Watching Duncan play despite being sick, Popovich’s eyes were filled with concern.
He Xi Meng rubbed his chin, a gut feeling telling him that Duncan’s sudden cold wasn't entirely normal.
In the previous game, Duncan had been full of vigor.
And only a day had passed since the last game. How could Duncan suddenly catch a cold?
Hmm? Could it be that after the game the day before yesterday, Amy hadn't let the fool go, and they had battled for three hundred rounds, leaving him drained, sweating, and then catching a chill?
Why would He Xi Meng have such an unreliable thought? Because the night before yesterday, Kayla hadn't let him go either…
This game, the Spurs' start was far less smooth than Game 1.
Duncan feigned weakness, avoiding strong drives in the paint and passing the ball as much as possible to He Xi Meng on the perimeter.
He Xi Meng wasn’t afraid to shoot, but his accuracy had dropped significantly compared to the previous game.
"Alas, this is the consequence of not being disciplined enough…" He Xi Meng sighed inwardly, thinking that he absolutely could not indulge Kayla so much in next year's finals…
The first quarter ended with the score tied at 22:22.
This result invigorated Scott!
Early in the second quarter, Scott even dared to let Kidd rest, having Donnie Marshall replace him for the first rotation.
He Xi Meng immediately reminded Parker and Arenas, who were preparing to enter the game, "Seize the opportunity, try to cripple the Nets' command system and build a lead…"
These two backup point guards did not disappoint He Xi Meng's expectations. One inherited He Xi Meng's organizational skills, and the other inherited He Xi Meng's scoring prowess!
In just over three minutes, Parker had already dished out 4 assists and 1 steal to Arenas and Yao Ming, his organizational efficiency through the roof!
Arenas, in the same span of just over three minutes, hit a three-pointer, a mid-range jump shot, and a layup after a drive, scoring 7 points himself!
The Spurs went on an 11:4 run during the rotation period, forcing the Nets to call a timeout!
The team had finally weathered the impact of the Spurs' strongest starting lineup, only to fall to their bench?
This was a result Scott had never anticipated!
With a livid expression, Scott almost roared as he pulled Marshall, Richard Jefferson, and others off the court, replacing them with the full starting lineup of Kidd, Kenyon Martin, Kidders, and Van Horn.
On the Spurs' side, Popovich kept Duncan on the bench to rest, only bringing in He Xi Meng and Bowen, along with Parker, Malik Rose, and Yao Ming!
After coming onto the court, He Xi Meng didn't demand the ball. Instead, he played a dual-point guard strategy with Parker, focusing on perimeter passes and feeding the ball to Yao Ming and Malik Rose in the paint as much as possible…
Kidd finally broke through and passed, assisting Van Horn for a wing three-pointer.
He Xi Meng, through passing, made a direct feed to Yao Ming under the basket. Yao Ming spun and threw up a shot, using his footwork to power through McLoch for a score!
Kidd again drove and passed, assisting Kidders for a mid-range pull-up jump shot.
He Xi Meng, still through passing, lobbed the ball into the paint to Yao Ming. Yao Ming pushed from the post, drawing a double-team from Kenyon Martin, and passed internally to Malik Rose on the far side of the rim for an easy short-range bucket.
Under He Xi Meng's command, this Spurs bench unit truly operated like a well-oiled machine, playing neck and neck with the Nets' starting lineup led by Kidd, resulting in an intense and anxious game.
Duncan, feigning anxiety on the bench, was inwardly filled with the joy of a successful scheme. He had no worries about whether the Spurs would lose to the Nets with only He Xi Meng carrying the load.
After all, if the situation on the court became truly critical, he wouldn't mind staging a scene of "playing through illness and turning the tide"…
At the end of the half, the score was 49:46, with the Spurs leading the Nets by 3 points.
Despite the lead, it was a narrow one. During the halftime break, Popovich was clearly still not satisfied with his players' performance.
The Spurs’ overall strength was significantly greater than the Nets’. But unfortunately, both of their key players were not in top form today.
Duncan was sick, and He Xi Meng's shooting touch was off!
If the game continued at this pace, a hard-fought battle might be unavoidable.
And this was precisely what Popovich least wanted to see.
Duncan saw Popovich’s predicament and suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Therefore, at the start of the third quarter, Duncan suddenly began to exert himself!
Duncan continuously called for the ball in the paint, even forcing a two-handed dunk after a pump fake against the Nets' double-team!
The home crowd in San Antonio, who had waited a long time, finally witnessed Duncan’s outburst and immediately cheered in unison.
At the post-game press conference, Popovich, uncharacteristically, did not praise the Nets players but instead praised his trusted confidant, Duncan.
"Tim played despite feeling unwell and helped the team with a crucial third quarter. He is one of the biggest contributors to our win…"
"Tim was sick? He scored 20 points in just 30 minutes. His efficiency is much higher than mine…"
He Xi Meng jokingly questioned Duncan’s laziness!
"Hmm? Why do I feel like Simon is dissatisfied with Duncan?"
"I thought I was imagining things! So you felt it too…"
"Could it be that the Spurs are having internal strife?"