"Tang Long has already been fouled three times, and this is becoming a problem."
During halftime, the camera cut back to the broadcast booth, and Yang Yi was the first to speak.
"It's mainly because he's too tired," Coach Zhang interjected. "The two fouls in the second quarter both occurred after Anthony's isolation plays. Tang Long's judgment is as sharp as ever; it's just that sometimes his hands can't keep up with his brain."
"Tang Long is just too tired," Old Bai sighed. "Tang Long is needed on both offense and defense. If he can't hold his ground at crucial moments, Tang Long can only continue to provoke players like Kobe and James to draw their attention. That's why we haven't fallen behind by a large margin, but it also increases Tang Long's fatigue. The American stars have clearly seen this."
"The dilemma now is whether or not to let Tang Long rest."
The commentators were also struggling, with the pros and cons of resting or not resting being equally prominent.
"Tang Long should still rest for a bit, after all, there are two more quarters to play," Yang Yi said. "One reason is that in the third quarter, the opponent will definitely target Tang Long. To avoid fouling, Tang Long can only try to avoid physical contact as much as possible, which means his defense won't be effective. Keeping him on the court now not only won't help but will also make the situation increasingly passive."
"I agree with Yang Yi," Yu Jia added. "As the saying goes, 'sharpening the axe does not delay woodcutting.' If Tang Long doesn't rest, and Yao Ming's stamina also drops in the fourth quarter, we'll be even worse off."
The commentators' thoughts were shared by Coach Jonas.
At the very least, Tang Long should rest for five minutes in the third quarter. If he plays five minutes in the third quarter and then gets a few minutes of rest entering the fourth quarter, his stamina can be restored to the greatest extent possible.
Thinking of this, Jonas looked towards the bench.
If Tang Long rests, who should be put on the court?
Jonas's eyes swept over players like Du Feng and Zhu Fangyu. Just as he was about to arrange personnel adjustments, Tang Long stood up and said, "Coach, I can continue playing in the third quarter."
Jonas's eyes widened in disbelief as he looked at Tang Long.
Team Leader Guo, standing nearby, became anxious. "Tang Long, I know you want to win, but we have to be realistic. Your stamina consumption is too high, and you must rest first."
"No need, I know what I'm doing."
Guo Qiang rejected his proposal without a second thought. "No, you must rest."
Tang Long was momentarily stunned. This was the second time he had seen Guo Qiang take such a strong stance, the first being yesterday when arranging a dinner party.
But he couldn't tell Guo Qiang that he had taken a stamina potion and his energy had been restored.
Seeing Guo Qiang's firm attitude, Tang Long could only compromise. "Team Leader Guo, I've almost recovered. How about this: you let me play, watch my performance, and if I show signs of fatigue, you can substitute me out. What do you think?"
Guo Qiang couldn't make up his mind and looked at Jonas.
Initially, Jonas also wanted Tang Long to rest. When they returned to the sideline at halftime, he could see the fatigue on Tang Long's face. However, after a short break, Tang Long seemed to have revitalized.
If Tang Long hadn't just drunk some pre-prepared water after coming off the court, Jonas would have suspected he had taken drugs.
After a moment of thought, Jonas nodded. "Alright."
"Are you sure you don't want to rest?"
Yao Ming came over and put his arm around Tang Long's shoulder.
"I say, take it easy. There are still two quarters left."
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
...
The halftime break passed quickly, and the players from both teams reappeared on the court. Wade looked at the players from the Dragon Country and then walked over to Tang Long, asking curiously, "I say, Tang, none of you are resting?"
They were too dedicated.
In the third quarter, Coach K replaced Kobe and James with Howard and brought back Paul and Deron to run a dual-point guard offense. Wade and Anthony, capable of both shooting and driving, formed a lineup clearly designed to wear down Tang Long.
However, Wade was genuinely surprised to see that none of the Dragon Country players were resting after playing two quarters.
Were these guys all ironmen?
"Rest? Only pampered guys like you need it. We possess iron will."
Alright.
Wade, who had initially planned to break through Tang Long, now had no psychological burden.
Who told this guy to be so tactless?
As the referee's whistle blew, the third quarter officially began with the Dragon Country team on offense.
The current American lineup was more focused on offense, with several defensive loopholes, especially with Anthony.
Tang Long and Yao Ming clearly understood this, so they frequently attacked on Anthony's side.
The American team's offensive strategy was even simpler: quick passing and coordinated plays to disrupt the Dragon Country's defense, then scoring. Or, they would focus on Tang Long to draw fouls.
Unfortunately, Tang Long, who had drunk the stamina potion, had now recovered his energy, and both of the American team's drives were blocked by him.
The Dragon Country team seized the opportunity to further reduce the point deficit.
65-71.
The gap was now only six points.
"Didn't they say Tang was out of gas? Why does he seem more energetic in the third quarter than before?"
Anthony looked at Wade with a puzzled expression.
"I'm not sure either."
Wade was also puzzled. Everyone had seen Tang Long's lack of stamina in the latter half of the second quarter, but he came out in the third quarter full of vigor. This was surprising to everyone.
"So, are we still sticking to this strategy?"
Anthony looked at Coach K.
Coach K was also conflicted.
Could it be that Tang Long's performance in the second quarter was intentional, just to lull them into a false sense of security?
The more Coach K thought about it, the more he felt this was possible.
Tang Long played almost every game in the league; how could he experience fatigue in the Olympic finals and play so desperately?
Coach K slapped his thigh in annoyance.
He had been tricked.
The Dragon Country people were indeed cunning.
Wait.
Could it be that Tang Long deliberately acted that way to deceive them?
After all, he had rested at halftime. He used this opportunity to score a couple of strong baskets, making everyone mistakenly believe he still had energy, so they wouldn't target his side, reducing the chances of Tang Long fouling.
This also seemed possible.
Coach K sank into deep self-doubt, unsure which judgment was correct.
It seemed the referee was urging the American team to inbound the ball. Coach K gritted his teeth and signaled to continue.
Regardless, they would play a few more possessions.
As the ball crossed half-court, Anthony immediately demanded the ball. After receiving it, he pushed forward quickly.
Previously, he would dribble after receiving the ball and then drive to the basket, which easily gave Tang Long a chance for precise prediction. This time, Anthony had learned his lesson. After receiving the ball, he didn't hesitate at all and drove directly to the basket with full force.
Based on Anthony's dribbling style and the positions of the players on the court, Tang Long believed Anthony would drive from the left side.
He made his move!