The coach finally grew impatient, called a timeout, and brought his starting lineup back in early.
On the Spurs side, Popovich only swapped in Duncan for Malik Rose, while the other three reserve players continued on. The on-court lineup became Brad Miller, Duncan, Ginobili, Reid, and He Xi Meng! To be honest, apart from being a little unstable, this lineup was quite strong. Even against the Lakers' pure starters, they didn't seem to be at a disadvantage.
Ginobili's drives, Reid's off-ball threes, Brad Miller's spacing threat... With the cooperation of Duncan and He Xi Meng, the three Spurs reserves displayed considerable offensive power, leaving the Lakers struggling to defend.
By the middle of the second quarter, the Spurs gradually returned to their full starting lineup. The focus of their offense shifted back from the three reserves to the Duncan-Robinson duo and David Robinson.
Duncan and He Xi Meng had played half-off and half-rested for half a quarter, while David Robinson had rested for the entire half. They were full of energy. In contrast, the Lakers, having brought in their starters early, had expended considerable energy battling the Spurs' three reserves. Moreover, O'Neal's form today was particularly poor, shooting only 1 of 8 from the field and 3 of 10 from the free-throw line in the first half... He Xi Meng guessed that the Big Shark had probably partied too hard and missed the pre-game practice, leaving his shooting touch still stuck in last season's playoffs, feeling stiff, cold, and unable to make shots no matter how he threw them...
As a result, by halftime, the Spurs had successfully extended their lead to nine points.
In the third quarter, seeing O'Neal unable to find his rhythm, Kobe couldn't hold back. He took over, driving and shooting, completely dominating Bowen.
It must be said that Bowen at this time was still in his developmental stage. After six seasons of drifting, he had barely solidified his position on the Spurs, earning a quasi-starting role. He was promoted to the starting lineup this season but was not yet prepared to face the league's top scorers. Therefore, after disrupting Kobe for two quarters, Bowen couldn't withstand him in the third quarter and was overwhelmed by Kobe. In this quarter, Kobe shot 7 of 10 from the field, scoring 15 points! However, the Lakers did not manage to turn the tide against the Spurs.
Because at the same time Kobe was exploding, Duncan and He Xi Meng also had their own bursts of brilliance. Duncan scored 8 points with consecutive post-ups against Grant, while He Xi Meng hit three three-pointers with passes from Duncan and David Robinson, scoring 9 points!
Kobe's 15 points, plus O'Neal's 2 points, gave the OK combination 17 points in the third quarter.
He Xi Meng scored 9 points and Duncan scored 8 points, giving the Duncan-Robinson duo 17 points in the third quarter as well.
Overall, Kobe's explosive scoring had been in vain, failing to inflict any substantial damage on the Spurs.
In the final quarter, Kobe continued to attack one-on-one, but the Spurs changed their defensive strategy. Popovich had He Xi Meng help Bowen double-team Kobe, thus stifling Kobe's rampage and bringing his shooting percentage back down to a respectable 3 of 8 for the quarter.
Ultimately, the Lakers failed to make a comeback, losing 81:91 and suffering an opening-day defeat.
Kobe's form in the new season was actually good, scoring 32 points, 8 assists, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in this game. However, O'Neal seemed to still be in vacation mode, scoring only 13 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 block. This was not the true level of the prime Big Shark.
On the Spurs side, Duncan had a game-high 22 points and 17 rebounds, He Xi Meng had 20 points and 10 assists, and David Robinson had 13 points and 7 rebounds.
In addition, from the bench, Ginobili scored 13 points and 5 assists, Reid had 9 points and 3 rebounds, and Brad Miller had 9 points and 5 rebounds.
The Spurs successfully secured victory in the opening game, getting off to a flying start for the new season!
In the second game of the new season, the Spurs returned to their home court to face the challenge of the Pacers.
Before the game officially began, the management prepared a grand championship ring presentation ceremony for the team.
Apart from Reid, all the players were members of last season's championship team and thus received their own personalized championship rings.
David Robinson was the first Spurs player to step onto the stage to receive his ring. This was the first championship ring of David Robinson's career, and the Admiral was extremely emotional, nearly shedding tears on the spot.
"I have always believed that we are the best team, with the best players, the best coaches, the best management, the best fans... We would eventually get our championship ring... Now, we have finally achieved our wish and become the best team in the league..."
Compared to David Robinson's tearful emotion, Duncan, who stepped onto the stage to receive his ring second, was much more stoic. He examined the ring in his hand carefully and then replied with a serious expression, "So this is how beautiful it looks. No wonder all the players in the league want to get one... I am honored to be its owner. I think we can continue to work hard and win a few more..."
Duncan's words were light and breezy, as if the championship ring was just waiting there for him to pick up. But one had to admit that this calm confidence resonated deeply with the Spurs fans, sounding like a subtle declaration, a silent but imposing power!
He Xi Meng was the third player to come up to receive his ring. This was already the second championship ring of his career, and within the Spurs, he had the second most rings, trailing only Steve Kerr.
"I couldn't wait to have this ring. Although I already have one, it was from the Lakers, not the Spurs! My girlfriend will be very happy when I bring this diamond-studded ring home, even though the ring isn't the right size for her... But as you all know, women are like crows; they never dislike diamonds or any jewelry related to diamonds... She wants me to bring home a ring like this every year, so that she can decorate our home even more dazzlingly... Therefore, I plan to work hard this season! We have the best players in the league, and we can continue to compete for championships! For diamond rings, let's keep working hard..."
Reid watched as his teammates went up to receive their championship rings one by one, drooling with envy.
Ginobili, standing next to Reid, patted him on the shoulder and chuckled reassuringly, "Don't worry, as long as you stay with the Spurs, you'll have your championship ring soon... Ah, it's my turn, excuse me..."
With that, Ginobili heard the host call his name and quickly went up to receive his championship ring.