NBA: Miracle Workers

Chapter 398 The Victory of the Master Tactician (5000-word chapter)
On the evening of June 2005, 6, in the back studio of ABC, during the intermission, host Mike Tirico once again sighed in front of the camera:
"This is the most non-Knicks-style game I've ever seen."

Mike Tirico, who wears glasses and is a little overweight, has served as the host of the ABC Finals in the back studio since 2003.

He witnessed the Knicks in the D'Antoni era, whose fast-paced and smooth offense was the label of the defending champion, but tonight's G3 subverted his previous impression.

At 50:51, at halftime, the Spurs led by 1 point. After shooting 22 of 6 from beyond the three-point line in the previous game, the Knicks shot more cautiously tonight.

Greg Anthony saw that his partner on the side was silent, and then simply added:

"More rotations, more help defending double teams, the Knicks' defense is more like the Spurs."

"The two teams played completely opposite games. The Spurs were more willing to take shots outside the three-point line. They seemed to have become more confident. Coach Popovich obviously learned from the experience of failure."

Bill Walton noticed that both of them were looking at him and could only shrug his shoulders and said uncertainly:
"Both sides are learning from each other, but I'm not sure Spurs can make it to the end."

"Like a lot of big guys, I don't like the three-point shot, it represents uncertainty."

"Horry's magical performance from the three-point line in the last game saved the Spurs, but I don't think this experience can be replicated."

"But I like Lee's performance. Breakthroughs can change the opponent's defense. He didn't shoot against two people. This was the right choice."

Mike Tirico did not expect that the famous star changed his tone and said with some surprise:

"Old-school basketball can also win games. Maybe after tonight's game, some commentators will change their evaluation of Lee."

The studio behind was naturally happy to see such an anxious game, but in the SBC Arena, the Spurs fans were a little impatient.

The Spurs rotated 7 players in the first half, and Udrih, a rookie, was excluded from the rotation at a critical moment.

The Knicks are different. Even Varejao played for more than a minute. In order to avoid a foul crisis, nine players will rotate tonight.

Ginobili is completely "magic ball", except for three-pointers, the rest of his shots are in the paint.

半场9中5，三分线外3中1，罚球2中2，贡献了全队最高的13分；
帕克同样9中5，拿到了10分2篮板4助攻2失误的数据。

Frequently being double-teamed, the Spurs shot boldly, making 13 of 4 from beyond the three-point line, and their three-point shooting percentage in the first half just reached %.

While many players are still studying back-up skills, Ginobili is already on the road to imitating Li You. In this finals, the Argentine has completely made a name for himself.

Popovich has also kept pace with the times. He gave the ball to Ginobili early and made a large number of three-pointers. The Spurs no longer insist on inefficient long two-pointers.

The second half of the game was about to begin. Before walking out of the tunnel, Duncan once again reminded Parker beside him:
"Keep taking shots and we can win the game!"

His body has still not returned to its best condition. Duncan hopes that the two of them can absorb more of the ball. In the third quarter, he can focus on rebounding and screening to conserve his energy as much as possible.

After facing off against Fisher for many rounds, Parker finally regained his confidence and turned around and said loudly:
"With three home games, we can get the match point!"

After returning to San Antonio, he finally regained face in front of Eva, and his opponent was in trouble. Parker was in high spirits and had already begun to dream about the night of winning the championship.
Although Popovich was worried about Ginobili's mistakes, his face didn't show much emotion.

The Spurs returned to the court, and the noise reached their ears. Popovich once again pulled Ginobili in front of him and seriously warned:

"Be careful! Don't make mistakes and don't give your opponent a chance to score easily."

Ginobili knew that this was the coach telling him not to risk passing the ball, so he nodded quickly and ran to the half court.

"Go Spurs go!."

The Spurs fans at the scene shouted loudly as they served from the baseline. D'Antoni stood aside with his arms folded. Seeing that the Spurs still had two big men, he felt relieved.

Both sides continued their starting lineups, and the coaching staff on both sides did not risk changing their lineups.

Amidst the cheers, in the first offensive round, as Ginobili slipped across the baseline from left to right and quickly crossed the screen with Bowen, Prince immediately changed defense.

Li You followed Parker to a position near the left wing. The Spurs' tactics started very quickly. As soon as the ball was stopped on the line, Ginobili had already shot out.

In the right elbow area, with the help of Duncan's screen, the moment Ginobili received Parker's pass, Prince squeezed through, and Kurt Thomas immediately moved laterally.

Before the two could form a double-team, he released the ball with his left hand and took a big step. Ginobili pretended to break through, forcing Kurt Thomas to move back to the right.

He deceived the opponent's center of gravity and immediately stopped. Ginobili leaned against Prince beside him, and then sent a ground pass with his left hand.

Duncan, who was shooting horizontally, got the chance. He watched Kurt Thomas raise his hand symbolically and made a decisive mid-range jumper.
The rebound was easily collected by Gasol. Amid the sighs of the fans, Li You caught the ball and dribbled slowly across the half court.

In the past, the Knicks had more ball handlers, but in this year's finals, the situation was not ideal. Prince's performance in G3 was average. Tonight, the tactical focus shifted to the inside again.

Raja Bell still ran to the left wing early, Li Youyun passed the center line, and Kurt Thomas on the bottom line also completed a cross-cover with Gasol.

Quickly came to the right low post and asked for the ball with his back. When Gasol raised his arm, Li You immediately gave the ball to Prince.

Receiving the ball from the right wing, Prince threw the ball to Gasol in the low post.

As Li You ran towards the right corner, Prince covered without the ball, and Bowen immediately switched to Li You's side.

Parker was prepared, but after a brief screen, Prince cut through the middle.

Relying on his height advantage, Prince, who received a pass from Gasol near the free throw line, directly combined the ball, ignoring the defense on his side, and went straight to the basket.

As soon as Muhammad moved near the basket, Prince gave the ball to Kurt Thomas, who was unguarded near the baseline on the left side.

As the mid-range jumper hit the iron, Spurs fans cheered.

Protecting rebounds was more difficult than Popovich imagined. Prince did not stop after passing the ball, squeezing Parker behind him and going straight to the basket.

At the same time, Gasol also pushed towards the basket, and Kurt Thomas also rushed to grab rebounds. The Knicks scored two of three.

The basketball was first dialed by Duncan, and then Gasol poked from behind. Muhammad was still pulling Prince, and Kurt Thomas rushed to grab it on the other side.

After jumping twice in the air, Duncan finally managed to protect the backboard.

Although there was no conversion attack, the Spurs fans still cheered loudly. This was a successful defense.

Li You retreated early and kept high-fiving, indicating that this was a successful cooperation.

At this time, the Spurs played a familiar tactic from the Knicks. With Duncan and Muhammad stationed at the left and right elbows, the "V-shaped" position gave Parker double coverage.

Dribbling from behind, he switched to his left hand to accelerate laterally, and Parker used the screen to get rid of Li You's pursuit.

When approaching the left wing, Kurt Thomas had already moved up with a big delay. At the same time, Laga Bell, who was marking the left corner, also moved up.

About to face a double team, Parker threw the ball to Ginobili in the left corner with one hand.

Facing Laga Bell's sliding step back to defend, Ginobili took the ball and quickly took a tentative step with his right foot, immediately slowing down his opponent.

Watching the opponent close his feet and make a pull-up jumper, Laga Bell fought hard to defend, and finally the basketball missed the frame.

"Oh!"

Amid the sighs of the fans, the Spurs did not fight for rebounds, and the two big men on the line quickly returned to the half court.

Li You, who picked up the long ball, still did not rush to attack. When he passed the top of the half-court arc and approached the three-point line, Bowen on the right wing once again assisted in defense.

As Li You gave the ball to Prince, Bowen chased back, and Muhammad opened his arms and changed positions in time.

Prince, who received the ball, did not hesitate. He released the ball with his right hand and broke through smoothly. Facing Muhammad who was sliding to help defend, he broke through to the right block and suddenly stopped and retreated laterally.

Instead of giving the ball to the open Kurt Thomas, Prince made a decisive mid-range jump shot.

The basketball hit the basket again, and Duncan under the basket faced another one-two situation.

Although Gasol was stuck behind him, Kurt Thomas jumped high, grabbed the rebound in front of Duncan, and steadily added the ball.

52:51, the Knicks took the lead.

"Shh!"

The arena erupted with boos, and in the commentary box, Hubie Brown commented with a smile:
"In the first half of the quarter, I went all out to grab rebounds, and in the second half of the game, I let my offense go."

"The time came to test the Spurs' resilience, and D'Antoni used Lee to split the game apart."

The Spurs responded quickly. Duncan once again crossed the baseline and quickly came to the left elbow area.

As Parker ran the ball to the right corner, Ginobili accelerated and took the pass from the left corner.

At the moment of catching the ball, Ginobili swung right and left, and Ginobili, who released the ball with his left hand, broke through with a cross step, got in front of Laga Bell, and drove straight to the basket.

Kurt Thomas, who returned to defense in time, committed a foul, and the stadium cheered again. The long-haired Ginobili pumped his fist and high-fived Duncan in celebration. He was equally good at partial two-on-two.

During the free throw, Ginobili looked at Li You and shouted:
"You have no chance!"

The Spurs fans in the front row were particularly excited and stood up to cheer. Li You smiled happily with his hands on his hips outside the three-point line and joked:
"Did you pop the champagne during halftime?"

Ginobili, who made two free throws, wanted to fight back, but Duncan pulled his teammates over and retreated quickly.

In the next few minutes, the Spurs continued to double-team and delay, and Li You still handed over the ball early.

Gasol started to attack in the low post. With the help of Prince, Kurt Thomas, who had poor touch, scored another point with the offensive rebound.

Laga Bell, who sneaked to the bottom line, could also get free throws. The repeated tactics allowed the simple three-person cooperation to continuously respond.

With 3 minutes and 6 seconds left in the third quarter, D'Antoni took the initiative to time out.

62:61, the Knicks still lead by 1 point.

Except for Stoudemire, who was unhappy on the bench, everyone in the Knicks had smiles on their faces.

During this period, Gasol and Prince sent passes continuously. In the commentary box, Michaels couldn't help but admire loudly:

"Perfectly breaking the opponent's double-team, the Knicks suddenly changed their system and can still attack smoothly."

Hubie Brown was not surprised and simply commented:

"More and more teams are beginning to incorporate Princeton's tactical system. Just like the Spurs are beginning to imitate the Knicks, the defending champions are also improving."

"Modern basketball places more emphasis on space. The big men's responsibilities are no longer just screens and rebounds. They will become the starting point of tactics."

After the timeout, the Knicks replaced Fisher and Gasol was still there. Horry came on the Spurs side and replaced Muhammad.

The two sides coincidentally switched to a lineup with better space. The difference is that D'Antoni still did not use Stoudemire.

The Spurs' defense is still actively rotating. As Gasol receives the ball at the top of the key, Fisher runs to the left corner and Li You also starts from the right corner.

At the free throw line, Bowen kept pulling, Li You stopped, and Prince immediately stepped forward to cover without the ball.

In the right elbow area, Li You moved laterally and ran up the line, Fisher slipped across the baseline, and Prince moved to the left corner.

Although Bowen squeezed through the screen, he was unable to stop Li You from catching the ball immediately.

At the top of the arc, when Gasol completed a hand-to-hand pass, Duncan pounced on him again, trying to cooperate with Bowen to complete the double-team.

However, more than half a quarter into the game, Duncan, whose physical fitness was declining, slowed down. Li You, who was holding the ball in his left hand and accelerating laterally, lowered his center of gravity and pushed Duncan with his left wing to force a breakthrough.

Bowen was still chasing behind him, and Horry also tried to step forward to delay, but Li You, who quickly grabbed most of his body, immediately threw the ball towards the basket.

The ball was faster than people. Gasol caught the ball and dunked with one arm!

"Shh!"

Boos resounded throughout the arena again, and Li You and Gasol simply high-fived in celebration.

Of course, Popovich on the sidelines knew that his opponent was deliberately consuming Duncan, but in such a crucial game, he did not dare to replace the core, for fear that the game would be ruined by accident.

Fortunately, the Spurs responded quickly. Facing Fisher's card defense, Parker made a strong breakthrough from the top of the arc and quickly scored 2 points with a throw in the paint area.

In the next few minutes, the tempo of the game suddenly accelerated. Using the same tactics, Li You sent consecutive assists. Looking back, Duncan and Parker succeeded in singles.

Popovich loudly reminded the players to slow down, but Parker attacked Fisher resolutely.
With 3 minutes and 2 seconds left in the third quarter, the score reached 43:72. Parker made a throw and retreated with an annoyed wave of his hand.

As Fisher dribbled across half court, the Knicks used the same tactics again.

At the top of the arc, Gasol still received the ball. When Li You came to the free throw line and used Prince's screen to bounce out again, Bowen failed to squeeze through in time.

Horry also failed to switch defense immediately. When Duncan saw Li You taking the pass, he realized something was wrong.

Li You, who had shaken off the defense, was not dribbling at this time. He suddenly stopped after receiving the ball, ignored Duncan who was defending him, and made a long-distance three-point jumper from the top of the arc!

"Shua" the three-pointer hit the net hollowly.

At 75:72, Li You scored in a sports match for the first time in this quarter.

For the first time, a loophole appeared in the Spurs' defense. Popovich continued to pace the sidelines. Instead of requesting a timeout, he loudly reminded Parker to calm down.

The previous game relied on Ginobili's free throws, Duncan's finishing at the basket, role players eating cakes and Parker's breakthrough to bite the score.

At the critical moment, Parker dribbled through the half and handed the ball to Duncan at the right elbow immediately.

On the right wing, Li You and Ginobili are still pulling each other.

Duncan turned sideways, Ginobili moved up the line, and then suddenly accelerated and ran back. Li You followed suit and slid. The opponent stopped suddenly, accelerated a second time, and continued to defend.

Unable to complete the hand-to-hand pass, Duncan quickly raised the ball, and Ginobili immediately moved away from the three-point line before safely taking over the ball.

Spotting the movement behind him, Li You went directly around the line to defend when Duncan stepped forward.

Ginobili, who released the ball with his left hand, used a long enough acceleration distance to squeeze past Gasol in an instant.

Approaching the three-point line, when he saw Li You approaching the defense, Ginobili did not slow down. Instead, he increased his stride, leaned on the defense, and directly connected the ball near the free throw line.

When Ginobili rushed into the three strides, there was another rhythm change. Li You deliberately slowed down and adjusted his steps in advance.

Sensing that the defensive pressure on his side had dropped sharply, Ginobili grabbed the ball with his left hand in the air, leaned forward to pick the basket, and at the same time stretched out his right arm in an attempt to protect the ball.

The moment the basketball came out of his hand, Ginobili was overjoyed. Seeing the basketball about to fly to the highest point, the Spurs fans screamed in surprise.

"Oh!"

The second shot came first, Li You suddenly shot up in front of the basket, took off straight up and down, raised his right arm, and directly shot the ball horizontally.

Prince in the left corner reacted quickly, grabbed the ball, and launched a counterattack with long strides.

Horry looked at Ginobili who fell under the basket, didn't bother to pull up his teammates, and hurriedly chased after him.

Li You, who caught the ball in the middle, turned around, switched to his left hand, and got out of the way of Duncan, who was coming to defend him.

Parker watched Fisher rush forward, heading straight for the left corner, and could only keep up with him for a while.

Horry reacted quickly and chased to Li You's side in time. Amid the exclamations of the fans, the two of them reached the left wing in the blink of an eye.

Duncan retreated to the paint area in time. Before he could command Ginobili to catch up from behind, Li You had already penetrated the basket.

Horry kept sliding back to the right, and Bowen, who had just reached the right corner, also shrank.

Seeing that almost everyone from the Spurs was in the paint, Li You jumped up to pass the ball and immediately threw the ball to the right corner.

After completing the pass, Li You did not stop, landed in the paint area, and accelerated to the right wing again.

At this time, Prince was not covering the ball near the elbow area, and Horry, who wanted to continue to pursue the defense, was forced to slow down.

Bowen, who was defending the bottom corner, could only watch as Lagar Bell sent the pass.

When the ball arrives, Li You, who has just arrived on the right wing, is unguarded. He doesn't make any adjustments and just throws the ball away!

"Shua" scored another three-pointer.

At 78:72, Popovich immediately asked for a timeout. The SBC Center Arena suddenly fell silent, and then loud boos broke out.

Li You put his left hand up to his ear, making a listening gesture. Everyone in the Knicks jumped forward to celebrate, and the boos became louder for a while.

Hubie Brown looked at Duncan, who was taking deep breaths, and then at Li You, who was still pretending to be sexy in front of the fans, and suddenly felt that the game situation had changed:
"The Spurs had to adjust in time. The Knicks' tactics worked and Lee began to take over the game."

Michaels was still helping the Spurs with ideas. On the bench, Popovich held the tactical board, looked at Duncan and said loudly:

"Tim, hold on just a little longer!"

"."

(End of this chapter)