The entire third quarter, the Cavaliers dominated the Heat.
They seemed overwhelmed, and James was also playing exceptionally well.
On offense, he had already scored twenty-five points. Since he didn't play in the second quarter, this score was quite impressive.
"LeBron hits a three-pointer, getting twenty-five points for the game. His performance has been very consistent. In the AmericanAirlines Arena, the Cleveland Cavaliers have caught the home team Heat completely off guard."
"Now, let's look at the next play. Larry Hughes with the steal, assisting China Tang for an alley-oop again?"
Just as the commentator finished speaking, there was a loud bang. Tang Long and Larry Hughes completed another thunderous alley-oop dunk.
By now, all the Cavaliers knew that although Tang Long was from China and young, his performance on the court was extremely confident.
As long as the pass wasn't too wild, Tang Long's top-tier physique allowed him to catch it.
"Tang! You're like a spring man, your physique is amazing!"
Larry Hughes looked at Tang Long with a smile, examining him closely. "Although you and Yao are both incredibly tall, Yao doesn't have your leaping ability."
Tang Long heard this and chuckled, "Don't compare me to Brother Yao. He's been my idol since I was a kid. We're just different types of players. I can't compare to Brother Yao in terms of post-up skills."
Larry Hughes nodded. Everyone knew Yao Ming's low-post game was extremely refined.
His various short hooks, including his dream shakes and turnaround jumpers, these smooth offensive moves, Yao Ming had always excelled at.
Transitioning from offense to defense, the Heat started their attack.
Wade was furious. The Heat had been suppressed by the Cavaliers all game, and as the team's leader, he had to step up.
Moreover, with little time left in the third quarter, it would end in 1 minute and 6 seconds.
If they were crushed in the first three quarters, the Heat would be even more passive in the final quarter.
"Damn it, give me the ball, let me lead you guys in a comeback!"
The "Jaws" Wade was no pushover. After receiving the pass from Jason Williams, he stood at the top of the arc, beyond the three-point line, ignoring the defender Alexander, and pulled up for a jump shot!
As the ball left his hands, both the fans and Pat Riley frowned.
In 2007, Wade was not a player who excelled at shooting.
He wasn't like Kobe, Anthony, or McGrady, who had strong shooting abilities. If defenders didn't stick close, these three could find even the slightest opening and decisively take a shot with a decent percentage.
Wade, on the other hand, mostly relied on driving to the basket and drawing attention.
Taking a pull-up jump shot like this, ignoring the defender, made the fans and coaching staff sweat.
"Damn it, Dwyane, are you crazy? You think you can make a shot like that?"
Head coach Pat Riley was about to scold Wade, but the next second, he instinctively shut his mouth.
Because this seemingly impossible three-pointer was actually made by Wade.
Was it a lucky shot?
Everyone had this question in their minds, though many fans were cheering wildly.
This three-pointer was crucial. With this shot, the Heat wouldn't fall too far behind the Cavaliers.
"Oh my god! Dwyane is provoked. He made a shot like that with Alexander guarding him closely."
"The Heat were down by nine points to the Cavaliers, and now, with this unreasonable three-pointer, they've narrowed the deficit to just six points. The Heat still have a chance to overtake!"
The commentators spoke with passion. Wade had made a crucial three-pointer, and he almost jumped onto the scorer's table to interact with the fans.
"Looking good, Jaws, you can make shots like that."
Tang Long smiled. As someone from the future, he knew very well that Wade at this time was not a good shooter.
It was only in the latter stages of his career that Wade's shooting became more consistent.
And now, he had made a divine three-pointer comparable to Kobe or McGrady. One had to say, "Impressive!"
"No need to panic, we're still leading. Give me the ball, let me organize the last possession of this quarter!"
James spoke up. After receiving the baseline inbound pass, he slowly dribbled to the frontcourt.
At the same time, he glanced at the game clock. The third quarter was about to end, and this was the last offensive opportunity of the quarter.
"LeBron is personally organizing the offense. There are only 11 seconds left in the quarter. Whether they can score depends on LeBron's final shot."
Swish!
Not long after the commentator finished speaking, with seven seconds remaining, James started his move at the top of the arc.
Drew Gooden cleverly set a high pick-and-roll for him, and James drove in with little pressure.
With three seconds left, James pulled up for a fadeaway jumper.
While the form wasn't the most elegant, the arc of the shot looked good. Tang Long felt it would go in.
"Swish!"
As Tang Long predicted, a shot with a perfectly normal arc usually goes in.
"Yes... LeBron stepped up for the Cavaliers' final possession. From the right short corner, he fadeaway jumper. The ball goes in cleanly. The Cavaliers extend their lead again."
James, who had made this mid-range shot, also looked very excited, high-fiving his teammates in celebration.
With only 1.3 seconds left in the third quarter, the Heat took a baseline inbound pass to Wade. Wade caught the ball and immediately threw it up, gambling for a lucky shot.
Unfortunately, this full-court heave of a three-pointer did not go in.
The third quarter ended. The score was set at 78:70, with the Cavaliers leading the Heat by eight points.
With an eight-point lead, they entered the final quarter of the game!
At the start of the fourth quarter, Pat Riley changed their strategy, focusing more on Wade driving and making isolation plays. All other teammates would spread out, creating scoring opportunities for Wade.
This tactic was similar to Kobe's rhythm with the Lakers: teammates spread out, Kobe isolated.
If the opponent double-teamed Kobe relentlessly, Kobe would find an opening to pass the ball to an open teammate.
This style of play was the ultimate individual heroism; whether they won or lost depended on the superstar's performance at the moment.
"Jaws" Wade was indeed "Jaws." He successfully isolated Alexander twice in a row.
And both were jump shots, which made it difficult for Tang Long to provide help defense.
If Wade drove in for a dunk, Tang Long would have a chance to stop him.
"I need to find a way to provoke Wade!"
Tang Long, with no good intentions, walked up to Wade during a break in play and said, "Dwyane, I think you should stop using the nickname 'Flash' from now on!"
Huh?
Hearing Tang Long's words, Wade clearly paused. He pulled his jersey to wipe the sweat from his forehead and said lazily, "Hey! Kid, what do you mean? If I stop being called Flash, are you going to take the nickname?"
"Yes, I think you should let me have it!"
Tang Long completely went against the expected response.
Wade: "..."
He was momentarily speechless, staring at Tang Long as if he were crazy.
Then Tang Long unleashed his ultimate move, saying, "You don't even dare to drive to the basket, what kind of Flash are you?"
"Pfft!!"
Wade was so angered he almost spat out blood.
Dare not drive?
Chinese kid, you're in trouble!
Wade's anger was palpable, his expression visibly turning cold.
And Tang Long wanted exactly this effect. By provoking Wade, he would drive to the basket. Only then would Tang Long have a chance to block, completing the side quest given by the system.
A 7+ block stat was a must-do tonight!
Upon completion, he would receive the system-bestowed skill: [Divine Block]!