Garnett tried to back down and force his way, attempting to fake out Duncan, but Duncan's defensive fundamentals were incredibly solid and he was unswayed. Garnett tried to change his footwork, hoping to use his agility to get around Duncan, but Duncan's footwork was no slower than Garnett's. Even if he managed to squeeze into the paint, there was still David Robinson to block Garnett's drive to the basket. When most of his offensive options failed, Garnett could only hope for his gritty jump shot. Unfortunately, his jump shot wasn't gritty at all today.
So, it wasn't that Garnett didn't try. But his 1-of-6 shooting in the first quarter left him dejected.
In contrast, He Xi Meng shot 5-of-6, including 2-of-3 from three-point range, and scored 12 points and 3 assists in the first quarter.
Sometimes, the gap between people isn't a gap in individual ability, but a gap in the platforms they stand on. For example, if Garnett could switch teams with He Xi Meng, with He Xi Meng on the Timberwolves and Garnett on the Spurs, with Duncan and David Robinson as teammates. Garnett would swear he would beat He Xi Meng so badly he'd be begging for mercy.
At the end of the first quarter, the Spurs led the Timberwolves 29-21 by 8 points.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Spurs' reserve trio of Ginobili, Brad Miller, and Riff appeared, supporting Malik Rose and Kerr.
On the Timberwolves side, head coach Saunders kept the starting shooting guard Terry Porter and brought in Sam Mitchell, Anthony Peeler, LaPhonso Ellis, and Dean Garnett. This lineup was primarily built around Terry Porter. But credit where credit is due, Terry Porter, who didn't get many opportunities with the starting lineup, was quite efficient with his drives and shots during the rotation.
He Xi Meng originally thought that with the Spurs' reserve lineup, they would surely extend the lead to 15 points. Unexpectedly, due to Terry Porter's excellent performance, the Timberwolves managed to withstand the Spurs' run during the rotation and didn't let the deficit widen to double digits.
Of course, the poor form of Riff and Ginobili also played a significant role. Riff missed two open shots, and Ginobili committed two inexplicable unforced errors. Only Brad Miller was playing normally, and it was hard to crush the opponent.
After that, the game returned to a contest between the starting lineups. Garnett finally found his shooting touch, scoring 10 points in this quarter on 5-of-6 shooting.
He Xi Meng's shooting touch began to decline, scoring only 3 points in this quarter. Fortunately, Duncan's scoring continued, and the Timberwolves did not manage to reverse the situation. By halftime, the Spurs still led by 5 points at 50-45.
During the halftime break, Popovich encouraged He Xi Meng to shoot boldly.
"If you want to score, then score to your heart's content! If your shot isn't falling, keep shooting until it does... Don't hesitate... Go for it..."
"Well, actually, I just wanted to recover some energy and play it safe, waiting to make a push in the second half, it has nothing to do with hesitation..." Of course, He Xi Meng couldn't say these words to Popovich directly. Since Popovich had said as much, he might as well make a quick offensive push.
Thus, at the start of the third quarter, before the Timberwolves could even react, He Xi Meng unleashed a barrage from three-point range! He made 5 of 8 shots and a three-point play, scoring 16 points just past the midpoint of the third quarter, and with unstoppable momentum, extended the lead to 15 points!
Billups' face was ashen. Although He Xi Meng said it wasn't directed at him, the person responsible for guarding him was Billups. He Xi Meng had scored 31 points through three quarters, and the vast majority of those 31 points were scored over Billups.
You say my performance has nothing to do with you, but who would believe that?
Garnett also looked dejected. It wasn't about losing, but about being shown up by He Xi Meng. Because He Xi Meng had declared his intentions at the beginning of the game, clearly stating he was going to make a statement. And before the third quarter ended, He Xi Meng had succeeded. How could Garnett not feel frustrated?
But if you're not as skilled, even a strong "Wolf King" can only grit his teeth and bear it. Who wouldn't if their team didn't have flying devils or an Admiral?
In the end, the Spurs won the game 103-91. He Xi Meng finished his work in three quarters and successfully showed off.
In this game, He Xi Meng scored 31 points and 6 assists. His assists were below par, but his scoring exceeded expectations.
After three consecutive wins, the Spurs were set to embark on a back-to-back road trip.
The first game of the road trip was to Golden State to challenge the Warriors.
The Warriors' core players at this time were Antawn Jamison and Larry Hughes, along with center Erick Dampier. Their strength in the Western Conference was at the bottom. A matchup between the Western Conference's top team and the bottom team offered no suspense. The only uncertainty was which Spurs player would step up to seal the game.
In the opening stages, Duncan, David Robinson, and He Xi Meng did not display overwhelming performance, with a solid start. The Warriors' starting lineup also showed some strength, and on their home court, they were able to compete with the defending champions without falling behind.
However, as soon as the rotation began, the Warriors' weakness in bench depth was immediately exposed.
Brad Miller and Ginobili, one inside and one outside, completely disrupted the Warriors' rotation lineup! Riff, standing on the sidelines, didn't even get a chance to shoot before these two had already forced the Warriors into a timeout, compelling Warriors head coach Cowens to shrink his lineup and bring in the starters early to resist the Spurs' reserve lineup.
Yes, the Spurs' bench, led by Ginobili and Brad Miller, forced the Warriors' best lineup onto the court. Even more embarrassing, even with the Warriors' starting lineup on the court, they still couldn't suppress the Spurs' bench!
Ginobili continued to drive and shoot as usual, scoring every point he was supposed to get.
Brad Miller was the same, taking advantage of the weakness of Erick Dampier in the paint who dared not come out, and kept hitting three-pointers from the perimeter.
After a period of dominance, the Spurs successfully gained a 10-point lead.
Head coach Popovich saw this and thought, "This is great!" The game was not delayed, and the core players could rest. He decisively increased the playing time of the reserve lineup, giving Ginobili and Brad Miller more room to operate.
In the end, this game inadvertently turned into a practice match for the Spurs.
David Robinson played only 26 minutes, Duncan 30 minutes, and He Xi Meng 31 minutes.
From the bench, Ginobili played 26 minutes and scored 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 5 assists. Brad Miller played 23 minutes and scored 16 points and 11 rebounds. Riff had a bit of a rough time, not getting many shooting opportunities in this game because Ginobili and Brad Miller snatched all the chances. Those two were just too efficient.