Parker received the pass from Oberto, with Finley on the other side. Only Larry Hughes was left for the Cavaliers.
It was a two-on-one situation.
Larry Hughes knew it was difficult to defend both players' offense simultaneously, so he could only choose to guard Parker, who had the ball.
Parker drove to the basket, stopped abruptly, and passed the ball to Finley under the hoop.
Seeing Finley successfully receive the ball, Larry Hughes knew the opponent was about to dunk.
"Clang!!"
As expected, Finley's windmills dunk amazed the entire arena.
The home Spurs fans immediately erupted in cheers and applause for Finley.
Zhang Weiping, in the broadcast booth, couldn't help but praise the Spurs' impressive offense: "You can tell the Spurs' offensive strategy is very clear. They aim for a fast break, then pressure you on defense in the frontcourt, forcing turnovers, and using those opportunities to catch up. Popovich's tactical execution is truly masterful."
"The Cavaliers still lack experience."
Yang Yi also sighed, "I guess everyone didn't expect the Spurs to use a strategy they typically reserve for the fourth quarter in the first quarter. They even knew to employ the 'surround three, leave one' tactic, deliberately creating a vulnerability for Larry Hughes, and he actually fell for it."
After speaking, Yang Yi seemed to have an idea and looked at Zhang Weiping, chuckling, "Director Zhang, 'surround three, leave one' is the essence of Sun Tzu's Art of War. Could it be that Popovich has also read Sun Tzu?"
"You know, that's quite possible."
While the two bantered in the broadcast booth, the Cavaliers initiated their final offense of the first quarter.
With only 17 seconds left in the game, the Spurs had changed their tactic again, not for offense, but purely to prevent the two best scorers on the Cavaliers from scoring in those 17 seconds.
James and Tang Long couldn't get the ball, so Larry Hughes had to run down the clock while looking for an offensive opportunity.
Time ticked by second by second. In a flash, only five seconds remained. The Cavaliers' offensive space was limited. Larry Hughes drove into the paint himself. Just as he was about to pull up for a jump shot, Duncan's block came crashing down.
*Pa!!*
The ball was knocked out of bounds, but there were still three seconds left in the first quarter. It meant they would have to shoot as soon as they inbounded the ball.
The Spurs were also strictly defending James. Bowen raised his hands and danced, all to disrupt Tang Long from receiving the ball.
At this moment, the home Spurs fans started to jeer.
"Go back to your Longguo!"
"Can people with yellow skin play basketball?"
Tang Long glanced back at them, and the referee was already impatiently preparing to blow his whistle.
Just then, James broke free from the double-team.
Tang Long immediately passed the ball to him. James received the ball and quickly drove into the paint, drawing three defenders before passing the ball back to Tang Long at the forty-five-degree angle.
Tang Long shot decisively.
*Beep.*
The ball hit the rim, spun around, and bounced out.
The three-pointer missed.
The Spurs fans immediately cheered, proud of their success in disrupting Tang Long's concentration.
"Tang, don't worry about it. They're just a bunch of trash. Don't let them affect your mood."
James had also heard the trash talk from the Spurs fans. As the first quarter ended, he came over to comfort Tang Long.
"Don't worry, I'm not bothered,"
Tang Long had a strong mentality. For fans like these, the only way to silence them was with strength.
"Tang, you'll stay on the court at the start of the second quarter. Ensure we secure rebounds and open up the inside game."
Mike Brown called Tang Long over and began to strategize, "Ginobili is a tough opponent. You need to keep your eyes open."
He then pulled Damon Jones over. "Jones, your assignment in the second quarter is to guard Ginobili. If there's an opportunity from the outside, you can shoot as well."
Damon Jones had a beautiful three-point shot and didn't demand the ball excessively.
Outside shooters can be inconsistent. When they're clanking shots, it can put the team in a passive situation, which is why Damon Jones's playing time was limited.
Mike Brown's decision to put Damon Jones on the court this time was clearly to have him defend Ginobili while also helping Tang Long with outside threats.
*Beep!*
The referee's whistle blew, and the second quarter began.
The Cavaliers sent out their second unit, with the exception of Tang Long. Mike Brown had intended to build a lead when both teams fielded their reserves.
However, Popovich had anticipated his move. Not only was Duncan still in the starting lineup at the start of the second quarter, but he had also specifically brought in Matt Bonner.
Matt Bonner also had a nickname: "Bonner the God!"
His three-point shot had also amazed many, but with superstars like Curry being rare, Matt Bonner was at best an embellishment, not a game-changer.
Seeing his strategy being countered again, Mike Brown's face turned green.
Popovich, on the other hand, grinned and shook his head at him.
His message was clear: I saw through your little plans long ago, so don't bother. We swept you 4-0 in the finals before, and this time the Cavaliers' winning streak will undoubtedly end at our hands.
Tang Long, however, did not notice the coaches' subtle battle as the Spurs immediately adopted a full-court press.
As soon as the ball reached Daniel Gibson, Ginobili was already there to block him.
Fortunately, the Spurs didn't stick to their previous tactic. Although Daniel Gibson found it more difficult to bring the ball up, once he crossed half-court, the space was locked down, and there was no room for a drive.
At this point, Tang Long had already established his position, extending his hand for the ball.
Daniel Gibson didn't hesitate much and passed the ball directly to Tang Long.
Duncan couldn't let Tang Long get the ball easily. The moment Tang Long received the ball, he used his shoulder forcefully, almost pushing Tang Long out of the paint, and simultaneously waved his hand in front of Tang Long's face.
Tang Long calmly took a step back and then jumped to shoot.
Duncan quickly looked at where the ball would land, thinking to himself that if this shot missed, the rebound would be his.
The ball swished through the net. Tang Long calmly scored two points with a beautiful mid-range jumper.
"How is that possible?"
Duncan was not one to underestimate his opponents. The fact that Tang Long could make such a shot seemed incredible to him.
Fronting defense?
Duncan immediately shook his head.
This guy wasn't Yao Ming, so if he fronted a rookie who was just starting to make a name for himself, how would he survive in the paint in the future?
At this moment, he finally understood why Popovich had him play in the second quarter. Ordinary people really couldn't guard Tang Long.
"Tang, you should have dunked on Duncan!!"
Daniel Gibson said jokingly as he retreated on defense.
After Tang Long joined the second unit, the Cavaliers' reserve lineup was not weak in terms of scoring or defense. This also boosted the performance of the reserve players!
Naturally, the reserve players also attracted some attention from other teams.
As long as they put on a stellar performance on the court, they wouldn't have to worry about signing big contracts!