Tang Long roughly understood what the coaching staff meant.
It was to not appear too dominant, so that the opponents wouldn't focus on driving to the basket.
If he couldn't get out from under the basket, they could then shoot from mid-range or from beyond the arc.
Strong European teams had excellent shooters with very high accuracy rates.
The other players' abilities were slightly weaker, making defense very difficult. Even if he stayed under the basket, the opponent would have more opportunities.
It was far better to let the opponents play more inside, which not only yielded miraculous results at crucial moments but also enhanced defensive effectiveness by drawing the attackers' attention.
Seeing Tang Long's enlightened expression, Jonas and Guo Qiang exchanged glances and nodded in tacit understanding.
As expected of one of the NBA's super giants, he grasped the game's interpretation and tactical intentions within a few sentences.
After discussing tactics with Tang Long, Jonas took out the whiteboard and began explaining to the other players.
After the halftime break, Tang Long was substituted out.
At the start of the third quarter, the Longguo players executed a beautiful play. Chen Jianghua received a pass from Dazhi and shot a three-pointer from the baseline!
The score became 43-32.
With Tang Long off the court, Gomes felt he was back in the game. He looked at Yi Jianlian under the basket, made a two-point shot, and drew a foul on Yi Jianlian.
43-35.
Afterward, Costa scored from a long shot, and Mingas hit another three-pointer from the right side.
43-40.
The Angolan players continued to press. At a critical moment, Sun Yue committed a 24-second violation under pressure from the defense.
This gave Angola an opportunity, and Gomes sank a three-pointer to tie the score.
Jonas was furious!
The third quarter had been too chaotic, and most importantly, Sun Yue had committed a 24-second violation.
This indicated not only good defense from the opponent but also that their own players were playing like headless chickens on the court, disorganized and lacking any passing coordination.
Jonas called a timeout. Before the players had even reached the bench, he unleashed his fury.
The translators were embarrassed; the words were too harsh, and they didn't know how to translate them.
Guo Qiang stepped forward to placate the situation.
After the timeout, Yao Ming re-entered the game.
With Yao Ming anchoring the paint, the team's play style immediately changed. Passes and catches became faster. Utilizing Yao Ming's slower movements and difficulty getting out from the paint, they switched play between the three-second zone and the elbow area.
Ambrosio made two mid-range shots. Angola, who had been trailing by ten points, took a four-point lead in less than five minutes.
At the crucial moments, it was still Yao Ming who made the difference. He drove strong in the paint against Mores, made a two-point shot, and drew a foul.
The score became 46-47.
Immediately after, Yao Ming missed a hook shot, grabbed his own offensive rebound, and passed the ball to Sun Yue, who hit a three-pointer in return.
49-47.
Barros from Angola responded with a three-pointer from the zero-degree angle.
The two teams traded baskets back and forth. The ball seemed to be constantly in the air, with one team hitting a three-pointer and then the other. However, the Longguo players' shooting accuracy was a bit lacking.
In a three-point shooting contest, Yao Ming's effectiveness on the court was greatly diminished. With less than three minutes left in the third quarter, Yao Ming was substituted out.
Then, with more smaller players on the court, Zhang Qingpeng also hit a three-pointer. However, the Longguo team, with its generally poor shooting accuracy, ended the third quarter trailing Angola by seven points, 52-59.
Unlike at halftime, the players could clearly feel the coach's anger in the third quarter, and even the local coaching staff had grim expressions.
Whenever Tang Long and Yao Ming were not on the court, the team became disorganized, and they couldn't even fully execute their planned tactics. This was not a good sign for the team.
Firstly, both Tang Long and Yao Ming were core superstars in the NBA, and they couldn't be called back for every game.
This meant that the remaining players were simply not enough to support competitive games. If this continued, it would be difficult for Longguo basketball to develop, let alone win more championships.
Yi Jianlian was still considered a junior on the team. Furthermore, his preference for playing outside the paint made Jonas very dissatisfied.
Guo Qiang couldn't say much to defend Yi Jianlian, as he also hoped that Yi Jianlian could take on more responsibility when Yao Ming and Tang Long were off the court!
Of course.
Yi Jianlian was indeed criticized for his soft playing style due to his dislike for physical confrontation in the paint, but later, after Yao Ming retired, Yi Jianlian led the team in the FIBA Basketball World Cup and fought with all his might!
When everyone else seemed to be sleepwalking on the court, he carried the team, earning the respect of countless fans!
The junior had become the senior, and naturally, he had to show the spirit of a senior.
Currently, with the seniors on the team, the junior still had a bit of a stubborn temper.
The main reason was that he felt it was unnecessary. Now, he was being asked to play center, but in official games, Yao Ming was the true powerful center.
Moreover, Tang Long was known as the league's best center, and even he had to play power forward, so there was no need to even consider it for Yi Jianlian.
Jonas didn't know if Yi Jianlian had taken his words to heart, but the fourth quarter soon began.
At the start, Mores made a mid-range shot, and Sun Yue responded in kind!
Perhaps Jonas's pep talk during the break had worked. After defending an opponent's score, Zhu Fangyu drew a foul on Mores from beyond the three-point line.
However, it was unfortunate that he only made 2 out of 3 free throws.
"Go, Longguo team, go!"
Seeing the players regaining their offensive momentum, the fans in Hangzhou also cheered on the team. Their spirited cheers converged into a vast ocean that filled the air above the court!
One might have thought the fans' cheers would help the players break through their limits, but unexpectedly, at a crucial moment, Li Nan lost the ball, and Paul capitalized on the opportunity to score a layup.
Afterward, Zhu Fangyu missed a long shot, and Costa followed up with another three-pointer.
At this point, Jonas brought Yao Ming back into the game.
After Yao Ming entered, he defended Ambrosio on the perimeter. Ambrosio still wanted to shoot a three-pointer in front of Yao Ming, which was clearly wishful thinking. Under Yao Ming's interference, the shot clanged off the rim and missed everything. Immediately after, Sun Yue shot from the baseline.
After the Longguo team made this three-pointer, Jonas called another timeout.
Tang Long reappeared, and the Longguo's twin cores were once again on the court together!
After Tang Long came on, Angola no longer played as comfortably as before. Tang Long drove strongly to the basket. Although the shot didn't go in, he drew a foul on Mingas.
The duo had played for less than three minutes, and the score had already reached 65-65.
At this moment, Guo Qiang was the most anxious.
Because every time this happened, Jonas would always substitute them out to let other players shine.
Angola was not a weak opponent. If both of them were off the court, the opponent's offense could become fierce again. The critical issue was that there wasn't much time left in the fourth quarter, and he didn't want them to falter at this point!
Fortunately, Jonas considered Guo Qiang's feelings, and in the final minutes of the fourth quarter, he did not make any substitutions.
Thanks to the outstanding performance of Tang Long and Yao Ming, Longguo defeated Angola 81-72, securing their second consecutive victory!