Although he was the Sixth Man of the Year and an indispensable member of the Spurs, playing with a bunch of reserves all the time wasn't as exhilarating as playing with the starters, which gave Ginobili plenty of motivation.
Tang, for this starting opportunity, I can only use you as a stepping stone.
The game against the Spurs was not only taken seriously by the players but also generated exceptional excitement among the fans.
There were quite a few Dragon Country Spurs fans, but compared to the vast number of Cavaliers fans, their voices seemed much smaller.
However, those who liked the Spurs were generally experienced fans.
They liked the Spurs because of the purest basketball, where no one was a superstar, and there was no excessive commercial marketing, only victory and perseverance.
If it were another team, the fans would have already started exchanging insults. But at this moment, both sets of fans were speculating whether Tang Long and Duncan could maintain their hot form after their matchup.
Cavaliers fans believed that Tang Long's performances in so many games had already proven that he could not only adapt to the NBA but also hold his own against the former league's top center.
Spurs fans, on the other hand, argued that regular season games wouldn't involve all-out effort, and teams didn't know Tang Long well enough yet, which was why the Cavaliers had a winning streak. Now that teams were starting to pay attention to Tang Long, they believed it wouldn't be long before someone figured out how to limit his effectiveness.
The fans of both teams engaged in friendly tactical banter.
After all, fans who liked the Spurs' style often had some life experience and were well past the age of pretending on forums.
...
"Good morning, viewers. The game is about to start in one minute. We can see the players on both sides warming up on the sidelines."
"The Cavaliers' starting lineup remains unchanged, still James, Tang Long, Larry Hughes, Drew Gooden, and Pavlovic."
"Coach Zhang, previously the Cavaliers' fifth man was adjusted between Pavlovic, Gibson, and Varejão. Since Tang Long became the starting center, Pavlovic seems to have secured a starting position."
"After all, Pavlovic's strength is his physique, he can contribute defensively, and can play shooting guard or small forward. When James is being guarded and Tang Long pulls out to create space, Pavlovic still has some scoring ability, so it's very reasonable to have him start."
"The Spurs' starting lineup also remains unchanged: Parker, Bruce Bowen, Michael Finley, Oberto, and Tim Duncan."
Yang Yi turned to Zhang Weiping again: "Coach Zhang, both teams are fielding their regular starters. Who do you think has the better starting lineup?"
"The starting lineups of these two teams each have their own advantages, which means the scores will be very close. I believe the deciding factor will be the bench players. Besides Ginobili, the Spurs also have players like Brent Barry, Matt Bonner, and Kurt Thomas. The Cavaliers are clearly at a disadvantage in terms of their bench."
"I think if the Cavaliers' bench falls too far behind, Tang Long is likely to continue playing, leading the bench unit, as has been the case in previous games."
"My concern is that if he continues to play like this, Tang Long's stamina might become an issue. Moreover, while players like Colson are average offensively, they work very hard defensively. If he's matched up against Tang Long, his scoring ability would be slightly weaker than Tang Long's, but defensively he would greatly exhaust Tang Long's stamina, which isn't good for the Cavaliers."
"Coach Zhang is right, the Cavaliers still need to resolve their second unit issues. Alright, the game is starting, and the Cavaliers will initiate the offense."
As Yang Yi began his commentary, the broadcast switched back to the court.
The Cavaliers initiated the offense. Larry Hughes brought the ball to the opponent's half, with Oberto guarding James.
Tang Long and Duncan were jostling for position under the basket. He hesitated for a moment before choosing to drive.
Parker immediately came to block Larry Hughes. Larry Hughes didn't force his way through and passed the ball to Drew Gooden.
Bruce Bowen saw this and tried to intercept the ball mid-air, but the ball landed steadily in Gooden's hands.
Drew Gooden didn't hesitate and took the shot.
Clang!!
The ball hit the rim and bounced off.
Tang Long and Duncan leaped almost simultaneously. Duncan was well-positioned, and the ball was falling towards him. But just as he was about to grab the ball, Tang Long's hand also reached out.
Neither player backed down.
Beeeep!!
A whistle blew, a jump ball.
The matchup right from the opening tip had immediately reached a climax.
"Tang Long is really too strong. Anyone else would have definitely been a defensive rebound for Duncan on that play. Tang Long managed to reclaim half the possession from Duncan. The Cavaliers' winning streak is no fluke."
Yang Yi nodded: "A jump ball favors Tang Long more, as Tang Long's jumping ability is better. It all depends on the timing."
At this moment, the referee tossed the ball high into the air. As Yang Yi said, Tang Long's jumping ability was superior, and he batted the ball directly to James.
After receiving the ball, James drove past Oberto and into the paint for a powerful slam dunk!!
Immediately after, the Spurs launched their offense. Parker and Duncan executed a pick-and-roll, and with Duncan's screen, Parker calmly sank a mid-range jump shot.
Both teams scored two points, tied at 2-2.
The Cavaliers went on offense again.
Larry Hughes brought the ball past half-court and didn't rush the offense. He only passed the ball to James when Bowen stepped up to defend him.
James jumped from beyond the three-point line.
Three-pointer made!
"This is the impact of a star player. Such a difficult shot is simply unstoppable."
Coach Zhang repeatedly praised James's shooting.
Just as Yang Yi was about to respond, the Spurs' offense had already reached the Cavaliers' basket.
This time, Duncan didn't opt for a pick-and-roll. Instead, he positioned himself to block Tang Long's path, creating space for Parker to drive to the basket. Parker made a layup directly.
As Tang Long inbounded the ball, he slightly raised his eyebrows.
Is this the Spurs?
Balanced offense and defense, capable of playing half-court offense and fast breaks.
It was no wonder the Cavaliers lost to the Spurs last year.
But this year, the Cavaliers would not repeat the same mistakes.
Because I am here!
Tang Long quickly sprinted to the Spurs' basket. James had the ball, but he was trapped outside the three-point line with no space to drive. James leaped high.
Everyone thought he was going to shoot, but he passed the ball to Tang Long under the basket.
Tang Long received the ball and executed a post-up against Duncan.
Duncan held his ground, preventing Tang Long from easily turning. If Tang Long turned too easily, Duncan could easily strip the ball from him.
Tang Long powered forward two steps, and as he continued to exert force with his shoulders, battling with Duncan, he suddenly took a step back and turned to shoot.
A big center playing a fadeaway jump shot?
And he made the shot! Duncan was speechless and had no retort.
Duncan silently gave Tang Long a perfect score for that turnaround jump shot!