Yao Ming simply disdained to express it before.
"Wow! Well done!" He Xi Meng immediately applauded and praised Yao Ming as he retreated on defense.
"A very satisfying dunk! Yao, play like this from now on!" David Robinson also really liked Yao Ming's performance this possession.
In the eyes of David Robinson now, Yao Ming was not just his teammate, but also his subordinate, or even his disciple. Therefore, there was naturally a "loving care" from an elder looking at a junior.
Even Popovich, on the sidelines, rarely applauded Yao Ming for this play, encouraging him to maintain his momentum!
At the same time, Yao Ming's very strong solo drive also triggered gasps from the Kings fans in the arena. They clearly did not expect Yao Ming to have such a spirited side.
Including Divac, who had just been giving Yao Ming advice, only to be slapped in the face in the next moment, feeling somewhat embarrassed. So, turning around, Divac also called for the ball to try and force a shot against Yao Ming, but it was a turnaround hook shot after backing down to the low post.
Divac's dunking ability was average; even at his peak, his dunking was quite ordinary. Divac's strength lay in his shooting ability, including his low post shooting and mid-range shooting, which were considered quite outstanding among centers.
In the latter half of the second quarter, with He Xi Meng re-entering the game, the Spurs stabilized their situation and began to gradually narrow the score difference.
The Kings also did not give up. Christie was doing his best to disrupt He Xi Meng's scoring, preventing him from stringing together three-pointers.
At the same time, Bibby was also implementing Head Coach Adelman's strategy, leading his teammates in an offensive-minded defense, desperately trying to maintain their lead.
By halftime, the Kings still led the Spurs by 3 points.
During halftime, both head coaches were relatively satisfied with their teams' performances in the first half, especially the Kings, who had largely executed Adelman's game plan.
For the Spurs, despite trailing, their rotation was a bit chaotic. However, overall, there were no fundamental errors; it could only be said that Teletovic's sudden surge was unexpected by the Spurs.
The Spurs did not fall behind in the matchup of the starting lineups, but their bench unit was outplayed by the Kings.
At the start of the third quarter, both head coaches fielded their full starting lineups.
Duncan had rested enough; it was time for him to get back to work!
However, the first possession of the quarter belonged to the Kings.
Bibby passed the ball to Divac in the paint, who then dished it out to Peja on the perimeter. Peja received the ball, faked, disrupted Bowen's defensive focus, and then drove in. Before David Robinson could provide help defense, he hit a short pull-up jumper!
Peja was also finding his rhythm!
The Kings strategically targeted Peja, allowing him to unleash a flurry of points.
However, the Spurs were not to be outdone. Duncan had been mostly resting in the latter half of the second quarter, so he began to receive the ball and attack strongly at the start of the second half.
Just like at the beginning of the first quarter, Duncan started to unleash his full arsenal, relentlessly attacking Pollard.
Adelman subsequently brought in Funderburke, but it was also ineffective.
Duncan scored 12 points in the third quarter, and He Xi Meng also chipped in 8 points from the perimeter. Together, they combined for 20 points.
Although the Kings' Stojakovic found his shooting touch, scoring 10 points in the quarter, the other Kings players were somewhat sluggish. Unintentionally, the Spurs staged a comeback, not only erasing the halftime lead but also pulling ahead by 5 points!
The Spurs entered the final quarter with a 5-point lead, but then another turn of events occurred.
The Spurs suddenly fell into a scoring drought, failing to score for the first three minutes of the fourth quarter.
The Kings seized the opportunity, led by Teletovic and Bibby, to go on a 9-0 run, once again taking the lead.
Duncan and He Xi Meng, who had planned to finish early, had to re-enter the game and engage in a fierce battle with the tenacious Kings.
As regulation time neared its end, the score was tied at 95-95!
The Kings had the final possession. Teletovic, who had been hot all game, drove to the basket after receiving the pass and drew a foul from Mark!}
Teletovic went to the free-throw line and sank both shots, giving the Kings a 2-point lead again.
With only 17 seconds left, Popovich called a timeout to set up the final play.
Between a three-pointer from He Xi Meng and a two-pointer from Duncan, Popovich opted for the two-pointer from Duncan!
This was not only because Duncan was the Spurs' undisputed leader but also because Duncan's shooting touch had been more consistent than He Xi Meng's throughout the game.
Furthermore, Popovich did not instruct Duncan to shoot at the buzzer but to take the shot quickly!
Therefore, after the timeout, He Xi Meng did not hold the ball at mid-court to run down the clock but instead used Duncan's high-post screen to drive towards the Kings' basket, appearing as if he intended to attack the rim.
The Kings naturally collapsed their defense, preparing to stop He Xi Meng!
He Xi Meng then passed the ball back to Duncan, who was cutting down the middle!
Duncan did not opt to drive to the basket because there were too many Kings players in the paint, and a drive would likely result in a foul and a trip to the free-throw line.
Duncan chose to pull up for a quick stop-and-pop jumper from a step inside the free-throw line!
Today, Duncan had great confidence in his shot!
As Duncan had predicted, the shot accurately found the bottom of the net.
97-97!
The Spurs had tied the score again, and this possession had only taken them 5 seconds.
Nearly 12 seconds remained for the Kings to set up their final play.
It was the Kings' turn to strategize for the final possession.
Adelman still wanted to find an open shot through an offensive set, so he did not designate a specific player for the final shot, allowing the players to make the decision on the court.
Generally, even with such instructions from the coach, the players would spontaneously give the ball to the team's leader.
But the problem was that the Kings' current leader, Webber, was not present!
In terms of seniority, Divac was the eldest!
However, Divac was double-teamed by David Robinson and Duncan in the paint, making it difficult for him to find an easy shot.
Teletovic had been shooting well today, but at this crucial moment, Popovich had also brought in Malik Rose, forming a three-big-man lineup for the Spurs, effectively solidifying the defense from the free-throw line to the basket!
Teletovic's shooting had been hot today, but as a rookie from 2000, would he dare to attempt a three-pointer at such a critical juncture?