However, the Pacers' defensive issues seemed more severe than their offensive ones at the moment.
Turning around, after a dazzling series of ball rotations from the Spurs, Duncan passed inside to David Robinson, who hit another low-post layup.
9:2, the Spurs had made all of their initial offensive possessions.
Although the Pacers had high spirits and a strong desire for revenge, they couldn't organize an effective defensive line, being completely led by the Spurs. They had a lot of defensive enthusiasm, which instead consumed a considerable amount of energy.
The defensive chaos also led to offensive disarray.
After two failed attempts, O'Neal hesitated to make a move. Miller tried to reach out, but Bowen guarded him so closely that he couldn't even receive the ball.
Under He Xi Meng's interference, Best gritted his teeth and attempted a forced drive. However, Best was self-aware; he couldn't even get past He Xi Meng, and even if he managed to break through to the basket, Duncan or David Robinson could easily block his shot with a simple shift. Therefore, Best's drive was not fundamentally about scoring a layup, but about creating opportunities for his teammates by drawing defenders.
On this play, after Best drove, he intended to pass to Miller, but both He Xi Meng and Bowen were wary of him passing to Miller. Best ultimately gave up on passing to Miller and instead passed to Croshere on the other side!
Croshere received the ball with a good opportunity, faked, and jab-stepped at Elliott. Elliott, being an experienced veteran, didn't bite easily. Croshere failed to make Elliott jump on the first attempt, so he took a dribble forward and executed a pull-up jump shot from mid-range! As a result, the ball bounced off the rim and out...
O'Neal tried to repeat his move and grab an offensive rebound, but Duncan directly blocked his path, dashing his hopes. David Robinson then came over and secured the defensive rebound. The rebounding coordination between the twin towers was already seamless.
However, O'Neal's effort to grab the rebound did have a benefit: it bought his teammates some time to get back on defense. Seeing no opportunity for a fast break, He Xi Meng leisurely brought the ball across half-court to set up a half-court offense.
"With the twin towers, why should I fear a half-court offense?"
He Xi Meng relaxed, directing his teammates to pass the ball around the perimeter to stretch the Pacers' defense and positioning, creating opportunities for Duncan and David Robinson to establish their post positions inside, and then waiting for an opportune moment to pass to the better-positioned David Robinson!
Sam Perkins was a power forward, similar in type to David Robinson. While it's said that similar types can counter each other, it still depends on who is stronger. Among power forwards, David Robinson was definitely a top-tier player. Even past his prime, his footwork and basketball IQ remained. It wasn't too difficult for him to score against Perkins. After a back-down, David Robinson feigned a turn, luring Perkins to shift his weight. He then moved horizontally towards the middle before quickly turning back, driving to the basket, and easily scoring a layup for two more points!
Perhaps spurred on by the recent championship ring, David Robinson's performance today was exceptionally outstanding.
On defense, he practically prevented Perkins from entering the paint, and on offense, he outmaneuvered Perkins. If not for knowing that David Robinson was already 35 and a half years old, Perkins would have thought he was facing the Admiral in his prime... This feeling of being unable to fight back was quite frustrating.
11:2, the Spurs still held the lead, and showed no signs of easing up.
The Pacers' current head coach, "The Smiling Assassin" Isiah Thomas, was forced to call a timeout in an attempt to disrupt the Spurs' current "invincible" state. At the same time, he drew up an off-ball cut tactic for Miller, intending for Miller to use an off-ball screen to shoot from mid-range!
The play was drawn up, but problems arose during its execution. Croshere, who received the ball on the wing, made a lob pass to the cutting Miller, but his intention was too obvious, and Elliott anticipated it, stealing the ball! Enraged, Croshere immediately tried to recover the ball and impede Elliott from starting a fast break, but his excessive contact resulted in a defensive foul called by the referee...
On the sidelines, Pacers head coach Isiah Thomas was so angry that he threw his play diagram to the floor...
The ball possession returned to the Spurs. Seeing that David Robinson was playing exceptionally well and also had a strong desire to attack, He Xi Meng once again fed him the ball.
David Robinson did not disappoint. Although he didn't score directly on this possession, he drew a foul from Perkins! David Robinson was very steady from the free-throw line, making both shots and further extending the lead to 13:2. The Pacers were thoroughly outplayed by the Spurs from the start!
The much-anticipated revenge failed to materialize, and the Pacers once again became a somber backdrop to the Spurs' immense power. Where could they even begin to complain?
98:85, the Spurs gave the Pacers no chance to come back. From a 4-minute, 11-point lead at the start, the margin never dropped below double digits.
David Robinson shot 5-of-9 from the field and made all 12 of his free throws, playing with blistering hot form and high scoring efficiency. In 31 minutes, he recorded 22 points, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, and 3 blocks.
Duncan played 29 minutes, scoring 16 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals, and 4 blocks. He Xi Meng played 30 minutes, recording 14 points, 12 assists, 2 rebounds, and 3 steals.
The bench players all received ample playing time. Ginobili played 29 minutes, scoring 12 points, 6 assists, and 3 rebounds. Brad Miller played 22 minutes and scored 12 points and 5 rebounds. Reed played 17 minutes and scored 9 points and 3 rebounds...
The Spurs easily defeated the Pacers, securing their second consecutive win to start the new season.
The Spurs' third game would see them continue to host the Minnesota Timberwolves!
The Timberwolves' starting lineup this season consisted of center Nesterović, power forward Garnett, small forward Szczerbiak, shooting guard Brandon Roy, and point guard Billups.
This Nesterović was the partner Popovich would find for Duncan after David Robinson's retirement. To lure the young wolf from the Timberwolves, Popovich even didn't hesitate to offer him a seven-year, $50 million max contract. This shows how highly Popovich regarded the Slovenian center at the time!
However, the final outcome was that this trade became a rare major misstep in Popovich's coaching career. One can only say that even the most seasoned hunter can make a mistake in judgment...