NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 296 The same choice: give the ball (9000 words chapter)

On the night of June 2003, 6, as the game time passed, head coach Popovich no longer insisted on the main lineup.

Losing two consecutive away games means that G3 will become a life and death battle.

In addition, there is only more than one day of rest time, and there is no hope of chasing points in the final quarter. Naturally, it is necessary to conserve physical strength and avoid player injuries.

Naturally, there is no good feeling about playing in New York. This year, most fans didn't care about the Spurs as an opponent.

The people holding "Missing Persons" posters in the arena show the mentality of some fans.

The Spurs lack topicality. As for David Robinson's desire to realize his dream, that is not something New York fans will consider.

The on-site director frequently focused the camera on Duncan and David Robinson on the bench. The Twin Towers seemed out of place in such a game.

Everyone on the Spurs bench watched the game time pass with expressionless faces.

出场38分钟，邓肯21中12，罚球，11中6，砍下30分12篮板5助攻1抢断1盖帽3失误。

When the game was about to end, in the commentary box, after looking at the technical statistics, Bill Walton gave his final blessing:

"I believe Tim Duncan can perform even better when he returns home!"

"They need to play defense like the Western Conference semifinals. I don't recommend continuing to use zone defense. If they lose G3 again, there will be no suspense in the series. They must readjust their defensive strategy."

Tolbert strongly agreed with this view and quickly added:

"Coach Popovich should no longer bet on the shooting touch of the Knicks' role players."

"Or they can try a few possessions when they're ahead instead of sticking to the same defensive strategy when they're behind."

"Double-teaming is undoubtedly correct, but the Knicks rarely attack in the low post. Coach Popovich also needs to reorganize the defensive system."

Amid the conversation between the two, the game time ran out, and cheers erupted again in the arena. They successfully protected the two home courts, and the New York fans were naturally happy.

90:109, the Knicks once again defeated the Spurs, and the series score also reached 2:0.

今晚李佑仅出场了36分钟，19中10，三分线外7中3，罚球8中8，砍下31分4篮板13助攻2抢断2失误。

The data was unremarkable. After the game, Li You stood up and high-fived his teammates to celebrate. Then he came to the sidelines and raised his hands in the air, high-fiving and thanking the fans.

After all, the Knicks do not plan to return home to collect the award, so tonight is also the last Finals game of the season.

Of course the fans knew this, and they didn’t leave the field after the game and continued to shout happily:

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

斯蒂芬-杰克逊今晚彻底爆发，14中8，三分线外6中4，罚球5中4，砍下24分4篮板1助攻1抢断2失误。

After the game, Jackson was interviewed by ABC reporter Michelle Tafoya on the sidelines:

"Stephen, I'm glad to witness your performance tonight. Can you talk about the secret of your explosion in the game? In the third quarter of the game, you left a deep impression on the fans!"

Stephen Jackson, who took off his headband, was very happy when he heard this question, and then he blew X and said:

"I know my talent. Playing next to Li, I will always get more opportunities!"

"I watched the 99 Finals and Rashard Lewis helped the Knicks with a three-pointer. I'm glad I did the same thing tonight!"

"My job is really simple, catch the ball in the open space and put the ball into the basket."

"No team can limit Lee one-on-one, that's the secret to why the Knicks are so efficient!"

"."

History is always surprisingly similar. In the 99 Finals, the Knicks made several consecutive three-pointers to help the team tide over the difficulties. Tonight, the three-pointers once again defeated the Spurs!

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan attended the Spurs' postgame press conference together.

Just like the previous game, most sports media did not embarrass the two. On the contrary, Antonio’s reporter asked seriously:

"Tim, how should the team adjust when we return to home the day after tomorrow? Will we still stick to zone defense?"

Upon hearing this question, Tim Duncan just replied calmly:

"We will review the video and the coaching staff will give correct instructions. I am confident that I can lead the team to protect the home court."

It seems that he didn't get the answer he wanted. The reporter from San Antonio still asked:

"Tony, we noticed that your shooting touch seems to be very bad in these two games. Can you talk about the specific reasons?"

今晚的比赛帕克表现不错15中6，三分线外2中0，罚球6中4，砍下16分3篮板7助攻2失误。

Parker did not complain that he was taking on too many tasks on the defensive end. He was silent for a while and finally said:

"I just couldn't make a shot, for no reason. When I return to San Antonio, I will find my form."

"."

It takes more than three hours to fly from Manhattan to San Antonio. The Spurs chose to fly home overnight. They seemed out of place in this city.

Popovich was worried that the media would ridicule them and make the players' mentality explode, but it was true that he was overthinking it, and no one discussed them at all the next day.

In several New York print media, some columns discussed how many times Li You will get 40+ in the finals after his career ends.

ESPN and TNT are taking advantage of the fact that the record has not dissipated. They are discussing whether Michael Jordan can score 40+ points in the Finals as many times as Li You if he does not retire.

David Robinson is already a has-been All-Star, and Duncan's statistics are mediocre. When opponents no longer play hard, he can no longer produce shocking statistics with double figures in rebounds.

As for Parker and Ginobili, in the eyes of everyone, the two are just soy-weak knives. They may be able to break out, but it will not harm the overall situation.

The Knicks chose to take a flight to San Antonio in the evening, so on the morning of the 7th, the team still completed daily training step by step at the Tarrytown Training Center.

The Knicks won 73 games this season. ESPN saw the business opportunity early and set up cameras at the beginning of the season. At the end of the season, they could also promote the documentary during the offseason.

After the training session, the players sometimes have to cooperate in some personal interviews to talk about their feelings in front of the camera.

Grant Hill performed very steadily in the two games:

G1的比赛14中7，拿到了20分5篮板1抢断3助攻1失误；

到了G2，13中6，三分线外3中1，罚球6中5，砍下18分6篮板3助攻2失误1盖帽。

As in the regular season, Grant Hill is still the team's most stable scoring point.

Wearing the Knicks' blue training T-shirt during the interview, Grant Hill immediately laughed when asked about his away experience:

"Last year's finals was the most exaggerated away game I have ever experienced!"

"But because of this experience, we also have countermeasures. In this year's finals, the team will win the series in one go!"

The ESPN reporter was a little curious. This bald white reporter only hated himself for not being a pretty girl. No matter how he asked, Grant Hill just laughed and answered:

"You'll find out tomorrow night! I guarantee the Knicks will win the game!"

That night, Li You was dressed in sportswear and wore a black Knicks cheering T-shirt. He pushed a small suitcase and appeared at the airport with the Knicks.

The New York Times reporter who was traveling with the team to the away game followed Li You and asked curiously as he looked at the small suitcase that could only hold a few pieces of clothing:

"Lee, we may have to stay in San Antonio for 6 days. Didn't you bring some extra clothes?"

"6 days? No, only 4 days. On the night of the 11th, we will fly back to New York. The team plans to celebrate the championship in Manhattan!"

"."

Several reporters accompanying the team laughed dryly when they heard Li You's words. Since losing consecutive away games in last year's finals, everyone has a clearer understanding of the home whistle.

Therefore, even though Li You called out early for the best record in playoff history, everyone felt that they would still lose the away game.

James Dolan also flew to the away game with the team early this time. Boss Curly Hair was particularly happy. The Knicks scored very high in both finals, which was considered to have met his expectations.

After getting on the plane, James Dolan came to the coaching staff and told him his plan:

"Mike, if you win the championship, the team will provide you with a long-term contract! I plan to communicate with the league during the offseason and modify some rules!"

"We need to make the Knicks play better and Lee needs to score more points and have dribble plays and beautiful dunks in every game."

"I will work with some team owners to propose that outside stars are the guarantee of selling tickets. The league will definitely agree to this in less than two seasons."

D'Antoni was very excited when he heard about the contract. Although "making money while lying down" is a bit exaggerated, compared with his previous coaching career, it is much easier!

"The rules don't matter. As long as the referee can take care of Li and stay healthy, we can keep winning."

The moustache swelled and puffed up, and several members of the coaching staff looked enviously. Ewing also felt a little regretful. Seeing the two men retreating tactically, he felt a little sad in his heart:

"If I had known this, I should have applied to become the head coach!"

On June 6, Spurs fans entered the SBC Center Arena early. There was still half an hour before the game, and all the more than 8 seats were basically filled.

Unlike the Knicks, who were interviewed and filmed for a documentary, Popovich only accepted interviews on a routine basis, and the Spurs seemed particularly low-key.

After more than a day of rest, ball commentators believed that it would be difficult for the Spurs to make effective adjustments, so the pre-match predictions were one-sided again.

In the live ABC commentary box, the three people sat in the Spurs half before the game and expressed their opinions in front of the camera:

"After the opening, the Spurs can test the Knicks' shooting touch and adjust their defensive strategy in time!"

"This series, the Spurs' three-point shooting has been very bad. I hope they can rebound strongly when they return home."

Tolbert, as always, gave advice to the Spurs, but Bill Walton, who was also wearing a black formal suit on the other side, gave a different opinion:

"The Spurs should abandon zone defense. They should continue to guard man and rely on Duncan's help defense to stop the Knicks' offense."

"Instead of testing your opponents, it is better to believe in yourself. In such a crucial game, the Spurs should not place their hopes of winning on their opponents."

There were differences of opinion between the two people. The commentator Nessler heard the two people's opinions and thought for a moment before simply saying to the camera:

"I don't know what kind of defensive strategy the Spurs will adopt. Tell us in our back studio that the Knicks will play easier tonight!"

"Coach D'Antoni also said in an interview before the game that they will give the ball more to Lee's hands."

"In the finals last season, the Knicks lost three away games. I think they are ready!"

If they can win the game tonight, the Spurs will have more than two days of rest.

When the on-site DJ introduced the Knicks players, he shouted Li You's name, and boos resounded throughout the arena.

Li You, who was wearing training clothes, high-fived his teammates one after another, jumped twice to stretch his body, and looked relaxed in front of the camera.

As the lights in the arena dimmed, the DJ shouted at the top of his lungs, and everyone from the Spurs came on stage one by one.

Many Spurs fans held white boards, and in addition to cheering slogans, most of them were "Fight for David."

The director also frequently focused the camera on David Robinson. If he loses this game, the veteran's championship dream will be completely shattered, and he will eventually retire without a championship in his career.

New York media recently broke the news that before the start of next season, the Knicks plan to hold a decent jersey retirement ceremony for Ewing.

Although Gorilla struggled in the early stages of his career and was always in the background, holding four championships and defeating the Bulls in 98 was enough to make New York fans cheer.

Both are the top four centers. Comparing the two, the experience of David Robinson makes Spurs fans feel sad.

When the players on both sides completed the final warm-up, Popovich stopped talking to Parker. The all-round gap cannot be changed by a few words.

The camera focused on Popovich and D'Antoni, who were sitting on the bench. The former looked serious, while the latter was leaning back on his seat, showing a confident look.

The head coach's attitude also foreshadowed the trend of the game. After the Spurs succeeded in jumping the ball, they started Duncan's low attack early.

After coming to the away game, Kurt Thomas' defensive actions were obviously much more restrained, and Duncan's offense frequently succeeded.

The Knicks took their time and played a fixed tactical combination. Li You would distribute the ball when encountering a double team, while the Spurs quickly launched a transition attack.

The defensive intensity dropped, and the Spurs finally responded continuously in the first quarter.

At 28:28, the two sides fought to a draw.

After the second quarter of the game started, Spurs fans in the SBC Arena became more and more excited, and their cheers became louder and louder:

"Go Spurs go!."

Rhythmic cheering cheers sounded in the stadium. The Spurs took the lead in attacking, and Parker caught the ball and quickly dribbled across the half court.

Ginobili, who took a two-minute break in the first quarter, came to the top of the arc and pretended to catch the ball, then quickly ran to the left wing.

The Spurs still played the old routine. Parker gave the ball to David Robinson at the right elbow early. After handing over the ball, he cut in from the middle and led Li You to the left corner.

Gasol still raises his hands to interfere, maintains a good defensive distance, and tries to limit the opponent's ball route. This kind of high and low cooperation has been played many times by opponents.

Duncan positioned himself behind the basket, and with Kurt Thomas on top, he came to the low post on the right side to receive a lob pass.

Artest on the outside did not choose to shrink his defense, but followed Bowen to move up the line.

Everyone in the Spurs opened up offensive space for Duncan. David Robinson saw Gasol decisively assisting in defense, and saw Artest also starting to move in his direction, so he simply followed and cut to the basket.

After receiving the ball, Duncan was double-teamed. He first pulled the defense toward the bottom corner, and then distributed the ball with his left hand to David Robinson, who cut to the basket.

The passing position was near the waist. David Robinson made slight adjustments after receiving the ball. When he wanted to get strong under the basket, he immediately encountered Gasol twisting to help defend.

Instead of jumping to block the shot, Gasol still raised his right hand high and tried to get close to the defense. David Robinson wanted to take a step forward and take off, but after the two collided, they failed to complete the dunk in time.

After releasing the ball with his left hand, David Robinson quickly turned around with Gasol holding his hands high, switched to his right hand in front of the basket, and completed the throw against his long arm.

At the moment when the opponent threw the ball, Gasol took off slightly. He still did not lose his defensive position, but the interference he made was extremely limited.

The cheers of the Spurs fans at the scene soon stopped, and the basketball hit the basket twice and finally came out.

Kurt Thomas was almost pushed to the basket by Duncan, but fortunately Gasol reacted quickly enough and turned around to grab the backboard.

When Li You stepped forward to respond, the boos in the SBC Center Arena became louder and louder.

"Defense!."

When the Knicks attacked, Artest and Grant Hill still ran to the left and right corners.

Kurt Thomas stopped on the right side near the baseline, and Gasol on the free throw line began to move up and stand at the top of the arc.

Parker kept sliding to prevent himself from losing his defensive position. Facing Li You holding the ball in his left hand, he glanced behind him from time to time to observe the movement.

Seeing Parker retreat in front of Gasol and holding on to the screen, Li You first pretended to accelerate and break through. After a jump dribble, he suddenly turned quickly with his right foot as the axis. The moment he picked up the ball with his right hand, Parker quickly squeezed through the screen, and David Robinson also started to move behind Gasol.

The opponent slid quickly, and Li You, who switched to his right hand, changed direction with his crotch. Gasol also readjusted his body, twisted and stood still again.

Realizing that he could not squeeze through the screen, Parker immediately turned around deftly with Gasol, trying to switch to Li You as soon as possible.

Seeing his opponent going around the line to defend, Li You had just switched to his left hand. Li You suddenly accelerated his dribbling speed, quickly changed direction in front of his body, lowered his center of gravity, and held the ball with his right hand and pressed his shoulder to break through.

David Robinson realized something was wrong and hurriedly slid to the left and back, but Li You, who was "flying close to the ground", took a long stride at this time.

In two big steps, he caught up with David Robinson who was sliding backward to defend. The two collided and Li You combined the ball in advance.

During the march, Ginobili circled around Ginobili who was cutting the ball from his side. Li You leaned on David Robinson and broke into the paint area directly in front of the basket. He grabbed the ball with his right hand and leaned forward, pulling his arms down. Lean forward to pick up the basket!

"Bang!"

The basketball hit the board and fell into the basket. David Robinson, who was trying to retreat from defense, made a block shot and then rushed out of the baseline with inertia.

"Shh!"

When the ball kicked off from the baseline, David Robinson hit the basketball hard and was just shy of completing the block.

Parker hurriedly took the ball from the baseline and quickly dribbled across the half court under the leadership of Li You.

The same tactic, this time Ginobili received a hand-off pass far away from the three-point line.

Then he took the ball with his left hand and came to the left wing. Facing Artest's defense, Ginobili immediately called David Robinson for a pick-and-roll.

The left wing turned into a partial 2-on-2. David Robinson stood still. Ginobili, who was protecting the ball from his side, quickly turned around, switched to his right hand and used the screen to accelerate the breakthrough.

Artest did not completely lose his defensive position. At this time, he was chasing behind him and constantly adjusting his steps.

Kurt Thomas was also attracted to the defensive attention. Ginobili took three strides and grabbed the ball with his left hand and pretended to pick the basket.

Attracting two defenders, he faked a real pass, twisted before landing and gave the ball to Tim Duncan on the lower right side of the basket.

The pass was too low, and Tim Duncan bent down to catch the ball. When he wanted to adjust, Kurt Thomas had already turned around and raised his hands in the air, but Artest, who landed on the ground, immediately started cutting regardless.

Before the basketball reached his chest, Duncan lost control of the ball. Before Ginobili could step forward to grab the ball, Artest snatched the ball away in the chaos.

He took two big steps and immediately threw the ball to Li You who was near the left sideline. Then everyone from both teams accelerated towards the half court.

Holding the ball in his left hand and accelerating along the left sideline, Li You didn't move any more. After grabbing half of his body, he broke through and rushed directly to the left flank without Parker's defense.

At the three-point line, Li You suddenly stopped and pulled the ball backwards, and Parker couldn't help but move a step to the back and right.

Slightly raising his body's center of gravity, and taking advantage of Parker's renewed defense, Li You shook his body violently to the right and at the same time dribbled the ball under his hips twice very quickly, and then quickly retreated.

The Spurs players just defended the match and when they looked up the line, they found Parker struggling to defend.

Not keeping up with the offensive rhythm at all, when Parker started to fall in the air, he just happened to see Li You slightly fade away and take a jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

At 33:28, the familiar start of the second quarter made Spurs fans boo again.

Seeing Li You who continued to stick in front of Parker, Popovich on the sidelines quickly reminded the players loudly, made tactical gestures and signaled that the ball should be given to Duncan.

Li You pestered Parker and rushed across the half court. When he came to the left wing, he soon discovered that Duncan was blocking the position fiercely.

Duncan, who was standing sideways, leaned half of his body on Kurt Thomas. After receiving the high throw pass, he didn't dribble. Instead, he relied on the defense to turn up the line and easily completed the throw with his right hand!

"Whoops!" Two-point shot into the hollow net.

"Wow!"

Duncan broke the deadlock and Spurs fans cheered loudly.

He didn't dare to make too many defensive moves. Kurt Thomas was stuck and couldn't stand up to Duncan.

After being easily scored by his opponent, Li You just shook his head and gave a thumbs up. After receiving the ball from the baseline, he called on his teammates to speed up and run across the half court.

Everyone in the Knicks was in position early. Li You saw that the opponent suddenly changed to a 32 zone defense position. The two big men squatted on the baseline again and immediately called Grant Hill to catch the ball.

The left wing completed a hand-to-hand pass away from the three-point line, and Li You accelerated to the left corner.

Grant Hill called Gasol to step forward to pick and roll. Bowen was not on the line to help defend at this time, but ran to Li You immediately.

Parker, who switched to guard Grant Hill, felt helpless. David Robinson, who was off the line, realized something was wrong and hurriedly followed him out.

The zone defense soon became man-to-man. At this time, Gasol did not step forward to pick and roll but suddenly moved to the free throw line.

When Parker saw Grant Hill dribbling from his crotch to his left hand, he accelerated his breakthrough and could only slide desperately for a while.

Bowen, who was squatting in the corner, didn't dare to help defend and could only watch Hill crush and break through and approach the paint area.

Duncan, who was on the lower right side of the basket, quickly moved to help defend and broke through to the baseline. Hill did not force the attack and threw the ball with his left hand to Kurt Thomas, who was near the baseline on the right.

The latter was unguarded and made an easy jump shot after receiving the ball!

"Shh!"

Although some Spurs fans didn't know what was happening on the court, they felt chilled watching Parker being crushed and the Knicks scoring easily.

In the commentary box, Bill Walton saw this scene and immediately praised him:

"The Knicks made good use of the width of the court. They knew that the opponent would switch Bowen in front of Lee, which would create a mismatch opportunity for Grant Hill."

"The zone defense is easily broken. Maybe the Spurs can also choose to let Parker follow the defense, but I believe that Lee will take the initiative to ask for the ball in the corner for one-on-one."

When Tolbert heard these words and saw Tim Duncan catching the ball in the low post on the right again, he also joked:

"The Spurs can also continue to test Lee's shooting touch. They should also look for some mismatched offensive opportunities instead of letting Duncan catch the ball in the low post continuously."

"It's just going to get more double teams, and the Knicks love to see David Robinson's jump shot."

As soon as he finished speaking, Duncan, who received the ball in the low post on the right, suddenly turned towards the baseline before being double-teamed.

Leaning on Kurt Thomas, Duncan took a step and came to the lower left side of the basket, using his wingspan to reverse and hit the layup!

Gasol's double-teaming was in vain, and Duncan became more aggressive after returning to the home court.

At 35:32, Duncan, who hit the ball in response, loudly called on his teammates to retreat.

Noticing that the Spurs had switched to man-marking again, Li You still dribbled through halftime unhurriedly.

The Knicks are still in a "V" position, with the left elbow area, accelerating and moving upwards, and standing still at the three-point line.

Li You, who held the ball in his left hand, moved quickly laterally and used the screen to briefly get rid of Parker's entanglement.

Realizing that Gasol was not going down the line, David Robinson suddenly quickened his pace, raised his right arm, and stepped up straight.

Seeing his opponent sliding quickly, Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand, circled the ball with his crotch. The basketball flew out from his crotch in an instant, just in time to avoid the delay.

David Robinson froze on the spot, and Parker almost hit the big brother. The two watched as Li You completely got rid of the defense.

Quickly grabbing the ball with his right hand, Li You took the opportunity to lead the ball forward, then exerted force with his feet, passing between the two people in an instant, and easily broke into the paint area.

"Oh!"

Seeing Li You pass the two defenders on the line, Spurs fans shouted.

Duncan reacted quickly and wanted to slide down to the basket to help defend, but Li Youxing, who broke through to the front of the basket, suddenly made a fake pass to Kurt Thomas who was near the baseline on the right side, shocking Duncan. Stunned.

When he wanted to move again, Duncan could only watch as Li Yousan strode forward, grabbed the ball with his left hand, and easily picked up the basket!

The wonderful goal made the SBC Arena stop booing for a while, and the Spurs' defense was completely passed.

The Knicks scored lightly, but looking back, the Spurs still started from Duncan's low post.

Duncan was not double-teamed by the help of the defense. Duncan, who released the ball with his right hand from the low post on the left, quickly turned toward the baseline by hitting the ball, leaned against Kurt Thomas, and switched to his left hand to hit the board and lay up the basket.

At 37:34, the Spurs clenched the score.

In the next few minutes, Duncan kept asking for the ball, attacking the basket and hitting two consecutive tip-ins.

The Knicks made more breakthroughs. Gasol caught the ball at the free throw line and made a jump shot. Grant Hill slipped from the baseline and cut into the basket to complete a dunk.

The score between the two sides continued to rise until Duncan suddenly encountered a double-team in the low post on the right side and caught the ball from David Robinson and made a jump shot near the free throw line.

Spurs fans exclaimed, and the rebound was collected by Li You who returned to the basket early from the left corner.

Amid Popovich's roar, several members of the Spurs quickly retreated. With the ball in his left hand, Li You quickly rushed to the right wing with Parker's defense behind him.

He started to decelerate as he approached the three-point line. Li You quickly went in and out while moving. While his body was shaking, his wrist flicked and he quickly moved forward to lead the ball and accelerated again.

After a sudden stop and start, Parker hurriedly slid to the right and back. Li You pulled his hips back, switched to his right hand and adjusted his steps at the same time, and then pretended to accelerate the breakthrough with his center of gravity.

After being attacked, Parker propped up his feet before defending. He wanted to turn around and continue to defend, but his body refused to obey him. He mixed garlic under his feet and suddenly fell to the floor.

"Oh!"

Amid the exclamations of the fans, Li You calmly dribbled the ball from behind, joined the ball from the right wing outside the three-point line, looked down at Parker, and calmly took a jump shot!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!

In the commentary box, Nesler, who had been explaining the game unremarkably for the past few minutes, suddenly shouted excitedly:

"Oh my god!"

"Clay-Lee! How did you do that!"

Bill Walton and Tolbert on the side also exclaimed. Looking at Li You who turned around and showed his hands to the Spurs fans, they suddenly laughed.

"I like goals like this! It seems that Lee plans to solve the game from outside the three-point line tonight. I have to say that his shooting touch is very good at the moment!"

Bill Walton praised loudly. Tolbert wanted to say that this was not a reasonable offensive choice, but when he saw D'Antoni also celebrating on the sidelines with his arms raised high, he had no choice but to praise:

"It seems that this is the arrangement of the Knicks coaching staff. This is definitely a huge test for the Spurs!"

Parker stood up, anger welling up in his heart. This became a backdrop that would be played repeatedly in the future.

At 44:38, a response ball failed to follow up, and the point difference was widened again.

Fortunately, Ginobili used Duncan's screen to get rid of Artest's defense, broke into the paint area, European-stepped Gasol, grabbed the ball with his left hand, twisted his body and picked up the basket!

Spurs fans just cheered, and Li You, who caught the ball from the baseline, accelerated again.

Bowen double-teamed Li You in the middle in advance, and on the right wing, Grant Hill passed the ball without stopping the ball. When Ginobili defended him, he immediately threw the ball to the right corner.

Artest just stopped and caught the pass. Without making many adjustments, he just raised the ball and threw it!

"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net.

47:40, the point difference is still widening.

The SBC Arena became quiet again, and on the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team started throwing towels wildly and screaming strangely again.

Popovich looked serious and immediately asked for a timeout. Seeing that his players were a little depressed, he clapped his hands and shouted encouragement.

After the timeout, the Spurs' adjustment made the three people in the commentary box speechless for a while - giving the ball to Tim Duncan.

This trick has been tried and tested at home, and he has received the ball in the low post repeatedly, and has made gains every time he attacks.

The Knicks still ran the tactics step by step, and some opportunities began to hit the ball.

Soon Artest also received his second foul, D'Antoni waved to the bench, and Jackson appeared again.

After Kurt Thomas received his third foul, he walked to the sideline with an annoyed fist and walked to the sidelines. The Knicks continued to rotate and Stoudemire came on the court.

Fortunately, Duncan's free throws were not missed during this period, which made Spurs fans completely relieved.

In the Spurs' last attack at half-time, Duncan missed a free throw at the free throw line. As Li You missed a long three-pointer, there were cheers in the stadium again.

At 55:54, everyone on the Spurs team walked towards the tunnel and shook their fists repeatedly.

In the second quarter of the game, Duncan made 2 of 8 and 5 of 6 free throws. He contributed 5 points in a single quarter. At half the game, the All-Star power forward had already scored 15 points.

Despite the offensive problems at the end of the first half, the Knicks still looked relaxed as they walked into the tunnel.

Learning from experience and lessons, the number of fouls in the main lineup was very well controlled, and Li You only received one foul.

"Very good. There is no need to compete with the referee. We are still in the lead. Even if we are 10 points behind at halftime, the victory belongs to us!"

Li You returned to the locker room and warned his teammates. Kurt Thomas was targeted by the referee tonight. Fortunately, he knew his task. After being reminded, he patted his chest and said proactively:

“After experiencing last year’s away game, I know how to play correctly!”

Artest was also a little depressed, and his playing time was a bit cut up. At this time, he was shirtless and shouted loudly:

"In the second half we gave the ball to Lee, it's that simple, we will win!"

After hearing the words of the two people, everyone cheered loudly and clapped their hands. The suspense of the series will end tonight.

In the Spurs locker room, Popovich also knew that the rhythm of the game was not right. Tim Duncan took 15 shots in the half.

Seeing that his thighs were tired and panting, Popovich looked around and did not explain any tactics. Instead, he clapped his hands and encouraged:

"Tim, hold on a little longer! The team needs you in the second half!"

Assistant coach Mike Brown twitched his mouth when he heard this. He changed many defensive strategies during the game, but still could not prevent the Knicks from scoring.

I thought Popovich would lay out tactics, but it turned out to be the same tactics.

This pattern of thigh plus one rain gives a deeper understanding of "black bread".

There was only one minute of rest in the first half. After hearing the coach's words, Tim Duncan looked at David Robinson, noticed the expectant look in his big brother's eyes, and immediately said seriously:

“I know what I have to do, give me the ball and we’re going to win the game tonight!”

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(End of this chapter)