The Bobcats' possession, Richardson called for the ball again.
This time, he wasn't planning to force his way inside and suffer. Instead, he signaled for Felton to set a screen.
Using the screen to create a moment's delay, Richardson stepped back and attempted a three-pointer.
"Swish!"
His three-point shooting was still quite good.
4:3!
Jordan's expression finally improved slightly.
The ball switched possession, and Larry Hughes signaled for a play.
The Cavaliers moved quickly. Tang Long and Drew Gooden both moved to the three-point line, setting a screen for Pavlovic.
The Bobcats had specifically analyzed the Cavaliers' pick-and-roll tactics, so they handled it with practiced ease.
Richardson was always able to keep up with Pavlovic, denying him any space to shoot.
As a result, after Pavlovic rounded Tang Long, he didn't run to the perimeter to receive the pass. Instead, he stopped and set a screen for Tang Long.
This caught the Bobcats completely off guard. Tang Long easily moved to the perimeter, received a pass from Larry Hughes, and shot from the three-point line.
Okafor, who was defending Tang Long, was still standing next to Pavlovic and hadn't reacted at all.
"Swish!"
Tang Long, with no one guarding him, didn't miss the opportunity, easily making the mid-range shot.
6:3.
On the sideline, Mike Brown was smiling proudly.
The tactics revolving around Pavlovic had been used too many times and were bound to be specifically targeted by other teams.
So, Mike Brown turned the tables and developed a strategy centered around Tang Long.
Coincidentally, Tang Long's mid-range shooting percentage was quite considerable.
The strategy had been executed beautifully on the court just now.
Meanwhile, the Bobcats had no fixed tactics.
Coach Sam Vincent had also thought of solutions, but the team lacked players who could organize plays.
Point guard Felton was just a tool; asking him to organize would only lead to chaos.
As for the others, they either lacked offensive capability or only knew how to drive and score themselves.
For example, shooting guard Richardson, despite his average ball-handling and offensive skills, insisted on playing to his weaknesses.
Some of his unreasonable shot selections prevented him from improving further.
Felton brought the ball up the court and began looking for teammates. He saw that Richardson was not in a good position, but center Okafor seemed to be in a favorable spot.
Without a second thought, he passed the ball directly to Okafor in the paint.
Jordan's chest tightened again as he saw this.
Even though he himself wasn't good at organizing, this pass definitely shouldn't have been made!
Okafor was facing Tang Long.
Such a clear matchup disadvantage meant it was pointless to pass to Okafor; could he drive and score himself?
Furthermore, Tang Long was lurking behind Okafor, clearly preparing to disrupt the pass.
As expected, the moment Felton passed the ball, Tang Long activated his [Absolute Defense] skill and stole it directly.
LeBron James then darted forward!
Felton was quite active in defending the fast break, but facing LeBron one-on-one was a bit too much for him.
LeBron easily pushed Felton aside and scored with a layup with his right hand.
8:3.
In the first three minutes, the Cavaliers had already established a five-point lead.
The Bobcats still chose to have Richardson go one-on-one.
There was no choice. Gerald Wallace and Mohammed had no self-sufficient offensive ability, Okafor was up against Tang Long, and Felton couldn't organize.
Only Richardson could attempt to score on his own.
Against other teams, the Bobcats could still manage to execute some plays, as they were skilled at using drive-and-kick strategies.
But with Tang Long anchoring the Cavaliers' interior, even a drive would only lead to a confrontation with Tang Long, and he wouldn't draw double teams from other players.
This would render the kick-out passes meaningless.
As a result, the Bobcats' offense came to a complete standstill.
Pavlovic had learned his lesson this time. He was particularly wary of Richardson's three-point shots, leaving the drives to Tang Long.
Richardson dribbled awkwardly for a long time without finding an opportunity to shoot. With the shot clock about to expire, he was forced to take a hurried shot.
Pavlovic reacted quickly and successfully disrupted the shot the moment it was released, his fingertips even brushing the ball.
A block!
Pavlovic also recorded a block and was incredibly excited, unable to help but roar on the court.
Tang Long easily collected the rebound from behind and passed it to Larry Hughes.
Upon reaching the frontcourt, Larry Hughes and Pavlovic executed a pick-and-roll. Hughes then passed the ball to Pavlovic, who was moving without the ball.
Pavlovic accurately hit the three-pointer!
11:3.
Sam Vincent frantically called a timeout. He couldn't stand being dominated like this at the start of the game.
"The Cavaliers have had a dream start, with the Bobcats only managing three points, and the deficit already reaching eight points."
"Tang Long has shown his powerful dominance right from the start, a superstar rookie who is strong on both ends of the court!"
"Jordan is even present at the game, yet the Bobcats are playing a mess."
"Many fans in the arena are looking at Jordan, who, despite his extensive experience in major events, seems a bit embarrassed."
"Jordan might be thinking that it would have been better if he played himself; even at his age, he'd probably be better than these kids."
Zhang Weiping's commentary was unusually relaxed today.
The Bobcats' strength was visibly inferior to the Cavaliers', and winning this game should not be a problem.
As for the fans present, they didn't have any complaints. Those who still supported the Bobcats during their years of tanking were undoubtedly fans who loved the team from the bottom of their hearts.
Everyone had witnessed the Cavaliers' phenomenal performance, and they hadn't expected to pull off an upset against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Soon, the timeout ended.
The Bobcats, returning to the court, seemed to have undergone no fundamental change. Their offense was still stagnant, and their defense was still unable to contain their opponents.
By the end of the first quarter, the Cavaliers were leading by nineteen points, 38:19.
The Cavaliers were scoring from multiple sources, and the Bobcats were completely unable to cope.
In this era, a team scoring thirty-eight points in a single quarter was an incredibly high score.
It clearly demonstrated the strength disparity between the two teams.
During the break between quarters, Tang Long did not stay with his teammates. Instead, he walked towards Scarlett.
This made Scarlett incredibly excited. Tang Long was actually coming to find her?
This was a good omen!
"Tang, you're playing incredibly well today. Congratulations in advance on your fifteenth consecutive win!"
Scarlett spoke first, standing up.
"Thank you. I don't think I'll need to play in the rest of the game. The lead is too large, and it's not very meaningful to play anymore. It's a good opportunity for the reserves to get some practice and build chemistry."
Scarlett nodded and extended an invitation: "This seat next to me is actually empty. Would you like to sit with me?"
Tang Long didn't say anything and simply sat down.
Scarlett immediately became elated, displaying the shyness of a young girl, a blush appearing on her face.
This scene was immediately captured by many fans and reporters with their cameras, and the flashes began to go off non-stop, documenting the moment.
It seemed like there would be big news tomorrow!
...