Although Popovich did not say it explicitly, Van Exel's scoring had been exceptionally smooth during this period. As his direct matchup, He Xi Meng was undoubtedly partly responsible.
He Xi Meng was not lacking in effort, but Van Exel's playing style was comparable to Ginobili's. When he got into his rhythm, he was unstoppable, regardless of who was defending him. It all depended on when his hot streak would end.
He Xi Meng was unlucky, having run into Van Exel's "frenzied period." By the time Bowen switched to defend, Van Exel's "frenzied period" was just ending, and his shots started missing the rim...
Sometimes, that's just how it is on the court. There are no explanations, only bad luck.
Fortunately, He Xi Meng didn't rely on defense to make a living. Being looked down upon was of no concern to him...
As the first quarter drew to a close, He Xi Meng assisted Ginobili for a side-step three-pointer, bringing his assist count for the quarter to six! At this pace, He Xi Meng was surely going to surpass Van Exel in assists today, but in terms of scoring... He Xi Meng was still at zero!
Therefore, during the rotation, He Xi Meng actively requested to extend his playing time.
Popovich reluctantly reviewed the rotation lineup. The rookies needed development and couldn't be pulled. That meant an veteran had to be benched!
Thus, Danny Ferry became the sacrifice for He Xi Meng's continued presence on the court.
During the rotation, Popovich deployed a two-point guard strategy with He Xi Meng and Parker, supplemented by Stephen Jackson, Malik Rose, and Yao Ming.
"My apologies, Danny. I have some personal business to settle in this game! In the next game, I'll try to shorten my playing time and give yours back..."
Before stepping onto the court, He Xi Meng quietly explained to Danny Ferry to avoid unnecessary speculation and conflict.
Danny Ferry had joined the Spurs relatively late and hadn't paid much attention to He Xi Meng before. Therefore, he was unaware of the conflict between He Xi Meng, Van Exel, and Avery Johnson. He mistakenly believed He Xi Meng's "personal business" referred to the China Derby!
This was because before the game, there had been a lot of hype surrounding the China Derby.
Danny Ferry assumed that He Xi Meng had some unresolved issues with Butler that needed to be addressed in this game, so he immediately showed a look of understanding: "No problem, play as you wish. I don't even mind sitting out this game!"
"Thank you, Danny!"
He Xi Meng was unaware of Danny Ferry's misunderstanding, but it didn't matter. As long as the message was conveyed, he didn't want the veterans to have any grievances. The Spurs had a rare harmonious and united team atmosphere, and He Xi Meng did not want to jeopardize it.
With He Xi Meng back on the court, the Nuggets' head coach Dan Issel felt that Van Exel's defense on He Xi Meng was quite effective! Therefore, he continued to field Van Exel, who also formed a two-point guard combination with Avery Johnson.
Two point guards against two point guards!
For the other three positions, the Nuggets fielded Butler, Ryan Bowen, and Kelechi Osemele.
Butler was not supposed to get playing time this early, but a major highlight of this game was the China Derby!
Since it was a China Derby, it wouldn't be a derby if only the two Chinese players from the Spurs performed well. Thus, management instructed head coach Dan Issel to ensure Butler had about 15 minutes of playing time in this game. If possible, it would be best to let Butler perform adequately...
Issel could arrange the playing time, but whether he could perform well was not up to him as the head coach; it depended primarily on Butler's own performance... Of course, whether the point guards passed him the ball was also a crucial factor.
For the Nuggets' first assist, Van Exel symbolically passed the ball to Butler, then instructed all his teammates to spread out, leaving Butler to single-handedly challenge Yao Ming!
"Don't you want me to give him a chance? Don't you want to see the China Derby? Here, I've given it. Whether he can seize it depends on himself..."
Against Yao Ming, Da Ba (Butler) basically only had one move: a post-up drive to the basket!
Leveraging his advantage in core strength, he directly backed Yao Ming down near the basket, then turned for a hook shot!
Da Ba's move wasn't particularly flashy, but it was stable and fluid, and he successfully made the shot, scoring two points.
The Nuggets fans in the arena let out a gasp, followed by scattered applause.
Among them were some fans who maliciously speculated: "Could the Spurs' number 11 be going easy on him?"
This game was not only broadcast live across America but also across China. Going easy was impossible; whether Da Ba could defeat Yao Ming and score depended entirely on his own skill.
Turning around, it was the Spurs' turn to counterattack.
"Big Yao, get ready for the rebound!"
He Xi Meng did not pass the ball to Yao Ming for him to handle, but instead gave it to Parker, who was outside the arc. He then immediately began to move without the ball.
"Malik!"
He Xi Meng first called for a low-post off-ball screen from Malik Rose, which impeded Van Exel.
"Stephen!"
He Xi Meng then called for a high-post off-ball screen from Stephen Jackson, which further impeded Van Exel.
With two consecutive off-ball screens, He Xi Meng successfully back-cut and cut towards the three-point line.
Parker's pass was perfectly timed!
He Xi Meng caught the ball, turned, and took a three-point shot!
This had become He Xi Meng's signature scoring move. Using his teammates' off-ball screens, he would run a 60-degree cut from either the left or right side. As long as He Xi Meng had the stamina, this tactic could be run indefinitely by the Spurs! It also aligned perfectly with the Spurs' team basketball philosophy.
Moreover, the success rate of this tactic was very high.
Under the double screens, the opposing defender had virtually no chance of catching up to He Xi Meng.
The only way to limit this tactic would be for the entire team to switch relentlessly.
However, in the current league, let alone relentless switching, even timely switching was rare, and very few teams could keep up with He Xi Meng's rhythm.
At least, the Nuggets were definitely not one of them.
Van Exel could only watch as He Xi Meng jumped and shot, the ball swishing through the net for a three-pointer!
This three-pointer officially marked He Xi Meng's transition from "playmaking mode" to "scoring mode."
With Parker serving as the point guard for the rotation lineup, Yao Ming providing support for rebounds, and Stephen Jackson and Malik Rose acting as screens on the high and low posts, He Xi Meng could wholeheartedly play the role of shooting guard!
Van Exel was not foolish! Seeing He Xi Meng's intent, he naturally understood.
To maintain his scoring lead, Van Exel disregarded management's instructions for Butler to perform more in this game. He turned and entered his own isolation mode, aiming to continue his excellent shooting touch from the start...