"Are you kidding me? Odom clearly touched that ball last. Why is it a Lakers' ball?" Drew Gooden argued heatedly with the referee.
"Go back," the referee pointed towards the Cavaliers' side. "But the ball went out off of you."
At that moment, the two were quite close, and the referee's vision was partially obscured. If the ball had been batted out by a player, it certainly wouldn't have flown out of bounds behind Odom. This was the basis of the referee's call.
"The ball did bounce off me, but Odom also made a move, and it ultimately went out off him." Drew Gooden's eyes blazed with indignation. A miscall at such a critical juncture was infuriating. And at this particular moment, the referee held the key to the game's outcome. Gooden could only explain his anger to the official.
Gooden might have been alright, but Mike Brown, pacing the sidelines, could not stand it. This game had already been a roller coaster, giving him a scare. On top of that, with the Cavaliers' two main stars' performance declining in the fourth quarter, he had benched Larry Hughes and Big Z, who were playing well. If they lost this game, the barrage of criticism he would face would be immense. At this point, with factors beyond pure competition emerging, Mike Brown's anger naturally intensified.
"How can that be Lakers' ball? I want a challenge! I demand a replay review."
The referee glanced at Mike Brown, too annoyed to even respond. The assistant referee, however, retorted impolitely, "Mike, please return to your position."
"For f***'s sake, are you blind!" From his position, he had a clear view. The last touch was indeed off Odom's hand before it went out of bounds. The Cavaliers were currently leading by one point. If they regained possession and scored, they would be up by three against the Lakers. A three-point lead, if maintained, would be an advantage, so they had to fight for it.
"Everyone back." The referee was already fed up with Drew Gooden's complaints. Clearly, if the players continued to argue, the referee wouldn't hesitate to call a foul on the Cavaliers.
"I believe you should take another look at the replay. This is the Finals, broadcast worldwide. This wouldn't just uphold your decision but also showcase your wisdom and authority," Tang Long walked up to the referee and offered a slight compliment.
The referee's expression softened a little. He looked at Tang Long, hesitated for a moment, then nodded and walked towards the replay equipment at the side of the court. A player from Longguo alone wouldn't warrant such special treatment. But a Longguo player, coupled with Stern's personal endorsement, and being the second-largest shareholder in a hot social media platform, made the referee reconsider. If such a miscall were amplified, he would never officiate another crucial game. Referees earned their living game by game, and more important games meant more earnings.
"Hmph, all you do is gang up on the ref, like a bunch of old women," Odom sneered from the side.
"Lamar, I've had enough of you. Are you looking for a fight?" Tang Long strode forward and stared directly at Odom. In front of so many spectators, Odom couldn't back down. Puffing out his chest, he retorted, "Bring it on! Do you think I'm afraid of you?"
"Fine. After the game, we'll settle this on the court, in front of all the fans. Whoever runs away is a grandson."
"Am I supposed to..." Kobe ran over and pulled Odom back. "Lamar, focus on the game. Don't let outside factors distract you." At this moment, the tension between both teams was high, but Kobe remained relatively calm, pacifying Odom.
While the two were having a face-off, the referee returned to the court.
*Beep!* The referee changed his call. Possession returned to the Cavaliers.
"This is unfair!" Now Odom was unhappy. Fisher and Manuch had also joined the crowd surrounding the referee.
"Boo..." The Quicken Loans Arena erupted in boos. The Lakers' surrounding of the referee was unpopular. The slow-motion replay on the big screen had clearly shown the ball going off Odom's arm, and yet he had the audacity to complain to the referee? The referee, well aware of this common tactic, stated sternly, "It has been confirmed. Anyone who continues to argue will be called for a foul." His words were effective, and the Lakers players reluctantly backed down.
The Cavaliers initiated their offense again. Although Tang Long and James's stats were reduced by 20%, they were still superstar players. Even with a dip in performance, they were still superior to average role players. James drove the ball. Odom couldn't guard him alone. A simple fake move by James easily got him past Odom. As he continued to drive, Kobe intercepted him. James decisively accelerated but was stopped by Kobe, forcing him to shoot. The shot missed. Fortunately, Tang Long grabbed the rebound. With a sidestep, he created space from Gasol and followed up with a shot.
100-97. This score was achieved without much fanfare, just a simple layup after a rebound. This traditional method of scoring proved effective. The fans finally breathed a sigh of relief. After the struggles of the previous minutes, Tang Long had finally found a bit of his former inside dominance!
The Lakers tried to respond with a three-pointer, but the Cavaliers' defense was solid. Joe Smith, guarding Kobe, disrupted his shot. The Lakers missed again. Tang Long secured the rebound. Without rushing past half-court, he observed the situation. Only after Smith had stalled the play did Tang Long come out of the paint to receive the pass. As soon as he got the ball, Gasol came out from under the basket to defend. Gasol's defensive awareness was already excellent, and coupled with his good athleticism, Tang Long's attempt to drive was unsuccessful. He then resorted to a pull-up jumper. This shot also missed.
Both teams were trying to secure the rebound, leading to a scramble under the basket. Joe Smith eventually used his physical advantage to grab the rebound. Before any players reacted, Smith drove to the basket and made a simple, uncontrolled little floater. *Thump.* The shot missed, and the rebound fell into the Lakers' hands.
"Fall back! Hurry and fall back!" Tang Long immediately saw the Lakers launching a fast break. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers had picked up the pace. Kobe sprinted past half-court and immediately took a three-pointer.
100-100. The Lakers had tied the score. This basket was crucial. Kobe had missed two shots in a row, and this three-pointer directly stabilized the anxious Lakers players. The Cavaliers' defense had been excellent, but facing Kobe's unreasonable shooting, they had no good solution. They could only resort to man-to-man defense to limit him! To this end, Mike Brown did not hesitate to employ a double-team strategy. There was no other option; if Kobe got into a rhythm, he would make things very difficult for the Cavaliers. To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, they had to double-team Kobe!