The Spurs did not attend the press conference after the G3 game, so the outside world does not know what the Spurs' state was like after losing the game.
Two days later, G4 of the series between the Nuggets and Spurs continued in Denver.
Duncan is out!
Because the Spurs did not attend a press conference before and had closed training before the game, no one knew what happened to the Spurs.
But the result was that Duncan did not appear at the game, not even on the bench!
No one knew until after the game started that Duncan had flown back to San Antonio overnight after the last game.
No one even knows whether he will play in the next game!
Without Duncan, the Nuggets' momentum throughout the game was even higher.
This scene is like the 18th princes fighting at Hulao Pass, only to find that Lu Bu is not there!
Why don't you go into the city to kill Dong Zhuo and snatch Diao Chan?
With both guns on full fire, Lin Ying dispatched the Nuggets team to move in and out, performing various flying and escaping maneuvers.
Although the Spurs played tenaciously, they were defeated at halftime and ultimately lost by a score of 71 to 102.
3 to 1!
The Nuggets seized the opportunity of two home games and got the match point in the series!
They are really going to beat the Spurs!
And if they win the next game, they will return the 4-1 score that the Spurs gave them last year intact!
The future is bright. At the post-game press conference, Anthony even made a joke:
"I'm already thinking about my opponents for the next round."
In the first round of 2003, McGrady led the Magic, which was eighth in the Eastern Conference, to defeat the Pistons, which was ranked first in the Eastern Conference.
After 4 games, the Pistons unexpectedly led 3-1.
At that time, Tracy McGrady was young and energetic, and said this: It feels so good to enter the second round.
This sentence was later translated by the media as "I am already thinking about my opponents in the next round."
Later, in order to speak for McGrady, some fans changed this sentence to "If it were last year, I would already be thinking about my opponents in the next round."
So this, like Iverson's training, has become a meme.
It's just that Anthony was playing tricks at this time, and Lin Ying felt dizzy when he heard it.
Brother, can't we change to something else to play with?
This is not a good joke!
All I can say is that Anthony is so casual!
…
G5 of the series will be played in San Antonio, and this time there will still be a three-day break.
At this time, the league announced the third batch of awards, Sportsmanship Award and Best Defensive Player.
The best defensive player was won by Celtics' Garnett. He averaged 9.2 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.3 blocks per game in the regular season.
This is also the first time in Garnett's career that he has been elected DPOY.
Interestingly, Camby ranked second in this selection, averaging 13.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 3.6 blocks per game.
Lin Ying also received votes and ranked eighth.
This ranking may seem a little low, but it’s actually pretty good.
Because ahead of him are Battier, Bowen, Kobe, Josh Smith, Howard, and Paul.
Behind him is Duncan.
Except for Camby's random intrusion, everyone else's defensive capabilities are solid.
So you can better understand why Ginobili's honors are so pitiful.
In this era where a hundred flowers are blooming, getting an honor is like competing in a round of the finals with someone else.
The sportsmanship award went to Grant Hill of the Suns.
This is the second time Hill has received this honor since the 2004-2005 season, and he has become the only player in history to win this honor twice.
However, the Suns are not in a very good situation now, so they have the home court advantage, but they are already 1-3 behind and on the verge of elimination.
Let’s talk about a matchup between other groups in the Western Conference.
The Lakers have swept the Mavericks 4-0, and the Hornets have led the Rockets 3-1.
If nothing else happens, the second round will be the Lakers vs. Nuggets, and the Hornets vs. Jazz.
…
The day before G5.
AT&T Training Center in San Antonio.
The Spurs are still closed to the outside world for training.
Duncan did not show up for training.
The Spurs' morale is obviously low.
Popovich frowned.
In NBA history, only three defending champions have been eliminated in the first round of the second round.
The last team was the 2006 championship Mavericks, and the next one was, yes, the Spurs.
If this happens again, like Hill before, he will become the only player in history to score twice.
But compared with Hill's, his reputation obviously doesn't have a good reputation.
But now he can't do anything.
Duncan's unexpected injury this time and the information he received from the team doctor indicate that he must make early plans.
If you continue to only fuck Duncan like in the past, then it will really be a hammer!
Just as Popovich was thinking about it, suddenly there was a commotion among the people training on the court.
He turned around and saw a familiar yet unexpected figure.
Duncan!
Moreover, he is still wearing training clothes!
Didn't the team doctor tell him that Duncan wouldn't be able to play in the next games?
Why is Duncan still here and wearing training clothes like this?
After the accident, he turned around and walked towards Duncan and communicated for a while.
He originally thought that Duncan was here to boost morale, but he was wrong.
"Old man, I'm ready to go on stage tomorrow night."
It's a very simple sentence, but it gives people an unspeakable feeling.
"Your injury?"
Popovich hesitated to speak.
“Better than expected.”
Duncan said it very calmly and tactfully.
Popovich glanced at the team doctor who came with him.
The team doctor forced a smile and nodded reluctantly.
"Old man, it's much better than before. I have one and a half legs. It's no problem to fight."
Duncan knew Popovich's character and finally told the truth.
"This is my choice, and believe me, I have discretion."
After Duncan finished speaking, he didn't say much. After habitually pressing Popovich's shoulder, he went to greet the players.
Soon, there was a burst of cheers from the Spurs players.
Duncan's return is undoubtedly the best shot in the arm for them!
Looking at Duncan, Popovich finally agreed to Duncan's choice.
Although he was very reluctant, he suddenly realized that it was the master of psychology in front of him who had pushed him to this point.
Then admit it!
Although this will make Lin Ying and others gloat for the time being, after staying in this alliance for so long, he understands another truth:
History is written by the victors!
As long as the game is won, who will remember what a rookie said?
After completing the title defense, what the fans saw later were only comments that were beneficial to them!
Oh yes, and what that idiot Anthony said.
He was lacking something to boost team morale.
If Duncan comes back, it's time for another wave.
…
On the day of the game, the Spurs officially announced that Duncan would play in G5.
After being closed for so many days, such news suddenly broke out. The purpose is very clear, naturally it is to boost the morale of the fans.
So when G5 actually started, AT&T Arena was not only full, but the fans' enthusiasm was extremely strong.
The king returns.
This is not the first time this kind of scene has been performed in the NBA. In history, Willis Reed's performance with the Knicks is also the most talked about among fans.
But such a scene will not lose its luster just because it happened once.
Duncan's comeback is the perfect "return of the king" for Spurs fans!
Lin Ying actually didn't expect Duncan to come back.
So when Anthony makes jokes, he just complains.
Knowing that Duncan would come back, he went to hold Anthony's mouth on the spot!
And Duncan's comeback will have an extremely huge impact on the game.
Basketball is more about skills, but it is always more than skills.
Why did the Nuggets defeat the Spurs at halftime with Duncan absent in the last game? Isn't it just a psychological difference?
The same goes for the Spurs now.
The competition is very fierce.
This is the most intense game in the series.
Duncan of the Spurs came back to fight against the odds, and coupled with the constant cheers and shouts from the fans in the audience, the momentum was overwhelming.
Although Duncan's help on the field was limited due to injuries, the moral boost he brought to the Spurs was immense.
On the Nuggets side, the Match Point players also have a huge desire for victory.
The collision of muscles on the field is exciting and exciting.
"This is definitely an NBA Finals-level confrontation."
Even Yang Yi sighed with emotion more than once.
That is to say, in such a confrontation, details become what determines the outcome of the game.
Karl is still catching Ginobili's single defense and Duncan's inability to come out, while Popovich is also catching Anthony's lateral movement, Iverson's single defense, and even the Nuggets' defensive rotation.
Lin Ying is a bit overwhelmed.
Under this level of confrontation, even a physical monster like him can't stand it.
But he was gritting his teeth, just like Duncan frowning but still taking every step firmly.
The two sides fought fiercely until the fourth quarter. To everyone's surprise, Duncan, who had had no desire to attack before, suddenly started scoring consecutively.
It feels like holding back the blue bar and waiting for the last moment to make a big move.
His offense was quick and decisive, giving the Nuggets no chance to double-team.
Moreover, the Nuggets did not have the physical ability to double-team at this point in the game.
Obviously, this is not Popovich's arrangement, but Duncan's own strategy.
Invincible.
In the end, the Spurs defeated the Nuggets 96-91 at home and tied the score to 2-3!
Duncan's final statistics were 13 points and 15 rebounds, an ordinary double-double, but he was the biggest contributor to the Spurs' victory.
Sometimes, you really can't just look at the data.
Lin Ying learned a lot from this game.
It's not about playing with injuries or the return of the king, but the way Duncan handles injuries.
And he didn’t contribute anything in the first three quarters!
His many pick-and-rolls and containment ensured Parker and Ginobili's scoring.
In this game, GP scored 31 points and 27 points respectively, totaling 58 points.
…
It's a pity to lose in G5, but the Nuggets' morale is not bad.
Karl also acted relatively calmly at the press conference after the game.
"The Spurs performed very well tonight, but the next game is at home."
Simple statistics show that the Nuggets won both home games in the series, with a winning rate of 100%.
Moreover, Duncan can only bring you one moral boost. The Nuggets have a much higher probability of winning the next game than the Spurs.
Lin Ying also feels that the Nuggets have greater hope of winning G6.
As long as the two guns don't fall off the chain.
Well, if there is a chance to do it again, Lin Ying guarantees that he will never have such thoughts.
Because of the double guns, the chain is really off!
In fact, maybe this can't be called a break, because it seems to be a matter of course.
Their performance before was too good.
In fact, Iverson has always been very strong. No matter how you explain his shooting rate in the playoffs, which is less than 40%, it is a bit pale.
Anthony is also half-measured, he is also the type who is a god in the regular season but a ghost in the playoffs.
Of course, in addition to their own factors, their sudden performance dive was mostly due to the Spurs' defense!
How did the Pistons pull off their comeback magic back then?
It's defense!
McGrady was extremely uncomfortable when Prince was guarding him, and the Pistons' defensive system made McGrady want to die.
The Spurs are doing the same thing now.
Then when both guns started to strike, Lin Ying suddenly realized that the contribution he could make was limited.
Regardless of the outcome of this year's playoffs, he must really develop his ball control this summer!
Including special training with Duncan, he also needs to perfect his low post skills.
Only by doing it yourself can you truly have enough food and clothing.
The Nuggets ultimately failed to defend this home court.
After losing this home court, they were tied 3-3 by the Spurs.
The Spurs are telling everyone with practical actions that it is not that easy to defeat an established team like them.
Speaking of which, the series between the Spurs and the Hornets this year in history was very similar to this.
The Spurs lost the first two games, both by close to 20 points.
In the battle of Tianwang Mountain, they lost by almost 30 points.
But in the end, they relied on defensive reversal to win in the tiebreaker.
Although the situation is different now, there is essentially no difference between the two Spurs.
Even because of Duncan's return as the king, the mental attributes of this Spurs team are even higher!
The game was dragged into a tiebreaker, and it was still at the Spurs' home court.
There are already many fans waiting to see Anthony's jokes.
Moreover, the fans’ words are very heart-wrenching, the kind that hit two people in a row.
"Isn't he the next T-mac?"
Before the game between the Nuggets and Spurs, the Rockets were eliminated by the Hornets 1-4.
Although Tracy McGrady played a closed game, he still failed to lead his team beyond the first round.
And Anthony, the same!
From 2005 to 2007, it was the first round for three consecutive years, and they were all 1-4, twice with the Spurs and once with the Clippers. Isn't this the next Tracy McGrady?
Of course, the most suffocating thing was what Anthony said after G4, imitating Tracy McGrady.
McGrady and Denver scored a real blow!
…
Anthony didn't go to the post-game press conference, and Karl kept rubbing his forehead, not knowing what to say.
There may really be only one door between heaven and hell.
And if we lead 3-1 and are reversed 3-4 in the end, it may be even worse than being defeated 1-4 last year.
Iverson didn't know what to say, so the reporter finally turned his question to Lin Ying.
Although considering Lin Ying's "glorious deeds" interviewed in the past, that was the question they would only think of as a last resort.
"I think great games come from great opponents."
Lin Ying seemed to be relatively calm.
"Tim is a great opponent."
But what he said next made the reporters laugh.
Even Iverson and Karl laughed.
I just don’t want to praise Popovich! Not even remotely!
And there seems to be nothing wrong with it. The Spurs were able to tie the big score just because of Duncan's return as the king.
The atmosphere at the scene seemed to have relaxed a bit.
"But I still think we have a better chance of winning."
Immediately afterwards, Lin Ying expressed his judgment.
"I once told my teammates that Tim would never play a game like G2 again, and it is true. What I want to say now is that AI and Melo will never play a bad performance like tonight again. That's right.
will become a fact."
Then, he said with a firm tone.
If these words were said by other rookies, the reporters below would definitely laugh at him.
You, a rookie, are not talking nonsense, but these words are different when they come from Lin Ying's mouth.
After all, if one were to rank his ability to respond to reporters’ questions, Lin Ying would be at least diamond level.
And this was actually not meant for reporters, but for Karl and Iverson.
Regardless of whether you can play well in the next game or whether you can win, you must first rebuild your confidence.
If the confidence is gone, it will only be a matter of time before the Magic follows in the footsteps of the past.
Chapter completed!