Tourene was hesitant! The ball quickly moved out of his hands.
So, on the Kings' final possession, the ball circulated back and forth, ultimately needing to fall into the hands of Peja and Bibby!
Bowen, having learned from letting Peja drive past him in previous games, clung to him tenaciously, refusing to let Peja get the ball! If Peja couldn't get the ball, he couldn't fake his way to a shot, could he?
Bibby, with no other choice, at the last moment, with He Xi Meng's defense pressing him, forced up a turnaround jumper from a step inside the three-point line...
The ball rimmed out, and Duncan grabbed the rebound as the countdown clock sounded!
The game went into overtime.
To be honest, before this game, the Spurs hadn't anticipated such a tough contest. The Kings weren't at full strength, missing their most important core player, Webber.
However, that's how games are; you can't simply judge the outcome based on the roster on paper.
On-court performance, player form, and the coach's tactical choices can all influence the final result of a game.
In overtime, Tourene continued to be heavily utilized by Adelman and remained active.
On the Spurs' side, He Xi Meng was prepared to take the shot himself, but unexpectedly, Ginobili, who had been quiet for most of the game, suddenly came alive in overtime!
Ginobili first received a kick-out pass from He Xi Meng's drive and sank a wing three-pointer.
Then, Ginobili stole the ball during a Kings fast break, sprinted down the court, and finished with a Eurostep layup!
Seeing Ginobili go on a run, He Xi Meng decisively handed over the next few possessions to him.
Ginobili didn't shy away! He had been frustrated enough in the last three games! He thought that by moving to the starting lineup and getting more playing time, he would take on a more significant role. Instead, playing alongside Duncan and He Xi Meng, he seemed to forget how to play, unable to find his rhythm.
Now, in overtime, Ginobili had finally found a familiar rhythm and was determined to showcase his abilities.
Duncan was also a smart player. Seeing He Xi Meng intentionally feeding Ginobili the ball, he didn't mind. Instead, he cooperated with He Xi Meng and also passed the ball to Ginobili.
As a result, the Spurs had a total of 10 scoring opportunities in overtime, with Ginobili taking 7 of them!
And this time, the "Demon Blade" did not disappoint the trust of He Xi Meng and Duncan. He made 5 out of 7 shots, scoring 11 points single-handedly! This directly offset the Kings' entire team score in overtime.
In the end, the Spurs outscored the Kings 14-11 in overtime, winning the game 111-108, defeating the resilient Kings and achieving a three-game winning streak to start the season!
At the post-game press conference, Popovich finally praised Ginobili: "I hate overtime because it means you have to work for free... But I loved today's overtime! Because it showed me the best Manu. Yes, today Manu stepped up and helped the team score when we needed him most! He always believed he was excellent, just sometimes couldn't find his game rhythm. In today's overtime, he found it..."
He Xi Meng did not attend today's press conference because his shooting touch wasn't high today. He scored just over 20 points with only 10 assists, which was only a passable performance.
In comparison, Duncan, who recorded 32 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks today, was indeed more qualified to sit next to Popovich and face the media interviews.
Yao Ming again recorded a double-double today with 14 points and 10 rebounds! It wasn't spectacular, but for a freshman, being able to maintain or hover around a double-double, Yao Ming had already proven the value of being the top pick.
On the Kings' side, Tourene scored a team-high 24 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks today! The sudden explosion from Tourene was the biggest reason for the Spurs' tough game today. If it weren't for Tourene, with Duncan's shooting touch today, the game could have easily ended by the third quarter.
In addition to Tourene, Bibby, Divac, Peja, and Fan Derberg off the bench all scored in double digits today. The Kings' multiple and scattered scoring threats were also a major reason why the Spurs struggled to contain them.
However, in the end, the outcome was pleasing. At least, the Spurs didn't lose to the Kings in Webber's absence.
After defeating the Kings, the Spurs' second road trip was to Denver to challenge the Nuggets!
Here, He Xi Meng and Yao Ming met their former Kings teammate: Bartle!
This summer, Hu Wei Dong joined the Wizards through the draft, while Bartle joined the Nuggets through non-draft free agency.
However, Big Bart's time in Denver has been quite frustrating.
This is because the Nuggets' current core player is Van Exel!
"Mad Van" was traded to the Nuggets after being pushed out of the Lakers by He Xi Meng!
He had spent three seasons in Denver, averaging around 17 points and 8 assists, making him the undisputed number one star on a Nuggets team without any superstars or pressure to win.
Ever since leaving the Lakers, Van Exel has harbored prejudice against Asian faces!
Big Bart's signing was a move by the team's management to tap into the Chinese market, but Van Exel didn't care! As the team's primary ball-handler, Mad Van's word was law, and no one dared to pass the ball to Big Bart!
What's more, the Nuggets' current backup point guard is Avery Johnson! The former Spurs starting point guard.
After He Xi Meng confirmed his move to San Antonio, "Little General" Johnson couldn't accept the suggestion of being He Xi Meng's backup and chose to leave. He was eventually traded by the Spurs to the Hornets for Brad Miller. After leaving the Spurs' Twin Towers, "Little General's" individual statistics and team status plummeted.
Many people mistakenly attribute the power of their platform to their own abilities. They are clearly role players within a system but refuse to admit it, believing they can carry their own system.
And so, when all the glory faded, only stark reality remained.
Avery Johnson, after bouncing around and being released by the Hornets, eventually ended up in Denver, becoming Van Exel's backup.
Whether Johnson regrets his decision is a question for his inner self. Deep down, he probably does.
If Johnson had chosen to retire gracefully then and accepted the role of He Xi Meng's backup, he could have at least retained his status as a locker room leader on the Spurs, enjoying immense honor and praise in San Antonio. But unfortunately, that "if" doesn't exist.
This deep regret within "Little General" has, inadvertently, turned into hostility towards He Xi Meng.
Although He Xi Meng never played alongside "Little General," nor did he usurp his starting position like Van Exel, Johnson's departure ultimately originated from He Xi Meng's decision to join the Spurs...
One is a point guard whose starting position was taken by He Xi Meng during their Lakers days, and the other is a point guard whose starting position was taken by He Xi Meng during their Spurs days.
With these two point guards controlling the ball for the Nuggets, can Bartle have an easy time there?