NBA: Miracle Workers
Chapter 146 Fatal “1 Blow”
Chapter 146 The fatal “blow” ([-]-word chapter)
On June 1999, 6, the San Antonio Observer, the largest local African-American community newspaper, spoke highly of the performance of black players such as David Robinson and Mario Elie:
"Team victory, David Robinson is the pride of San Antonio!"
In the life-and-death battle against the Spurs in G3 of the Finals, David Robinson performed well, but his butt determines his head. If his skin color is correct, the data will not matter.
The San Antonio Express-News is the largest daily newspaper in the area and the Spurs' primary media partner.
After winning the first victory in the finals, it is natural to promote it well:
"Tim Duncan never plays for statistics, he will bring a championship to San Antonio!"
The article written by the sports columnist was very good and also mocked Li You's scoring title, but some old Spurs fans were a little embarrassed.
The "Admiral" had a great time back then, and then pushed forward a little further, and the famous "Iceman" George Gervin also did it.
It's hard to say what the future holds, and no one knows whether Tim Duncan will inherit the Spurs' fine tradition.
After having breakfast at the hotel early in the morning, Ewing felt unhappy while reading the local newspaper.
Larry Johnson also followed up and scolded the San Antonio reporter for calling X:
"Fuck! 10 of 3, 13 points with free throws, what's there to praise?"
"If it weren't for the outstanding performance of others, we would all be popping the champagne by now!"
David Robinson made 12 of 7 free throws, and his free throws were not accurate. In a life and death battle, the "General" played like a rookie.
蒂姆-邓肯21中13，罚球10中7，拿到了全场最高的33分，并且还抓下了16个篮板球。
Contributing a big double-double, Duncan is the key to the Spurs winning G3.
Oakley and Ben Wallace were beaten up by the rookies, and they were not in the mood to talk anymore. They really couldn't save face.
Larry Johnson was shouting for joy, but "Big Mom" went 3-for-12 in G3 and was ridiculed by San Antonio reporters after the game.
Li You glanced at the newspaper casually, noticed that the content was basically boasting, and stopped paying attention.
Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff watched the game video overnight, worked for most of the night, and edited a lot of content.
After breakfast, everyone started the video class in the hotel conference room.
Jeff Van Gundy had a black eye again, Duncan knocked out the Knicks' inside line, and the bald young coach was unsure:
"We must pay attention to our offensive choices and the opponent's defensive position. Don't underestimate Tim Duncan. He has appeared in the correct defensive position in several rounds!"
"Quick, decisive, break to the basket, don't complain about the whistle, we can regain the rhythm of the game tomorrow night."
In many of the edited rounds, Duncan assisted in defending the paint area to complete the interference. Some talented players have an almost innate sense of position, and Duncan is one of them.
Li You saw that Larry Johnson and Sprewell still looked depressed, and he also said a few words of encouragement:
"We have to have confidence in our offense. We are younger, faster and have better physical fitness."
"Be patient and stretch the defense. They can't sustain a high-intensity defense for a whole game."
Ewing was also a little annoyed at his lack of self-discipline at this time. If he hadn't become a ball, he might not have been injured.
Thinking of Tim Duncan's performance, Gorilla continues to make chicken soup:
"One game can't explain anything. Our defense still worked. We need to fight and teach that rookie a lesson!"
The video class was just about finding shortcomings and drinking chicken soup. Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff did not change any tactics. The bald young coach just prayed silently:
"Just put it in!"
On the night of the 23rd, more than 3 spectators flooded into the Alamodome again.
NBC's broadcast footage also gave aerial shots and night views of San Antonio.
Compared to Madison Square Garden, the Alamodome has a larger capacity.
The roar of nearly 4 people has not stopped since the beginning of the game. Many Spurs fans even held up huge O'Brien Cup models and kept cheering for the home team.
In the direction of the Knicks' offense, behind the basket, the Spurs were holding long white plastic sticks, waving the props in their hands, trying to interfere.
Popovich was very nervous on the sidelines. After returning to the home court, even if he won a game, he was still under tremendous pressure.
In order not to bring his nervousness to the players, Popovich kept shouting from the sidelines after the opening:
"Retreat! Avery, delay going up!"
The Spurs' score had stayed at 10 points for more than a minute. Avery Johnson made an emergency stop at the free throw line and made a jump shot, suffering another Knicks counterattack.
Li You, who collected the long rebound, accelerated with the ball in his right hand. When he reached the right wing, the Spurs had already retreated.
Noticing that Duncan stayed in the middle of the paint area again, Oakley hurriedly moved up.
When he reached the right elbow area of the free throw line, Oakley began to slow down and prepared to stand. At this time, Li You twisted his body and pretended to break through to the left.
Seeing Duncan moving up, Li You suddenly turned around sharply. While grabbing the ball with his right hand, he immediately broke through with his shoulder and carried Avery Johnson straight to the basket!
The Spurs fans at the scene couldn't help but exclaimed when they saw the basketball seemed to be stuck to Li You's hand, and the fancy moves became practical.
"Oh!"
The advantage of his body shape means that Li You, who is stuck in his position, does not need to do any fancy shaking.
Breaking through to the lower right side of the basket near the paint area, Li You jumped quickly, completely deflected the defense, and then completed the throw with his right hand!
Tim Duncan's defense awareness is very good. At this time, he has returned to the basket and jumped high.
The basketball just passed his fingertips. After landing, Duncan turned his head and saw the basketball falling into the basket again.
At 14:10, the Spurs made continuous strikes, and the Knicks seized the opportunity and successfully widened the point difference.
"Shh!"
Nearly 4 fans burst into boos throughout the arena, and Avery Johnson was thrown into a sieve after the start.
Li You smiled at Avery Johnson and Duncan.
Duncan adapted to his offensive rhythm, but Li You also adapted to the opponent's help defense.
He threw the ball without waiting for the basket. In the three attacks after the opening, Li You scored easily.
Popovich sighed secretly and quickly requested a timeout. Avery Johnson walked to the bench while feeling annoyed about his performance:
"Shet! It's my problem!"
Duncan just patted the veteran on the shoulder, and then pulled David Robinson to communicate.
At this time, there were 1 minutes and 6 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Knicks bench was cheering loudly.
The noise in the Alamodome grew louder and louder. In the NBC commentary box, Doug Collins subconsciously raised his voice:
"Larry Johnson still couldn't find his touch, but tonight Lee quickly entered an offensive state!"
"The Spurs must solve the defensive problem at the 1 position. It is difficult for Avery Johnson to defend effectively."
Bob Costas put on glasses tonight and was a little excited at this time:
"If the Knicks succeed in getting a match point on the road, the series will end quickly and coach Popovich must make adjustments as soon as possible."
The first championship in team history, Popovich and the coaching staff were also under great pressure these two days. During the timeout, he held the tactical board and kept reminding the players loudly:
"We executed the defensive strategy well, but that's not enough. Confrontation, tough defense, don't let the opponent easily break through to the basket!"
"Duncan and David will help defend inside and show a tough attitude, okay?"
Popovich roared loudly and knocked on the tactical board, reminding the three outside players to be tougher.
After the timeout, Mario Eli punched himself twice, roaring lowly, hoping to let his emotions out.
On the other side, Li You still looked calm before taking the field, and simply told his teammates:
"Allan, pay attention to the opponent's receiving position. Above the blocking area, we will help defend against double teams."
Alan Houston nodded to show that he understood.
In order to solve the problem of difficulty in passing the ball, the Spurs frequently let big men receive the ball in the high post. This is also an opportunity for the Knicks.
Li You took a few people and whispered something, and Oakley also patted "Xiao Ben" and gave a brief warning.
The scene once again heard loud cheers and cheers. A baseline kick was taken, and Avery Johnson was defended by Li You again.
Although he restrained some hand movements, Li You did not reduce his physical confrontation.
Don't worry about the opponent starting fast and going straight to the basket. When the little man encounters the Knicks' interior, he knows what kind of interior defense he will encounter.
The ball was handed over quickly after halftime. When Elliott received the ball at the top of the arc, Duncan had already started to ask for the ball with his back in the left block.
Oakley was behind him and kept pushing the opponent outwards. On the left wing, Mario Elie received the pass and threw the ball directly to Duncan without waiting for Alan Houston to grab it.
The receiving position was forced to move up a step, which caused Duncan to just release the ball, and Alan Houston immediately shrank to help defend.
Quickly passing the ball to Mario Elie on the left wing, Duncan continued to dig in, but Oakley's pull made Duncan, who received the ball again, almost miss the ball.
Unable to get to the basket as expected, Duncan once again encountered Alan Houston's defense in the blocking area, and hurriedly threw the ball to Mario Elie.
Continuous scoring and playing, taking advantage of Alan Houston's return to defense, Mario Elie simply released the ball with his right hand, broke through smoothly, and went straight to the basket from the center.
Under Alan Houston's vigorous defense, Mario Elie did not get stuck in his position, but the veteran was stronger and relied on the defense to force a breakthrough into the paint, face the block, and complete the throw!
"Shua!" A two-pointer with a hollow net!
"what!"
After hitting the basket and scoring the ball, Mario Eli thumped his chest and roared loudly again. The atmosphere was also ignited by the veteran.
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines gave Alan Houston a thumbs up at this time, indicating that this was good defense.
Quickly sending the baseline ball, Li You made tactical gestures immediately. Under the interference of Avery Johnson, he immediately pushed forward and crossed the half court in the blink of an eye.
After being scored by an opposing player, Alan Houston naturally had to find his way back into the game this round.
With the help of Ben Wallace's screen near the baseline on the right side, he quickly slipped across the baseline from left to right, and Alan Houston easily caught the ball in the right block.
After receiving a pass from Li You, he feinted and deceived Mario Elie's defensive focus. Alan Houston immediately released the ball with his left hand, broke through with a cross step, took a big step and then retreated, and made a quick mid-range jump shot!
"Shua!" Responded and the ball scored!
Li You noticed that Duncan and David Robinson were standing next to the paint area again this round. The Spurs did not change their defensive strategy and would only help defend near the basket.
At 16:12, the Knicks still led.
David Robinson, who was almost invisible for half of the game, once again asked for the ball from behind in the right block.
After Avery Johnson came to the right wing, he quickly sent a lob pass.
The moment Ben Wallace received the ball from the opponent, he immediately defended him, almost hanging on David Robinson, with his head behind him.
The left hand released the ball immediately. David Robinson wanted to squeeze towards the basket, but faced a tough defense and almost dropped the ball.
Forced to join the ball, David Robinson quickly returned the ball to Avery Johnson while Li You assisted in defense.
The latter caught the ball, saw Li You returning to defense, first feinted upward, and then quickly sent a ground pass.
What Avery Johnson didn't expect was that Li You seemed to have predicted it and stole the ball away as soon as he bent down.
At the moment of stealing the ball, Avery Johnson hurriedly stepped forward to counterattack and delayed the ball, while David Robinson quickly returned to defense and returned to the half court immediately.
Li You first quickly led the ball forward, and while the opponent was up and down, he suddenly twisted around and bypassed the left baseline.
Avery Johnson didn't have time to pull, but he found that Li Youren had passed the ball and got rid of his defense in an instant.
"Shh!"
The beautiful pass made the Spurs fans at the scene make a pass. He picked up the ball with his right hand again, and Li You took the ball and rushed forward.
The left wing quickly rushed across the three-point line and noticed that David Robinson had returned to the basket. Li You had no intention of slowing down.
In the left blocking area, David Robinson had just stood still when he saw Li You rushing in front of him, joining the ball and stepping towards the left front of his body.
David Robinson subconsciously slid to the left, but he didn't expect that Li You turned around and rushed to his right.
With a large European step in the transition attack, Li You knocked David Robinson to the spot, grabbed the ball with one hand with his left hand, broke through to the basket and easily picked up the basket!
"Oh——!"
"Jesus! Nice shake! David Robinson was tricked by Lee!"
In the commentary box, Bob Costas shouted excitedly, completely ignoring the boos that broke out at the scene.
With wide eyes, he watched Li You make a gliding gesture and run back to the half court after completing the layup. David Robinson looked awkwardly and returned to Duncan, and helplessly fired the baseline ball.
In the second half of the first quarter, as the Knicks began to defend forward again, David Robinson and Duncan got some easy scoring opportunities.
But there were also many possessions where it was difficult to catch the ball, with Mario Elie and Elliott taking over the offense.
Larry Johnson was replaced, and Sprewell's touch was also average.
Jeff Van Gundy was a little anxious, pacing back and forth on the sidelines, watching the scores of both sides slowly increase.
He had just dunked under the basket in the previous round. In this attack, Duncan was disturbed by Oakley's forward defense and was unable to catch the ball in the low post.
Mario Eli just lobbed the ball to the basket, but Duncan was blocked in the paint area by Oakley and Sprewell.
Without releasing the ball, Duncan quickly threw the ball to the right corner. Elliott, who was left open, hit another iron.
The long rebound was collected by Alan Houston, who immediately took the ball and rushed in the middle, and gave the ball to Li You before the half was over.
Avery Johnson stepped forward to interfere. Li You, who was on the left flank and holding the ball in his left hand, just slowed down slightly. Taking advantage of the opponent's defensive confrontation, he moved back and suddenly dribbled the ball with his crotch.
After switching to his right hand, Li You once again pressed his shoulder to break through. He quickly cut in at a 45-degree angle from the left side. When he broke through to the basket, Duncan came back to guard and hugged him directly, and pulled him down.
Seeing Li You standing on the free throw line, Doug Collins couldn't help but complain:
"The Spurs should reduce some lobs to the basket. This is not a good offensive option."
"Sprewell, who came off the bench, didn't feel good. This was a good opportunity for them to chase points."
At the end of the first quarter, Li You made two free throws, and the Spurs bench became silent again.
At the last moment, David Robinson's strong attack under the basket also caused a foul on Ben Wallace. He successfully stood on the free throw line and made two free throws. The first quarter ended.
At 24:20, the Knicks still led by 4 points, and the Spurs fans at the scene could not hold back any longer.
Bob Costas glanced at the technical statistics and briefly summarized the first quarter:
"Lee made 6 of 4 in the first quarter and scored 10 points. The Spurs can consider changing their defenders. Avery Johnson did not play much role on the defensive end."
Watching Popovich keep gesticulating on the tactical board, Doug Collins also responded:
"There is no better opponent, and they have to think about organizing the offense."
"."
There were 5 turnovers in a single quarter, which is something that the Spurs coaching staff cannot accept.
Taking advantage of entering the rotation stage, Duncan continued to appear, and the Spurs began to slow down and compress the number of rounds.
Also in the rotation, Li You, who was sitting on the bench, watched Sprewell hit the iron and shook his head helplessly.
The G3 game was 15 for 5. Although the "Madman" didn't score any shots tonight, his shooting touch was still terrible.
Jeff Van Gundy watched Sprewell throw a pick-and-roll after halftime, and quickly shouted a reminder:
"Patience! Be patient!"
Without switching offense, the Spurs slowed down again and repeatedly scored and hit. Finally, Duncan faced Kurt Thomas' defense in the right block and succeeded in a jumper.
In less than 2 minutes, the Spurs equalized the score.
At 24:24, Jeff Van Gundy still did not request a timeout, but the cheers in the Alamodome grew louder and louder.
Steve Kerr, who came on the bench, passed the ball too low this time. Kurt Thomas saw the opportunity and directly completed the steal.
In a rare transition attack, Sprewell sprinted after receiving the ball, but when he went to the basket, he knocked down Jaren Jackson and returned to the defense.
Although the ball was sent into the basket, the referee immediately invalidated the goal and whistled Sprewell for an offensive foul!
"Oh!"
The cheers got louder and louder, and Sprewell complained loudly to the referee. Jeff Van Gundy also shouted:
"Flip! My player has already dodged the defense!"
Tonight's referee Joe Crawford ignored the bald coach and the game continued.
The Knicks failed to counterattack, but after another 24 seconds of pressure, Duncan attacked from the low post on the left, quickly turned toward the baseline, and threw the ball, causing a foul on Kurt Thomas's beater.
Watching Duncan make two free throws, Jeff Van Gundy frowned and immediately requested a timeout.
At 24:26, a wave of 6:0, the Spurs took the lead.
Everyone on the bench was beaming with joy, and they stood up and high-fived Duncan as he walked to the sidelines.
The players were fighting, and Jeff Van Gundy didn't have much else to do. He simply asked Li You to come on stage in advance:
"Pay attention to controlling fouls, Li, and speed up the pace of the game!"
Li You nodded and moved his body. The opponent waited for 24 seconds. All he had to do was work hard to increase the number of rounds.
Ewing, who was wearing a light gray formal suit, was also clapping his hands and loudly encouraging:
"Give him physical confrontation, and the fouls must be harsher. The opponent's free throws are not good!"
Gorilla wished he could go on the field and punch Duncan twice in person, and seemed very dissatisfied with Kurt's weak foul.It became a three-guard early, with Kurt and Ben on the inside. Oakley, who played the entire first quarter, had to rest.
Popovich no longer cares about physical problems at this time, and also got back David Robinson and Elliott early.
The Twin Towers appeared, and the back line was replaced by Daniels and Steve Kerr.
Quickly sending the baseline ball, Li You faced Cole's leading defense and advanced quickly.
Arriving on the right wing, Cole spotted Ben Hua LaiShi moving behind him and subconsciously blocked Li You's left hand, preparing to squeeze through the screen.
Noticing that the opponent was moving, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly accelerated his dribbling speed. Bangbang dribbled the ball behind his back twice very quickly.
The moment his body swayed to the left, he immediately leaned forward and accelerated after switching to his right hand. Cole quickly adjusted his body's center of gravity and slid backwards to the left.
Li You suddenly pulled his hips back at the three-point line. After a sudden stop, Cole's feet were mixed. He had no time to jump to defend, and watched Li You make a sudden stop at the three-point line!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
David Robinson, who came out of defense, looked at Cole who almost fell to the street and could only step forward and pat his shoulder to express comfort.
In less than 11 seconds, the Knicks completed the attack. At 27:26, Li You scored again to overtake the score.
"Shh!"
The boos in the arena couldn't affect Jeff Van Gundy's good mood. The bald young coach pumped his fist excitedly.
Soon the second quarter of the game entered two game rhythms.
Li You, Alan Houston, and Sprewell almost all looked for opportunities and threw away after halftime.
Tim Duncan and David Robinson cooperated in high and low positions, pursuing 24 seconds for each attack.
Since the Knicks often strike quickly, the Spurs' offensive success rate is very high, and the score is still rising alternately.
Popovich on the sidelines became more and more excited and kept shouting.
With 1 minute and 09 seconds left in the half, as Duncan made two free throws, the score reached 44:40.
The Alamodome once again erupted with huge defensive cheers:
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Kurt received three fouls in just over half a quarter. Oakley, who came on the bench, protected the rebound and Sprewell quickly dribbled across the half court.
After resting for most of the quarter, Avery Johnson reappeared at the end of the second quarter, but in these rounds, the "little general" seemed particularly weak.
After Li You quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, he immediately came to the left blocking area and asked for the ball with his back.
After receiving the pass from Sprewell, everyone in the Knicks team immediately opened up and cleared one side immediately.
After catching the ball and turning around, Li You quickly moved his right foot forward and left in a large test step. When he retracted his foot, he immediately exerted force on his foot, leaned back slightly, and made a mid-range pull-up jumper!
"Whoa!" Two points hit again!
Avery Johnson shook his head and retreated to Li You. He was so angry that he smashed the ball, helpless and furious.
Doug Collins in the commentary box continued to complain about the Spurs' defensive choices:
"A few blocks didn't do much, the Spurs need tall defenders!"
The three defenders Cole, Avery Johnson and Daniels were blown away by Li You's probing pull-up jumpers in the left and right blocks!
The Spurs have changed their defenders, but the Knicks are just chasing short guards for one-on-ones.
"Houston and Sprewell had average shooting skills tonight, otherwise the Knicks would have been leading by a big score, and their offense was too fast."
Bob Costas also shook his head. There seemed to be some problems with the Spurs' game strategy.
Although Sprewell was playing hard, he was in a high mood at this time. He bumped fists with Li You excitedly and continued to chase Mario Eli on the defensive end.
In the last minute of the half, neither side scored a goal, and Oakley and Ben Wallace did not receive their third foul.
At the end of the half, the score was still 46:40.
Jeff Van Gundy clapped his hands excitedly, victory is just around the corner!
In the Alamodome, the Spurs fans couldn't stand it anymore, and the noise became louder and louder.
When the game started, there were still a few fans holding models of the O'Brien Trophy and shouting, but there was no sound at this time.
In the commentary box, Bob Costas looked at the technical statistics and said in surprise:
"The Knicks took a total of 27 shots in the second quarter! The Spurs only took 17."
"Lee made 8 of 4, Houston made 7 of 3, and Sprewell made 6 of 2. The three of them took crazy shots and almost dominated the Knicks' scoring in a single quarter."
Doug Collins had already noticed this, but this time he praised the Spurs' defense:
"In the paint, it was difficult for the Knicks to score. Several times they attacked the frame but were interfered with by help."
"Maybe the Spurs should also speed up. They can't solve the defensive problem. Responding on the offensive end is the right choice."
The two discussed it in the commentary box, but after the second half of the game started, Popovich did not follow and continued to slow down.
In the first round, Larry Johnson missed a post-up shot near the baseline on the right side, and David Robinson successfully protected the rebound.
Avery Johnson held the ball for 8 seconds after halftime, and immediately gave the ball to David Robinson at the free throw line.
Oakley was in the low post on the left side. Of course the old guy knew the Spurs' tactics, but he was immediately called for a foul by the referee just after pulling him.
Duncan remained expressionless and showed tactical gestures. The Spurs took a side kick and started using the same tactics again.
After receiving the third foul, Oakley did not dare to take action easily. As a result, the Spurs completed the high-low cooperation, and David Robinson assisted Duncan to dunk at the basket.
At 46:42, the Spurs quickly retreated after narrowing the point difference.
The Knicks attacked. As soon as Li You passed half court, Mario Eli immediately came to the left wing to double-team in advance.
At the same time, Elliott immediately rotated defensively, letting go of Larry Johnson in the right corner, and moved in front of Alan Houston.
Li You played the ball very quickly, and Alan Houston immediately threw the ball to the open Larry Johnson.
He moved the ball quickly on the line, but Larry Johnson, who was open, was not confident in his shooting. After receiving the ball, he went straight to the basket, but Duncan, who was assisting on defense, completed the block.
"Oh!"
Spurs fans cheered loudly, but Avery Johnson did not speed up, but continued to press the rhythm and attack from position.
Playing in and out, the defense was repeatedly pulled, and finally, close to 24 seconds, Avery Johnson and David Robinson completed the pick-and-roll at the right elbow.
From the free throw line, David Robinson caught the ball and made a jump shot!
The score difference was narrowed again, and Tim Duncan also showed excitement, pumping his fist and shouting.
When Jeff Van Gundy saw the Spurs starting to double-team Li You without thinking again, he couldn't help but think of the situation in the last game, and hurriedly reminded him loudly on the sidelines:
"Don't hesitate, shoot decisively when you are open!"
Just after giving instructions, Larry Johnson hit another iron from the left corner.
Larry Johnson shook his hands in frustration, but couldn't make the shot.
The game has completely entered the rhythm of the Spurs, constantly double-teaming, quickly rotating the defense on the line, leaving the weak side open, and quickly assisting in defense after breaking through.
Elliott and Mario Elie were tortured enough, and the Knicks moved the ball very quickly.
But the double-teaming still worked. Everyone on the Spurs could clearly feel that the Knicks had slowed down.
Every time Li You gets the ball again, the attack time will come to about 18 seconds. Although he can still hit the shot, the weak side that was left open has never been able to respond.
In the second half of the third quarter, Sprewell, who was on the rotation, began to drive to the basket after missing an open three-pointer.
Duncan, who was assisting on defense, completed the block near the baseline on the right side, and his fingertips grazed the basketball, ultimately allowing Sprewell to hit the shot.
The two sides didn't score much, and the pace of the game was slow, but Doug Collins in the commentary box watched with gusto and kept praising:
"Tim Duncan's positioning sense is so good. Sprewell shouldn't hesitate. Maybe he should choose to continue to break to the basket."
As the game time ran out, David Robinson also followed suit. This strong attack under the basket caused Ben Wallace's third foul, and the second free throw was missed.
"Xiao Ben" grabbed the rebound and quickly threw the ball to Li You.
Towards the end of the game, Avery Johnson, whose physical fitness was declining, failed to keep up with Li You's offensive rhythm.
On the left wing, he retreated in the face of a sudden explosion. His feet felt heavy and he failed to block the shot. Avery Johnson watched as Li You converted a three-point jumper!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!
64:64, with the last 3 seconds left in the third quarter, the two sides returned to the same starting line.
Avery Johnson raised his hands dejectedly to indicate that it was his problem, while Popovich on the sidelines loudly reminded the players to hold on.
In the last two rounds, the two sides failed to score, the Alamodome was completely boiling, and the Spurs seemed to have regained the initiative.
Jeff Van Gundy was dissatisfied with the referee's call and continued to complain. He was quickly pulled back by the coaching staff:
"It doesn't matter, when the opportunity arises, I believe I can hit the next shot!"
The bald young coach squatted on the floor and continued to serve chicken soup. Larry Johnson and Sprewell looked depressed. They almost repeated their performance in G3.
On the other side, everyone on the Spurs team is also gasping for air. If they want to defend quickly, they must keep sliding and put in more physical energy.
Popovich couldn't play any more tricks at this time, and continued to fight against the main force, without even considering substitutions, and loudly encouraged:
"There are only 12 minutes left. If we win this game, we will get the match point at home. Hold on!"
"."
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, in the first round, Duncan hit a mid-range jumper from the left block again.
64:66, the Spurs overtook the score again!
Quickly serving the baseline ball, Sprewell advanced past half court. Facing Avery Johnson, who was half a step away in front of him, he did not choose to play singles, but gave the ball to Li You on the right wing.
The moment he caught the ball, Elliott immediately moved up, defended sideways, and let go of Li You's right hand.
Putting the ball with his right hand, Li You didn't hesitate and immediately accelerated to break through.
Noticing Duncan in the paint area coming up to help defend, Li You, who was marching in the right block, used his foot force to lean towards Elliott. The two bodies collided, then quickly retreated sideways, drifted towards the baseline, and completed the move. Fallback jump shot!
"Shua!" A steady hit in the middle distance!
Duncan had already moved to the edge of the paint area and almost completed the assist defense. Elliott raised his eyebrows helplessly.
The defensive strategy was changed again, but after the high-intensity defense in the third quarter, the lateral speed dropped significantly.
The two sides were in a stalemate for several rounds, and soon the Spurs also started to strike.
Mario Eli noticed something was wrong immediately. After Alan Houston made a successful jump shot from the right elbow area, he held the ball and rushed in in the next round.
Then the referee immediately blew the whistle and whistled for a foul on Oakley, who was assisting in defense.
"Hey! I already committed an early foul!"
Alan Houston quickly raised his hand and kept explaining to the referee that it was his foul, but the referee did not change the penalty.
Oakley was so angry that he almost went up to punch Mario Eli twice, but was quickly restrained by everyone. At this time, he was sent off the field, and the inside line was probably beaten.
Mario Elie's two free throws seemed to be a signal. The Spurs suddenly opened up any channels, and everyone rushed to the basket with the ball in their arms.
The referees started blowing their whistles, and the cheers in the Alamodome grew louder.
Doug Collins in the commentary box was speechless for a moment when he saw Oakley and Ben Wallace receiving their fifth fouls within 6 minutes.
Bob Costas also couldn't comment on the current game, so he simply praised Li You:
"Lee seems to have regained his touch and started hitting jump shots again!"
The Knicks' breakthrough didn't lead to a whistle at all, which made several people on the court a little irritable, and Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines didn't stop complaining.
With 1 minute and 12 seconds left in the game, with Mario Elie's second free throw, the score reached 80:81.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Sprewell quickly moved across the half court, and Elliott, the right winger, was already hanging on Li You.
Li You was pulled while running back from the bottom line to cover. After a lot of tossing, he finally received the pass on the left wing far away from the three-point line.
After Sprewell sent the pass, he immediately moved laterally to open up the offensive space, and Avery Johnson immediately attacked Li You.
Everyone knew that Li You, who was approaching 24 seconds, couldn't pass the ball at all, so the two of them naturally rushed at him desperately.
Immediately after catching the ball, Li You released the ball with his left hand. Li You hung on Elliott's defense and quickly came to the three-point line on the left wing. He suddenly stopped and feinted with the ball.
Avery Johnson also caught up at this time, and Elliott was deceived. Seeing Li You use the time difference to jump up and shoot, he immediately pounced from his side!
Li You twisted his body at this time, ignored the defense on his side, and shot a quick jump shot!
As soon as the basketball left their hands, the three of them fell to the left wing at the same time.
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!
At 83:81, the Alamodome suddenly went silent. Jeff Van Gundy, who had just been angrily yelling at the referee, jumped up excitedly and punched continuously.
Li You also quickly stood up from the floor and glared at the referee Joe Crawford who was right next to him.
The bald referee acted as if he was blind and signaled the game to continue.
There were 49 seconds left in the game, and the Spurs fans couldn't stand it anymore, and the arena became more and more noisy.
Popovich hurriedly signaled the players to calm down. After Avery Johnson crossed the half court, Oakley also waved his hand to indicate that there was no need to help defend.
At the last moment, the Spurs naturally gave the ball to Tim Duncan, received the pass, and everyone spread out.
After receiving the ball with his back, Duncan immediately released the ball with his right hand and banged it. Duncan squeezed hard towards the basket and approached the paint area. He suddenly turned around quickly and after grabbing the ball with his left hand, Duncan passed Oakley and went straight to the basket.
The old guy didn't even think about defending properly. When Duncan was about to dunk with an arm, he hit his head and blocked his face with a big block.
The ball didn't touch the ball at all. Duncan tried his best to tilt his head, but still hit Oakley hard.
With 30 seconds left in the game, Duncan was staggered by Oakley, and the referee blew the whistle again.
"Shhh!!"
The Spurs fans at the scene booed loudly, and Popovich was even more angry and wanted to rush into the court to argue with Oakley.
Mario Eli immediately rushed forward, and Sprewell immediately went over and started shoving the veteran.
"Fuck! Let you shoot free throws!"
In order to control the foul, Oakley, who had been holding back the whole game, yelled and cursed after blowing himself up.
The Knicks cheered to the bench as hero Oakley came off the bench.
David Robinson hurriedly pulled his teammates away and tried to delay as much time as possible to let Duncan breathe.
The Alamodome became particularly quiet at this time, and the fans looked at Duncan standing on the free throw line.
Bob Costas saw the Knicks replacing Chris Dudley and introduced Duncan's free throws by the way:
"Tim Duncan made all the first 10 free throws! As long as he makes two free throws, the Spurs still have a chance to win the game!"
Seemingly stunned by Oakley, Duncan took a penalty shot for a long time on the first try, but the result was still a strike.
"Oh!!"
Spurs fans screamed, but Duncan still missed the second free throw. Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound and Jeff Van Gundy immediately requested a timeout.
"."
Watching the atmosphere team on the Knicks bench jumping and yelling wildly, the Alamodome went completely silent.
Duncan missed two free throws and looked annoyed. Popovich was a little confused at this time. The coaching staff hurriedly arranged the defense. They still had a chance.
After the timeout, the Spurs continued to double-team Li You and immediately fouled Sprewell the moment he caught the ball.
In the penalty shootout, Popovich chose to let Sprewell, who had made 4 of 2 free throws in this game, stand on the free throw line.
Doug Collins saw Sprewell hit the first free throw and immediately said:
"This doesn't seem like a good choice!"
As soon as the words fell, Sprewell made few adjustments and made his second free throw.
85:81, the Knicks lead by 4 points!
"what!!
Pumping their fists and roaring, Sprewell and Li You bumped their chests in celebration.
Requesting a timeout again, everyone on the Spurs looked at Popovich with frustration in their eyes.
In the last 25 seconds of the game, Elliott caught the ball and was fouled by Li You and continued to make free throws.
In the Alamodome, Spurs fans stood up to watch the game and prayed.
As a result, Elliott missed two free throws. When Jeff Van Gundy saw Ben Wallace grabbing the rebound, he raised his hands and celebrated wildly.
Although "Little Ben" made one of two free throws, the 5-point difference could already ensure the Knicks' victory.
In the end, the Spurs missed a three-pointer, the final buzzer sounded, and the long fourth quarter finally ended.
86:81, the Knicks successfully got the match point on the road!
Li You couldn't hold it in any longer at this time. Although he remained calm, he immediately turned towards the players' tunnel and shouted:
"M-FUCK! Bullshit call, keep shooting free throws! Damn game!"
Tim Duncan squatted on the free throw line after the game and refused to get up for a long time. David Robinson stood next to his little brother, hands on his hips, silently looking at the scoreboard.
In the NBC commentary box, Bob Costas did not comment on the game, but only praised Li You's performance:
“27中13，三分线7中3，罚球6中5，34分4篮板6助攻1抢断2失误，李最后的三分球，改变了比赛。”
Seeing the technical statistics, the Spurs made 4 more free throws in the fourth quarter. Doug Collins glanced at his partner, raised his eyebrows and said:
"Perhaps the Knicks will protest to the league after the game. Of course, I think Coach Popovich's final choice is questionable."
"."
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(End of this chapter)
On June 1999, 6, the San Antonio Observer, the largest local African-American community newspaper, spoke highly of the performance of black players such as David Robinson and Mario Elie:
"Team victory, David Robinson is the pride of San Antonio!"
In the life-and-death battle against the Spurs in G3 of the Finals, David Robinson performed well, but his butt determines his head. If his skin color is correct, the data will not matter.
The San Antonio Express-News is the largest daily newspaper in the area and the Spurs' primary media partner.
After winning the first victory in the finals, it is natural to promote it well:
"Tim Duncan never plays for statistics, he will bring a championship to San Antonio!"
The article written by the sports columnist was very good and also mocked Li You's scoring title, but some old Spurs fans were a little embarrassed.
The "Admiral" had a great time back then, and then pushed forward a little further, and the famous "Iceman" George Gervin also did it.
It's hard to say what the future holds, and no one knows whether Tim Duncan will inherit the Spurs' fine tradition.
After having breakfast at the hotel early in the morning, Ewing felt unhappy while reading the local newspaper.
Larry Johnson also followed up and scolded the San Antonio reporter for calling X:
"Fuck! 10 of 3, 13 points with free throws, what's there to praise?"
"If it weren't for the outstanding performance of others, we would all be popping the champagne by now!"
David Robinson made 12 of 7 free throws, and his free throws were not accurate. In a life and death battle, the "General" played like a rookie.
蒂姆-邓肯21中13，罚球10中7，拿到了全场最高的33分，并且还抓下了16个篮板球。
Contributing a big double-double, Duncan is the key to the Spurs winning G3.
Oakley and Ben Wallace were beaten up by the rookies, and they were not in the mood to talk anymore. They really couldn't save face.
Larry Johnson was shouting for joy, but "Big Mom" went 3-for-12 in G3 and was ridiculed by San Antonio reporters after the game.
Li You glanced at the newspaper casually, noticed that the content was basically boasting, and stopped paying attention.
Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff watched the game video overnight, worked for most of the night, and edited a lot of content.
After breakfast, everyone started the video class in the hotel conference room.
Jeff Van Gundy had a black eye again, Duncan knocked out the Knicks' inside line, and the bald young coach was unsure:
"We must pay attention to our offensive choices and the opponent's defensive position. Don't underestimate Tim Duncan. He has appeared in the correct defensive position in several rounds!"
"Quick, decisive, break to the basket, don't complain about the whistle, we can regain the rhythm of the game tomorrow night."
In many of the edited rounds, Duncan assisted in defending the paint area to complete the interference. Some talented players have an almost innate sense of position, and Duncan is one of them.
Li You saw that Larry Johnson and Sprewell still looked depressed, and he also said a few words of encouragement:
"We have to have confidence in our offense. We are younger, faster and have better physical fitness."
"Be patient and stretch the defense. They can't sustain a high-intensity defense for a whole game."
Ewing was also a little annoyed at his lack of self-discipline at this time. If he hadn't become a ball, he might not have been injured.
Thinking of Tim Duncan's performance, Gorilla continues to make chicken soup:
"One game can't explain anything. Our defense still worked. We need to fight and teach that rookie a lesson!"
The video class was just about finding shortcomings and drinking chicken soup. Jeff Van Gundy and the coaching staff did not change any tactics. The bald young coach just prayed silently:
"Just put it in!"
On the night of the 23rd, more than 3 spectators flooded into the Alamodome again.
NBC's broadcast footage also gave aerial shots and night views of San Antonio.
Compared to Madison Square Garden, the Alamodome has a larger capacity.
The roar of nearly 4 people has not stopped since the beginning of the game. Many Spurs fans even held up huge O'Brien Cup models and kept cheering for the home team.
In the direction of the Knicks' offense, behind the basket, the Spurs were holding long white plastic sticks, waving the props in their hands, trying to interfere.
Popovich was very nervous on the sidelines. After returning to the home court, even if he won a game, he was still under tremendous pressure.
In order not to bring his nervousness to the players, Popovich kept shouting from the sidelines after the opening:
"Retreat! Avery, delay going up!"
The Spurs' score had stayed at 10 points for more than a minute. Avery Johnson made an emergency stop at the free throw line and made a jump shot, suffering another Knicks counterattack.
Li You, who collected the long rebound, accelerated with the ball in his right hand. When he reached the right wing, the Spurs had already retreated.
Noticing that Duncan stayed in the middle of the paint area again, Oakley hurriedly moved up.
When he reached the right elbow area of the free throw line, Oakley began to slow down and prepared to stand. At this time, Li You twisted his body and pretended to break through to the left.
Seeing Duncan moving up, Li You suddenly turned around sharply. While grabbing the ball with his right hand, he immediately broke through with his shoulder and carried Avery Johnson straight to the basket!
The Spurs fans at the scene couldn't help but exclaimed when they saw the basketball seemed to be stuck to Li You's hand, and the fancy moves became practical.
"Oh!"
The advantage of his body shape means that Li You, who is stuck in his position, does not need to do any fancy shaking.
Breaking through to the lower right side of the basket near the paint area, Li You jumped quickly, completely deflected the defense, and then completed the throw with his right hand!
Tim Duncan's defense awareness is very good. At this time, he has returned to the basket and jumped high.
The basketball just passed his fingertips. After landing, Duncan turned his head and saw the basketball falling into the basket again.
At 14:10, the Spurs made continuous strikes, and the Knicks seized the opportunity and successfully widened the point difference.
"Shh!"
Nearly 4 fans burst into boos throughout the arena, and Avery Johnson was thrown into a sieve after the start.
Li You smiled at Avery Johnson and Duncan.
Duncan adapted to his offensive rhythm, but Li You also adapted to the opponent's help defense.
He threw the ball without waiting for the basket. In the three attacks after the opening, Li You scored easily.
Popovich sighed secretly and quickly requested a timeout. Avery Johnson walked to the bench while feeling annoyed about his performance:
"Shet! It's my problem!"
Duncan just patted the veteran on the shoulder, and then pulled David Robinson to communicate.
At this time, there were 1 minutes and 6 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Knicks bench was cheering loudly.
The noise in the Alamodome grew louder and louder. In the NBC commentary box, Doug Collins subconsciously raised his voice:
"Larry Johnson still couldn't find his touch, but tonight Lee quickly entered an offensive state!"
"The Spurs must solve the defensive problem at the 1 position. It is difficult for Avery Johnson to defend effectively."
Bob Costas put on glasses tonight and was a little excited at this time:
"If the Knicks succeed in getting a match point on the road, the series will end quickly and coach Popovich must make adjustments as soon as possible."
The first championship in team history, Popovich and the coaching staff were also under great pressure these two days. During the timeout, he held the tactical board and kept reminding the players loudly:
"We executed the defensive strategy well, but that's not enough. Confrontation, tough defense, don't let the opponent easily break through to the basket!"
"Duncan and David will help defend inside and show a tough attitude, okay?"
Popovich roared loudly and knocked on the tactical board, reminding the three outside players to be tougher.
After the timeout, Mario Eli punched himself twice, roaring lowly, hoping to let his emotions out.
On the other side, Li You still looked calm before taking the field, and simply told his teammates:
"Allan, pay attention to the opponent's receiving position. Above the blocking area, we will help defend against double teams."
Alan Houston nodded to show that he understood.
In order to solve the problem of difficulty in passing the ball, the Spurs frequently let big men receive the ball in the high post. This is also an opportunity for the Knicks.
Li You took a few people and whispered something, and Oakley also patted "Xiao Ben" and gave a brief warning.
The scene once again heard loud cheers and cheers. A baseline kick was taken, and Avery Johnson was defended by Li You again.
Although he restrained some hand movements, Li You did not reduce his physical confrontation.
Don't worry about the opponent starting fast and going straight to the basket. When the little man encounters the Knicks' interior, he knows what kind of interior defense he will encounter.
The ball was handed over quickly after halftime. When Elliott received the ball at the top of the arc, Duncan had already started to ask for the ball with his back in the left block.
Oakley was behind him and kept pushing the opponent outwards. On the left wing, Mario Elie received the pass and threw the ball directly to Duncan without waiting for Alan Houston to grab it.
The receiving position was forced to move up a step, which caused Duncan to just release the ball, and Alan Houston immediately shrank to help defend.
Quickly passing the ball to Mario Elie on the left wing, Duncan continued to dig in, but Oakley's pull made Duncan, who received the ball again, almost miss the ball.
Unable to get to the basket as expected, Duncan once again encountered Alan Houston's defense in the blocking area, and hurriedly threw the ball to Mario Elie.
Continuous scoring and playing, taking advantage of Alan Houston's return to defense, Mario Elie simply released the ball with his right hand, broke through smoothly, and went straight to the basket from the center.
Under Alan Houston's vigorous defense, Mario Elie did not get stuck in his position, but the veteran was stronger and relied on the defense to force a breakthrough into the paint, face the block, and complete the throw!
"Shua!" A two-pointer with a hollow net!
"what!"
After hitting the basket and scoring the ball, Mario Eli thumped his chest and roared loudly again. The atmosphere was also ignited by the veteran.
Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines gave Alan Houston a thumbs up at this time, indicating that this was good defense.
Quickly sending the baseline ball, Li You made tactical gestures immediately. Under the interference of Avery Johnson, he immediately pushed forward and crossed the half court in the blink of an eye.
After being scored by an opposing player, Alan Houston naturally had to find his way back into the game this round.
With the help of Ben Wallace's screen near the baseline on the right side, he quickly slipped across the baseline from left to right, and Alan Houston easily caught the ball in the right block.
After receiving a pass from Li You, he feinted and deceived Mario Elie's defensive focus. Alan Houston immediately released the ball with his left hand, broke through with a cross step, took a big step and then retreated, and made a quick mid-range jump shot!
"Shua!" Responded and the ball scored!
Li You noticed that Duncan and David Robinson were standing next to the paint area again this round. The Spurs did not change their defensive strategy and would only help defend near the basket.
At 16:12, the Knicks still led.
David Robinson, who was almost invisible for half of the game, once again asked for the ball from behind in the right block.
After Avery Johnson came to the right wing, he quickly sent a lob pass.
The moment Ben Wallace received the ball from the opponent, he immediately defended him, almost hanging on David Robinson, with his head behind him.
The left hand released the ball immediately. David Robinson wanted to squeeze towards the basket, but faced a tough defense and almost dropped the ball.
Forced to join the ball, David Robinson quickly returned the ball to Avery Johnson while Li You assisted in defense.
The latter caught the ball, saw Li You returning to defense, first feinted upward, and then quickly sent a ground pass.
What Avery Johnson didn't expect was that Li You seemed to have predicted it and stole the ball away as soon as he bent down.
At the moment of stealing the ball, Avery Johnson hurriedly stepped forward to counterattack and delayed the ball, while David Robinson quickly returned to defense and returned to the half court immediately.
Li You first quickly led the ball forward, and while the opponent was up and down, he suddenly twisted around and bypassed the left baseline.
Avery Johnson didn't have time to pull, but he found that Li Youren had passed the ball and got rid of his defense in an instant.
"Shh!"
The beautiful pass made the Spurs fans at the scene make a pass. He picked up the ball with his right hand again, and Li You took the ball and rushed forward.
The left wing quickly rushed across the three-point line and noticed that David Robinson had returned to the basket. Li You had no intention of slowing down.
In the left blocking area, David Robinson had just stood still when he saw Li You rushing in front of him, joining the ball and stepping towards the left front of his body.
David Robinson subconsciously slid to the left, but he didn't expect that Li You turned around and rushed to his right.
With a large European step in the transition attack, Li You knocked David Robinson to the spot, grabbed the ball with one hand with his left hand, broke through to the basket and easily picked up the basket!
"Oh——!"
"Jesus! Nice shake! David Robinson was tricked by Lee!"
In the commentary box, Bob Costas shouted excitedly, completely ignoring the boos that broke out at the scene.
With wide eyes, he watched Li You make a gliding gesture and run back to the half court after completing the layup. David Robinson looked awkwardly and returned to Duncan, and helplessly fired the baseline ball.
In the second half of the first quarter, as the Knicks began to defend forward again, David Robinson and Duncan got some easy scoring opportunities.
But there were also many possessions where it was difficult to catch the ball, with Mario Elie and Elliott taking over the offense.
Larry Johnson was replaced, and Sprewell's touch was also average.
Jeff Van Gundy was a little anxious, pacing back and forth on the sidelines, watching the scores of both sides slowly increase.
He had just dunked under the basket in the previous round. In this attack, Duncan was disturbed by Oakley's forward defense and was unable to catch the ball in the low post.
Mario Eli just lobbed the ball to the basket, but Duncan was blocked in the paint area by Oakley and Sprewell.
Without releasing the ball, Duncan quickly threw the ball to the right corner. Elliott, who was left open, hit another iron.
The long rebound was collected by Alan Houston, who immediately took the ball and rushed in the middle, and gave the ball to Li You before the half was over.
Avery Johnson stepped forward to interfere. Li You, who was on the left flank and holding the ball in his left hand, just slowed down slightly. Taking advantage of the opponent's defensive confrontation, he moved back and suddenly dribbled the ball with his crotch.
After switching to his right hand, Li You once again pressed his shoulder to break through. He quickly cut in at a 45-degree angle from the left side. When he broke through to the basket, Duncan came back to guard and hugged him directly, and pulled him down.
Seeing Li You standing on the free throw line, Doug Collins couldn't help but complain:
"The Spurs should reduce some lobs to the basket. This is not a good offensive option."
"Sprewell, who came off the bench, didn't feel good. This was a good opportunity for them to chase points."
At the end of the first quarter, Li You made two free throws, and the Spurs bench became silent again.
At the last moment, David Robinson's strong attack under the basket also caused a foul on Ben Wallace. He successfully stood on the free throw line and made two free throws. The first quarter ended.
At 24:20, the Knicks still led by 4 points, and the Spurs fans at the scene could not hold back any longer.
Bob Costas glanced at the technical statistics and briefly summarized the first quarter:
"Lee made 6 of 4 in the first quarter and scored 10 points. The Spurs can consider changing their defenders. Avery Johnson did not play much role on the defensive end."
Watching Popovich keep gesticulating on the tactical board, Doug Collins also responded:
"There is no better opponent, and they have to think about organizing the offense."
"."
There were 5 turnovers in a single quarter, which is something that the Spurs coaching staff cannot accept.
Taking advantage of entering the rotation stage, Duncan continued to appear, and the Spurs began to slow down and compress the number of rounds.
Also in the rotation, Li You, who was sitting on the bench, watched Sprewell hit the iron and shook his head helplessly.
The G3 game was 15 for 5. Although the "Madman" didn't score any shots tonight, his shooting touch was still terrible.
Jeff Van Gundy watched Sprewell throw a pick-and-roll after halftime, and quickly shouted a reminder:
"Patience! Be patient!"
Without switching offense, the Spurs slowed down again and repeatedly scored and hit. Finally, Duncan faced Kurt Thomas' defense in the right block and succeeded in a jumper.
In less than 2 minutes, the Spurs equalized the score.
At 24:24, Jeff Van Gundy still did not request a timeout, but the cheers in the Alamodome grew louder and louder.
Steve Kerr, who came on the bench, passed the ball too low this time. Kurt Thomas saw the opportunity and directly completed the steal.
In a rare transition attack, Sprewell sprinted after receiving the ball, but when he went to the basket, he knocked down Jaren Jackson and returned to the defense.
Although the ball was sent into the basket, the referee immediately invalidated the goal and whistled Sprewell for an offensive foul!
"Oh!"
The cheers got louder and louder, and Sprewell complained loudly to the referee. Jeff Van Gundy also shouted:
"Flip! My player has already dodged the defense!"
Tonight's referee Joe Crawford ignored the bald coach and the game continued.
The Knicks failed to counterattack, but after another 24 seconds of pressure, Duncan attacked from the low post on the left, quickly turned toward the baseline, and threw the ball, causing a foul on Kurt Thomas's beater.
Watching Duncan make two free throws, Jeff Van Gundy frowned and immediately requested a timeout.
At 24:26, a wave of 6:0, the Spurs took the lead.
Everyone on the bench was beaming with joy, and they stood up and high-fived Duncan as he walked to the sidelines.
The players were fighting, and Jeff Van Gundy didn't have much else to do. He simply asked Li You to come on stage in advance:
"Pay attention to controlling fouls, Li, and speed up the pace of the game!"
Li You nodded and moved his body. The opponent waited for 24 seconds. All he had to do was work hard to increase the number of rounds.
Ewing, who was wearing a light gray formal suit, was also clapping his hands and loudly encouraging:
"Give him physical confrontation, and the fouls must be harsher. The opponent's free throws are not good!"
Gorilla wished he could go on the field and punch Duncan twice in person, and seemed very dissatisfied with Kurt's weak foul.It became a three-guard early, with Kurt and Ben on the inside. Oakley, who played the entire first quarter, had to rest.
Popovich no longer cares about physical problems at this time, and also got back David Robinson and Elliott early.
The Twin Towers appeared, and the back line was replaced by Daniels and Steve Kerr.
Quickly sending the baseline ball, Li You faced Cole's leading defense and advanced quickly.
Arriving on the right wing, Cole spotted Ben Hua LaiShi moving behind him and subconsciously blocked Li You's left hand, preparing to squeeze through the screen.
Noticing that the opponent was moving, Li You, who was holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly accelerated his dribbling speed. Bangbang dribbled the ball behind his back twice very quickly.
The moment his body swayed to the left, he immediately leaned forward and accelerated after switching to his right hand. Cole quickly adjusted his body's center of gravity and slid backwards to the left.
Li You suddenly pulled his hips back at the three-point line. After a sudden stop, Cole's feet were mixed. He had no time to jump to defend, and watched Li You make a sudden stop at the three-point line!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
David Robinson, who came out of defense, looked at Cole who almost fell to the street and could only step forward and pat his shoulder to express comfort.
In less than 11 seconds, the Knicks completed the attack. At 27:26, Li You scored again to overtake the score.
"Shh!"
The boos in the arena couldn't affect Jeff Van Gundy's good mood. The bald young coach pumped his fist excitedly.
Soon the second quarter of the game entered two game rhythms.
Li You, Alan Houston, and Sprewell almost all looked for opportunities and threw away after halftime.
Tim Duncan and David Robinson cooperated in high and low positions, pursuing 24 seconds for each attack.
Since the Knicks often strike quickly, the Spurs' offensive success rate is very high, and the score is still rising alternately.
Popovich on the sidelines became more and more excited and kept shouting.
With 1 minute and 09 seconds left in the half, as Duncan made two free throws, the score reached 44:40.
The Alamodome once again erupted with huge defensive cheers:
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Kurt received three fouls in just over half a quarter. Oakley, who came on the bench, protected the rebound and Sprewell quickly dribbled across the half court.
After resting for most of the quarter, Avery Johnson reappeared at the end of the second quarter, but in these rounds, the "little general" seemed particularly weak.
After Li You quickly slipped across the baseline from right to left, he immediately came to the left blocking area and asked for the ball with his back.
After receiving the pass from Sprewell, everyone in the Knicks team immediately opened up and cleared one side immediately.
After catching the ball and turning around, Li You quickly moved his right foot forward and left in a large test step. When he retracted his foot, he immediately exerted force on his foot, leaned back slightly, and made a mid-range pull-up jumper!
"Whoa!" Two points hit again!
Avery Johnson shook his head and retreated to Li You. He was so angry that he smashed the ball, helpless and furious.
Doug Collins in the commentary box continued to complain about the Spurs' defensive choices:
"A few blocks didn't do much, the Spurs need tall defenders!"
The three defenders Cole, Avery Johnson and Daniels were blown away by Li You's probing pull-up jumpers in the left and right blocks!
The Spurs have changed their defenders, but the Knicks are just chasing short guards for one-on-ones.
"Houston and Sprewell had average shooting skills tonight, otherwise the Knicks would have been leading by a big score, and their offense was too fast."
Bob Costas also shook his head. There seemed to be some problems with the Spurs' game strategy.
Although Sprewell was playing hard, he was in a high mood at this time. He bumped fists with Li You excitedly and continued to chase Mario Eli on the defensive end.
In the last minute of the half, neither side scored a goal, and Oakley and Ben Wallace did not receive their third foul.
At the end of the half, the score was still 46:40.
Jeff Van Gundy clapped his hands excitedly, victory is just around the corner!
In the Alamodome, the Spurs fans couldn't stand it anymore, and the noise became louder and louder.
When the game started, there were still a few fans holding models of the O'Brien Trophy and shouting, but there was no sound at this time.
In the commentary box, Bob Costas looked at the technical statistics and said in surprise:
"The Knicks took a total of 27 shots in the second quarter! The Spurs only took 17."
"Lee made 8 of 4, Houston made 7 of 3, and Sprewell made 6 of 2. The three of them took crazy shots and almost dominated the Knicks' scoring in a single quarter."
Doug Collins had already noticed this, but this time he praised the Spurs' defense:
"In the paint, it was difficult for the Knicks to score. Several times they attacked the frame but were interfered with by help."
"Maybe the Spurs should also speed up. They can't solve the defensive problem. Responding on the offensive end is the right choice."
The two discussed it in the commentary box, but after the second half of the game started, Popovich did not follow and continued to slow down.
In the first round, Larry Johnson missed a post-up shot near the baseline on the right side, and David Robinson successfully protected the rebound.
Avery Johnson held the ball for 8 seconds after halftime, and immediately gave the ball to David Robinson at the free throw line.
Oakley was in the low post on the left side. Of course the old guy knew the Spurs' tactics, but he was immediately called for a foul by the referee just after pulling him.
Duncan remained expressionless and showed tactical gestures. The Spurs took a side kick and started using the same tactics again.
After receiving the third foul, Oakley did not dare to take action easily. As a result, the Spurs completed the high-low cooperation, and David Robinson assisted Duncan to dunk at the basket.
At 46:42, the Spurs quickly retreated after narrowing the point difference.
The Knicks attacked. As soon as Li You passed half court, Mario Eli immediately came to the left wing to double-team in advance.
At the same time, Elliott immediately rotated defensively, letting go of Larry Johnson in the right corner, and moved in front of Alan Houston.
Li You played the ball very quickly, and Alan Houston immediately threw the ball to the open Larry Johnson.
He moved the ball quickly on the line, but Larry Johnson, who was open, was not confident in his shooting. After receiving the ball, he went straight to the basket, but Duncan, who was assisting on defense, completed the block.
"Oh!"
Spurs fans cheered loudly, but Avery Johnson did not speed up, but continued to press the rhythm and attack from position.
Playing in and out, the defense was repeatedly pulled, and finally, close to 24 seconds, Avery Johnson and David Robinson completed the pick-and-roll at the right elbow.
From the free throw line, David Robinson caught the ball and made a jump shot!
The score difference was narrowed again, and Tim Duncan also showed excitement, pumping his fist and shouting.
When Jeff Van Gundy saw the Spurs starting to double-team Li You without thinking again, he couldn't help but think of the situation in the last game, and hurriedly reminded him loudly on the sidelines:
"Don't hesitate, shoot decisively when you are open!"
Just after giving instructions, Larry Johnson hit another iron from the left corner.
Larry Johnson shook his hands in frustration, but couldn't make the shot.
The game has completely entered the rhythm of the Spurs, constantly double-teaming, quickly rotating the defense on the line, leaving the weak side open, and quickly assisting in defense after breaking through.
Elliott and Mario Elie were tortured enough, and the Knicks moved the ball very quickly.
But the double-teaming still worked. Everyone on the Spurs could clearly feel that the Knicks had slowed down.
Every time Li You gets the ball again, the attack time will come to about 18 seconds. Although he can still hit the shot, the weak side that was left open has never been able to respond.
In the second half of the third quarter, Sprewell, who was on the rotation, began to drive to the basket after missing an open three-pointer.
Duncan, who was assisting on defense, completed the block near the baseline on the right side, and his fingertips grazed the basketball, ultimately allowing Sprewell to hit the shot.
The two sides didn't score much, and the pace of the game was slow, but Doug Collins in the commentary box watched with gusto and kept praising:
"Tim Duncan's positioning sense is so good. Sprewell shouldn't hesitate. Maybe he should choose to continue to break to the basket."
As the game time ran out, David Robinson also followed suit. This strong attack under the basket caused Ben Wallace's third foul, and the second free throw was missed.
"Xiao Ben" grabbed the rebound and quickly threw the ball to Li You.
Towards the end of the game, Avery Johnson, whose physical fitness was declining, failed to keep up with Li You's offensive rhythm.
On the left wing, he retreated in the face of a sudden explosion. His feet felt heavy and he failed to block the shot. Avery Johnson watched as Li You converted a three-point jumper!
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!
64:64, with the last 3 seconds left in the third quarter, the two sides returned to the same starting line.
Avery Johnson raised his hands dejectedly to indicate that it was his problem, while Popovich on the sidelines loudly reminded the players to hold on.
In the last two rounds, the two sides failed to score, the Alamodome was completely boiling, and the Spurs seemed to have regained the initiative.
Jeff Van Gundy was dissatisfied with the referee's call and continued to complain. He was quickly pulled back by the coaching staff:
"It doesn't matter, when the opportunity arises, I believe I can hit the next shot!"
The bald young coach squatted on the floor and continued to serve chicken soup. Larry Johnson and Sprewell looked depressed. They almost repeated their performance in G3.
On the other side, everyone on the Spurs team is also gasping for air. If they want to defend quickly, they must keep sliding and put in more physical energy.
Popovich couldn't play any more tricks at this time, and continued to fight against the main force, without even considering substitutions, and loudly encouraged:
"There are only 12 minutes left. If we win this game, we will get the match point at home. Hold on!"
"."
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, in the first round, Duncan hit a mid-range jumper from the left block again.
64:66, the Spurs overtook the score again!
Quickly serving the baseline ball, Sprewell advanced past half court. Facing Avery Johnson, who was half a step away in front of him, he did not choose to play singles, but gave the ball to Li You on the right wing.
The moment he caught the ball, Elliott immediately moved up, defended sideways, and let go of Li You's right hand.
Putting the ball with his right hand, Li You didn't hesitate and immediately accelerated to break through.
Noticing Duncan in the paint area coming up to help defend, Li You, who was marching in the right block, used his foot force to lean towards Elliott. The two bodies collided, then quickly retreated sideways, drifted towards the baseline, and completed the move. Fallback jump shot!
"Shua!" A steady hit in the middle distance!
Duncan had already moved to the edge of the paint area and almost completed the assist defense. Elliott raised his eyebrows helplessly.
The defensive strategy was changed again, but after the high-intensity defense in the third quarter, the lateral speed dropped significantly.
The two sides were in a stalemate for several rounds, and soon the Spurs also started to strike.
Mario Eli noticed something was wrong immediately. After Alan Houston made a successful jump shot from the right elbow area, he held the ball and rushed in in the next round.
Then the referee immediately blew the whistle and whistled for a foul on Oakley, who was assisting in defense.
"Hey! I already committed an early foul!"
Alan Houston quickly raised his hand and kept explaining to the referee that it was his foul, but the referee did not change the penalty.
Oakley was so angry that he almost went up to punch Mario Eli twice, but was quickly restrained by everyone. At this time, he was sent off the field, and the inside line was probably beaten.
Mario Elie's two free throws seemed to be a signal. The Spurs suddenly opened up any channels, and everyone rushed to the basket with the ball in their arms.
The referees started blowing their whistles, and the cheers in the Alamodome grew louder.
Doug Collins in the commentary box was speechless for a moment when he saw Oakley and Ben Wallace receiving their fifth fouls within 6 minutes.
Bob Costas also couldn't comment on the current game, so he simply praised Li You:
"Lee seems to have regained his touch and started hitting jump shots again!"
The Knicks' breakthrough didn't lead to a whistle at all, which made several people on the court a little irritable, and Jeff Van Gundy on the sidelines didn't stop complaining.
With 1 minute and 12 seconds left in the game, with Mario Elie's second free throw, the score reached 80:81.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Sprewell quickly moved across the half court, and Elliott, the right winger, was already hanging on Li You.
Li You was pulled while running back from the bottom line to cover. After a lot of tossing, he finally received the pass on the left wing far away from the three-point line.
After Sprewell sent the pass, he immediately moved laterally to open up the offensive space, and Avery Johnson immediately attacked Li You.
Everyone knew that Li You, who was approaching 24 seconds, couldn't pass the ball at all, so the two of them naturally rushed at him desperately.
Immediately after catching the ball, Li You released the ball with his left hand. Li You hung on Elliott's defense and quickly came to the three-point line on the left wing. He suddenly stopped and feinted with the ball.
Avery Johnson also caught up at this time, and Elliott was deceived. Seeing Li You use the time difference to jump up and shoot, he immediately pounced from his side!
Li You twisted his body at this time, ignored the defense on his side, and shot a quick jump shot!
As soon as the basketball left their hands, the three of them fell to the left wing at the same time.
"Shua!" The three-pointer hit the net hollowly!
At 83:81, the Alamodome suddenly went silent. Jeff Van Gundy, who had just been angrily yelling at the referee, jumped up excitedly and punched continuously.
Li You also quickly stood up from the floor and glared at the referee Joe Crawford who was right next to him.
The bald referee acted as if he was blind and signaled the game to continue.
There were 49 seconds left in the game, and the Spurs fans couldn't stand it anymore, and the arena became more and more noisy.
Popovich hurriedly signaled the players to calm down. After Avery Johnson crossed the half court, Oakley also waved his hand to indicate that there was no need to help defend.
At the last moment, the Spurs naturally gave the ball to Tim Duncan, received the pass, and everyone spread out.
After receiving the ball with his back, Duncan immediately released the ball with his right hand and banged it. Duncan squeezed hard towards the basket and approached the paint area. He suddenly turned around quickly and after grabbing the ball with his left hand, Duncan passed Oakley and went straight to the basket.
The old guy didn't even think about defending properly. When Duncan was about to dunk with an arm, he hit his head and blocked his face with a big block.
The ball didn't touch the ball at all. Duncan tried his best to tilt his head, but still hit Oakley hard.
With 30 seconds left in the game, Duncan was staggered by Oakley, and the referee blew the whistle again.
"Shhh!!"
The Spurs fans at the scene booed loudly, and Popovich was even more angry and wanted to rush into the court to argue with Oakley.
Mario Eli immediately rushed forward, and Sprewell immediately went over and started shoving the veteran.
"Fuck! Let you shoot free throws!"
In order to control the foul, Oakley, who had been holding back the whole game, yelled and cursed after blowing himself up.
The Knicks cheered to the bench as hero Oakley came off the bench.
David Robinson hurriedly pulled his teammates away and tried to delay as much time as possible to let Duncan breathe.
The Alamodome became particularly quiet at this time, and the fans looked at Duncan standing on the free throw line.
Bob Costas saw the Knicks replacing Chris Dudley and introduced Duncan's free throws by the way:
"Tim Duncan made all the first 10 free throws! As long as he makes two free throws, the Spurs still have a chance to win the game!"
Seemingly stunned by Oakley, Duncan took a penalty shot for a long time on the first try, but the result was still a strike.
"Oh!!"
Spurs fans screamed, but Duncan still missed the second free throw. Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound and Jeff Van Gundy immediately requested a timeout.
"."
Watching the atmosphere team on the Knicks bench jumping and yelling wildly, the Alamodome went completely silent.
Duncan missed two free throws and looked annoyed. Popovich was a little confused at this time. The coaching staff hurriedly arranged the defense. They still had a chance.
After the timeout, the Spurs continued to double-team Li You and immediately fouled Sprewell the moment he caught the ball.
In the penalty shootout, Popovich chose to let Sprewell, who had made 4 of 2 free throws in this game, stand on the free throw line.
Doug Collins saw Sprewell hit the first free throw and immediately said:
"This doesn't seem like a good choice!"
As soon as the words fell, Sprewell made few adjustments and made his second free throw.
85:81, the Knicks lead by 4 points!
"what!!
Pumping their fists and roaring, Sprewell and Li You bumped their chests in celebration.
Requesting a timeout again, everyone on the Spurs looked at Popovich with frustration in their eyes.
In the last 25 seconds of the game, Elliott caught the ball and was fouled by Li You and continued to make free throws.
In the Alamodome, Spurs fans stood up to watch the game and prayed.
As a result, Elliott missed two free throws. When Jeff Van Gundy saw Ben Wallace grabbing the rebound, he raised his hands and celebrated wildly.
Although "Little Ben" made one of two free throws, the 5-point difference could already ensure the Knicks' victory.
In the end, the Spurs missed a three-pointer, the final buzzer sounded, and the long fourth quarter finally ended.
86:81, the Knicks successfully got the match point on the road!
Li You couldn't hold it in any longer at this time. Although he remained calm, he immediately turned towards the players' tunnel and shouted:
"M-FUCK! Bullshit call, keep shooting free throws! Damn game!"
Tim Duncan squatted on the free throw line after the game and refused to get up for a long time. David Robinson stood next to his little brother, hands on his hips, silently looking at the scoreboard.
In the NBC commentary box, Bob Costas did not comment on the game, but only praised Li You's performance:
“27中13，三分线7中3，罚球6中5，34分4篮板6助攻1抢断2失误，李最后的三分球，改变了比赛。”
Seeing the technical statistics, the Spurs made 4 more free throws in the fourth quarter. Doug Collins glanced at his partner, raised his eyebrows and said:
"Perhaps the Knicks will protest to the league after the game. Of course, I think Coach Popovich's final choice is questionable."
"."
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