Yi Jianlian's individual confrontation data was around 55, and with the jersey, it was only 60 points, barely able to match up with Drew Gooden.
However, he was in excellent form today, making it look like he and Drew Gooden were almost evenly matched.
Superior confrontation ability and well-prepared vertical leap were why Yi Jianlian blocked Drew Gooden.
The ball went to the Cavaliers. LeBron James stood at the baseline to receive the pass.
Pavlovic and Larry Hughes ran crisscrossing plays, trying to break free and catch the ball.
But Michael Redd and Williams were sticking very close.
After a brief tussle with Bogut in the paint, Tang Long suddenly turned, pushing Bogut behind him.
LeBron James had already been observing the paint and immediately made the inbound pass.
Tang Long easily caught the ball and went for a layup.
35:22
The score difference remained significant.
Possession shifted to the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams directly passed the ball to Yi Jianlian on the perimeter.
Yi Jianlian faked a shot, drawing Drew Gooden off balance before driving forward.
Fortunately, his speed wasn't overwhelming, so Drew Gooden wasn't completely out of position.
Yi Jianlian used his body to shield Drew Gooden and threw up a right-handed floater off the glass.
On the sidelines.
Bucks head coach Scott Skiles and his assistant coach were in discussion.
"Yi's form is this good today? During practice, his accuracy on these types of drives isn't great, but he's performing so outstandingly in the game?"
"Perhaps Yi has been putting in extra work in practice recently. I often see him in the weight room late at night. His physical conditioning has started to show in terms of his ability to handle contact."
Scott Skiles nodded. When the team drafted Yi Jianlian, he had been concerned about his ability to handle physical play. Now, it seemed a solution had been found.
Back on the court, Tang Long actively reached out for the ball, preparing for a one-on-one.
Before he could even receive the pass, Bogut's subtle tactics began.
He subtly used his elbow to pin Tang Long's back.
This move wouldn't prevent Tang Long from driving with overwhelming force, but it would force Tang Long's strength to be absorbed by his elbow.
It was like pushing against an iron pillar.
After catching the ball, Tang Long only took one backdown dribble before realizing Bogut's dirty trick.
He immediately faked a spin, drawing Bogut's weight, then powerfully shoved him back again.
This time, it landed squarely on Bogut's chest.
Bogut couldn't withstand such force and let out a muffled groan.
Tang Long ignored him, forcefully jumped, spun in the air with flair, and slammed the ball into the basket with immense power!
"Bang!"
Another destructive hammer!
Full of power, the basketball even struck Bogut on the head.
A thoroughly humiliating dunk!
Bogut fell backward dramatically, yelling loudly, trying to elicit sympathy from the referee.
Unfortunately, his acting was too clumsy. The referee took a glance and ran towards the Cavaliers' half.
"Buddy, I advise you to tone down the dirty moves, or you'll regret it!"
Tang Long glared fiercely at Bogut, issuing a warning.
If this guy tried any more dirty tricks, Tang Long wouldn't hesitate to try the upgraded version of [Fighting While Playing Ball].
Bogut spread his hands, feigning innocence, pretending not to understand what Tang Long was talking about.
Tang Long snorted and returned to his half of the court.
Williams held the ball at the top of the arc and again lobbed it to Yi Jianlian in the paint for a post-up.
The Bucks' current strategy was to give the ball to Yi Jianlian and exploit his shooting to gain an advantage.
Especially since he was on fire right now!
However, as the team's top interior defender, Tang Long wouldn't stand idly by.
Otherwise, fans would think the Cavaliers had a mole.
The moment Yi Jianlian caught the ball, Tang Long came to double-team.
Positioning himself to the left and right of Drew Gooden, he left Yi Jianlian no space to shoot.
"China Tang is making a move! He's stepping up to double-team, preparing to limit Yi's scoring!"
"Yi is smart, he immediately secures the ball, prioritizing possession."
"Yi passes to Bogut, who's open under the basket with a beautiful bounce pass!"
"Bogut goes for the layup! Wow! China Tang!"
"Oh my god! China Tang with the rejection!"
"He sent that ball flying into the stands. It seems no one can easily score in the paint guarded by China Tang!"
"The team is trailing by too much, China Tang is starting to get serious!"
As a neutral commentator, he genuinely enjoyed seeing the Cavaliers pick up the pace, as one-sided games lacked excitement.
On the court.
Bogut incessantly complained to the referee about a foul, hoping to draw two free throws.
However, the referee wasn't blind and ignored Bogut's incessant chatter.
Possession still belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks. Williams held the ball, observed for a moment, and abandoned the idea of passing to Yi Jianlian.
Tang Long was glaring at him from the side.
Michael Redd used a screen from Mason to get open. Williams quickly sent the ball his way.
After receiving the pass, Michael Redd adjusted slightly, preparing to shoot.
Suddenly, a massive shadow loomed over him—it was Tang Long!
Michael Redd was startled. When did this guy rotate over here?
His help defense speed is just too fast!
He hurriedly secured the ball and passed it to Mason on the side.
Unfortunately, the pass was too slow and was easily intercepted by LeBron James, who had been anticipating it.
After the steal, LeBron James broke away like a bolt of lightning, charging towards the Bucks' half!
Taking off a step before the free-throw line, he pulled the ball back as far as possible with his right hand and then powerfully slammed it into the basket!
A tomahawk dunk!
This play instantly ignited the Cavaliers' players' morale. The reserves on the sidelines waved their towels frantically!
"Michael Redd was too careless. Although Tang Long hasn't shown much of his terrifying help defense in this game, you can't forget about it!"
"Tang Long is a man who can defend from the three-second area all the way to the three-point line!"
"Facing such a terrifying center, Redd absolutely cannot let his guard down when shooting!"
"One mistake and you'll get a huge block!"
"LeBron and Tang Long are both starting to get serious. It looks like the Cavaliers are preparing to make a comeback!"
"The Bucks are in a bit of trouble!"
Zhang Weiping and Su Qun seemed a bit conflicted, unsure who to root for.
Either way, they'd be happy if the Bucks won, and happy if the Cavaliers won.
Across the ocean, at the Bradley Center.
Scott Skiles roared into the arena: "Pay attention to the transition offense and defense, watch out for their fast breaks!"
"Slow them down! Don't let them get caught in transition defense anymore!"
As the Bucks' head coach, Scott Skiles had repeatedly emphasized the importance of guarding against the Cavaliers' fast breaks before the game.
However, the players on the court seemed to have forgotten this critical issue.
On the court.
Williams still had the ball and decided to take it himself this time.
With a series of crossover dribbles, Williams shifted Larry Hughes's weight and drove past him from the right side.
Unfortunately, Larry Hughes was very fast and stayed glued to Williams.
With no other option, Williams was forced to attempt a difficult jump shot.
Tang Long's terrifying help defense manifested again as a large hand directly swatted away Williams's shot!
The ball flew directly towards the Bucks' half. LeBron James, with superior timing, delivered another tomahawk dunk!
Scott Skiles angrily called a timeout!
These imbeciles were going to drive him crazy if they kept playing like this!