When the home crowd sings the team's anthem, the Da Di Zhan Ge (Earth Battle Song) attribute doubles, granting all players a 20% boost for 15 minutes.
Cooldown: One day.
Tang Long was utterly stunned.
This was actually a group buff. If this skill was activated, ordinary top-tier role players could instantly become star players!
After all, top role players were either weak offensively and strong defensively, or vice versa; they just lacked that final evolutionary step.
For instance, a player like Drew Gooden, with a 20% boost to all attributes, might be impossible for Tang Long to defend without entering his Zone state.
Tang Long had accumulated a significant amount of points recently, nearly ten thousand.
The exchange for this skill didn't show a point cost, only stating that it would clear all current points, indicating how powerful it was!
Wait...
Tang Long's eyes lit up. If he could exchange for Da Di Zhan Ge by simply clearing his points, then he could exchange for all his items first, leaving some points behind.
Warning, warning, host attempting to exploit a loophole, warning one, countdown initiated, ten, nine, eight...
Tang Long was stunned again.
He had intended to exploit a loophole, but the skill attribute panel showed a countdown, meaning he had to make a decision within ten seconds.
Greed leads to poverty; people truly cannot be too greedy!
Tang Long sighed regretfully, but then he thought, even if he exchanged all his points, he could just continue to accumulate them. It was much better than missing out on the skill.
Moreover, even though this skill only lasted fifteen minutes, equivalent to one and a half quarters, if utilized properly, it might yield unexpected results!
With this thought, Tang Long no longer hesitated. He quickly chose to clear his points and exchange for this skill.
Host successfully exchanged for Da Di Zhan Ge.
As soon as this thought formed in his mind, he saw the points he had painstakingly saved for so long instantly reset to zero.
Following this, a brand new skill appeared on his attribute panel.
Da Di Zhan Ge
As soon as the skill was acquired, LeBron James's anxious voice reached his ears.
"Tang, what are you spacing out for?"
Tang Long snapped back to reality. The score on the scoreboard had changed.
51-46.
The Lakers had regained a five-point lead. Slow-motion replays showed Fisher and Kobe executing a high-low pick-and-roll.
Kobe successfully drove into the paint. Drew Gooden rotated to help defend. Kobe's shot missed. Tang Long, who should have grabbed the rebound, stood motionless under the basket like a statue, as if his acupoints had been sealed.
"Continue."
Tang Long gestured to James with his head, offering no explanation, as such a thing was difficult to explain.
After the inbound pass, the Cavaliers went on the offensive. James received the ball beyond the three-point line, and Odom stepped up to contest.
Tang Long immediately moved out of the paint to set up a play with James.
The Lakers players also adjusted their formations accordingly. However, to their surprise, James went for a direct pull-up jumper!
The three-pointer swished.
51-49.
This was the value of a star player. If this kind of shot were given to a role player, they might only make one such perilous shot in ten attempts.
But for a superstar, these seemingly unreasonable shots were a regular contribution.
Clearly, James's put-back dunk had ignited his hot shooting touch!
The Lakers refused to be outdone, and Kobe responded with an extremely long three-pointer.
...
"This is the true strength of the Lakers and the Cavaliers. If you score one, I will definitely answer. No one can absolutely dominate the other. The outcome of such a game is unpredictable. The Cavaliers need to keep fighting in the latter half."
"I also think this is the kind of game fans want to see."
Yang Yi agreed with Zhang Zhidao's assessment and added, "Both sides have shown their trump cards. From here on, it will be a battle of willpower. Whoever can grit their teeth and endure will win this game!"
"This is also difficult to predict. After all, both teams reached the Finals after a long and arduous season. Their willpower should be quite similar!"
Yang Yi nodded, his eyes glancing at the broadcast screen. A moment ago, Odom's layup was blocked by Tang Long. The Cavaliers organized an offense, and James accelerated with a change of direction, shaking off his defender, and took a shot from the left wing outside the three-point line!
51-52.
The Cavaliers had taken the lead in the third quarter.
Yang Yi couldn't help but clench his fists, sweat already beginning to bead on his palms.
He hadn't felt this excited when they were trailing. Now that the Cavaliers had taken the lead, Yang Yi was becoming nervous.
He worried about the players becoming careless and about Mike Brown making a rash decision after taking the lead.
At this moment, possession changed. The Lakers were on offense.
Gasol received the pass and isolated Tang Long. Gasol had intended to draw a double-team from the Cavaliers, and then pass the ball out.
If he were facing anyone else, this tactic would have been almost foolproof. However, facing Tang Long in the post, no Cavaliers player came to help, as they had unconditional faith in Tang Long's isolation defense ability.
Gasol's offense posed no threat. The Cavaliers players watched Gasol's performance like he was a paper tiger, not blinking.
After testing Tang Long's sturdy frame a few times, he not only failed to attract any help defense from the Cavaliers but also found his own offensive space shrinking.
What use was passing now?
Gasol made up his mind and decided to go one-on-one against Tang Long.
He used his shoulder to push Tang Long back a small step and forcefully jumped for a layup!
A large portion of his attention was focused on Tang Long, fearing a block from him.
As a result of being too afraid of being blocked, the ball hit the inside of the backboard and bounced out.
"Damn it, butterfingers!"
Gasol cursed himself and, disregarding everyone else, quickly sprinted back towards his own basket.
This time, it was Tang Long's turn to isolate Gasol.
Having learned from his previous mistake, Gasol's play became more aggressive. Tang Long tried a few times but couldn't push him aside.
He attempted a step-back jumper, but Varejao had already arrived. Under his interference, the ball missed the rim.
Lakers ball possession.
Gasol, on the other end, refused to be outdone. He beckoned to Kobe from the three-point line, signaling that he wanted the ball again to try and score on Tang Long.
Gasol was rarely this proactive, and Kobe was happy to pass him the ball.
This time, Gasol played smarter. Knowing he couldn't gain an advantage by going head-to-head, he pretended to go strong against Tang Long. As Tang Long increased his physical pressure, Gasol executed a dream shake and a hook layup, scoring.
53-52, the Lakers had taken the lead again.
On the Cavaliers' side, James passed the ball to Tang Long. The two sides spread out to allow them to go one-on-one. Tang Long easily scored two points.
In the third quarter, with both teams emphasizing defense, they also increased their offensive intensity, trading blows back and forth in an exciting fashion.
Often, after the Cavaliers hit a three-pointer, the Lakers would immediately respond in kind.
By the end of the third quarter, the Cavaliers held a narrow three-point lead with a score of 26-23 for the quarter, bringing the total score to a tie at 75-75.
Clearly, the fourth quarter would be the true deciding factor in this game.