Chapter 21: Chapter 21: A Picture-Perfect Fadeaway, Tang Strikes Again
Halftime.
In the Tencent live stream, fans watched the cheerleaders' dazzling routines while passionately discussing the game.
"Even though Tang put up 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists in the first half, he's been completely locked down by Tucker."
"Yeah, Tucker's defense is too much—he's been shadowing Tang one-on-one the entire time. Tang's barely even touched the ball."
"Good thing Tang signed that fully guaranteed contract beforehand. If he hadn't, his price might have dropped after this game."
"If the Warriors want to win, they'll have to rely on Curry or Thompson. As long as one of them heats up, they'll likely pull off the win."
…
Soon, the third quarter began.
With Green winning the opening tip, the Rockets had possession in both the second and third quarters, while the Warriors would get the ball in the fourth.
Tang was benched to start the third, as was Tucker. Throughout the first half, the two had mirrored each other—if Tang was on the court, Tucker was there to hound him.
Paul brought the ball up for the Rockets. After a few screens and switches, he found himself in a mismatch with Looney, a situation Paul loves to exploit. From the bench, Tang watched intently.
Paul feinted left, causing Looney to lean that way. Paul quickly pulled the ball back, then darted to the right. Looney followed, but at the last second, Paul exploded back left. Losing his balance, Looney tripped over his own feet and collapsed to the floor. Paul calmly pulled up for a mid-range jumper and drained it.
"Such a smooth rhythm," Tang thought to himself.
Paul had complete control of the situation. Even if Looney hadn't tripped, he still wouldn't have been able to contest the shot. The beauty of that rhythm lies in the fact that, although defenders might be able to keep up, they still can't contest properly.
In response, Looney redeemed himself by finishing a lob from Green on the next play, cutting into the lead.
The game remained close, with both teams exchanging blows. But midway through the third quarter, things took a turn.
Harden, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, suddenly caught fire.
In the third quarter alone, he shot 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-6 from three, while also hitting 5-of-6 free throws. Harden exploded for 19 points in the quarter, pushing the Rockets' lead to double digits.
By the end of the third, the score was 80-69, with the Rockets up by 11.
The Warriors, typically dominant through three quarters, were now down. This was unfamiliar territory for them, especially after losing Durant, who had been their go-to offensive weapon.
Tang had rested the entire third quarter and didn't check back in until the start of the fourth. During the break, Coach Kerr specifically outlined plays for him.
The Warriors had possession. As expected, Tucker was back on the floor, glued to Tang as usual.
After a pair of screens from Iguodala and Thompson, Tang managed to get open and receive the ball. But Tucker quickly fought through the screens and was right back on him, only half a step away.
Tang lowered his center of gravity and gave a quick jab step to the left, but Tucker didn't bite, staying grounded like a brick wall. His defensive instincts were too sharp—he wasn't going to be fooled so easily.
Tang crossed over a few times, looking for an opening, and suddenly accelerated to his right. Tucker was quick to react, following closely.
But as soon as Tucker committed, Tang stopped on a dime, pulled back, and rose for a fadeaway jumper. His body tilted at a perfect 45-degree angle, creating just enough space. Tucker, despite his quick reaction, couldn't close the gap in time. All he could do was watch as Tang released the ball at the peak of his jump.
"Swish!"
The ball sailed through the air, arcing gracefully before falling cleanly through the net.
71-80.
The lead was back in single digits.
"Good shot baby, that's the way to do it," Iguodala said, smiling as he patted Tang on the back.
For a brief moment, Iguodala saw a flash of Kobe Bryant in that shot.
"Thanks, bro." Tang smiled as he jogged back on defense.
Harden was still resting on the bench, having exerted himself in the third quarter. The Rockets, trusting Paul to run the show, continued to press their advantage.
Paul drove into the paint, drawing the defense in, and kicked the ball out to Gordon, who was waiting in the corner.
Gordon drained the three, pushing the lead back up.
Meanwhile, Curry and Thompson were still resting on the bench, leaving Tang to shoulder much of the offensive burden. The pressure was mounting—he knew the Warriors couldn't afford to let the lead get any bigger. If the Rockets pulled away now, they might not be able to close the gap, especially with Harden set to return.
Back on offense, Tang navigated through a flurry of screens and once again got open. This time, Tucker was a step too slow to close out.
With Paul attempting to contest, Tang rose up for another three-pointer. The release was quick, and though the shot had a flat arc, it rocketed straight into the basket, hitting nothing but net.
With back-to-back buckets, Tang had scored five quick points, and the Warriors had life again.
Paul, however, wasn't going to let that continue. After watching Tang knock down another long two, he pulled Tucker aside during a break and whispered in his ear. Tucker nodded repeatedly, absorbing every word.
From that moment on, Tang found it nearly impossible to get open. Even with multiple screens set for him, Tucker stuck to him like glue, making it difficult for Tang to even touch the ball. And on the rare occasions he did, the Rockets sent a double team immediately.
Without the threat of Curry and Thompson on the floor, the Rockets had no fear of sending extra defenders at Tang.
Still, his teammates came through. After receiving one of his passes, they knocked down a few key shots, cutting into the lead.
78-83.
The Warriors had trimmed the deficit to just five points.
Sensing the momentum shift, Coach D'Antoni called a timeout and brought Harden back into the game.
On the Warriors' side, Curry and Thompson returned as well.
The stage was set for a thrilling final showdown.
...
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