Tang Long inbounds the ball.
Larry Hughes brings the ball up the court, Swift and Bill's eyes fixed on Tang Long.
They are already up by nearly thirty points; a few points for the Cavaliers don't matter. They are determined to make this "Dragon Country" fellow pay.
"Kid, come on, if you dare, attack!"
Swift provocatively beckons Tang Long with his finger.
The Nets players tacitly spread out the paint, intentionally waiting for Swift to teach Tang Long a lesson.
At the free-throw line, Larry Hughes passes the ball to Tang Long.
At this moment, Swift is only one step away from Tang Long.
Tang Long could opt for a mid-range jumper. With his current scoring ability, getting two points would be no problem.
But this would not help morale.
No, scoring isn't important.
The key is to lift their spirits first.
Tang Long makes up his mind, dribbles, and drives towards Swift.
Swift, at 2.08 meters and 200 jin, braces himself and stubbornly resists, his other hand aggressively reaching in, unconcerned if he hits someone.
"That's it? You're no good, keep pushing if you have the guts!"
After testing his core strength, Tang Long immediately mocks him.
Swift is instantly enraged, stepping forward and forcefully swatting at the basketball.
Even if he missed the ball, he intended to commit a foul with this move, using it to teach Tang Long a lesson.
Tang Long snorts coldly. Just as Swift reaches in again, he fakes easily, fooling Swift, then turns and jumps, slamming the ball towards the hoop with both hands!
Seeing this, Swift immediately jumps, attempting to block Tang Long's dunk.
In his eyes, Tang Long's dunking motion is too slow, a perfect opportunity for a block.
*Slap!!*
The shaking rim accompanies Tang Long's roar, and the Quicken Loans Arena erupts with the excited shouts of the fans.
"Beep!"
At the same moment, the referee's whistle blows.
Swift is called for a reach-in foul, a sure 2+1.
Swift's face turns green. He wants to argue with the referee but is held back by his teammates.
It's just a three-point play; can the Cavaliers really come back?
"Rookie, keep it coming!"
Tang Long continues to taunt Swift.
He did it intentionally. If he didn't stir up the Nets players' aggression, how would Swift be willing to go head-to-head with him in the paint?
Swift glares fiercely at Tang Long.
This kid is too arrogant. He'll pay for this later.
Seeing the desired effect, Tang Long confidently walks to the free-throw line.
"Hiss..."
"Dragon Country guy, go back to your country. You're not welcome here."
A few extremist fans, standing directly opposite the free-throw line, spew trash talk, clearly intending to disrupt Tang Long's free throws.
Tang Long dribbles the ball once, calmly focusing on the hoop.
At this moment, the distance to the rim seems to shrink infinitely, as if he could throw the ball into it with a mere gesture.
*Swish!*
The ball goes in. The Cavaliers trail 30:50, still down by twenty.
"Tang, good job."
Larry Hughes and Drew Gooden come over to high-five him. Though they don't believe they can make up a twenty-point deficit, Tang Long's dunk is satisfying.
"We still have time, don't get discouraged."
Tang Long's commanding words truly make Larry Hughes and the others feel that indomitable spirit!
"Okay, we'll give you the ball."
With his teammates' support, Tang Long faces Swift one-on-one on offense. Two consecutive dunks and a mid-range shot bring the score to 36:50.
At the end of the second quarter, the Cavaliers are only trailing the Nets by fourteen points.
"Tang, it was definitely the right decision to put you in."
LeBron James rushes over to high-five Tang Long in celebration. The flame of fighting spirit has been reignited in him.
With their chemistry, it won't be difficult to close the gap in the third quarter if he plays.
But LeBron clearly underestimated the situation.
In the third quarter, the Nets' starters return, while the Cavaliers are still playing with their reserve lineup.
LeBron is furious enough to curse, but he's helpless, forced to watch the five reserves return to the court.
The difference in strength between the Nets' starters and reserves is clearly like day and night.
As soon as the game restarts, before Tang Long can secure the rebound, Kostić is already reaching for the ball, and the two wrestle on the ground.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle blows again, and a jump ball is called.
"Dragon Country fellow, don't cry if you can't get the ball later."
At the half-court line, Kostić mockingly looks at Tang Long.
Tang Long won't fall for his psychological warfare.
When the ball is tipped, Kostić doesn't believe this guy can out-jump him.
This is a crucial time for him to secure a big contract, so he naturally has to perform with all his might.
"Same to you! Oh, by the way, in our Huaxia, we are a land of etiquette. If you start crying, I'll promptly send you some tissues."
"I hope you're as good as your mouth."
Kostić's psychological warfare gains no advantage. His face darkens, and he decides to teach this Eastern kid a lesson.
With a whistle, the referee tosses the ball high into the air.
Kostić jumps up, his eyes gleaming with triumph as his arm reaches closer to the ball. Just as he's about to land and mock Tang Long, he feels a dark shadow block his vision.
*Slap!!*
By the time Kostić regains his senses, the basketball has already been swatted away by Tang Long. Larry Hughes catches it and quickly pushes forward.
As soon as he reaches the three-point line, before the Nets players have even settled, Hughes leaps up and executes a "dry land pole vault," taking a pull-up jump shot!
*Clang!*
The ball hits the rim with a loud thud, finally jolting Kostić back to reality. He quickly sprints towards the basket.
As he reaches the paint, that massive presence once again looms over him.
*Boom!!*
While the ball is still in mid-air, Tang Long has already charged to the basket, activating his "Absolute Rebound" skill. He uses the basketball as it bounces back in mid-air to violently slam it into the hoop!
A classic American violent put-back dunk!
"Oh my god, what did I just see? That's a textbook Shaquille O'Neal dunk!"
"I never expected China Tang's vertical leap to be so good!"
"Look, Kostić is stunned. He boasted before the game that he'd teach this Eastern kid what American basketball is all about!"
The commentators exclaim excitedly.
Although the Cavaliers have a superstar like "Little Emperor" LeBron James, their lack of bench depth has always been criticized by fans. If someone could provide enough support for LeBron, the Cavaliers wouldn't have been swept 4-0 by the Spurs in last year's Finals.
"Tang, good job!"
LeBron James rushes from the bench to high-five Tang Long.
"Thanks, I told you, I'll make them pay."
Tang Long had also seen the pre-game interviews. Kostić has been on a roll lately, and it's made him a bit arrogant.
Tang Long will never allow such a negative trend to persist.
The Nets, now snapping back to reality, are not about to tolerate such an outstanding performance.
Vince Carter brings the ball across half-court himself.
As soon as he crosses half-court, Gooden and Gibson swarm him.
Carter's touch is hot right now. If someone tried to steal from him alone, it would be difficult to stop him from driving to the basket.
However, there is one person who can stop Carter's powerful dunk, and that person is none other than Tang Long, guarding the paint.