The Spurs turned around and used their twin towers for some inside play, with Duncan powerfully dunking on Horry!
Well, Horry's situation today might be a bit tragic...
In the first quarter, both sides played quite evenly. The Spurs attacked the paint with their twin towers, while the Lakers used their perimeter threat to create one-on-one opportunities for O'Neal in the post. Neither team could pull away.
During the rotation period, the Lakers' "disappointed brothers," Campbell and Van Exel, showed good chemistry, overpowering the Spurs' bench.
To be honest, the Spurs' current bench lacks core players, and their overall strength is indeed no match for the Lakers.
Popovich, in order to turn the tide of the unfavorable rotation period, brought in David Robinson early, letting the Admiral stabilize the situation and prevent the Lakers from widening the score.
By halftime, the score was 51:50, essentially a tie.
As the third quarter began, Duncan suddenly exerted his dominance in the paint. David Robinson boxed out O'Neal, and Duncan overpowered Horry for rebounds. The Spurs consistently grabbed offensive boards, ensuring they scored on almost every possession.
He Ximeng, perhaps having used up all his good luck from the previous game, had an abysmal shooting performance. Of his four attempts from the perimeter so far in this game, none went in, a stark contrast to his accuracy in the previous game.
Eddie Jones had a decent shooting percentage from beyond the arc in the first half, but he also suddenly went cold in the third quarter.
With He Ximeng and Eddie Jones' three-point shots both faltering, the Lakers' inside-outside balance was disrupted, leading to lower scoring efficiency compared to the Spurs, and the score was gradually pulled away by the Spurs.
Before the fourth quarter began, the Spurs held a 9-point lead over the Lakers.
In the final quarter, the Lakers desperately tried to catch up, but the Spurs maintained their lead at around 6 points.
With two minutes left in the game, seeing that Eddie Jones' three-point shot was still off, and O'Neal's powerful drive to the basket was unfortunately blocked by David Robinson, He Ximeng decided to go all-in and try his luck again!
This time, He Ximeng didn't handle the ball himself. Instead, he used Eddie Jones' off-ball screen, shook off the pursuing Johnson, received a pass from Horry, and shot from the high post on the left!
The Spurs genuinely didn't expect that He Ximeng, who had been cold all day, would dare to shoot from three-point range in the final moments!
Even Lakers head coach Harris frowned as He Ximeng released the ball, seemingly disapproving of his offensive choice.
According to the league's unwritten rules, players who are cold should proactively reduce their shots and leave opportunities for teammates who are hot, especially the point guard!
Of course, players with unlimited firing rights are an exception! These privileged players have the greatest prerogative: to find their rhythm through unlimited shots, even when they are cold...
But the next second, Harris's expression shifted from displeasure to surprise!
Because He Ximeng's three-point shot actually went in!
After missing his first four attempts, He Ximeng tenaciously brought his shooting percentage to 1-for-5!
The deficit between the Lakers and the Spurs was narrowed to 4 points!
Turning around, Duncan feigned a drive and made a clever pass to Monty Williams, who was cutting to the basket, assisting him on a layup!
But before the Spurs could celebrate, He Ximeng, with a determined stride, brought the ball past half-court and, to everyone's astonishment, took a step-back three-pointer directly from beyond the arc!
His decisiveness caught both teams off guard!
The basketball traced a high, elegant arc, swishing through the net!
The home Spurs fans were stunned into silence.
With two consecutive three-pointers, He Ximeng not only improved his three-point shooting percentage to 2-for-6 but also helped the Lakers further close the gap to 3 points!
Popovich was forced to call a timeout, hoping to disrupt He Ximeng's sudden surge of hot hands.
However, after the timeout, David Robinson missed his mid-range jump shot. He Ximeng pretended to go for another shot, luring Johnson to lunge, and then surged into the paint!
Duncan and David Robinson converged to block He Ximeng, but he faked a drive and then made a pass through a tiny gap between them to O'Neal under the basket. O'Neal caught the ball, turned, and slammed it home with a one-handed dunk with his left hand!
1 point! The Lakers, with their persistent effort, had narrowed the deficit to a single point.
The Spurs fans in the arena watched in bewilderment as their team's seemingly assured victory appeared to be slipping away...
The atmosphere, both on and off the court, became suddenly tense.
Now, it was a test of the mental fortitude of both teams. Whoever could hold on, unyielding, would seize the final victory!
For the Spurs' final possession, Popovich entrusted the opportunity to the team's undisputed core, David Robinson!
David Robinson possessed considerable strength, but he didn't favor brute force. He preferred to create space in the post and finish with a jump shot. This is why some criticized his playing style as "soft." In an era dominated by physically imposing big men, Robinson's approach lacked some aggression.
However, no matter how accurate a jump shot is, it's not as likely to score as an attack directly at the rim. Therefore, on this play, David Robinson didn't use his signature jump shot. Instead, he tried to fake out O'Neal and then take a step for a dunk... but he underestimated O'Neal's vertical leap!
While O'Neal initially fell for the fake, his second jump was fierce and powerful, directly blocking David Robinson's dunk attempt.
As they landed, the ball spun in the air!
Just as both centers were poised to jump again, rookie Duncan, wearing number 21, flew in from behind them. Before they could leap again, he seamlessly grabbed the ball mid-air above their heads and completed a two-handed put-back dunk...
The two centers, fearing injury from Duncan falling, quickly ducked and covered their heads.
What is "the fisherman benefits"? This is it!
While David Robinson and O'Neal battled fiercely under the basket, Duncan emerged from nowhere and sealed the game with a dunk!
Having gained the advantage, Duncan landed and sincerely apologized to O'Neal, "Sorry, Shaq, I didn't mean to!"
O'Neal felt as uncomfortable as if he had swallowed a fly. He would have preferred Duncan to taunt him provocatively, so he could retort with trash talk! But this rookie had a peculiar way of thinking, apologizing proactively, leaving him with no recourse. To retort again would make him appear petty and lacking in magnanimity...
With no other option, O'Neal swallowed the bitter pill, managed a strained smile, and complimented, "Young man, you're quite strong!"
Duncan smiled sheepishly and scratched his head in embarrassment...