Of course, another reason for Duncan's fervor was He Ximeng's continuous supply of ammunition. No matter where Duncan roamed, He Ximeng was always able to deliver the rebound to Duncan's hands precisely and in a timely manner... This made Duncan play very comfortably and increasingly at ease... Abandoning the traditional rigid style of play, Duncan's power multiplied...
To borrow a line from Chinese wuxia novels, Duncan in the second half suddenly entered the realm of "no moves defeat all moves," a state of oneness with nature...
Dave Odom on the sidelines was completely stunned. He had high hopes for Duncan's potential and thought he had already maximized it. However, today, He Ximeng showed Dave Odom a brand new Tim Duncan!
The game entered its final minute, with both teams tied at 78-78. It was still uncertain who would emerge victorious.
However, Wake Forest, whose overall strength was inferior to Kentucky, had pushed the championship favorite to this point with Duncan's outburst and He Ximeng's contribution, exceeding most fans' expectations!
Inside the Target Center arena, most fans were filled with anxiety. They were Kentucky fans and had an ominous feeling. Duncan in the second half was simply unstoppable...
In fact, what they failed to notice was that under Duncan's brilliance, Wake Forest's second player, number 4, He Ximeng, had already achieved personal statistics of 20 points and 10 assists today...
On Kentucky's penultimate possession, head coach Rick Pitino handed the ball to Tony Delk.
Anthony Walker was unreliable today, and in the second half, he was directly dominated by Duncan on defense...
Tony Delk had been silent for a while after being blocked by Duncan. However, with his solid performance in the first half, he had already scored 17 points, basically reaching his average level.
Coach Rick Pitino entrusting the team's penultimate possession to Tony Delk was considered the optimal choice.
Tony Delk called for a high pick-and-roll from Anthony Walker, shook off the troublesome He Ximeng, and then went for a mismatch against Jerry.
Jerry was tall and strong but slow.
He Ximeng predicted that Tony Delk would drive to the basket and immediately reminded Jerry to "don't give him space." At the same time, He Ximeng quickly rotated behind, blocking Tony Delk inside the paint.
Seeing his intention exposed, Tony Delk abruptly stopped, moved laterally, and used Anthony Walker's "moving screen" to force up a shot!
This was not a good shooting opportunity.
But Tony Delk, with his impressive scoring ability, managed to turn this less-than-ideal opportunity into a scoring chance!
The ball kissed the back of the rim and went in. Tony Delk gave Kentucky a two-point lead.
It was Wake Forest's turn to attack. He Ximeng first lobbed the ball to Duncan in the post. Duncan, with his back to the basket, tried to power through, but was double-teamed by Mark Pope and Anthony Walker!
At a crucial moment, Duncan saw He Ximeng, who had somehow drifted from the top of the arc to the left corner.
Without hesitation, Duncan immediately passed the ball to He Ximeng, shouting "Shoot!" as he turned and positioned himself for a rebound!
He Ximeng rarely went to the corner, so this play caught the Kentucky team off guard!
Tony Delk rushed to defend, trying to fly in and contest He Ximeng's shot.
But He Ximeng didn't rush his shot. He received the ball, stabilized himself, faked out Tony Delk, took a sidestep to the left wing at the 30-degree mark, and took an open shot...
Three-pointer made! 81-80, He Ximeng helped Wake Forest take the lead.
It was Kentucky's turn for the final possession. Coach Rick Pitino once again entrusted the ball to Tony Delk, who was their highest scorer today!
This time, Tony Delk didn't opt for a mid-range jumper. Instead, he used Anthony Walker's screen to drive decisively to the basket, planning to draw a foul if he couldn't score...
But Tony Delk clearly underestimated He Ximeng's basketball IQ. In this situation, He Ximeng would absolutely not commit a foul! Even as Tony Delk drove past He Ximeng, He Ximeng kept his hands tightly controlled, giving Tony Delk no opportunity to "seek contact."
Hounded by He Ximeng, Tony Delk couldn't jump effectively when he reached the basket.
Although He Ximeng also couldn't jump high, as any jump might infringe on Tony Delk's cylinder... but he had help!
He Ximeng shouted, "Tim!" and Duncan's deep voice responded from behind him, "I'm here!"
It was all a trap!
He Ximeng's frontcourt pressure was all to buy time and opportunity for Duncan's help defense from behind!
Tony Delk, unable to jump, tried a floater to get over Duncan's block, but Duncan jumped incredibly high this time, giving it his all, like a flying demon...
"Oh! No~" The Kentucky fans in the arena let out a collective mournful sigh, but the stone-hearted Duncan would not be swayed!
Duncan used the tip of his fingers to swat away Tony Delk's floater!
He Ximeng, taking advantage of the rhythm, leaped up and caught the ball in his arms!
One blocked, one rebounded, their cooperation was seamless!
Wake Forest successfully defended Kentucky's final possession, victory was within reach!
Kentucky had no choice but to intentionally foul He Ximeng, sending him to the free-throw line.
He Ximeng made the first free throw, and the second one as well!
83-80, He Ximeng gave Wake Forest a three-point lead, putting them in an advantageous position. Kentucky had only the last 3 seconds to make another play.
Undoubtedly, Kentucky needed a three-pointer!
Coach Rick Pitino placed his gamble on the streaky Anthony Walker this time!
But Wake Forest didn't let Anthony Walker get open. In the final moments, Duncan abandoned Mark Pope to chase Anthony Walker. Anthony Walker was forced to shoot with Duncan flying in to contest, and the outcome was predictable...
The ball bounced off the rim, and Wake Forest narrowly defeated Kentucky by three points!
When the final buzzer sounded, all the Wake Forest players raised their hands in celebration!
Someone shouted, "Let's toss Coach Odom into the air..."
As a result, the players, who were aimlessly hugging each other, simultaneously swarmed towards Coach Dave Odom...