The G3 game, returning to their home court, the Nets had originally hoped to leverage home-court advantage and the opportunity of an "internal conflict" within the Spurs to win back a game. If possible, winning two games would be ideal.
As a result, the first game on the Nets' home court was a bloodbath at the hands of the Spurs!
Duncan and He Xi Meng both went off!
Duncan had his highest playoff score of the year with 40 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 blocks!
He Xi Meng recorded 35 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals!
Their teamwork was impeccable, with mutual assists, directly overwhelming the Nets' inside and outside game simultaneously!
106:83, the Spurs, on the Nets' home court, crushed their opponents by 23 points!
The New Jersey fans were stunned!
Where was the promised home victory?
Where were the rumors of the Spurs falling apart?
Didn't Duncan and He Xi Meng have a conflict?
How could they be as in sync as brothers, even more so than actual brothers?
At the post-game press conference, Popovich, uncharacteristically, did not engage in any gamesmanship. Instead, he solemnly declared.
"There are no problems within the team. All players are wholeheartedly striving to win the championship trophy! We are doing great! We hope certain media outlets do not fabricate stories and spread rumors! If they cause reputational damage to our club, our legal department will not hesitate to meet them in court..."
Duncan, as the best player of the game, attended the post-game press conference with his head coach. This was also Duncan's first press conference during this NBA Finals.
"There is absolutely no unpleasantness between Xi Meng and me! We support and trust each other as always. We are working towards our team's second championship trophy, and we will not let anyone, in any way, destroy the brotherhood between us! That's all."
3:0, the Spurs pushed the Nets to the brink of being swept.
In Game 4, head coach Scott was still unwilling to give up and decided to change the lineup, focusing the ball distribution towards Kenyon Martin, attempting to use Kenyon Martin's impact to engage the Spurs in an offensive slugfest!
In this game, Kenyon Martin had his best playoff performance of the year! He took a season-high 28 shots, making 15, and scored 35 points and 11 rebounds!
However, it was all in vain!
Scott's strategy, while maximizing Kenyon Martin's offensive prowess, did, to a certain extent, affect Duncan's performance, making it less stellar than in Game 3.
But it was only less stellar than in Game 3.
Throughout the game, Duncan still managed 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks, at least reaching his season average!
On the other hand, Scott taking control of the strategy, to a degree, limited Kidd's freedom of play, making Kidd extremely uncomfortable, completely lacking the grace and fluidity of the previous games.
In the earlier games, although the Nets lost, Kidd had at least played at an All-Star level, averaging a triple-double, and the Nets' overall flow was not an issue.
But in this game, to comply with Scott's strategy, Kidd delivered his worst performance of the Finals, scoring only 13 points, 12 assists, and 5 rebounds.
Correspondingly, He Xi Meng maintained his stable performance in this game with 34 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals!
Ultimately, with the Spurs easing up in the fourth quarter, they still easily defeated the Nets 103:88, sweeping them 4:0!
He Xi Meng's stats in the four Finals games were: 33 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal in Game 1; 30 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals in Game 2; 35 points, 12 assists, 5 rebounds, 3 steals in Game 3; and 34 points, 10 assists, 4 rebounds, 2 steals in Game 4!
Duncan's stats were: 22 points, 20 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 blocks in Game 1; 20 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 blocks in Game 2; 40 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks in Game 3; and 25 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks in Game 4.
Looking at the individual statistics from the four games, He Xi Meng had higher scoring and more consistent performance, averaging 33 points and 10 assists!
Duncan showed some fluctuations, but his stats were more comprehensive and balanced: 26.7 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists, 3.2 blocks!
If placed in other NBA Finals, either of these players would have been eligible for the Finals MVP.
Seeing Duncan's firm stance, Popovich stepped in and made the decision: "This year's trophy goes to Xi Meng! If there's another one next year, it'll go to Tim!"
The Spurs happily decided the MVP for this year's Finals and, incidentally, reserved the MVP selection for next year's Finals as well...
The three most prestigious trophies of the 2001-2002 season were all swept by the Spurs!
Duncan won the regular season MVP trophy!
He Xi Meng shared the All-Star MVP trophy with Kobe and finally won the Finals MVP trophy!
The Spurs successfully lifted the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, becoming the undisputed biggest winner of the season!
Yao Ming, Parker, and Arenas all won a championship trophy and a championship ring in their very first season of their careers.
David Robinson, in the twilight of his career, won his second championship ring.
In the locker room after the game, David Robinson, rarely shedding his veteran demeanor, sprayed champagne with the youngsters, thoroughly enjoying the final moments of joy.
"Tim, Xi Meng, starting next season, the Spurs will officially be handed over to you..." David Robinson said, his voice filled with emotion.
"You've decided to retire?"
Everyone had mentally prepared for David Robinson's retirement, but as it finally arrived, Duncan still felt a great sense of reluctance. However, he didn't know how to console David. If he were in David's shoes, he would also choose to quietly step away.
Continuing to occupy the starting center position for the Spurs would not help the team but rather hinder it.
Duncan didn't want this, and he knew David didn't either...