"Tang, Josh Howard is yours. Nowitzki is mine."
Back on the court, both sides returned to their initial tense standoff, but this time LeBron James was more focused than ever.
At this moment, his fighting spirit was soaring.
Beep!!
The referee's whistle blew, and the Cavaliers launched their offense. Larry Hughes brought the ball past half-court, beat one defender, and passed it to James.
"You're not getting past me."
Devin Harris came up to defend James, but James, like a bulldozer, pushed Harris aside and forcefully drove into the paint.
Dirk Nowitzki and Erick Dampier immediately came to block.
James jumped to shoot.
Slap!
A crisp sound, followed by the referee's whistle.
Nowitzki was called for a foul, and James went to the free-throw line.
"LeBron, make those damn free throws. Two makes and we're back in the lead."
"Piece of cake."
Tang Long and James exchanged words in a relaxed and casual manner, completely disregarding the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki, standing beside the free-throw line, raised an eyebrow and looked at Tang Long.
This guy was too arrogant. Even he, who usually kept his emotions in check, felt like he should teach this kid a lesson.
Tang Long seemed to notice Nowitzki looking at him and winked, full of provocation.
Nowitzki felt speechless. Yet, Tang Long seemed oblivious to his anger, still saying something proudly.
Nowitzki didn't understand the Dragon Country language, but judging by Tang Long's expression, he knew the guy wasn't praising him.
The more it was like this, the more he stared at Tang Long, wanting to know what he was muttering about.
By the time Nowitzki realized Tang Long had already jumped, the ball had missed the rim. Tang Long leaped high, grabbed the ball with both hands, and slammed it fiercely into the basket.
Normally, Nowitzki would have just jumped once, maybe not even defending, but for some reason, seeing Tang Long's arrogant dunk, a fire seemed to burn in Nowitzki's chest!
He absolutely couldn't let this guy dunk. With that thought, he rushed forward quickly.
His massive frame combined with his reach was like a wall studded with thorns.
Crash!
The ball was slammed into the basket with force. Nowitzki's physical attributes were insufficient to withstand Tang Long's attack.
Roar!
The Cavaliers fans erupted in thunderous cheers.
Tang Long dangled from the rim for a moment before lightly landing on the ground, not forgetting to shake his head and sigh at Nowitzki.
This was naked provocation!
Nowitzki was furious.
In the NBA, neither Kobe nor James would provoke him, because they knew the consequences of angering him.
This Dragon Country fellow had no idea how high the sky was.
Nowitzki decided he had to teach Tang Long a harsh lesson.
He wanted to use his actions to tell Tang Long that in the NBA, one should still respect their elders.
As play switched, Devin Harris brought the ball past half-court. Nowitzki pushed James aside and waved to Harris; he rarely called for the ball.
But extending his hand meant his teammate would pass him the ball.
Harris didn't hesitate. He lofted a pass towards Nowitzki, who had already raised his hands to receive the ball, already planning to rise up and shoot the moment he caught it.
Slap!
As the ball was still ascending, a hand slapped it down. Immediately after, a figure was seen streaking towards the Mavericks' basket.
Josh Howard chased desperately. Seeing Tang Long jump, he didn't dare to hesitate and followed suit.
Standing in the paint, his jumping ability was excellent. He blocked Tang Long's dunking path with both hands and roared, "Dragon Country kid, get down!"
"Josh, look behind you."
Howard turned his head and saw LeBron James receiving an alley-oop pass from Tang Long. LeBron, like a great bird in the sky, soared towards the basket.
Bang!
Crash!
LeBron landed heavily on the ground, beating his chest and roaring. The Cavaliers fans roared with him, the Quicken Loans Arena now filled with deafening cheers.
"Well done, LeBron."
"It was our brilliant coordination."
James and Tang Long chest-bumped in celebration. They were ecstatic.
The Mavericks were, after all, a playoff team. Tang Long and James's two dunks had little impact on the Mavericks' mentality.
The team stuck to their strategy while also intensifying their defense, unwilling to see the Cavaliers continue to ravage their rim.
The Mavericks' intensified defense soon yielded results. On one occasion, LeBron missed a shot. Tang Long, under a double-team from Josh Howard and Dampier, failed to secure the offensive rebound. Harris immediately initiated a fast break.
At 1.91 meters tall, he was incredibly fast with the ball. He broke through before the Cavaliers could complete their defense.
Drew Gooden's jump to block was too late.
Swish!
The ball smoothly dropped into the basket, and at the same time, Harris drew a foul.
A 2+1.
Harris made the free throw.
With only twenty seconds left in the second quarter, the Cavaliers had one last possession. Larry Hughes slowly brought the ball past half-court, watching the clock and observing the game.
With only five or six seconds left, James received a pass from Larry Hughes. Drew Gooden stepped up to screen Josh Howard's path, and James used the opening to drive to the basket.
Clank!!
The ball bounced off the rim, leaving only three seconds on the clock.
Howard leaped and barely touched the ball before feeling it slip from his control. He quickly pushed his chest forward.
At this moment, Tang Long's hand also grabbed the ball, and he threw himself forward.
They tumbled together, holding the ball, neither giving way.
"Tang, have you no shame?" Josh Howard cursed angrily.
"I got the ball first, you're the one with no shame."
Tang Long was also enraged.
Then, they exchanged trash talk and were about to fight when the referee's whistle blew.
A jump ball was called.
Josh Howard's face, already dark, grew even darker. He argued with the referee in dissatisfaction, but Nowitzki pulled him back.
Furious, Howard could only take out his anger on Tang Long.
"You despicable person, just you wait."
Tang Long shrugged, feigning indifference. "Am I scared? Come at me if you dare. I'll wait for you in the third quarter. I just wonder if you'll still be able to play."
"F*ck, damn Tang..."
"Talking tough is a sickness that needs treatment, but I like guys like you who are all bark and no bite."
Seeing that the two were about to clash again, the referee hurried over to intervene: "Both of you, one warning!"
Hearing the referee's words, Tang Long and Josh Howard exchanged a glance and snorted in unison.
Then, they stood at the jump ball circle, staring at the basketball in the referee's hand while still exchanging trash talk.
The referee, seeing only two seconds left on the clock, didn't bother with them much. After a pause, he tossed the ball high into the air.
Howard jumped first, but halfway up, he found he couldn't exert any more force. Tang Long pressed down on his shoulder and batted the ball to LeBron James, who was nearby.
Tang Long clearly won this jump ball.
There was no pressure in dominating a player like Josh Howard.
...