"And leading the team to victory is my responsibility; when the team loses, it's naturally my responsibility too."
Kobe was not unaware that this guy was digging a trap for him, but the arrogance and sense of responsibility of the Little Flying侠 wouldn't allow him to shift the blame for the loss onto his teammates.
"This is my team, there's no denying that. Leading the team to victory is my mission, and I know what I have to bear."
"Then Kobe..."
The reporter wanted to interview Kobe further, but was pulled away by the staff.
Even though he only managed to get one question, the reporter couldn't hide the excitement in his eyes. He took out the prepared outline and started filling in Kobe's interview content. This news had to be released before the game to get more traffic.
Soon, the cheerleaders finished their performance, and the players from both teams gradually took the court.
Tang Long and Gasol once again stood opposite each other for the jump ball.
Gasol was about to vomit; it was this guy again competing for the jump ball against him.
He, a 2.13-meter tall player, hadn't won a jump ball against Tang Long twice, and many fans had already started to tease him.
Especially the Grizzlies fans, who clearly still harbored resentment about Gasol's departure.
"Paul, we meet again."
"Hmph."
Gasol let out a light snort, no longer paying attention to Tang Long, and at the same time, he became like a cheetah, staring intently at the basketball in the referee's hand.
This was the Lakers' home court, and he had to get the ball.
He was determined to get it.
Beep!
With the referee's whistle, the game officially began, and the basketball was tossed high into the air by the referee.
Almost at the same time, Gasol and Tang Long leaped ferociously.
This time, Gasol had learned his lesson. When contesting the jump ball with Tang Long, he deliberately used his massive body to clash with Tang Long.
Tang Long was also a little careless, not expecting Gasol to go all out from the start!
With no leverage in mid-air, he was forcefully pushed aside by Gasol.
The latter successfully caught the falling basketball and passed it to Kobe, and the Lakers immediately launched a fast break.
The Cavaliers intensified their defense, also restricting mid-to-long range shots, which affected both Manovic and Fisher to some extent.
However, this also led Kobe to drive directly to the basket, drawing fouls from the Cavaliers while also creating opportunities for other players.
The Cavaliers were already defending Kobe very seriously, double-teaming him as soon as he got the ball.
But the Black Mamba was too formidable, especially on the Lakers' home court. At the start, Kobe drove to the basket, drew a foul on Drew Gooden, and scored six consecutive points!
"2:6, Kobe is on fire right from the start."
Tang Long passed the ball and ran towards the Lakers' basket with his teammates, then entered the three-second zone to compete for position with Gasol.
Gasol had a longer rest than Tang Long. The Lakers were also better prepared for this game, and Larry Hughes was slowly dribbling the ball on the sideline, intending to control the tempo.
After all, the Lakers were currently leading, and the players were not in a hurry, focusing more on blocking and probing.
The tempo was very slow, and neither side was eager to shoot without a clear opportunity. By the middle of the first quarter, the Lakers had only scored ten points, and the Cavaliers had only scored four.
Back in the Lakers' half, Larry Hughes attempted a pull-up jumper.
The ball went in.
6:10.
The defensive intensity from both sides had increased. No one expected such a tough opening to the game!
With this level of physical contact, the scoreboard numbers didn't change much.
...
While the teams on the court weren't concerned about the score, the fans off the court were enthusiastically discussing it, especially the national team players, who were watching the game and making jokes.
Compared to the fans, the national team members were more focused on the tactical changes and the differences between American and Chinese players.
"Yao Ming, if it keeps going like this, do you think either team will break a hundred?"
"Probably a bit difficult."
Yao Ming could immediately see that the Cavaliers had little desire to attack. On offense, LeBron James controlled the ball and directed the plays, mostly coordinating with Tang Long.
With Odom liberated for the Lakers, James wasn't having an easy time either, and Tang Long was once again caught in a double-team from Manovic and Gasol.
The others were positioned at the top of the arc. To retreat to their own half faster, playing like this, let alone breaking a hundred, it would be difficult for them to even reach ninety points.
"Speaking of which, this Tang Long really has some skills. He can connect with James even when double-teamed. He's truly an NBA superstar. We still have a gap compared to the United States!"
"Let me put it this way: if you were his teammate, you would definitely have a comfortable game. But if you encounter him during a game, the best approach is to stay away from that guy."
Yao Ming had played against Tang Long in several games and knew his abilities inside out.
"Is it really as exaggerated as you say?"
"I'm not exaggerating, and it might not even fully capture his abilities. You'll know how good he is when you play against him during training."
...
Clang!
After another twenty-odd seconds of play, the Zen Master finally called a timeout.
During this period, both sides had performed poorly, and the tempo was very slow, which was somewhat against the Zen Master's intentions.
Playing a slow-paced half-court game introduced too much uncertainty into the outcome.
"Kobe, you need to lead the team forward. Don't get drawn into a half-court battle with the Cavaliers. This Tang has an average of over 4.2 blocks per game; slowing down the pace just gives them an opportunity to set up their zone defense."
Kobe nodded repeatedly.
He had also noticed during this time that it was difficult to score in the paint, precisely because Tang Long had such strong anticipation abilities!
The Zen Master called only one timeout, quickly laid out the strategy, and then blew the whistle for the game to resume.
As the game restarted, the pace picked up slightly, but this also led to some defensive issues for the Lakers.
When Fisher passed the ball to Kobe, James almost intercepted it.
Fortunately, possession returned to the Lakers.
Kobe drove to the basket and shot without hesitation, but the ball circled the rim and bounced off the backboard.
Tang Long and Gasol touched the ball at the same time.
Gasol was even more tenacious in this game.
He chose to go head-to-head with Tang Long, and because of this, his height and wingspan advantage was even more pronounced.
He directly hugged the rebound and followed it up with a powerful put-back dunk!
"Well done, Gasol."
"Paul, we love you!"
The fans shouted Gasol's name, cheering him on.
Tang Long, holding the ball, looked at Gasol with suspicion. Why had "Gasol" been playing so tenaciously in the last two games?
It wasn't just Tang Long who noticed; even the Lakers fans were surprised to find that Gasol's playing style had become tougher since the last game!
In this game, he was even directly engaging in physical contact with Tang Long.
With Gasol playing like this, how could the team not be excited!
If they continued to play like this, the victory in Game 3 of the NBA Finals would undoubtedly belong to the Lakers.