"I just can't swallow this insult!"
Garnett looked at Pierce, opened his mouth, and then swallowed the curses he was about to utter.
Pierce was right. Besides, the foul called earlier was within the realm of reason. He had done it countless times before; it was just that this time it was Tang Long who bothered him.
Having stabilized themselves, the Celtics launched another attack on the Cavaliers, avoiding the paint defended by Tang Long in their offensive approach.
"Tang Long is very ferocious on defense today. The Celtics players are clearly showing restraint when facing him."
In the broadcast booth, Yang Yi was struggling to contain himself. If he weren't broadcasting the game for C5, he might have been laughing out loud already.
When it came to being a tough player, it all depended on who the opponent was.
If it was a teammate, then of course, he was a defensive stalwart!
"This will increase the pressure on the perimeter defense."
Yu Jia analyzed, "Based on regular season and playoff data, the Cavaliers' perimeter defense is actually weaker. This might not be bad news for the Celtics, especially since they still have Ray Allen, a sharpshooter. The Cavaliers need to improve their perimeter defense now, otherwise, if they defend the inside but the perimeter collapses, it would be a huge loss!"
"This is the Eastern Conference Finals, after all. The Cavaliers should also step up their defensive intensity."
Yang Yi chimed in, "Honestly, the Celtics' defensive intensity will directly affect the Cavaliers' offense as well. It all depends on whether the Cavaliers can leverage their offensive advantage."
The analysis of both commentators was sound. The intensity of the Eastern Conference Finals was absolutely incomparable to the regular season.
Even with both teams having full energy in the first quarter, the offensive tempo was generally slow, with shots often taken after fifteen or sixteen seconds, or even twenty seconds.
This made the game a bit subdued. With half of the first quarter gone, the score was only 10:8, with the Cavaliers leading by two points at home.
Back on the court.
Pierce passed the ball to Garnett, who then passed it to Ray Allen at the corner. Ray Allen caught the ball and shot without hesitation.
*Clang!*
The ball missed slightly, hitting the rim and bouncing out.
Perkins, standing at 2.08 meters, had no advantage against Tang Long in rebounding. His hand was already reaching out, almost securing the ball, but Tang Long snatched it first.
"Damn Tang, stealing my rebound!"
Perkins cursed, then quickly retreated to his own basket.
At this moment, Rajon Rondo was already pressuring Larry Hughes before even crossing half-court, forcing Larry Hughes to slow down. By the time he dribbled past half-court, five or six seconds had already passed.
Tang Long was watching the court. LeBron James's receiving route was blocked. Larry Hughes dribbled around and found no good passing lanes, so he attempted a solo drive.
Rondo's defense was like a persistent fly, impossible to get rid of and extremely annoying. He drove one step, and Rondo was back to block him. Seventeen seconds had already passed.
"Larry, over here..."
Drew Gooden at the top of the arc called for the ball, but Pierce was in the passing lane. Larry Hughes hesitated, faked a drive, and shot from just outside the three-point line.
*Clang!*
The ball hit the rim and bounced out. Perkins had no advantage against Tang Long.
Just as Tang Long was about to secure the rebound, Garnett charged in like a beast, pushing Tang Long out of bounds and grabbing the rebound himself.
"KG, are you trying to play with fire?"
"Shut up!"
Garnett was too lazy to argue with Tang Long, as he realized he couldn't win an argument with him.
He had fallen for Tang Long's trick earlier, and now he wanted to pay him back.
"Ching Chong, you're too scrawny. Eat more beef to build yourself up, or you might blow away in the wind."
With that, Garnett passed the ball to Pierce.
Suddenly, a dark hand reached out towards Pierce. Fortunately, Pierce reacted quickly, or the ball would have been stolen.
"LeBron, you scoundrel, you're too sneaky!"
Pierce glared at James. He didn't pass immediately but protected the ball, observed the situation, and then passed it to Ray Allen.
"Such a shame, couldn't get the steal."
James sighed in disappointment.
Tang Long patted his shoulder, signaling James not to be discouraged. After all, it was only the first quarter, and both teams had full energy, making mistakes less likely.
"It's more reliable to draw a foul from Kevin Garnett. Let's break him down first."
"He's being cautious when guarding me now. It'll probably take your drives to make him foul."
"No problem, watch me!"
James nodded to Tang Long. After Ray Allen hit a deep three-pointer, James, before even reaching half-court, extended his hand to Larry Hughes for the ball.
Receiving the pass from Larry Hughes, James dribbled and deliberately matched up with Garnett.
Garnett seemed to sense James's intention and refused to reach in, simply matching James's rhythm.
James raised an eyebrow and suddenly accelerated with a crossover step. Garnett's pupils contracted. He realized James was genuinely driving to the basket and immediately moved to block him.
Little brat, you want to get past me? You'll have to ask my permission!
Seeing James's driving lane blocked, Garnett was about to contest the shot when he realized the ball in James's hands was gone.
Immediately after, he heard the crowd cheering.
Tang Long, under the defense of two players, had executed a dunk!
"James's pass was brilliant! He first drew Garnett's attention, and then with a flashy behind-the-back pass, delivered the ball to Tang Long in the three-second area."
"What's crucial here is Tang Long's beautiful dunk as well. He threw down a powerful slam right over two defenders. This way of scoring is truly invigorating!"
The commentators couldn't help but stand up and applaud the Cavaliers' offense.
12-11, the Cavaliers still led by one point.
"Drawing a foul from Garnett really takes some effort."
"Is there still a chance?"
Tang Long and James high-fived each other.
Although they didn't draw a foul from Garnett, they scored.
*Beep!*
A whistle blew, and the referee called a timeout.
Doc Rivers called a short timeout.
"No, the pace is too slow. In the remaining minutes, everyone needs to pick up the tempo and aim to build a lead in the first quarter. If we drag it into the third and fourth quarters, we'll be at a disadvantage playing away!"
Both teams played very cautiously in the first quarter. If they were at home, Doc Rivers wouldn't have called this timeout.
However, playing away, he had to make some adjustments.
After returning to the court, the Celtics initiated a fast break.
However, fast breaks were not the Celtics' forte. Rondo directed his teammates' movements, running pick-and-rolls and making cuts.
Tactics like these were something the Celtics were adept at.