At this moment, Carter faced a double-team from both sides. Instead of driving to the basket, he drew two Cavaliers players in before immediately passing the ball to Kostić.
Kostić, with the ball, charged directly towards the basket.
Facing Tang Long, who stood in the three-second area, Kostić seemed unafraid of Tang Long's solid physique and intended to force his way inside.
Tang Long sneered dismissively, wondering if this guy thought he was Shaq.
Planting his feet firmly, he shielded his chest with his arms, instantly becoming like a mountain. No matter how hard Kostić tried, he couldn't move Tang Long an inch.
With only six or seven seconds left, Kostić didn't dare to hesitate. He shoved Kang Long once and then attempted a step-back jump shot.
*Bang!!*
A solid block sent Kostić reeling, utterly stunned.
Did he think Murasakibara Atsushi's "Divine Rejection" was just a game?
The basketball happened to land in Larry Hughes' hands, and he charged towards the Nets' basket like a whirlwind.
Another thunderous dunk!
"Whoosh!!"
The Quicken Loans Arena erupted with a deafening roar, the fervent home-court atmosphere igniting the fans' passion.
The third quarter had just begun, and the score had narrowed further, 40:50, with the Cavaliers trailing by only ten points.
"Beep!"
Seeing the Cavaliers' surging momentum and their own team in disarray, the Nets' head coach called for a timeout.
"Kostić, when you go back on the court, play denial defense on that Tang. Don't let him get easy catches in the paint."
"Carter, you need to drive and draw their damned attention, then set up your teammates for scores."
"Jason, don't get into a wrestling match in the paint with that damned guy. That's a stupid move. You shouldn't try to outmuscle him; use your agility to toy with him!"
Meanwhile, on the Cavaliers' side, there was an air of jubilation.
"Tang, well done."
James pulled Tang Long over to sit beside him.
NBA seating arrangements were very particular.
Only Tang Long had the right to sit next to James; anyone else who did might not even start the next game.
From this, one could see how much James liked Tang Long at this moment.
"LeBron, do you want a championship ring?"
Tang Long knew that as an Asian player, he would inevitably be looked down upon in the NBA to some extent.
Since he had now gained the approval of the Cavaliers fans and the admiration of James, pursuing a championship was a must.
If they couldn't win the championship this season, even if Tang Long lost, he was confident that his and James' "Zhan-Long combination" would definitely conquer the O'Brien Cup!
"Of course."
If the team's star player didn't have a championship ring, his status as the "number one guy" lacked prestige.
Especially since people often attacked him, saying that he was the Cavaliers' star player but couldn't lead the team to a championship.
He could only be considered a star, not a superstar, which made James angry and frustrated.
He desperately wanted a capable teammate to fight alongside him on the court.
"It's your turn to go on."
James immediately understood Tang Long's meaning.
"Coach Brown, it's time for us to give our all. Seventeen consecutive wins, and under your leadership, we will write our own glorious chapter and tell the management to go to hell!"
Mike Brown put down the tactical board and looked directly into James' eyes.
"Coach Brown, LeBron is right. We're only trailing by ten points now."
Larry Hughes chimed in with agreement.
The continuous dunks reignited the excitement at the Quicken Loans Arena, and the fans who had left returned to cheer for their team.
"Coach Brown, I'm a bit tired. Let Tang play in the third quarter!"
Big Z, having recovered from his injury, was eager to prove himself. Moreover, as the team's starting center, he also wanted the team to win game after game under his leadership.
However, compared to Tang Long, Big Z knew his performance in this game had been poor.
He was also inspired by Tang Long's spirit and was willing to give up his starting spot.
Seeing the players brimming with fighting spirit, the earlier disharmony now coalescing into a unified force, Mike Brown knew that at this moment, the players were warriors, warriors eager for victory.
"To hell with the management! If you guys don't win this game, you're all going to the Development League!"
"Don't worry, Coach Brown. It won't happen."
Tang Long confidently guaranteed.
"Beep!"
The referee blew his whistle, and both teams' players re-entered the court, fielding their strongest lineups.
...
"The Cavaliers have made a change, bringing back their starters. It seems the Cavaliers are going all out. Coach Zhang, how do you think the Cavaliers can tie the score?"
"The Nets are fielding both Moore and Kostić as centers. This clearly shows the Nets' deployment is targeted at Tang Long. At the same time, it's to prevent James from driving. This might be a bit dangerous for Tang Long!"
"Both Nets centers are quite tall, especially Mikki Moore, who stands at 2.13 meters. He has a tough playing style and never shies away from contact!"
"This is likely aimed directly at Tang Long! If they can contain Tang Long, and the Cavaliers' outside shooting doesn't open up, the points they just regained might be lost again. The Nets' current tactical setup is very reasonable!"
"Let's hope the Cavaliers' perimeter players can step up."
Yang Yi picked up Zhang Weiping's words: "The Cavaliers' outside shooting touch today is really ice-cold... alas, another miss!"
"Clang!"
A three-pointer bounced off the rim. With Tang Long facing a double-team of centers, securing offensive rebounds would be difficult. The opponent got the ball and immediately passed it to Kidd, who then passed it to Carter.
Swish!
Carter rose up for a three-pointer and calmly sank it.
"It's Carter again! This is Carter's fifth three-pointer. Today, Carter is showing us the former "Air Canada" who used to dominate the court!"
"This three-pointer came at the perfect time, widening the gap between the two teams again. If they hit a few more threes, the morale the Cavaliers just rebuilt will be shattered by the Nets!"
While the broadcast studio was still analyzing, the roar of the fans had already erupted at the Quicken Loans Arena.
"Defense, defense."
The fans' voices merged into a deafening roar that filled the vast arena.
The chants also set the Cavaliers players' blood boiling.
What lovely fans! For these fans alone, they had to give their all.
James also turned serious at this moment, driving relentlessly. If he couldn't break through, he drew fouls and went to the free-throw line.
Soon, Kostić had already accumulated two fouls.
The Nets had no choice but to substitute Kostić.
With only Mikki Moore on the court, defending Tang Long was already a significant challenge. The slightest lapse in attention allowed James to drive in, followed by a powerful dunk!
When double-teamed, James passed the ball to Tang Long, letting him go one-on-one against Moore.
The Cavaliers' offense finally came to life.
Six minutes into the third quarter, 66:73, the Cavaliers trailed by only seven points.
Larry Hughes brought the ball past half-court and passed it to James. James executed a sudden stop, shaking off Kidd, who was closing in, and charged towards the basket like lightning!
Richard and Moore immediately came to block, but they didn't expect James to pass the ball to Tang Long, who was already standing under the basket.
Upon receiving the pass, Tang Long slammed the ball down with great force, hanging on the rim!