The Cavaliers only scored 18 points in the second quarter, with James scoring 10, Tang Long 6, and Larry Hughes 2.
At halftime, the Cavaliers led by seven points, 50-43.
"Well done. As long as we maintain this lead, victory will ultimately be ours. Then we'll show those media outlets that we, the Cavaliers, are invincible!"
Mike Brown waved his whiteboard excitedly.
With the game at this stage, just one step away from the Finals, every win meant one step closer to the trophy for everyone.
"Let's go, beat them up!"
All the Cavaliers players shouted excitedly, and Mike Brown was pleased with the team's atmosphere.
Sometimes, the gap in lineup strength can be bridged by fighting spirit. As long as everyone is united, they might just be able to take down the Lakers.
At this moment, Mike Brown was getting a little carried away.
He was already considering how to strategize against the Lakers after defeating the Celtics.
Beep!
The referee's whistle blew again.
The Celtics didn't dare to make substitutions lightly. Falling behind, substitutions would clearly be handing the opponent a victory.
As soon as the third quarter began, Garnett displayed the fighting spirit of the Wolf King!
He drove hard to the basket against Drew Gooden, drawing a foul.
He made the basket for a 2+1!
Then, as Tang Long came to help defend, Garnett leaped from the free-throw line.
He scored another two points.
On defense, the Celtics still employed a zone defense, double-teaming and rotating to heavily guard Tang Long and James.
"The Cavaliers are a bit passive now!"
In the broadcast booth, Yang Yi stared at the screen with a serious expression. "During halftime, the camera cut to the Celtics players. Doc Rivers looked displeased. He must have been furious during halftime, and we can see that the Celtics came out very aggressively in the second half!"
Yu Jia added, "The Celtics have redeployed their strategy to target Tang Long. On offense, Garnett has changed his tactics and is attacking through Tang Long's zone.
'If you come out, I'll shoot; if you don't, I'll drive hard against Drew Gooden. James and Larry Hughes will rotate to help, while Pierce and Ray Allen are lurking. Mike Brown should call a timeout.'"
Yang Yi shook his head. "I don't think Mike Brown will call a timeout immediately. Not to mention his reaction speed, calling a timeout so early in the third quarter, and they don't know how the Celtics will adjust their formations later. I guess he'll continue to observe."
Yang Yi's analysis was very reasonable.
Mike Brown indeed had no intention of calling a timeout.
He figured that even if they couldn't contain the Celtics' offense for the moment, as long as the Cavaliers maintained their offensive firepower, it would be a shootout.
However, Mike Brown did not anticipate that after the Celtics adopted a zone defense, the Cavaliers' outside shooting accuracy would also decrease.
Larry Hughes missed his shot, Drew Gooden's mid-range jumper hit the rim. Although Tang Long grabbed the rebound and passed the ball to James, James was called for traveling while dribbling.
In less than three minutes into the quarter, the Cavaliers became increasingly passive, which was clearly beyond Mike Brown's expectations.
He regretted not calling a timeout earlier.
Now, if he called a timeout, the Cavaliers, who had just adapted to the Celtics' rhythm, would have their rhythm disrupted by the stoppage.
So Mike Brown was extremely conflicted at this moment.
Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden looked awkward, especially Gooden, whose eyes showed a hint of self-reproach.
Tang Long fought hard for rebounds under the basket and created opportunities for them under double-teams, yet they kept missing shots, making them feel truly indebted to Tang Long.
On defense, they had been very active, which prevented the Celtics from extending their lead to ten points.
However, playing passively like this, the score difference would eventually widen.
"Let's focus on me again!"
At a critical moment, Tang Long stepped up as usual.
The best defense is offense, and only when offense is flowing can the team's morale be boosted!
"I'll do it."
James patted Tang Long on the shoulder.
As the team's leader, he had to step up in crucial moments.
"Alright, then we'll create opportunities for you."
Against the Celtics' zone defense, the Cavaliers changed their offensive strategy, creating opportunities for James to go one-on-one.
One person couldn't stop James, which was the Cavaliers' strategy before Tang Long's rise.
Doc Rivers knew this tactic too well. Upon seeing the Cavaliers' formation, he immediately instructed Rajon Rondo to leave Pavolovic open on the perimeter and double-team James.
The one-on-one plays weren't very effective. James went 1-for-3. Although he drew a foul on Rajon Rondo, it was unfortunately on one of the Celtics' role players.
This style of play also made James anxious.
In the previous few possessions, he could still create opportunities through dribbling. However, now he was taking contested jump shots as soon as the ball crossed half-court, naturally leading to missed shots.
Mike Brown looked at the situation unfolding on the court and stood up from his chair.
He had to call a timeout.
With that thought, he shifted his gaze to Tang Long.
The Celtics wouldn't keep their starting lineup on the court continuously. If the lead reached around ten points, they would surely bring in some reserves in the third quarter.
At this point, if he kept Tang Long on the court and brought in Gibson and Varejão, along with West and Joe Smith, creating a smaller lineup against the Celtics, they might be able to break the passive situation.
Mike Brown picked up his whiteboard and looked at it again.
He thought, "That's what I'll do!"
He would put Tang Long on the court alone to lead the entire team.
With that in mind, Mike Brown looked at James again.
The only problem now was James.
It was evident that James was getting frustrated. If he were to be substituted now, with Tang Long leading the team, as the team's leader, James might not be willing.
If this move caused friction between Tang Long and James, the consequences would extend beyond just the outcome of one game.
Mike Brown sighed helplessly. He decided the strategy still needed to change.
However, he needed to ask for James's opinion.
Beep!
Just as Pierce drove, changed direction, faked out Larry Hughes, and made a shot, Mike Brown quickly called a timeout.
By this point, six minutes had passed in the third quarter.
Mike Brown timed it perfectly. The Celtics now led by ten points, with ten minutes left in the third quarter. Doc Rivers would surely make lineup adjustments.
Next, he needed to handle the James situation!
The Cavaliers players walked off the court dejectedly. James took a sip of mineral water and angrily tossed the bottle into the box.
"Damn it, we have to beat them tonight. If we win, I'll treat everyone to a meal!"