Duncan, who reached his peak upon debut, was the nightmare of every power forward of his era. Especially the pre-injury Duncan, he was practically a bug. Those taller than him weren't as fast, those faster than him lacked his height and weight, and those with his height and weight combined with his agility didn't possess his footwork and touch... In a nutshell, Duncan always had a skill that left his positional counterparts speechless.
Horry's current situation was that his agility and defense were not bad, but he lacked Duncan's height, weight, and wingspan. Without help defense, if Duncan wanted to overpower Horry, Horry had no choice but to foul, or pray Duncan missed... There was basically no good solution.
On this play, Duncan used a post-up dribble, wanting to see if the Lakers would double-team. On the Lakers' side, neither the wingman Glenn Rice, nor the perimeter players Kobe and Harper significantly shrunk the defense. Shaq inside was ready, and if Duncan drove too deep into his territory, he would not hesitate to provide help.
Seeing the situation, Duncan thought, "Hoh ho! It seems I haven't caused enough damage to the Lakers yet? Not even a double-team?"
So, Duncan decisively chose to drive deeper into the paint. Before Shaq's help defense could arrive, he turned and executed a short hook shot, aiming for a bank shot.
The entire sequence, Duncan transitioned from a probing offense to a decisive attack, smoothly and without hesitation.
Horry maintained his position throughout, defending diligently without the slightest lapse in concentration. However, against Duncan's isolation play, Horry honestly had no effective means of containment. The bitterness Horry felt at the moment was something only AC Green, whose defense had been blown apart by Duncan on the bench, could truly understand...
Seeing that Duncan's shot was about to go in, Horry couldn't help but reach out. Knowing he couldn't block the shot, he decisively fouled Duncan's arm, disrupting his shooting motion and sending him to the free-throw line.
It was better to let Duncan shoot free throws than to allow him to score easily. Because in the few short minutes of the opening, Duncan had already made a strong impact in the paint, putting significant pressure on Horry and the entire Lakers team.
Duncan stood at the free-throw line with a blank expression, sinking both shots, as cold and mechanical as a machine devoid of emotion.
Duncan's continuous scoring finally ignited Shaq's ferocity!
Although head coach Harris needed Shaq to conserve his energy and explode later, there was a limit to what he could endure. Seeing Duncan continuously showing off in front of him, Shaq couldn't wait for a response to alleviate his inner frustration!
Thus, on the Lakers' next offensive possession, Shaq ignored the double-team from David Robinson and Duncan, forcibly turned, shoved off Admiral, and faked. He intended to draw Duncan into the air, but Duncan didn't bite and refused to jump. Shaq hardened his resolve, directly challenging Duncan's block, and powerfully completed a two-handed slam dunk!
On this play, Shaq truly displayed what it meant to have a dominant, earth-shattering presence! Despite being double-teamed by two of the league's top big men, he managed a strong breakout and even drew a shooting foul from Duncan!
The Lakers fans in attendance immediately erupted with the most enthusiastic applause and cheers for Shaq. Shaq beat his chest, accepting the fans' adoration, and then confidently stepped up to the free-throw line. He believed he could make the shot, but the basket did not share his confidence. Shaq's bonus free throw hit the rim and bounced out. Horry, fighting hard for the rebound, attempted a put-back.
Duncan, having just been outplayed by Shaq, was feeling rather displeased. Horry barreled into him, and Duncan did not hold back. With a powerful swat, he sent Horry's put-back shot flying well beyond the three-point line!
Elliott secured the rebound and, without even landing, immediately passed the ball mid-air to the driving He Xi Meng!
This time, Harper, in his attempt to contest the ball, had failed to position himself early, allowing He Xi Meng to get the jump on him. Fortunately, Kobe on the other side quickly chased back, preparing to intercept He Xi Meng under the basket to prevent him from driving for an uncontested layup.
He Xi Meng gauged his speed against Kobe's and decisively stopped short outside the three-point line. He faked, drew Harper, who lunged from behind, and pulled up for a three-pointer right there!
The ball kissed the rim and went in. He Xi Meng's three-pointer was on the board!
This pivotal Game 5 immediately plunged into an exceptionally intense back-and-forth rhythm. The Lakers had initially intended to stabilize the pace and gradually build momentum. However, faced with the Spurs' aggressive onslaught, both Shaq and Kobe found it difficult to contain their emotions and joined the fray of direct confrontation.
Fortunately, with the advantage of playing at home, although the Lakers were not outplaying the Spurs, they were not falling behind on the scoreboard.
As the first quarter neared its end, according to normal adjustments, both teams should have entered their rotation periods. However, the Lakers showed no signs of making substitutions, suggesting that Coach Harris intended to extend the playing time of his starting lineup to enhance the team's competitive edge.
Popovich hesitated. After all, the Lakers' starting lineup was considered top-tier in the current league, and no one dared to underestimate them, including the Spurs.
Out of caution, Popovich kept Duncan and He Xi Meng, the two core players, on the court, and initially rested David Robinson. On one hand, the Admiral was no longer young and couldn't be used like the younger players. On the other hand, the Admiral was matched up against the league's number one center, Shaq, and his defensive exertion was far greater than that of players at other positions.
Besides David Robinson, Popovich also substituted out Elliott, who had undergone a kidney transplant. Although the team doctors deemed Elliott capable of withstanding the intensity of league play, the playoffs were not the regular season, and the Western Conference Finals were no ordinary playoff series.
Replacing David Robinson and Elliott, Popovich brought in Brad Miller and Mario Elie.
Brad Miller + Duncan + Bowen + Mario Elie + He Xi Meng. This was what Popovich considered the strongest lineup the Spurs could field during the rotation period.
Of course, He Xi Meng disagreed, believing it was not yet the Spurs' strongest lineup. He Xi Meng suggested that Popovich field Ginobili to break the deadlock, but Popovich shook his head in refusal. Compared to the young and unreliable Ginobili, Popovich still trusted the veteran Mario Elie.
On the Lakers' side, Coach Harris only substituted out Horry, who had two fouls, allowing AC Green to fill in for a while. The other four players played the entire first quarter.
Both teams had similarly shortened their rotations, and a large portion of the ball possession was concentrated in the hands of their core players. The objective was to minimize uncontrollable factors and reduce the turnover rate to the lowest possible level...