"LeBron, I think we can exploit Marbury on this point. Let him have the ball, and once he gets inside the three-point line, we double-team him. If he doesn't pass to his teammates, that's our chance."
The nickname "Lone Wolf" for Marbury wasn't for nothing. Coupled with his generally poor relationship with his teammates, even sometimes hostile, it made him accustomed to solo plays.
In team sports, a team that only focuses on individual performance and disregards teammates will find it hard to go far.
Of course.
Someone like Wilt Chamberlain, who could score a million points and still win, was a singular phenomenon in the decades of the NBA.
In fact, just as Tang Long observed, whenever Marbury had the ball, the other Knicks players basically didn't bother to run.
It was mostly a static offense, waiting for him to isolate and drive.
This way, the Cavaliers would let Marbury have the ball on the perimeter. As soon as he broke through, at least two Cavaliers would come to double-team him.
Even though Old Ma was a talented player, under a double-team, with Tang Long also stationed near the basket, his offensive efficiency was naturally greatly diminished.
Soon, the Knicks trailed 5:15, a ten-point deficit, with only three minutes played.
Beep!
The referee blew his whistle, and the Knicks called a timeout.
"Stephon, what are you doing? Do you know how many guys are defending you? Crawford was clearly open, why didn't you pass? Eddie Curry has a physical advantage over that Tang kid, why aren't you playing through him in the post?"
"Coach, if I had teammates supporting me, those drives could have punished that Tang severely," Marbury retorted defiantly.
"Enough."
Tomás, the Knicks' head coach, cut Marbury off fiercely, "I don't want to hear any excuses. Just calm down for the first quarter."
Tomás looked at Nate Robinson, "Spud, get ready to go in!"
Nate Robinson glanced at Marbury and quickly nodded.
Marbury's transfer to the Knicks made him the team's future star, and being replaced by him in the first quarter made Robinson somewhat worried about Marbury holding a grudge.
"Robinson, when you go in, you and Quentin Richardson will draw the Cavaliers' attention. Use drives and pick-and-rolls to create opportunities, then give the ball to Eddie Curry inside and let him score over that damn Tang, understand?"
"Coach Thomas, don't worry, I understand."
"Good."
Tomás nodded and then began to set up defensive tactics.
The timeout ended, and the Cavaliers initiated their offense.
Larry Hughes brought the ball across half-court. Just as he was about to pass it to James to run the offense, he saw Richardson practically glued to James.
Passing the ball to James was a high risk of a steal.
As he hesitated, the big bear Randolph had already moved in.
Randolph, standing at 2.06 meters, might not have an outstanding height in the NBA, but his weight was comparable to anyone.
Weighing a solid 231 pounds, he was a "ground game" monster with excellent post moves.
Standing next to Larry Hughes, he could almost envelop him completely.
Larry Hughes' passing lanes were becoming difficult.
At this moment, Nate Robinson also closed in, completely blocking off Larry Hughes' passing routes.
Time ticked by, and soon fifteen or sixteen seconds had passed.
Larry Hughes tried to use his body to push Randolph away, but it felt like pushing against a wall of flesh, which instead pushed him back.
As his body wavered, Robinson, with lightning speed, snatched the ball and passed it to Randolph.
Larry Hughes' expression changed, and he immediately chased after Randolph.
Hearing the rapid footsteps behind him, within two to three meters of the basket, Randolph leaped up, faking a dunk.
Larry Hughes instinctively jumped with him.
Then he saw the basketball arc beautifully around him and fall directly into Nate Robinson's hands.
"Fuck..."
Larry Hughes cursed angrily. It was too late to defend now.
He could only helplessly watch as Robinson soared into the air, stretching his long arms, and slammed the ball into the basket with an extremely flashy, windmill dunk.
But a massive figure obscured Robinson's view.
Tang Long had already caught up, leaping into the air as if spreading his wings.
"China Tang, you idiot, you fell for it."
Robinson taunted Tang Long as his wrist flexibly twisted.
A fake shot, a real pass?
Little Spud Robinson had some moves; this pass was slick!
He did this to draw everyone's attention, his true intention being to toy with the pursuing Tang Long and then pass the ball to Randolph, who was powering up again.
This was their signature alley-oop combination!
"That pass is beautiful."
"As expected of Little Spud, toying with China Tang in mid-air. Even with ten hands, that Dragon Countryman probably can't stop Randolph's dunk now."
"Tremble, China Tang, in New York, you'll all get your asses kicked!"
Just as the Knicks fans were standing up to cheer for their team, a muffled roar echoed from the court.
*Smack!*
The ball, which Robinson had twisted his wrist to pass but hadn't released yet, was snatched mid-air.
The basketball was smashed into the stands with immense force, causing the spectators to gasp immediately.
"How is that possible?"
"This is incredible!"
"How did China Tang do it? This Dragon Countryman is too powerful!"
Not only did the Cavaliers' bench cheer, but even the fans at Madison Square Garden couldn't help but applaud and cheer for this mid-air interception.
[Divine Block]
Everything was under his palm; no one could escape the ruthless swat of those large hands.
Robinson couldn't!
Randolph couldn't either!
Swish!
Tang Long landed on the floor, pounded his chest, and roared.
"Tang..."
"See? This is our Tang."
The Cavaliers' bench became even more excited.
In fact, the cheers for Tang Long's blocks were even more popular than his dunks.
It was no wonder; Tang Long always blocked opponent shots in various unbelievable ways.
"Scarlett, Tang is truly amazing!"
Taylor Swift excitedly grabbed Scarlett. At her age, she was in a phase of admiring strong men, and Tang Long clearly fit the bill.
"Of course. Otherwise, why would I introduce you to him?"
Scarlett's eyes narrowed into a sexy slit. As one of Tang Long's few female friends, the more famous Tang Long became, the more the spotlight would surround her.
Not to mention that as Tang Long gained more recognition in the NBA and more resources were tilted his way, she would also occasionally appear in front of the cameras. This was much more satisfying than spending money on traffic.
Gal Gadot chimed in, her tone tinged with jealousy, "Scarlett, don't flatter yourselves! Tang isn't just yours!"
...