On the evening of April 23, AT&T Arena was packed with seats, and players entered the stadium amidst the cheers of the Holy City fans.
You know, the Spurs almost swept the Trail Blazers 4:0 last year. Who would have thought that this year, the Spurs would only be swept 4:0 by the Trail Blazers.
How can this be tolerated?
"Blow them up!"
"Fuck them to death!"
Before the game started, all the Holy City fans couldn't wait to start shouting slogans. Wave after wave of shouts pushed the home atmosphere of AT&T Arena to one climax after another.
"Must win! Must win! Must win..."
I don’t know who started it, but the shouts were gradually replaced by "We must win"...
At this moment, countless Holy City fans were staring at the Blazers led by Wang Zelin. They didn't know how much they expected that the faces of the young Blazers would show expressions of terror and despair because of the fanatical atmosphere at the scene.
.
Unfortunately, they were disappointed in the end.
From the moment they entered the field, even under overwhelming pressure, Wang Zelin and his teammates never changed their expressions. They performed better than the Spurs tonight.
On the Spurs side, on the other hand, some players had even started to warm up, and their foreheads were covered with fine sweat.
The fanatical support of home fans can sometimes be like a double-edged sword, hurting others as well as yourself.
After 15 minutes, the game started.
Jump ball in the center circle.
Pa~
"As expected, the King won again, the Blazers had the ball!"
Yu Jia shouted excitedly.
"Although we are playing as an away team, the momentum of the Trail Blazers is really..."
As he spoke, Zhang Lili shook his head with great emotion.
"Block him, don't let him charge!"
Sima Weici lived up to his calm start in the first two games. As soon as he saw Wang Zelin jumping to the ball, he started to scream.
Split blocked it immediately...
Useless!
In the end, under Duncan's desperate obstruction, Wang Zelin did not get close to the basket immediately, but instead moved to the low post on the right wing, ready to reach for the ball.
After Lillard advanced to the frontcourt, Tony Buck defended, Leonard defended Batum, Duncan followed Aldridge, Danny Green and Matthews were making crazy moves.
Seeing that the opponent was playing man-on-man defense, Lillard quickly made a decision. First, he asked Batum to squat in the corner of the right wing, and then picked and rolled with Wang Zelin to break through the baseline, using the basket to finish or attract the opponent's low corner to defend Batum.
Leonard of Tumu did not defend and quickly released the ball.
"Whoosh!"
Wang Zelin received the ball at the free throw line, made a half-shot shot, and made a hit.
The Trail Blazers scored the first offense!
After the game started, the Trail Blazers played well offensively, but the Spurs had long been prepared for this situation. After only a few rounds, Duncan singled out Aldridge and caused Matthews to help defend.
A foul occurred and when the free throw was entered, Ginobili was suddenly replaced.
Then, the Spurs took the initiative to attack!
Tony Parker, Ginobili, Leonard, Duncan, and Splitter, this is already the Spurs' most powerful offensive lineup, and they start the offensive mode as soon as they come up!
Ever since the Spurs made the substitutions, the Trail Blazers have been unable to defend themselves!
That doesn't mean that they don't have the ability to attack the Spurs. Later, it means how poor their defensive work is. The real reason is that the Spurs' change of formation caught Wang Zelin and others by surprise.
People all have habitual thinking.
In the opening stages of the first two games, the two teams were, as expected, competing on defense to see who was tougher.
But unexpectedly, the Spurs took the initiative to make changes tonight. Judging from the way they played in the first quarter, they did not hesitate to sacrifice defense for the sake of offense.
Duncan and Parker were on full fire. Duncan restrained Wang Zelin's defense in the mid-range and low post, while Parker and Ginobili were responsible for threading the needle. With their weird breakthroughs, they could always create excellent open shooting opportunities for other teammates.
The Spurs suddenly went wild, their firepower was so fierce that the Trail Blazers could no longer withstand it.
At the end of the first quarter, when everyone was thinking about the score, they suddenly woke up and their eyes narrowed.
At 33:22, the Spurs led by 11 points in the first quarter at home.
"Yes!"
AT&T instantly turned on the frenzy mode. This should be the first time since the series started that the Spurs achieved the largest lead over the Trail Blazers before the end of the first half.
The double-digit point difference was like a shot in the arm, hardening the Spurs players and fans, making them more optimistic about the team's victory.
Trail Blazers bench.
Coach Terry Stotts was just silent for a moment, and then his face returned to calmness.
From the perspective of most people, the Spurs were able to take a double-digit lead after the first quarter mainly because they caught the Trail Blazers off guard. Then the Trail Blazers only need to make timely strategic adjustments and attack the Spurs.
.
After all, when it comes to team offense, the Portland Trail Blazers, the only interior duo in the professional league that averages 20 points per game, have never been feared by any team.
When it comes to offense, they are professionals!
However, as Terry Stotts seemed to feel lost, he suddenly looked up at Yan Yan and Spurs coach Smarovich who were chatting and laughing with the players on the opposite bench, and an inexplicable flash of something bad flashed in his heart.
Immediately afterwards, the whole person suddenly understood something.
No, he can never compete offensively with the Spurs.
At least not now.
Because he understands that if he insists on attacking with the Spurs, he will only end up being brought into the Spurs' offensive rhythm.
Don't forget, the Spurs' offensive capabilities are also among the top in the league.
With an 11-point advantage, if the Spurs can maintain sufficient efficiency and level in their subsequent offense, they might be able to snowball the Blazers' fighting spirit and win the game.
Knowing this, why not...
Soon, the second quarter began and players from both sides returned to the court.
"Eh? What kind of lineup is this? Do the Blazers want to focus on defense?"
Yu Jia immediately expressed his doubts. After speaking, he subconsciously took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes.
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content! "Do the opposite!"
Zhang Lijia on the side was thoughtful and continued to watch the game on the field quietly.
The other end.
In front of the Spurs bench.
After seeing his opponent's change of formation, Sima Weiqi couldn't help but frowned.
As soon as the combination of Beverley Connett Lee, Batum, Garnett and Wang Zelin, the second player of the Trail Blazers came up, he knew that the Trail Blazers would not let the Spurs attack so easily.
However, after the plan was seen, Sima Weiwei was not too anxious and still silently observed the progress of the game.
On the field.
Spurs attack.
The first attack was of course led by Duncan without giving up any ground.
As soon as Duncan caught the ball, one of the Blazers' players was filled with joy and excited to wrap around him.
Who is this person?
Kevin Garnett!
Regardless of career achievements or the heights reached by the team, Duncan is worthy of being praised as the number one power forward in the 21st century, and even the number one power forward in history.
But don't forget, Garnett is not one of the best power forwards since the 21st century. Now he has won a regular season MVP trophy at his peak, which is enough to prove Garnett's terrifying strength at his peak.
Among them, "from one defense to five" is a highly personal label belonging to Garnett at his peak.
Looking back on the field now, the confrontation between the two old guys who are already 38 years old and both wearing the No. 21 jersey makes people's consciousness go into a trance, as if they have returned to ten years ago, back to the peak stone Buddha vs. peak wolf
The age of kings.
For a moment, everyone in the AT&T stands stopped shouting. Everyone held their breath and watched the duel between the two No. 21s on the field.
To be honest, when Terry Stotts chose to put Garnett at the 4th position to face Duncan, he had already anticipated the collision between the two legendary power forwards.
But when all this actually happened, his mood was the same as that of most ordinary fans in the stands, with the same excitement and emotion.
Opposite Duncan, Garnett, who was known as a master of trash talk in his early years, always kept his lips tightly closed and had a serious expression.
It's not that he doesn't want to complain, it's because he knows the guy in front of him too well...
One ice cube, so boring!
The next moment, Duncan changed from face to back. Just as he was about to exert force, Garnett took the lead and hit Duncan's back with his chest.
After being hit, Duncan made a muffled sound unconsciously from his nostrils, almost calling the headquarters as an example.
Fortunately, the basic skills are indeed the basic skills.
The moment he was hit, Duncan took advantage of his strength, turned around suddenly, slid down, dribbled with his right hand, held down Garnett with his left hand, and drove straight to the basket.
"Don't even think about it!"
Although he is old, Garnett's defensive sense is among the best in history and his reactions are quick.
What's more, the person he is facing is not an old guy.
"Bang!"
A violent physical collision occurred in the reasonable collision area. Duncan raised his hand and was about to lay up. Garnett jumped up with an excited look on his face...
"call!"
A slap touched the air.
Look again, it’s a fake shot, Duncan’s slightly backward shot...
"Whoosh!"
Hit!
The Spurs got off to a great start in this quarter.
At 35:22, the point difference between the two teams reached 13 points.
"ah!!!!"
In the duel between these two legendary power forwards, Duncan finally won. This scene greatly stimulated the home fans in the stands, and huge cheers suddenly broke out.
"MVP! MVP! MVP..."
On the bench, coach Sima Wei and main player Danny Green stood up and looked at Duncan with excitement in his eyes.
This man, he did it again.
"Defend! Defend! Defend..."
Immediately afterwards, during the transition between offense and defense, tens of thousands of Spurs fans began to chant the slogan "Defense" in unison.
In this regard, whether it was Lillard who was in charge or other players on the field, their expressions were always indifferent and they continued to attack.
"Give me one!"
The Wolf King has never been a generous person.
It is the nature of the wolf to retaliate against evil!
After being scored by an old rival, Garnett was able to regain his composure.
In the short corner on the left wing, Garnett wants the ball.
Lillard passed the ball and Duncan defended.
As we all know, Duncan has a unique skill called "45-degree mid-range shot!"
Garnett, who was one of the league's superstars at his peak, was also indispensable for his unique skills.
Its name is: "Iron-Blooded Jumper!"
Perhaps in the eyes of later generations of fans, Garnett's unique skill "iron-blooded jump shot" is full of ridicule in many cases. But one thing is that in the fourth year of his career, he became a member of the 20-point club and scored 9 consecutive points as soon as he entered.
In 2006, Galit's offensive force was not as well-known as his defense, which reached the top level in the league, but his scoring ability at his peak was definitely at the top level of the league.
One lean, one push, then turn over and face the basket and shoot.
Even a first-defense player like Duncan who played 8 times couldn't help but marvel at Garnett's long arms.
There is really no way to interfere!
Before he could turn around, there was a crisp sound of threading through the net behind him, making Duncan's already silent expression become even more silent.
No one thought that the next half of the quarter would be a showdown between two old boys, Garnett and Duncan.
But let alone, the media on the sidelines and the fans in the audience watched it with great interest.
What I have to admit is that this kind of duel is really worth watching and cherishing.
At 5 minutes and 32 seconds into the second quarter, Garnett faced Duncan's defense and made a solid layup with his right foot under the basket. After scoring his seventh point in the quarter, the Spurs called a timeout.
Currently, the score on the field is 47:38, and the Spurs are still 9 points ahead. The situation is excellent.
But did Sima Wei feel good? He knew that he seemed to have been tricked by TMD.
The showdown between Duncan and Garnett during this period was very eye-catching. Both the program effect and the sensation it caused were extraordinary.
But don't forget that the 38-year-old Duncan is still the core of the Spurs' defensive system. At the same time, he also serves as a high-position beacon. He is extremely important to the operation of the entire Spurs team.
Normally, Sima Wei would like to break Duncan's physical exertion in half.
But now?
He was actually stupid enough to let Duncan fight with Garnett for half a quarter.
Garnett has a great reputation, but it really depends on his importance to a team, or others cannot compare to Duncan's importance to the Spurs.
At this stage, Garnett is at best an important substitute and a bench gangster for Portland.
But he actually...
Shet!
The more Smavich thought about it, the angrier he became. He couldn't help but cast a sharp look at Terry Stotts opposite him: I never expected that such an honest man with thick eyebrows and big eyes could also play dirty tricks!
"What's wrong, Greg?"
After returning to the bench, Duncan showed an expression. Obviously, he was still immersed in the duel with Garnett just now.
Just like fans always lament that "one less game is played by an old star", so is Duncan himself.
No one can stop the erosion of time. As age increases, the strength of players of the same generation as myself will inevitably decline. Now, to be able to have such a fierce battle with Garnett is officially a stone Buddha.
Even though he has a cold temperament, he can't help but feel his blood boiling.
"Tim, we've been fooled."
Seeing the naive and ignorant look on Duncan's face, Sima Wei couldn't help but wailed.
"???"
The next moment, the No. 21 rookie of the Eternal Holy City was even more confused.