The additional free throw was calmly made, and Tang Long's free throw percentage was also incredibly high.
47-55.
After this 2+1 play, the Lakers wanted to hit another three-pointer, but Fisher's shot missed the rim. Tang Long grabbed the offensive rebound and, instead of passing to Larry Hughes, decided to bring the ball up himself.
"Can someone tell me if I'm hallucinating? Is Tang controlling the ball and organizing the offense?"
The commentator rubbed his eyes, finding it even more absurd upon confirming it was Tang Long dribbling.
A center not heading to the basket, but playing point guard? This was preposterous.
What was more, Tang Long advanced the ball with surprising composure, even faking out the quick and nimble Jordan Farmar during his full-court press.
He then drove to the basket and, when trapped by the Lakers' double-team, quickly passed to James. This was utterly unexpected.
While the commentators were still in shock, James launched a three-pointer.
The ball went in!
Tang Long's drive drew the attention of three Lakers defenders. Odom, guarding James, was still about a step away.
By the time James jumped to shoot, Odom could only watch the ball sail into the net.
With no interference, James's shooting percentage increased, and the ball swished through the net.
50-55.
"Well done!"
Tang Long excitedly ran over to chest bump James in celebration. The other Cavaliers players also began to show some signs of excitement.
"If we don't teach them a lesson, they'll think this is the summer league. This is Cleveland."
James threw in a well-timed boast.
At this moment, his swagger actually had some impact.
"The upcoming defense is crucial. The Lakers' offense is either Kobe shooting or Jordan Farmar driving for a layup. Jordan Farmar is my responsibility! LeBron, you guard Kobe!"
"No problem."
As they spoke, the Lakers' offense had already attacked. Odom and Fisher ran a pick-and-roll. After breaking out from one side, Fisher decided to shoot himself.
This caught Tang Long completely off guard.
50-57.
"This old guy is still steady as a rock," Tang Long couldn't help but curse.
Fisher had clearly anticipated how the Cavaliers would try to limit the Lakers' offense. In the previous few possessions, it was mostly Kobe and Jordan Farmar taking shots.
Therefore, the Cavaliers would surely focus more on these two. Especially seeing James guarding Kobe, Fisher figured out the Cavaliers' plan.
This game wasn't just a contest of player talent; it was also a battle of wits.
Fisher saw through the Cavaliers' adjusted defensive strategy, and Tang Long, in turn, surprised the Lakers with his own move.
On offense, Tang Long played the power forward role and occasionally orchestrated the play, which left Gasol in the paint feeling frustrated.
Tang Long didn't go inside. He and James became the dual-core on the perimeter, with them taking turns setting screens on each other. Just as Gasol prepared to block James, the ball was already in Tang Long's hands.
His massive frame was an advantage, but his slow turns were a disadvantage. By the time Gasol turned around, Tang Long had already laid the ball into the basket.
The two teams continued to play until less than two minutes remained in the second quarter. The Lakers picked up the pace again, and Mike Brown finally called a timeout.
The score was now 55-61, with the Cavaliers trailing by six points.
A timeout was necessary.
As the Lakers accelerated their offense, the Cavaliers' defense clearly began to struggle.
This was indeed taxing on the energy of the main players. Larry Hughes, guarding Kobe, was already finding it difficult to keep up with Kobe's speed.
If no substitutions were made now, the defense would be practically useless.
...
"Jonas, have you noticed that Tang seems capable of playing any position?"
"Tang playing point guard for one or two possessions is fine. If he played it for an entire game, the game could become too fragmented, and some fans might find it difficult to adapt to his rhythm."
Guo Qiang understood what Jonas meant.
Playing Tang Long at point guard could easily lead to chaos on the court, with players unsure of what to do.
Another point was the high demand on player talent. If some players couldn't grasp this intention well or execute it, it wouldn't be helpful at all and could easily lead to turnovers.
"You're right, I was too impatient," Guo Qiang nodded.
In a friendly match against a West Asian team a few days ago, even though Yao Ming and Yi Jianlian only played in the second half, they still won. However, the team's weaknesses were still evident.
Once Yao Ming was denied the ball by fronting defense, or if other players failed to stretch the opponent's defense to create gaps, Yao Ming would struggle to display his true strength.
This was just against a West Asian team. Against European powerhouses like Spain or Argentina, the consequences were unimaginable.
"But we can be thankful that Tang's position doesn't overlap with Yao's. If it continues like this, perhaps we can compete with Spain!"
"For Argentina, unless Tang and Yao Ming, along with others, play exceptionally well."
Jonas paused, shrugged, and said, "As for the American Dream Team, there's no need to think about it. Losing by a small margin would be considered a victory!"
Guo Qiang stared helplessly at Jonas.
The old man's expression was truly irritating. Although he knew they couldn't beat the American Dream Team, the way he implied that Chinese players were simply not good enough made him angry!
Honesty was good, but being too honest, even speaking without any embellishment, could be very frustrating.
Dream Team?
Guo Qiang murmured, and his gaze returned to the television screen.
...
After a long timeout, the players from both teams returned to the court.
The Cavaliers sent out three reserve players, while Kobe and Gasol from the Lakers also went to the bench, with Radmanović and Vujačić coming on.
Mike Brown was quite daring, substituting three reserves at once, leaving only Pavlović and Tang Long on the court.
Mike Brown's thinking was simple: Tang Long would stabilize the situation at least, giving the others some rest time.
Then, in the third quarter, they would bring back the main players. This way, when Tang Long rested, the Cavaliers would still maintain a scoring threat!
However, Mike Brown clearly hadn't considered that if Tang Long was the only one on the court, the Lakers could double-team or even triple-team him.
This would allow the Lakers to score from multiple points on offense, ensuring points while also maximally limiting Tang Long's impact on defense!
By the end of the second quarter, the Cavaliers trailed 55-66, already down by eleven points.
During halftime, Mike Brown let Tang Long off the court and replaced him with Big Z. He had hoped that while the offense might weaken, the defense would at least be guaranteed.
However, Big Z became a backdrop for Gasol.
Gasol not only scored easy baskets inside but also occasionally dunked over Big Z. Just one minute into the third quarter, the Cavaliers were already trailing 55-71, down by sixteen points.
At this rate, it would be difficult to defeat the Lakers in this game!