"This is Kobe, when it matters, you have to rely on Kobe's performance!"
The live commentator stretched his voice with excitement. After the steal, Kobe broke away and sprinted towards the Cavaliers' basket. His four teammates and the defenders were all left far behind.
He was incredibly fast, reaching the paint in just a few strides.
Lakers fans had already stood up, ready to cheer for Kobe. The wide-open mouths, about to let out a sound, suddenly turned into gasps of surprise.
Hearing the fans' exclamations, Kobe immediately sensed a hostile presence behind him. He brought his hands back, subtly changing his dunking posture. Immediately after, he felt a gust of wind rushing towards him from behind!
In a split second, Kobe, in mid-air, switched from a between-the-legs dribble to a reverse layup off the glass.
Two points scored!
87-90.
"That was close!"
Kobe broke out in a cold sweat.
If it weren't for the fans' shouts, he would have gone for the dunk without hesitation. He would have almost certainly been blocked by Tang Long!
No matter how much he admired Tang Long before, Kobe's gaze now turned resentful.
This guy actually tried to sneak attack him.
If he had been blocked, not only would it have been a critical moment for the comeback, but his superstar image would have been overshadowed by Tang Long.
"Hey... Tang, you better watch yourself. The game isn't over yet!"
"Kobe, you should be the one watching out. We're the ones with the lead right now."
"That's only temporary."
Kobe scoffed. They were only three points behind. If they could stop the Cavaliers' next possession and hit a three-pointer, the score would be tied.
He glanced at the scoreboard. There were still three minutes left in the game. It was more than enough time to not only tie the score but also take the lead again.
"Kobe, I love how you always talk tough!"
"Fuck..."
Kobe was provoked.
He really shouldn't talk to this guy too much. He was starting to understand why Gasol was always warned not to engage with Tang Long during jump balls.
This kid from Longguo was just too infuriating!
Seeing Kobe's frustrated expression, Tang Long couldn't help but smirk.
Meanwhile, LeBron James, returning to defense, quietly breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Tang Long's smug look.
"Thank goodness this guy is my teammate."
If Tang Long were an opponent, with his trash-talking skills, he would surely be enraged and fall right into his trap!
The teams switched sides, and it was the Cavaliers' turn to attack.
Larry Hughes drove from the free-throw line but was blocked by Fisher and passed the ball back to Tang Long.
After receiving the ball, Tang Long took a step and faked a shot, a move that completely fooled Odom.
*BEEP!*
At the same moment, the referee blew his whistle.
Odom had committed a foul.
"Holy sh-"
Odom couldn't help but blurt out an expletive.
Tang Long rarely used such layup fakes, so when he saw Tang Long go up for a shot, Odom instinctively jumped to help defend. But Tang Long, playing dirty, had drawn a foul on him!
The entire league knew that Tang Long's free-throw percentage was as high as 85%, comparable to Yao Ming's accuracy. Stepping up to the free-throw line was practically a guaranteed score.
As expected, Tang Long made both free throws, making the score 87-92.
The Lakers began their offense. After crossing halfcourt, Kobe had the ball, unleashing his aggressive style and continuously pressuring the defenders.
Drawing three Cavaliers players inside, Kobe passed the ball to Marc Gasol at the top of the arc.
It was a great open shot.
Marc Gasol rarely got open looks in the second half. Receiving Kobe's pass, he didn't hesitate and shot from the top of the arc.
"Swish!"
The ball went in cleanly.
90-92.
At this point, the Lakers fans couldn't help but shout for defense, cheering on their team and putting pressure on the Cavaliers.
*BEEP!*
Seeing the Lakers' momentum picking up, Mike Brown, with quick thinking, called a timeout.
"Larry Hughes, you need to attack Fisher's side more. His stamina is dropping, try to draw fouls. If you can't, drive from his side and pass to Drew."
Mike Brown pointed at the whiteboard and continued, "Drew, you'll be ready to receive the pass from Larry Hughes in the elbow area. If you're covered, immediately pass to LeBron."
"LeBron, when Drew passes you the ball after the pick-and-roll, you need to drive to the baseline. If Tang has an open look, pass to Tang."
After speaking, Mike Brown stared at LeBron, "If Tang gets doubled, you know what to do, right?"
LeBron nodded, "Put the damn ball in the basket!"
"That's right!"
Mike Brown swept his gaze across everyone, "Gentlemen, we have less than two minutes left. If we make this shot and hold our lead, victory will be ours! With a 3-1 advantage, we're just one step away from the championship. Does everyone have confidence?"
"Coach Brown, leave it to us!"
Returning to the court, Larry Hughes successfully drove past Fisher. Seeing this, Marc Gasol came to help defend, and Larry Hughes directly passed the ball to LeBron.
LeBron, with a change of direction, drove into the three-second area. Kobe and Gasol arrived simultaneously.
Seeing this situation, LeBron didn't hesitate. With his exquisite fake moves, he passed the ball out from between the two defenders.
Almost as soon as Tang Long received the ball, he leaped high into the air!
*BOOM!!*
Another powerful slam dunk!
The cheers of the visiting Cavaliers fans erupted once again.
90-94.
Time was flying by, and the Lakers were getting anxious. They regrouped for an offensive play. The Lakers used the triangle offense, with Kobe isolating Larry Hughes.
The play was successful, but Kobe's shot missed. Gasol grabbed the offensive rebound, but his layup was blocked again by Tang Long.
The ball flew out of the three-second area. Odom and Drew Gooden converged at almost the same time.
Odom was slightly faster, stumbling to retrieve the ball and passing it to Fisher. Fisher then took a shot.
This shot didn't go in!
This time, Tang Long secured the rebound. Gasol, quick as lightning, swatted at it. Tang Long reacted just as quickly and went up to contest.
*BEEP!*
The referee's whistle blew, calling a defensive foul on Tang Long.
"Pau, this is a crucial moment, you need to stay calm. There's less than a minute left. If you miss these free throws, you guys are done for!"
"Fuck, shut up!"
Gasol's eyes widened in displeasure as he glared at Tang Long and roared. He then argued with the referee. The referee, unable to tolerate Tang Long's incessant chatter, walked over to warn him, "Tang, if you continue to interfere with Pau's free throws, I'll give you a technical!"
Tang Long shrugged, indicating he didn't care.
The referee ignored Tang Long. Gasol, at the free-throw line, bounced the ball a few times. He found he couldn't calm down and took a deep breath before forcing himself to shoot. The ball sailed wide.
Gasol's expression froze. He glared fiercely at Tang Long.
"What are you looking at me for? Keep shooting!"