"I don't know why, but right now I feel like Shaolin Soccer and all the senior brothers have returned.
Sun Yue's shot, although they are still trailing by 10 points, felt like a lifetime had passed compared to the first three quarters.
This is the Dragon Country team everyone wants to see.
What about Team USA? So what if they have many star players? We'll still take them on one-on-one.
'Go, Dragon Country team!'
Sun Yue's breakthrough reignited the tension-filled spectators in the arena.
'That's the way to play!'
'Where are those who were talking smack earlier? Why aren't they saying anything now?'
Dragon Country's consecutive scores also revitalized their supporters.
'What are you so proud of? You're still behind. Anyone who didn't know would think you were leading by 10 points.'
'Still thinking of beating Team USA? You really don't know your place.'
Despite the discordant voices among the fans, who seemed to believe Team USA was invincible, the players on the court for Team USA were not having an easy time.
It felt like this scene was all too familiar.
'Does Dragon Country have some secret technology we don't know about?'
Bosh could clearly feel that he was struggling to contain Yao Ming. The man was like a small mountain, unmoving in the paint.
'It can't be that ridiculous, right?'
James didn't feel much of anything about it. Besides, Tang Long had always had this kind of stamina.
'How do we play?'
Paul, the younger brother, looked at the seniors in confusion.
'Just play according to the coach's tactics.'
The simplest offense is also the most effective.
With a few simple passes, the ball was in LeBron James's hands under the basket. LeBron feinted a couple of times with the ball, then took a step-back jump shot.
90-102.
Yao Ming post-up against Bosh. Bosh was already struggling to hold his ground against Yao Ming, let alone a Yao Ming with boosted attributes.
92-102.
James immediately responded with a super-long three-pointer, extending the lead to 13 points.
Yi responded with a 2-point basket, but they were still trailing by 11 points.
'This isn't going to work if we keep playing like this. We're still behind.'
Yao Ming didn't rush to inbound the ball. While pretending to tie his shoelaces, he asked Tang Long for advice.
'You have a lot of ideas and understand tactics thoroughly. Tell us how we should play next. We score 2 points, and they immediately respond with a 3-pointer. How can this work?'
'I'm thinking about that too.'
Tang Long looked at the Team USA players who had retreated to defend. Team USA's current defensive formation was a 2-3 zone, showing great respect for Yao Ming in the paint. Additionally, they assigned James to a tight man-to-man defense on Tang Long, directly limiting the scoring of Dragon Country's two core players. As for the perimeter players' scoring, they clearly didn't prioritize it.
Sometimes, letting the perimeter players score a few baskets didn't matter much, especially since they knew the shooting accuracy of these perimeter players was abysmally poor.
'Tang Long and I will be responsible for movement, Yi, you provide support from the side, and Da Zhi, just run to find open spots.' Tang Long thought for a moment and said, 'Team USA is employing a 2-3 zone, so they won't heavily pressure perimeter shooters. If you get an open shot, take it immediately. Don't worry about the shooting percentage.'
'Okay.'
To break a 2-3 zone, apart from attacking the paint, the only other option is shooting.
Since Tang Long's interior drives were being blocked, only perimeter shooting remained.
As Dragon Country initiated their next offense, Tang Long's drive drew the opponent's attention. Sun Yue and Yi's movement disrupted the Team USA players' vision.
Besides Tang Long, the cross-cutting movements of Sun Yue and Yi also proved effective. At this moment, Da Zhi at the top of the arc had an open shot opportunity.
Clang.
It was a miss.
The chance was created, but it wasn't converted.
Da Zhi looked very frustrated. Fortunately, Team USA made a mistake after a few passes. Tang Long seized the opportunity and intercepted a pass intended for the paint.
However, Team USA had clearly noticed Tang Long's fast break. By the time he made the steal, three of their players had already retreated to their own half. By the time they crossed half-court, the other two had also returned.
Tang Long drove rapidly with the ball. James and Paul closed in to defend. Tang Long, without hesitation, passed the ball to Da Zhi in the corner.
Da Zhi, upon receiving the pass, was clearly stunned.
He hadn't expected Tang Long to pass to him. He took a deep breath and decisively shot this time.
Swish.
Nothing but net.
97-105.
'Yeah!'
Da Zhi clenched his fist and let out a long sigh of relief.
This basket felt like a weight lifted off his shoulders.
At a critical moment, Tang Long still chose to believe in him. Da Zhi was deeply moved by this trust and did not fail his teammate's confidence.
'Well done!'
Tang Long and the others high-fived Da Zhi.
'The defense is up to you now.'
Tang Long looked at Team USA, who were inbounding the ball again. Paul was dribbling.
With Paul on the court, dunks in the paint were the norm. At this moment, they should have brought in Howard, but this guy's brain was usually a bit muddled, so they brought in Bosh instead.
Bosh didn't play this style.
Tang Long narrowed his eyes slightly and had already made his calculations.
Offense must be successful, and defense must be executed. They couldn't just rely on opponent mistakes; such opportunities were rare.
As Paul brought the ball up, Tang Long actively stepped forward to defend James. Sun Yue matched up with Paul. As Yi applied pressure, only Yao Ming was left in the paint.
Paul passed the ball to Bosh with little hesitation.
Bosh received the ball, shouldered Yao Ming, and then took a step-back jumper.
Block.
A shadow suddenly darted out, seemingly having anticipated Bosh's move. As he shot, the shadow precisely swatted the ball away.
'Beautiful!'
'Go, Dragon Country team!'
The crowd's cheers erupted once more.
The ball bounced off the backboard and fell. Yao Ming grabbed the rebound, and Dragon Country launched a counter-attack.
Tang Long, before the opponent could form a double-team, took a shot from the free-throw line.
99-105.
The score narrowed to 6 points. The crowd's enthusiasm soared, filling the entire stadium with their cheers for the team.
Dragon Country's momentum was immense.
Coach K immediately called for a timeout.
...
'Brilliant! Those two possessions were truly brilliant. This is what basketball is all about, truly a pleasure to watch.'
In the broadcast booth, the commentators had become excited again.
That's right, Dragon Country's momentum had picked up. Crucially, other players had also played key roles, which was why the commentators were so uplifted.
'Team USA probably won't use the 2-3 zone anymore. If they continue with it, Da Zhi will be able to turn them into a sieve.'
...
Previously, the commentators had expected Team USA to adjust their defensive tactics. However, they seemed to have only adjusted their offense. After James scored, Team USA still employed the 2-3 zone.
Clearly, they didn't consider Da Zhi's shot to be significant.
They dismissed it as a fluke.
In that case, why be polite? After crossing half-court, the ball found its way to Da Zhi again!"