But the current He Xi Meng was somewhat different from the He Xi Meng at the start of the game.
In his organizational mode, He Xi Meng was more stable and conservative, while in his scoring mode, he was sharper and more aggressive.
This difference was also reflected in his defense.
Van Exel wanted to try the same trick again with this play. He thought He Xi Meng would retreat step by step under his series of fakes, just like he did at the beginning of the game, to maintain his position. That way, Van Exel could create space and then pull up for a jump shot!
During the initial phase of the game, Van Exel had repeatedly succeeded against He Xi Meng using this tactic.
However, He Xi Meng suddenly went against the grain, chose to step up and stick close, and gambled for a steal as Van Exel turned to drive past him, catching Van Exel completely off guard!
Old Van quickly protected the ball and tried to recover it on the spot, managing to avoid a turnover.
But a lot of the offensive time was wasted, and Van Exel was forced to pass the ball to Butler!
Seeing that time was running out, Butler chose a turnaround jumper from the edge of the paint!
Butler could make shots from this distance. It was just that the pass from Van Exel was too sudden, leaving him with too little time to adjust, resulting in a rushed shot that bounced off the rim.
Yao Ming grabbed the rebound and was about to pass it quickly to He Xi Meng when he suddenly saw the Nuggets' number 6, Avery Johnson, darting towards He Xi Meng!
Fortunately, Yao Ming had a keen sense, and didn't blindly pass the ball this time, otherwise, it would have been a clear-cut low-level turnover!
Avery Johnson took a step forward, but seeing that Yao Ming had already retracted his hands in time, he could only admit his failed prediction and return sheepishly.
Yao Ming controlled the ball, and after confirming the area around him was safe, he passed the ball to He Xi Meng.
After crossing the half-court line, He Xi Meng repeated the tactic from the previous possession, receiving the ball for a three-pointer after a double off-ball screen!
Van Exel kept calling for his teammates to double-team, but it was futile.
Without targeted drills before the game, it was difficult to crack the Spurs' tactic. At least, the current Nuggets team was not capable of it.
Amidst Van Exel's furious shouts, He Xi Meng's second three-pointer was also successfully made!
Six points!
Van Exel had painstakingly scored 10 points in the first quarter, but He Xi Meng, in less than a minute, had made two three-pointers and already scored 6 points! This momentum of catching up made Van Exel feel inexplicably fearful.
Turning around, Van Exel became a bit anxious. After a simple pick-and-roll drive, he chose to force his way to the basket against He Xi Meng instead of stopping for a jump shot.
Van Exel wanted to use a forceful way to counter He Xi Meng's two recent three-pointers, but he clearly hadn't considered the Spurs' backup frontcourt combination. Or rather, he had considered the Spurs' backup frontcourt but felt they were definitely not as good as the Spurs' starting twin towers, so he hadn't paid much attention. He thought he could use his speed and the arc of his shot to get past Yao Ming and Malik Rose's blocks...
However, Van Exel not only underestimated He Xi Meng's ability to disrupt but also Yao Ming's blocking ability.
On this play, He Xi Meng desperately used his body to contest Van Exel's cannonball-like physique, successfully slowing down Van Exel's driving speed and giving Yao Ming time to rotate and cover!
By the time Van Exel finally broke through to the basket and extended his arms to complete a long-range hook shot layup... unexpectedly, even with his short arms extended as much as possible, they couldn't reach Yao Ming's height!
As soon as he was within the reach of Yao Ming's long arms, Van Exel's layup, even a long-range hook shot, was swatted down by Yao Ming's palm before it could even reach its apex!
Parker nimbly grabbed the loose ball and immediately started a fast break.
Parker's original intention was to break through for a layup himself before everyone else could get back on defense.
"The Little General" Johnson, although his competitive form was declining, still had his experience. He immediately intercepted Parker near the half-court line, forcing Parker towards the sideline, nearly causing Parker to step out of bounds, and also shattering Parker's plan for a solo layup.
Fortunately, He Xi Meng quickly drove down the middle and shouted a reminder to Parker. Forced to improvise, Parker made a risky aerial pass, successfully avoiding a low-level turnover and delivering the ball to He Xi Meng.
Johnson quickly abandoned Parker and turned back to the middle, simultaneously warning Karl-Anthony Towns, who was focused on defense, to watch out for He Xi Meng behind him!
He Xi Meng had no intention of driving straight to the basket. Instead, before Johnson and Towns could trap him, he pulled up for a shot from two steps beyond the three-point line!
An ultra-long-range chase-down three-pointer!
This was He Xi Meng's first shot from such a long distance this new season, and it was a chase-down three-pointer in a fast break.
The ball arced incredibly high! From the perspective of the spectators, the arc was long and high, but the ball accurately hit the rim!
Three for three! He Xi Meng's barrage of three-pointers was back.
The Nuggets fans in the arena let out a gasp of disbelief, as if they had been punched repeatedly in the face without even seeing how their opponent was shooting or why they were being hit...
"One more point!"
As He Xi Meng turned back to play defense, he bumped into a visibly displeased Van Exel and "friendly" reminded Old Van that he was still one point behind him in personal scoring and that he would continue to work hard...
Van Exel didn't speak. His mind was a mess. He suddenly realized that competing with He Xi Meng in scoring might not be a rational decision.
"Perhaps, it would be wiser for me to focus on assists?"
He Xi Meng almost pushed Van Exel into self-doubt, but after all, he was a near-veteran with 9 seasons in the league, and his mental fortitude was much stronger than that of younger players. He quickly shook his head, driving away the unreliable thought from his mind.
At least, for this game, Van Exel had no other choice. He Xi Meng already had 6 assists, while Van Exel only had 1. Turning back now would be asking for trouble, wouldn't it?
With no other option, Van Exel had to go all the way in this game, clashing with He Xi Meng head-on in the scoring department!
After clearing his thoughts, Van Exel turned around, abandoned his specialty of driving, and singled up He Xi Meng from outside the three-point line, finally forcing a shot despite He Xi Meng's defense...