Pavlovich had been a starter all season, but had been doing blue-collar work with a low shooting percentage. His presence might not solve the Cavaliers' current problems.
Gibson's strengths and weaknesses were also quite apparent, but against the Celtics' taller lineup, Gibson's speed might offer an advantage.
After some thought, Mike Brown decided to put Gibson in.
"Daniel, you'll replace West in a moment."
"Okay, Coach Brown."
Following that, Mike Brown took out the whiteboard to draw up some plays.
Since Gibson was going to play, they needed to devise some tactics tailored to his strengths to help him open up the game.
As both teams reappeared on the court, the Celtics also made a substitution, with Rajon Rondo replacing James Posey.
Mike Brown felt like cursing.
It was clear that Rondo's appearance meant he would be tightly guarding Gibson.
As expected, while Gibson was fast, Rajon Rondo was not slow either.
Gibson's penetration became more difficult, and on defense, his shorter stature put considerable pressure on Tang Long in the paint!
...
"Mike Brown's adjustment here was clearly not successful. After Daniel Gibson came on, he not only failed to leverage his speed advantage, but also directly weakened the defense!"
Yang Yi stared intently at the broadcast screen. The Celtics had already taken the lead, and Tang Long was struggling.
Although they had been able to protect the defensive rebounds, with Rajon Rondo on the court, they were making shots, and there weren't many defensive rebounds left.
"Mike Brown clearly wanted to catch them by surprise, but he didn't expect Doc Rivers to see through his intentions and field a tall lineup. Although Glen Davis only scored two points, his defensive contribution was obvious."
"Analyst Zhang, what do you think the Cavaliers should do now?"
"The ball still needs to go to James, and Tang Long can't just stay under the basket all the time. It's obvious that Tang Long limiting himself to the paint is hindering his advantages."
"I think it's already unlikely for James alone to break through the Celtics' defense. They need to connect James and Tang Long, which was their regular season strategy: the Zhan-Long connection!"
Yang Yi nodded, "With the increased defensive intensity in the playoffs, the connection between James and Tang Long has been much less frequent, which is also why the Cavaliers sometimes struggle in the postseason."
"Hopefully, Mike Brown can make adjustments soon to get James and Tang Long connected again, otherwise, if they continue to play like this, the Cavaliers might lose this game!"
...
Mike Brown frowned, his eyes fixed on the changes on the court.
The Cavaliers were becoming increasingly passive.
But he had called a timeout not long ago and couldn't do it again.
In the time he hesitated, the Cavaliers fell further behind. By the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers trailed the Celtics by twelve points, 17-29.
The Celtics had taken the lead in the overall series, 72-63, ahead by nine points on the road.
"Pavlovich, you'll replace Gibson in the fourth quarter, and Smith will replace Drew Gooden."
"Tang Long and LeBron will continue to play in the fourth quarter. Right now, we're battling with sheer willpower. Do you have any problems?"
"No!"
Tang Long and James nodded in unison.
"Good!!"
Mike Brown placed the tactical board in front of everyone: "In the fourth quarter, Larry Hughes needs to initiate more action with the ball and step up without hesitation if he has a chance."
"Tang, don't get too caught up in fighting for offensive rebounds. If necessary, pull out to attract the Celtics' attention and create opportunities for your teammates."
As he spoke, Mike Brown's gaze fell on James: "LeBron, your mission from here on out is to score, understand?"
Mike Brown was still explaining LeBron's positioning when the referee blew the whistle for the start of the fourth quarter.
The Celtics' lineup changed again, with Ray Allen replacing Glen Davis.
Doc Rivers' intention was clear: to use Ray Allen's three-point ability to further solidify their lead!
Ray Allen did not disappoint Doc Rivers' trust, hitting a beautiful three-pointer right after coming on!
75-63.
The home crowd cheered wildly for the Celtics.
"Tang, if it keeps going like this, we're going to lose this game."
James walked towards the sideline and quietly murmured to Tang Long before he could inbound the ball.
Tang Long nodded. He hadn't had many opportunities to make an impact in this game.
But as a player, he needed to follow the tactics set by the coach. Mike Brown had asked him to pay more attention to offensive rebounds and attract defensive attention in the paint to create opportunities for his teammates.
He had done as he was told, but his teammates weren't delivering, and there was little he could do.
"I think we can let go of the offensive rebounds for now," Tang Long mused, "As long as we can score, what do we need offensive rebounds for?"
James's eyes lit up: "Do you have a good idea?"
"I'll pull out and set up a play with you. If you have a chance, drive to the basket for a layup. If the opportunities are limited, I can shoot or make plays from outside the three-second area, which will give us a better chance."
"Alright, we'll do it your way."
The Cavaliers initiated another offense. This time, Tang Long didn't rush to fight for position in the paint.
He stood at the elbow area, drawing defensive attention. Perkins in the paint hesitated and didn't follow him out.
James received the ball at the high post and went to work on Pierce with his back to the basket.
He then executed a perfect spin move, driving to the basket. Garnett and Perkins immediately double-teamed James.
James was waiting for this opportunity. As soon as the three players made contact, he made a beautiful behind-the-back pass to Tang Long.
Tang Long caught the ball and jumped. Garnett and Perkins couldn't recover, and Rajon Rondo was guarding Tang Long one-on-one.
This was essentially a freebie. Tang Long slammed the ball into the basket over Rajon Rondo!
"Oh my God!! Tang, I love you! You're Cleveland's superhero!"
The Cavaliers fans erupted.
Beep!
The referee also blew his whistle, signaling a blocking foul on Rajon Rondo.
2+1.
"That was a beautiful play. Tang Long and James have finally connected again."
In the broadcast booth, Yang Yi applauded excitedly.
"If they had played like this earlier, the Cavaliers wouldn't be in such a passive situation."
"Mike Brown had considered that Pierce was guarding the Zhan-Long connection too tightly before, making passing routes difficult and prone to turnovers."
"Fortunately, the Cavaliers have adjusted their tactics. As long as they play good defense from here on out, and leave the offense to James and Tang Long, this game will still have suspense."
...
"Tang, well done! We should have done this long ago."
"We still need to play good defense. Otherwise, if we score one, and they score one back, it will be difficult to tie the score."
"No problem."
This dunk also ignited LeBron's competitive spirit, and he became even more aggressive on defense!
The Cavaliers executed a full-court press, and Pierce committed a turnover. LeBron directly stole the ball.
It was another opportunity for a fast break counter-attack!