Most people in the West favored the Lakers, as the Spurs had gone to seven games and their players were aging. With the addition of Gasol, the Lakers were slightly stronger than the Spurs, so both fans and media favored them.
There was more division in the East. The latest ESPN poll showed fans were split 50-50. Media surveys, however, overwhelmingly favored the Celtics' Big Three. While the Cavaliers' backcourt of Tang Long and James was undoubtedly strong, the Celtics' Big Three clearly had more scoring options. Furthermore, the Cavaliers' roster depth was lacking compared to the Celtics, with players like Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo offering more consistent scoring than Larry Hughes and Pavlovic. Moreover, the playoffs are about defense, and while the Cavaliers were solid in the paint, their perimeter defense was weak.
The day before the game, an ESPN reporter stated that the Celtics would win and that Tang Long would cry into dumplings after losing. Host Lori even showed a photo of Tang Long forcing NBA stars to eat dumplings, portraying him as a devil who turned other stars into medieval slaves, forced to eat dumplings from the "Dragon Country" under his coercion.
At the pre-game press conference, Mike Brown brought Tang Long and James. While Brown answered questions, James leaned in and whispered to Tang Long, "Did you see ESPN's front page today? The media doesn't seem to favor us reaching the Finals!"
"These guys always pretend to know everything. If they could decide who wins, why would they be media people? They could just bet and achieve financial freedom."
James chuckled, "You're something else, man..." They continued their conversation, forgetting they were at a press conference. Though their voices were low, the microphones picked them up, and reporters in the front row heard everything. The media's faces darkened instantly. A reporter stood up and questioned James, "Hey LeBron, Tang Long's fan base in the league is growing, even surpassing yours. Are you worried about your locker room position?"
The three being interviewed exchanged glances. This reporter was clearly trying to stir up trouble within the team. A quick look at the reporter's badge revealed he was from ESPN, Catherine's colleague. James glared at him and snapped, "Sorry, we won't answer that question. Next question."
"Don't be like that!" Tang Long leaned forward, adjusted the microphone, and said, "Of course I'm worried. After all, the more trophies we win, the more storage space he'll need in the locker room to store them."
"Haha, Tang... I like your answer," James said, grinning broadly with his shoulders hunched and pointing at Tang Long.
Another reporter then stood up and asked Mike Brown, "Mike, we all know Tang Long's excellent rebounding and frontcourt steals during the regular season and playoffs. How will you limit his performance?"
Mike Brown was stunned. What did that mean? Tang Long plays well, and you're asking me how to limit him? "Sorry, did you forget your brain today? I suggest you check if you have your brain with you before leaving the house." The usually good-natured Mike Brown, unable to stand the reporter's nonsensical questions, ended the interview and took Tang Long and James back to the locker room.
...
"We need to increase the defensive intensity in this game, especially in limiting Tang Long. If Tang Long scores more than twenty points, the whole team will have extra conditioning. That's the penalty." In the Celtics' locker room, Doc Rivers was giving his pre-game pep talk. He took this game very seriously, especially regarding Tang Long, whom he knew was, in some ways, more difficult to handle than James. Tang Long's impact on the court and his ability to boost team morale ranked him in the top three in the league. "Perkins, I don't care how many points you score in this game, but if Tang Long scores twenty, you'll have an extra training session on top of the team's extra practice, understand?" Doc Rivers was very unhappy with how Tang Long had embarrassed him during the All-Star game. This time, he wanted to show everyone that the Celtics were the true kings. "Take them down!"
...
"Dear viewers, dear fans, the Eastern Conference Finals are about to begin. The Cavaliers' starting lineup remains unchanged: LeBron, Tang Long, Larry Hughes, Pavlovic, and Drew Gooden. The Celtics' starters are Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Perkins, and Rajon Rondo." "We can see Tang Long and Garnett standing at the tip-off line!" the announcer excitedly introduced the starting lineups. At this moment, Tang Long faced Garnett again. They had gone from All-Star teammates to opponents, so there would be no holding back. "KG, don't blame your teammates after losing," Tang Long taunted.
"Fuck!" Garnett glared angrily at Tang Long. This was a direct jab at Garnett's sore spot. The All-Star game had fallen apart because he had blamed his teammates, and after the game, many stars had openly criticized Garnett to the media. "See, how can you curse?" "Not only am I going to curse you, but I'm also going to..." Garnett was racking his brain for a comeback when the referee's whistle blew. Tang Long immediately jumped and tipped the ball to James. James received the ball and drove straight to the Celtics' basket, leaped high at the free-throw line, and dunked the ball over the defender. The Cavaliers took the lead with a slam dunk! 2-0.
"James looks very excited today. In past opening games, he wouldn't play like this," commented Coach Zhang happily in the Chinese broadcast room, analyzing the Cavaliers' strategy for today. "You can tell the Cavaliers have studied the Celtics carefully. James drove straight in as soon as he got the ball, catching the Celtics off guard. This is clearly an attempt to get off to a fast start. However, we must also consider that the Celtics had the best defense in the East during the regular season, and they only allowed the Pistons to score over a hundred points in one game during the playoffs. The Celtics lost that game on the road to the Pistons, so facing the Celtics' ironclad defense, the Cavaliers need to not only attack more but also play solid defense!"