"The Cavaliers have finally taken the lead,"
"See that? As long as Tang Long is on the court, victory belongs to the Cavaliers."
"Where are all those haters?"
"Right, where are those idiots who were trashing Tang Long earlier?"
On a domestic forum, netizens were taunting the guys who had previously criticized Tang Long. Upon discovering that one of them had deleted their account, they erupted in further mockery.
Aside from the domestic critics, Jason in the ESPN sports studio in the United States was also dejected. Who would have thought the Cavaliers, trailing by nearly thirty points, could claw their way back into the game?
Dr. J looked at Jason smugly, "Jason, it seems you're stuck eating that table. Have you figured out how you'll eat it?"
"There's still time. The Cavaliers haven't won yet. What are you so proud of?"
Although Jason knew in his heart that it was unlikely for the Nets to make a comeback, he refused to admit defeat verbally.
Perhaps the Cavaliers players would make mistakes, and the Nets players would seize the opportunity to take the lead.
Besides, the Cavaliers' starting lineup hadn't rested. If the reserves came on, the Nets might still have a chance.
"Some people are just stubborn!"
Dr. J quipped, then turned to the host, "It looks like the studio will have to provide another table."
The host was taken aback for a moment, then quickly understood Dr. J's meaning and observed Jason with amusement.
This was supposed to be just a broadcast of a game, but Jason had unexpectedly delivered a surge of traffic.
The viewership had already surpassed three million. Besides the Cavaliers' winning streak, Jason's boast that he would eat the studio table if the Cavaliers won had a lot to do with it.
The host was overjoyed.
At the same time, he was silently rooting for the Cavaliers. If the Cavaliers won this game, more people would surely tune in.
The audience would grow even larger, which not only brought pride to the host but also a higher position within the network. He might even get a spot on the sports news segment.
...
"President Stern, someone has sent a video of Tang Long assaulting someone. I believe you should see it."
Stern took the matter seriously.
Years ago, he had personally traveled to China, offering benefits and expressing various aspirations to persuade the central television station to broadcast NBA games.
The NBA had since become the second most popular sport after soccer, and in China, due to Yao Ming's presence, basketball had become the number one sport!
The assistant inserted a USB drive into Stern's computer, and he quickly watched the entire incident.
Stern's strategic vision in targeting this country of 1.3 billion people had been incredibly accurate.
He immediately saw that the NBA was about to gain an even stronger foothold.
Afterward, Stern called Cavaliers owner Gilbert, "Gilbert, I truly envy you. The valuation of your Cavaliers is about to increase again!"
"President Stern, what do you mean?" Gilbert looked bewildered.
"First, watch this video of China's Tang beating someone. Then, we'll discuss how to maximize its value!"
The paparazzi had been following Scarlett Johansson when they accidentally captured this news.
They then directly sent the video to their newspaper, expecting to gain some traffic.
Moreover, this kind of news, besides Cavaliers fans, would also attract a portion of the curious public.
Instead of just gaining a bit of traffic, the paparazzi had greater ambitions.
They gave this video to Stern in exchange for exclusive insider information about the NBA, which was much more valuable than a simple clarification report.
Tang Long, at this moment, was unaware that a paparazzi had happened to capture the video of him rescuing a homeless man by the roadside.
After the Cavaliers took the lead, the fans at the Quicken Loans Arena went completely wild.
"We are creating a new winning streak."
"This is our pride!"
The cheers and shouts reached the heavens!
"Teammates, do you hear that? This is the greatest support from our fans. What are we waiting for? Let's crush them!"
Tang Long's passion ignited the Cavaliers players.
On offense, LeBron James was unstoppable. No single player could guard him. If two players defended LeBron, Tang Long in the paint was starting another dunking spree.
The Nets' veterans were visibly losing morale.
"We're just a little bit away from completely crushing their spirit. Victory will be ours!"
Tang Long kept encouraging his teammates.
He stood in the three-second area like an unshakeable pillar. The Nets, seeing that Mikki Moore couldn't contend with Tang Long in the interior, tried to change their strategy.
They planned a pick-and-roll between Carter and Mikki to create a driving lane for Carter.
Only by attacking the basket and scoring could the Nets stabilize their position.
The Nets' idea was sound, but they encountered an explosive Tang Long.
Mikki screened Drew Gooden, creating space for Carter to drive. Carter attacked the basket, facing Tang Long directly.
The clever Carter didn't try to force his way through. As he drove past Tang Long, he executed a brilliant spin move, dribbling the ball with him, almost simultaneously grazing past Tang Long.
"I am Vince Carter. How could you possibly stop me?"
The next second, Carter caught the ball and leaped high.
Just as he was about to go up for a layup, Tang Long also jumped.
His palm, like a giant fan, firmly pressed down on the basketball in Carter's hands.
[Divine Block]
Anyone who dared to shoot in front of him would be met with his thunderous block, slamming Carter back down.
"This, damn it, impossible!"
Carter thought he had broken past Tang Long, only to find Tang Long behind him, somehow able to block him.
He was completely stunned!
Tang Long didn't care if Carter was stunned. He snatched the ball from Carter and threw a long pass to LeBron James, who had already crossed half-court.
Upon receiving the pass, James charged towards the basket like a bulldozer!
"CRASH!"
Another powerful slam dunk, this time over the defense of Nenad Krstic.
"ROAR!!"
James was energized, performing his signature primal roar, pounding his chest and interacting with the fans. The Cavaliers' bench players were also enthusiastically waving their towels.
At this moment, Tang Long was the happiest.
Although he hadn't scored, he had a block and an assist.
With this assist, he had secured a double-double tonight.
James's slam dunk also completely repelled the Nets' momentum. The veterans had lost most of their fighting spirit.
If they could be caught from a thirty-point lead, the Nets were likely to lose this game.
Once this thought entered their minds, their movements became even slower.
Previously, they would complete an offensive possession in over ten seconds, but now, after dribbling, they would shoot in almost twenty seconds.
"BEEP!!"
With the referee's whistle, the game ended.
The Cavaliers ultimately won the match 115:106, coming back from a thirty-point deficit to win by nine.
Under Tang Long's leadership, the Cleveland Cavaliers secured their seventeenth consecutive victory!
...