldn't possibly cover him.
Now, they had to either abandon the paint and focus on guarding Tang Long on the perimeter, leaving LeBron to guard him one-on-one.
But who on the Lakers could stop LeBron one-on-one?
After careful consideration, Phil Jackson made the following decision: "As soon as LeBron drives, double-team him immediately. If necessary, leave Tang open for a shot."
"But we must contest any shots near the basket and strategically concede shots from beyond the three-point line."
"Also, make sure to lock down Pavlović. Don't let him shoot from outside; he's the Cavaliers' only three-point threat!"
The Lakers players all nodded, obedient to Phil Jackson.
After all, he was a coach who had coached the Bulls, possessing top-tier methods and credentials.
They were also accustomed to Phil Jackson's mood swings, sometimes getting angry when they were far ahead and smiling when they were behind.
But the course of every game proved that Phil Jackson's emotional reactions were always correct.
This was a historically great coach!
On the other side, Mike Brown also looked tense, given they were trailing by double digits.
The Bucks earlier weren't a strong team, and the Cavaliers' comeback didn't change that, but today they were facing the Lakers.
"Let's go with a 'one star, four shooters' offense. LeBron will primarily handle the ball and drive, and the other four will space the floor."
"Try to shoot from your comfortable spots and make the most of every opportunity."
"Also, if there's an opportunity, Larry Hughes can drive to the basket to conserve LeBron's energy."
Mike Brown laid out the tactical plan, and the Cavaliers would now employ a "one star, four shooters" strategy.