LRAB Chapter 240 The Flaws in the Spurs' Defensive System!
Chapter 240 The Flaws in the Spurs' Defensive System!
Chapter 240 The Flaws in the Spurs' Defensive System! The Crazy Six Seconds That Made San Antonio Cry!
After Duncan scored, Lin Tian quickly called out to Christie, and the Pacers quickly inbounded the ball from the baseline. But just as Lin Tian was about to advance, Jason and Elliott blocked him with their arms outstretched, preventing him from making a quick move.
Lin Tian quickly passed the ball to Christie, but how could Christie's speed compare to Lin Tian's? Although he used his fastest speed to bring the ball to the frontcourt, the Spurs' defense had already returned to position!
Especially since Duncan is already in place!
This big man was much more agile than he looked, almost the first Spurs player to get back on defense. Helpless, Christie slowed the pace and passed the ball back to Lin Tian.
This time, Lin Tian ignored Jameson's noisy instructions, dribbled the ball and launched an attack, once again passing Jameson in one step, and then came to the mid-range once again. This time, no one from the Spurs paid attention to Lin Tian's mid-range shot.
After a moment's thought, Lin Tian suddenly accelerated again and drove straight into the paint. But the instant he entered the paint, Duncan was already there to meet him, blocking almost all of his driving routes!
Duncan's defensive instincts and positioning are indeed historically excellent! Immediately afterwards, Jason behind Lin Tian also got into position, and the two of them tightly surrounded Lin Tian at the edge of the three-second zone!
Although Lin Tian remained calm under pressure, quickly dribbled the ball and found Christie who was following up, passing the ball to her with a bounce pass, Christie's layup was directly blocked by Duncan, who quickly turned around to help defend under the basket!
Then Duncan caught the basketball in mid-air, made a long one-handed swing, and the ball found Elliott who was running down the court, assisting him to easily make a layup!
"How's it going, Charles? Your old teammates seem to be falling behind!" Kenny said to Barkley with a smug look. "Why don't you go help them?"
"Shut up, Kenny, you basketball idiot! Lin hasn't even started his offense yet! Once he gets his touch, the Spurs will be in trouble!" Barkley scoffed. "On the contrary, the Spurs actually dare to play fast against the Pacers? They're courting death!"
Barkley was right. As long as the Pacers find their mid-range shooting touch, they can immediately dominate the Spurs in the mid-range. At the same time, if the Spurs really focus on playing fast, the Pacers will definitely teach them a lesson!
Unfortunately, the Spurs only managed one fast break in the first quarter; for most of the rest of the game, their offense would go into the final 7 seconds of the 24-second shot clock.
As for Lin Tian and even the Pacers, they couldn't find their rhythm throughout the entire first quarter!
Miller did hit a three-pointer, but it was a difficult three-pointer that he forced to jump and shoot under tight defense. For most of the first quarter, he was very uncomfortable due to the Spurs' defense!
As for Lin Tian, he had several opportunities to shoot from mid-range, and although he was determined to shoot and made one, it was clear that Lin Tian's touch had not returned. He only made 1 of 4 shots from mid-range.
If Lin Tian drives into the paint, the Spurs' pocket defense will immediately tighten, forming a double team around him and forcing him to pass the ball. With Miller completely shut down, Lin Tian won't have many options for passing.
In addition, Duncan's incredible defensive instincts and positioning meant that even if Lin Tian passed the ball out, he could always quickly turn around and cover for the ball!
In addition, the Spurs' tactical awareness and discipline are truly terrifying. In the first quarter, they gave most of their shots to their two inside players, and almost all of their three outside players' shots were wide-open three-pointers!
Although the Spurs' shooting touch was also average, they still managed to gain a lead in the first quarter thanks to their smooth system and advantage in the paint!
16: 22!
The Spurs lead the Pacers by 6 points!
In the second quarter, Lin Tian sat on the bench, watching Carter, Miller, and others battle it out on the court, while also carefully observing the Spurs' defense.
Having played professional basketball for over three years, Lin Tian still possesses exceptional insight. Coupled with the basketball analyses and games he had watched in his spare time in his previous life, he now has a thorough understanding of the Spurs' defensive system.
Simply put, the Spurs' defense is to create an opening to let you in, exposing the mid-range area, which is the least efficient and most difficult to control on the basketball court, to lure the opponent into shooting.
If the opponent chooses not to shoot and continues to attack the paint, the Spurs will set up defensive traps, double-teaming the opponent in the areas most likely to cause turnovers.
With Duncan and Robinson as their two pillars in the paint, their interior defense was almost impenetrable. In addition, their perimeter players were all hardworking and willing to do the dirty work. Their defensive system emphasized speed, good rotation, and almost never lost their positions!
Of course, while the Spurs' system looks impressive, it also has fatal flaws.
Because they selectively leave large areas of mid-range space open to lure opponents into shooting, they are afraid of superstars! Or rather, they are afraid of superstars who excel at mid-range shooting!
This is why, whenever they face Kobe, they are always utterly defeated and tremble in fear. Against the Lakers with Kobe, the Spurs have always had more losses than wins!
Other top stars who excel at shooting, such as Nowitzki, Stoudemire and Nash, and even Bonzi Wells, have all had the experience of having a hot hand and giving the Spurs a good beating!
Of course, they never played against Jordan's Bulls in the playoffs. If they had, the result would most likely have been even worse than against Kobe!
At the same time, those stars who are exceptionally talented but have average shooting skills and rely mainly on driving to the basket are prone to struggling against the Spurs, such as LeBron James in 07 and 14.
The reason the Heat were able to win in 2013, besides Ray Allen's clutch three-pointer and Ginobili's undercover performance, was that James' shooting was completely unleashed, especially in Game 7, where the Spurs were almost killed by James' shooting.
In stark contrast to the Spurs was the Celtics team that came a few years later.
The Spurs' offense is not very strong, they set up defensive traps, and collapse the paint to double-team.
That Celtics team, on the other hand, relied on pure physicality and strength, putting immense pressure on the ball handler at the high post to force turnovers or isolation plays, and then using Garnett's almost historically best help defense rotation ability to fill in the gaps.
The Celtics' defensive system is effective against shooting-oriented, skill-based stars. While LeBron James, a pure power player, has had some embarrassing moments against the Celtics, like the 18-2 scoreline, he also has many unstoppable highlights.
The reason is that James is better at physical confrontation. No matter who increases the intensity for him, the final result is that James will overwhelm them with his strength and physique.
Kobe's performance in the two series against the Celtics was far below his average level, and he struggled a lot.
This illustrates how different defensive strategies and systems affect different players.
The topic has drifted a bit off.
Sitting on the sidelines, Lin Tian knew that with the Spurs' interior players' abilities, the only way to beat them tonight was to shoot accurately!
Especially at mid-range!
If their mid-range shooting doesn't fall apart and their interior defense is dominated by the Spurs, then winning is practically a pipe dream!
At this point, three minutes of the second quarter had already elapsed.
With Elliott hitting another three-pointer, the Spurs' lead has reached 10 points!
Seeing this, Bird didn't dare let Lin Tian stay sitting on the sidelines any longer. He patted Lin Tian on the shoulder and said, "Lin..."
"Leave it to me, I'll figure out how to put that damn ball in the basket!" Lin Tian stood up. He knew what Bird wanted to say to him, and he knew what he should do at this moment.
Just do it!
No basket, no touch?
Let's think of a way to get the basket back!
Lin Tian stepped onto the court and glanced at the Spurs' lineup. Duncan was not on the court; Robinson and the team's backup power forward, Malik Rose, were currently anchoring the paint.
With Duncan out, that's a great opportunity!
On the first offensive possession after the timeout, Lin Tian received the inbound pass and quickly moved to the high post. He then completely ignored Jameson's chatter, lowered his center of gravity, accelerated, and charged towards the inside!
This time, Lin Tianchong was even more ferocious and aggressive. He showed no intention of stopping at mid-range and charged straight at Robinson!
Robinson, after all, is one of the four great centers, a dominant force who has won the scoring title and MVP. Of course, he couldn't tolerate Lin Tian's purely provocative style of play. He immediately adjusted his footwork, jumped up from the spot, and collided with Lin Tian in the air!
"Snapped!"
However, Robinson's outstretched hand didn't hit the basketball, but instead hit Lin Tian's hand! The basketball immediately went out of control and flew towards the baseline. After battling with Robinson in the air, Lin Tian lost his balance and crashed heavily to the floor!
The referee rushed over quickly and blew his whistle to prevent further conflict between the two sides.
"David Robinson commits a foul, 2 free throws!"
"Kid, if you want to die, you can come in anytime. If you come in a hundred times, I'll beat you up a hundred times!" Robinson looked down at Lin Tian and spat out trash talk viciously.
"Too bad, you can only take me down six times at most! Then you'll have to roll off the court." Lin Tian reached out and shook hands with Ben Wallace and Christie, then jumped up quickly with his teammates' help: "If you want to leave the court in the first half, keep fouling!"
After Lin Tian finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the free throw line. This was his solution!
If you can't make your shots, then settle down!
Calm down, aim at the basket, take a deep breath, and then try to find your rhythm with free throws!
"Whoosh!"
Lin Tian easily made his first free throw, and Duncan, who had just been sitting on the bench, immediately ran towards the court to replace Rose.
Popovich believed he had figured out Lin Tian's plan in one possession. He thought Lin Tian wanted to wear down the Spurs' interior defense by attacking and drawing fouls, so he immediately strengthened the interior defense and height!
Attack our inside game?
Lighting a lantern in a latrine—that's suicide!
Seeing the Spurs' twin towers reunite on the court so quickly, Lin Tian didn't show any disappointment or regret. Instead, he calmly made the second free throw and then stuck to Jameson. But when Jameson saw Lin Tian coming over and pressing him all over the court, he didn't even think about it and didn't look at the ball. Instead, he turned around and ran towards the frontcourt.
The ball was served to Elliott, who remained unhurried.
They slowly advanced while observing the defense.
Honestly, if we're just talking about pure ability, none of the Spurs' perimeter players can compare to Lin Tian or Miller, let alone Christie. Every single one of them is better than Christie in terms of overall ability!
But each of them also has one common advantage.
stable!
This Spurs team's perimeter game is incredibly stable!
Steady drive, steady passing, steady shooting!
If these guys went to other teams, most likely none of them would be able to make the starting lineup, but with the Spurs, they are the best supporting players for Duncan and Robinson.
The system that Popovich has created is perfect for these players to execute his tactics with the precision and care of machines!
Of course, Popovich himself knows that this is not enough!
He needs a catalyst! Someone who can revitalize the entire Spurs' offensive system, giving them some unpredictable attributes on offense, and who can score with the ball in crucial moments.
Originally, Popovich's choice was Lin Tian!
But now it's clearly impossible for Lin Tian.
On the sidelines, Popovich watched his players execute his tactics flawlessly, feeling both gratified and disappointed.
He actually really hoped that someone could disrupt his tactics and go up and "shoot" a few people randomly.
Popovich believes that only by finding that person can his Spurs team reach its true peak!
Then, a figure suddenly appeared in Popovich's mind.
A guy playing basketball in Italy, with long flowing hair, a graceful and elegant playing style, and overflowing with talent.
I wonder if this guy can keep improving and become someone who meets his own standards?
On the court at this moment, Duncan's return did not diminish Lin Tian's desire and determination to attack the paint in the slightest. He still easily passed Jason time and time again, and then charged towards Duncan and Robinson time and time again!
Then Lin Tian would throw himself into the air, causing a collision, and then look for an opportunity to strike!
From the moment Lin Tian entered the game with 9 minutes left in the second quarter until 3 minutes remained, for a full 6 minutes, Lin Tian relentlessly attacked the Spurs' interior!
During this period, he earned a total of 8 free throws and made them all. In addition, he made 1 of 3 drives to the basket without drawing a foul from the Spurs' interior defense.
During this period, Lin Tian not only scored 10 points, but also fouled David Robinson out early with his third foul, and drew a foul from both Duncan and Rose!
The Spurs' interior defense suddenly became a little risky for fouling!
After Lin Tian made his eighth free throw of the quarter, he felt that was enough!
After making so many free throws in a row, especially after fierce contact, Lin Tian believed that his shooting touch had returned!
Or rather, if he still can't get back into form after playing like this, then Lin Tian doesn't need to keep trying to find his rhythm tonight!
They can't come back!
So, after defending against the Spurs' attack once again, Lin Tian unusually slowed down the pace, signaling everyone to hold on. After arriving at the frontcourt, Lin Tian quickly called for an isolation play, instructing everyone to spread out for him. Then, looking at the wide-open mid-range area with no one around, Lin Tian began his attack!
It was still a simple and easy sudden acceleration, getting past James in one step, but this time Lin Tian did not attack the inside. Instead, he suddenly stopped near the free throw line, then pulled up and shot!
"Whoosh!"
With a crisp, clean click, Lin Tian's mid-range jump shot finally went in!
Not only did it go in, but Lin Tian's shot was also clean and crisp, the basketball flying straight towards the basket and creating a flurry of netting!
After Lin Tian made the shot, Popovich clenched his fists tightly, as if he had a very bad feeling!
And, very quickly, this premonition became a reality!
After Duncan easily made a low layup, Lin Tian came to the frontcourt again, blew past James once more, and fired another mid-range shot!
"Whoosh!"
At this moment, Popovich really wanted to promote Malik Rose to put some pressure on Lin Tian, but he didn't dare to let Rose completely let go of Schmitz, after all, this guy was also a mid-range expert!
Popovich hesitated, pondering whether to change his defensive strategy or not, betting that Lin Tian couldn't keep scoring.
Ultimately, Popovich decided not to make the trade!
At least don't make any substitutions in the first half! After all, Robinson already has 3 fouls, and it's too risky to bring him on in the last 2 minutes. Without Robinson, rashly changing the defensive strategy and methods will most likely have a negative impact on the team!
Just keep fighting like this!
The first half has already reached its final 20 seconds!
In the last two minutes, Lin Tian took four mid-range shots and made three of them! He has already scored 16 points in this quarter!
Compared to the 16 points he scored, Popovich was more worried about the method by which Lin Tian obtained those points.
Whether it's free throws or field goals, these are the things the Spurs least want to see, and the things that hurt the Spurs the most!
The score has now narrowed to 41-44! The Spurs' lead is now down to just 3 points!
Fortunately, Duncan made another strong attack in the low post and successfully drew another foul from Davis!
With 6 seconds left in the game, Duncan successfully stepped up to the free-throw line, and Popovich finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At the very least, the team will definitely not be behind in the first half!
If they make both free throws, the team will definitely go into the second half with the lead!
This is psychologically important to the players...
"Bang!"
The sound of a missed shot rang out; Duncan's first free throw went wide.
Popovich couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath!
Okay, they missed one shot, but as long as they can make one more, the Spurs will definitely go into halftime in the lead, which is a huge psychological advantage for the players!
During halftime, Popovich will reorganize the defense against Lin Tian to prevent him from scoring so easily!
"Bang!"
Popovich didn't even have time to think about how to set up tactics during halftime, and Duncan missed his second free throw.
"Fuck you! What's your rush, Tim! Take a deep breath! Take a deep breath before you shoot!" Popovich yelled in frustration! With only 15 seconds left on the free throw line, Duncan should have taken his shot in no more than 5 seconds. What's the rush?
After yelling, Popovich immediately opened his mouth again and shouted, "FUXX! Defense! Stick with this guy! Stick with him! Don't let him turn it into a fast break! Hurry up! What are you standing there for?!"
Popovich was so angry because after Ben Wallace grabbed the rebound, he immediately found Lin Tian, who then launched a swift counterattack!
With six seconds left, Lin Tian's speed and ability were more than enough for him to complete a full-court sprint layup. The entire Spurs team's nerves tightened rapidly due to Popovich's roar, and all the players quickly retreated to defend, trying to stop Lin Tian's decisive attack in the first half!
However, they were clearly on edge for too long!
There were so many people that four people rushed towards Lin Tian!
The only one with a clear head was Duncan! This guy occupied the middle lane by himself, guarding the team's defense as much as possible, while the other four ran towards Lin Tian like middle school girls who knew nothing about basketball.
Holy crap!
Even Lin Tian, to be honest, had never seen such a scene before, and couldn't help but utter a traditional Chinese curse. But as always, while Lin Tian used his national curse, he didn't hesitate at all and passed the basketball in his hands directly to Miller, who was following up in the middle!
Not only did he pass the ball, but Lin Tian also used a very stylish one-handed behind-the-back pass!
The entire Spurs quartet was completely dumbfounded. It was as if they were only now realizing that Lin Tian wasn't the only Pacers player on the court. But all they had time to do was turn around and look. Catching up? Impossible!
The only one who had time to defend Miller was Duncan. The big man stretched out his arms and lunged forward, trying to disrupt Miller's shot.
Even Duncan, being only a sophomore, was still a bit less experienced than Miller, who had played in the NBA for over a decade.
When Miller received the ball, there were less than 2 seconds left in the first half. Duncan never expected that Miller would dare to make a shooting fake in such a short time!
And then, he fell for it!
Duncan's feet left the ground uncontrollably, and the cunning Miller immediately jumped towards Duncan. After the two made contact in the air, Miller casually tossed the ball towards the basket with a shot put-like motion!
Whether this ball goes in or not is irrelevant now.
Anyway, I've got all three free throws. If they go in, I'll make a huge profit; if they don't, I won't lose anything!
then……
"Snap! Swish!"
Miller's three-pointer was almost a random shot, but the trajectory was extremely straight. It hit the backboard, bounced, and went straight into the basket!
With one second left in the first half, Miller completed a 3+1 play!
Moreover, this 3+1 is not a simple 3+1!
It also drew Duncan's third foul!
The Spurs' twin towers both had 3 fouls by halftime!
The second half was a bit unfavorable for the Spurs!
An excited Miller spread his arms wide and let out a series of excited roars; he was happy!
This kind of ball is absolutely rare and hard to come by!
Miller felt that this goal would definitely be among his top ten goals of his career!
Lin Tian hugged Miller tightly and said, "Well done, Reggie! Well done! I knew you could score!"
"Don't be ridiculous! I don't even believe I can make the shot, do you?" Miller said, pursing his lips to show that he didn't believe it at all.
But Lin Tian wasn't joking with him; Lin Tian genuinely believed him!
He passed the ball with one hand. Miller faked a shot after receiving it but did not dribble. Moreover, he shot the ball within 7 seconds of the start of the offense!
What do you call this kind of ball to Lin Tian? It's a ball where all elements are maximized!
Miller's shot may have looked like a forced attempt, but it was actually boosted by his "peak moment"!
Miller's shooting percentage increased by an additional 8% + 3% + 4% on that shot!
That's 15%!
If Miller still can't make the shot, he might as well go home and grow sweet potatoes!
The Pacers players were incredibly excited and made a huge fuss, while Popovich on the sidelines was so angry that he smashed his clipboard with one hand!
With 6 seconds left, it should have been a 5-point lead, but somehow it suddenly turned into a 1-point deficit going into the second half?
Popovich was so enraged he was almost irrational. He walked straight towards the referees: "Are you idiots? How could you call a foul on that! Tim didn't even move! He didn't even move! You bunch of damn idiots! How could you call that?!"
"And aren't any of you going to check the replay? It's timed out! This goal is 100% timed out! I demand a replay, it has to be replayed! Immediately!"
The referee didn't even bother to glance at Popovich's yelling and cursing, and simply raised his hands to give Popovich a technical foul!
Who do you think you are, yelling at our referee like that?
A rookie head coach in his third year, does he really think he's something special?
If you were a star player, a veteran head coach, or a championship-winning coach, or even if you were a great player, that would be one thing. But you're just a nobody rookie who's lucky enough to have two number one draft picks in the paint, and you're acting like a tyrant here?
No one would tolerate an old bastard like you!
Bird, who was standing on the other side of the court, couldn't hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
Is it possible to just give away points like this?
Bird was just thinking about how to quickly turn the tide in the second half when they were down by 5 points.
But the moment I opened and closed my eyes... *snap*!
What's wrong?
We're leading by 2 points!
wonderful!
He's amazing on the NBA court!
Yes, of course, it's still a tie, and we haven't taken the two free throws yet.
But who is Miller?
With a free throw percentage of 91% this season, he ranks first in the NBA!
The probability of him missing a free throw is negligible.
At this point, the referees went to the scorer's table. They needed to check if there was still time left when the ball went in, and whether they needed to reset the clock. They were very meticulous!
But Popovich kept shaking his head. Clearly, Popovich, who was not experienced enough, could not accept what was happening in front of him. He still felt it was surreal.
Until someone came over, patted him on the shoulder and said, "It's okay, you'll get used to it. This is nothing. More outrageous things will happen to you in the future."
"Thank you, but... I don't need you to comfort me!" Popovich was just about to express his gratitude when he thought it was one of the assistant coaches coming to comfort him.
But when he turned his head, he saw Lin Tian.
Popovich immediately ignored him, swatting away Lin Tian's arm and turning to walk into the player tunnel, ignoring Miller's upcoming free throws.
He's furious!
I need to relieve myself!
Lin Tian helplessly spread his hands and shrugged. God help him, he had just sincerely said this to Popovich.
In a few years, they may do many similar foolish things.
For example, someone scored 13 points in 35 seconds.
For example, in a Game 7 of the playoffs, with 20 seconds left and the team leading by three points, when the opponent was about to make a layup, one of their own players fouled, giving the opponent a 2+1 play, which led to the game going into overtime and ultimately resulting in a loss.
Compared to those top-tier moments, this 3+1+1 in the first half is nothing!
The referees had already reviewed the replay at the scorer's table and confirmed that the call was not a mistake. However, Miller was fouled by Duncan when he took the shot, so the clock had to be stopped according to the rules. Therefore, the referees gave back 0.4 seconds to the first half.
Because of Popovich's technical foul, those 0.4 seconds didn't belong to the Spurs; it belonged to the Pacers!
Miller, with a relaxed and smiling expression, stepped to the free-throw line and easily made both shots. Bird even made a substitution!
He first called a timeout, then brought in five people: Carter, Lin Tian, Miller, Schmitz, and Mullin.
Four players who can shoot and one big man ready to drive to the basket.
Then, Bird's true nature of just putting on an act was revealed.
He didn't even bother to plan the tactics for this possession. There were only 0.4 seconds left, and if the Spurs made a mistake, they wouldn't be able to launch a fast break. So he simply waved to Lin Tian and said, "It's up to you."
Lin Tian ignored Bird's hands-off approach and didn't back down from the bench. Instead, he gathered his four teammates together and gave them a simple tactical instruction.
Then, as the timeout ended, Lin Tian unexpectedly stood on the sideline, ready to serve.
"Wow! This amazing 6 seconds has a sequel!" Barkley exclaimed excitedly from the commentary booth. "I know Lin too well! Normally, he would try to catch the ball and shoot in this situation, but since he's in the inbounds position, there's only one reason."
"This guy has come up with a brilliant idea to target the Spurs!"
"It's only 0.4 seconds. What kind of idea could Lin come up with? It's just throwing it towards the basket and seeing who can get an alley-oop. Letting Lin inbound the ball is obviously just because he has the best passing ability and the most accurate passes!"
One of Kenny's jobs was to contradict Barkley to ensure the show's entertainment value, so he didn't hesitate to refute him.
"Let's wait and see!"
Barkley chuckled, indicating that he believed in his teammates.
As for the Spurs, Popovich didn't return. He was quite unhappy with his assistant coach's request for him to come back and directly refused.
"In just 0.4 seconds, they can't even get a proper score!" Popovich, furious, simply gave up.
As soon as the referee blew the whistle, the Pacers players began to run at full speed.
First, Miller ran from the inside towards the top of the arc, then Mullin cut from the left wing to the right wing, and then Schmitz set a screen for Miller from beyond the three-point line and sprinted towards the free-throw line. Miller, without stopping, started running towards the baseline.
Lin Tian failed to pass the ball despite several opportunities presented to him.
Just as the 5-second inbounds time was about to expire, Carter, who was originally sprinting towards the basket, suddenly turned and ran back towards the top of the arc. Elliott, who was following him, immediately accelerated to catch up, but just as Carter reached the vicinity of the free throw line, he changed direction again and ran back. This time, Carter also used Schmitz's screen!
Elliott was completely blocked by the sudden screen, and in that instant, the ball in Lin Tian's hand flew towards the basket.
Carter, who was sprinting towards the basket, was now completely unguarded.
He calculated his steps, jumped gracefully, and then, to the astonishment of the entire stadium, Carter turned his back to the basket, skillfully caught the basketball with both hands, and then smoothly pushed it into the basket!
"boom!"
With a not-too-loud sound, Carter and Lin Tian completed a stunning alley-oop buzzer-beater score in just 0.4 seconds!
The Spurs' home crowd was completely stunned!
Those six seconds just now felt incredibly long!
It was so long that they simply couldn't believe it or accept it!
The game went on long enough for the team to go from a 3-point lead to a 4-point deficit!
In just 6 seconds, the Pacers scored an incredible 7 points!
"I told you! I told you! I told you Lin had a plan!" Barkley shouted excitedly. The Pacers' play just now was truly spectacular!
Of course, the success of this tactic was also partly due to Popovich simply walking away without setting up a final defense. Otherwise, if he had just assigned one player to the basket, Carter wouldn't have been able to dunk on him like that.
At this moment, Carter had already let go of his hands that were hanging on the rim, and stood under the basket with a blank and indifferent expression, his arms swinging back and forth. His expression was both arrogant and calm!
This is enough to enrage and frustrate all Spurs fans.
Who can you blame when your own team pulls off such a miraculous play?
Blame God?
At this moment, Popovich stormed out of the player tunnel in a fit of rage.
"What the hell! Damn it! What on earth is that?! You couldn't defend a Pacers dunk with 0.4 seconds left? Are you kidding me? Are you guys fucking middle schoolers who haven't been weaned yet? How could you make such a mistake?"
Popovich was furious, and no one on the Spurs dared to say, "It was you who left first, which led to our mistakes. You were the one who gave the technical foul, and you were the one who left early without giving any instructions. How can you blame us for this?"
Popovich was furiously berating his players, while just 5-6 meters away, Carter was being lifted up like a hero by his teammates, who were celebrating wildly!
This shot was absolutely the most spectacular and elegant one Carter has made in his 20 games in the league!
Even though Carter's career has only just begun, he already wants to include this shot in his career's top ten plays!
So cool!
He really loves this ball!
In an instant, the two teams, separated by only a few meters, had completely different moods and feelings, even though the score difference was only four points. In those six seconds, the Spurs went from heaven to hell, experiencing an extreme! After such a dramatic rise and fall, their problems were not just about falling behind.
Their mentality is very likely to change in the second half of the game!
If they can't adjust their mindset during halftime, they might collapse in the second half and be outscored by the Pacers, who could quickly widen the score gap!
Popovich's job at halftime is no easy task. He first has to calm his own rage, then soothe the players' mentality, and then devise a reasonable tactic that can effectively stop Lin Tian's shooting while protecting Duncan and Robinson so that their foul counts do not increase rapidly.
As for the Pacers, their job was relatively simpler. The seven consecutive points in the last six seconds gave the Pacers players a huge boost of confidence!
To put it more arrogantly, Bird didn't even need to devise any tactics at halftime. He could just let the team continue playing like they did in the second half of the second quarter. As long as Lin Tian could maintain his touch, that would be enough to win the game!
However, Bird was clearly not going to be a hands-off manager like Popovich. During halftime, he not only laid out detailed tactics but also changed the team's starting lineup!
"Their perimeter lineup is old and weak; our perimeter players can completely overwhelm them. Their twin towers both picked up three fouls in the first half! So our first priority in the second half is to attack! Keep attacking their interior, draw fouls, and wear down their two big men quickly!"
"So, I need impact! I need to maintain that impact from the start of the second half, so Doug..."
"I'm fine! I can come off the bench!" The clever Christie immediately nodded in agreement when she heard that Bird wanted to increase the impact of the attack, showing no reluctance to keep her starting position.
"Very good, then Vince, you're starting in the second half. Break down their defense! If you have the chance, drive or shoot!"
"Tonight is your chance to make a name for yourself and let everyone know who you are!"
"Go, go tell the world who the best player of the 1998 draft class is!"
(End of this chapter)