Nelson sank the shot and was awarded an extra free throw.
In his pre-game interview, Nelson had stated his desire to fully enjoy his final national team tournament, not giving much thought to whether they could defeat Dragon Country.
Despite his words, the old man showed no mercy, and this 2+1 was the best proof of that.
6:3.
Nelson's basket could have stabilized the Kangaroos' offense. If they had then played steadily and reduced turnovers, they could have maintained their momentum.
However, after hitting a 2+1, the Kangaroo players seemed to get a bit carried away.
Newley received a pass from Nelson. He could have taken a mid-range jump shot, but he insisted on a dribble and charged into the paint. Yao Ming was not going to indulge him, and immediately delivered a huge block!
Tang Long followed up, driving the ball towards the Kangaroo basket. Despite the Kangaroo players’ best efforts, they could only trail behind Tang Long, eating his exhaust fumes.
8:3.
Immediately after, on offense, Yao Ming received a pass from Tang Long in the paint. Bogut, lacking a size advantage against Yao Ming, forcefully attempted a block and was called for a foul!
Not long after the start, the Kangaroos' biggest inside threat had already committed two fouls.
The Kangaroo head coach, Brian Goorjian, jumped up, furious, and began shouting at the sidelines.
For a team like Dragon Country, with a powerful interior presence, if their center picks up early fouls, the rest of the game will be incredibly difficult!
If the opponent simply attacks the inside, they'll have no way to defend.
Then, if they increase defensive intensity on the perimeter, leaving them unable to operate effectively, the game will quickly devolve into garbage time.
But the game had just begun; he couldn't possibly substitute Bogut immediately.
Yao Ming made both free throws, his mood also quite good.
Bogut, when he gets reckless, is truly an uncomfortable opponent. While a head-on confrontation might yield an advantage, not only is physical contact prone to injury, but it also hurts.
"Yao ge, should we continue to target Bogut?"
"How about you take over?" Yao Ming glared at Tang Long, exasperated. "Don't worry, I'll definitely support you."
Bogut's body was all muscle. If they continued to play this way, even if Bogut was worn down, he himself would probably be in too much pain to lift anything the next day.
"For such high-difficulty moves, of course, only you, Yao ge, can do it," Tang Long shook his head. "Who else but you is the league's number one center!"
"Stop it, who doesn't know you're the league's number one center?"
"I can give it to you!"
"No need, you've earned it fair and square."
While they engaged in a battle of wits while retreating on defense, the playful banter aside, once Bogut entered the paint, Yao Ming would firmly establish his position, giving Bogut no opportunity.
After being chewed out by his coach, Bogut dared not be too reckless, playing relatively conservatively.
However, this resulted in the Kangaroo interior being suppressed by Yao Ming, and their perimeter unable to defend Tang Long, leaving them in a very passive situation.
Sun Yue then hit a three-pointer, extending the lead to nine points, making the score 12:3.
Dragon Country was gaining momentum, and the restrained Bogut was finding it difficult to utilize his strengths.
Especially with Yao Ming and Tang Long consistently targeting him, and Bogut hesitant to foul, his defensive effectiveness was greatly diminished.
Midway through the first quarter, Brian Goorjian called a timeout and substituted David Andersen for Bogut.
…
"Anderson was once selected by the Hawks, but the two sides did not reach an agreement. Later, Anderson went to CSKA Moscow. Don't let the basketball from Big Mao fool you; CSKA Moscow is a team that is undefeated at home, especially in the EuroLeague. At home, CSKA almost never loses. This team is also one of the favorites for many 'lottery' fans. At home, it's simple: consistent!"
Director Zhang paused and continued, "What's even more impressive is that Anderson helped the team win the domestic league championship for three consecutive years. Just this year, CSKA also won the EuroLeague championship. I heard Barcelona is very interested in him and intends to sign him. Another rumor is that the Rockets want to sign him as Yao Ming's backup!"
"You can't deny it, these Australian players, despite only a few playing in the NBA, their strength should not be underestimated."
Yang Yi chimed in, "Before, when we played against Australia, we lost more than we won. It's only because Tang Long emerged this year that we're playing so easily."
Basketball naturally involves fewer players, and having an additional star player can significantly alter the team's situation.
Just as in the past, Yi Jianlian and Dayao often found themselves with limited space to operate. Now, with most of the opponents focused on defending Tang Long, others have suddenly become more active.
In the previous game against Greece, several players wasted opportunities, but fortunately, they still won the game, which demonstrated the impact of Tang Long's addition to the national team.
"I think the 'Kangaroo Army' will definitely pick up the pace from now on."
Lao Bai continued, "With Bogut off the court, Brian Goorjian will undoubtedly accelerate the offensive tempo, trying his best to wear down Yao Ming's stamina. Once Yao Ming's energy is depleted, he'll bring Bogut back in."
Director Zhang nodded. "Yunas will have to rest Yao Ming more to protect him. Regardless of whether Tang Long plays center or power forward, Tang Long can only defend one side. The other Kangaroo players can then exploit their advantages."
These tactical analyses were evident to the commentators, and Yunas could also see them. The Kangaroo head coach, too, was aware.
In fact, he was proceeding exactly as planned.
With Andersen on the court and the pace quickening, before Yao Ming could even establish position in the paint, Kangaroo players were already driving in.
Yao Ming had to chase them on defense, and when players from other positions attacked, Yao Ming's defensive load increased significantly.
As the offense sped up, Dragon Country's pace also involuntarily quickened.
They couldn't afford to be slow on offense when the opponent gave them open looks. Therefore, the second half of the first quarter saw a dazzling exchange of offenses and rapid score changes.
…
"The Kangaroos have clearly found the right approach on offense. Although they are still trailing, compared to not having scoring opportunities earlier, the Kangaroos are now gradually utilizing their strengths. This is their preferred style of play."
Through open-court play, it became difficult for Yao Ming to leverage his advantage as a center, while simultaneously further depleting his stamina.
"Yunas needs to think of a solution. Perhaps he should let Yao Ming rest for a while, have Yi Jianlian play center, and bring in Du Feng or Zhu Fangyu to let Tang Long lead them on fast breaks. It's already been proven that when Tang Long leads fast breaks, he puts immense pressure on the opponent's defense!"
"That's also a viable option," Yang Yi nodded. "Once the opponents tire out, bring Yao Ming back to play half-court offense. It might yield twice the results with half the effort."