As He Xi Meng was on the perimeter, sighing and preparing to retreat on defense, a scramble had already broken out under the basket for possession of the ball.
Ultimately, Brad Miller emerged victorious amidst the chaos. After grabbing the basketball, he leaped up, intending to complete a throw-in.
Dirk Nowitzki was unwilling to let Brad Miller shoot so easily. He lunged forward, knocking the ball and Miller’s hand down, swatting Miller’s shot.
The referee’s whistle immediately blew, and Brad Miller was awarded two free throws. The first shot was good, but the second bounced off the rim.
Nowitzki secured the defensive rebound and passed it to Nash. Nash pushed the ball past half-court and handed it to Finley.
Finley, following his head coach’s instructions, drove to the basket against Bowen and attempted a turnaround jumper, but unfortunately, it also hit the rim and bounced out.
Bowen grabbed the defensive rebound and passed it to He Xi Meng. He Xi Meng quickly pushed the ball past half-court. Just as he was about to attempt another three-pointer, he saw the figure of Othella Harrington rapidly cutting along the sideline.
Harrington was still bothered by missing that last shot. He was running faster than anyone else on this fast break opportunity.
Seeing Harrington’s effort to help the team score, He Xi Meng immediately changed his plan. He executed a perfect bounce pass, accurately sending the ball into Harrington’s hands. Harrington caught the ball and took flight. To avoid interference from Nash behind him, he chose a layup in mid-air, utilizing the timing difference to successfully send the basketball into the hoop!
10:2! The Spurs started with an explosive burst.
On the Mavericks’ side, they wanted to continue the strategy from the previous two games: attack the Spurs’ interior while Tim Duncan was absent.
However, in the first two games, Brad Miller, juggling multiple roles, had been spread too thin defensively, and had been dominated by Nowitzki for two games.
Now, with the Spurs changing their offensive and defensive strategy, pulling Brad Miller out of the “Duncan substitute” quagmire and letting him return to his true role, Brad Miller’s defensive efficiency immediately improved to a certain extent. Furthermore, after being beaten by the German Tank for two games, Brad Miller had also gained valuable experience. Dealing with a power forward like Nowitzki required more than just brute strength; one also had to guard against his direct drives and the fadeaway jumper after those drives. These were all lessons learned through bitter experience.
So, when Nowitzki tried the same tactic again, attempting to power through Brad Miller head-on, Brad Miller tried to stick close and extend his hand to disrupt Nowitzki’s dribbling rhythm. As Nowitzki faded away, instead of attempting a block, he reached out to steal the ball.
This was a standard guard’s method of stealing from a center, naturally taught hand-in-hand by He Xi Meng.
Brad Miller’s first attempt was quite effective, successfully snatching the ball from Nowitzki. Although Nowitzki shouted, trying to draw a foul, the referee remained unmoved, considering it a clean steal.
Brad Miller happily passed the ball to He Xi Meng to push the fast break. This time, He Xi Meng did not opt to pass but, taking advantage of Finley’s slow rotation after the switch, he raised his hand and shot. Another three-pointer!
13:2!
Coach Don Nelson couldn’t stand it and called for a timeout, aiming to disrupt the Spurs, primarily He Xi Meng’s scorching hot shooting hand. At the same time, he intended to give his Mavericks players a stern talking-to to boost their morale.
After the timeout, Nowitzki shot from beyond the three-point line, trying to respond with a three-pointer for the Spurs. The ball bounced off the rim, but Finley rushed in for the offensive rebound and hit a mid-range pull-up jumper!
The Mavericks’ first change was in their rebounding. Whether it was offensive or defensive rebounds, they increased the intensity of their pursuit.
He who controls the boards controls the game.
Why were the Spurs able to execute so many fast breaks in the early stages? Because they had secured the defensive rebounds well. They didn’t allow the Mavericks second-chance opportunities, which enabled their fluid counter-attacks.
Coach Don Nelson’s focus on rebounding was spot-on, befitting a renowned coach in the league.
Of course, improving rebounding alone was not enough.
On the defensive end, the Mavericks needed to contain He Xi Meng, the strong point, and prevent him from continuing his scoring spree. Finley and Nash switching was only the first step.
Therefore, as He Xi Meng dribbled closer to the three-point line, Finley’s tight defense was right on cue. And behind Finley, Eduardo Nájera immediately shrunk his position, planting himself in He Xi Meng’s driving lane, and adopting a stance ready to step up at any moment.
“Is this… a double-team?”
Yes, the second measure Don Nelson took was to double-team He Xi Meng. He instructed Eduardo Nájera, who had been promoted to the starting lineup as a wing player, to increase his focus and be ready to help Finley double-team He Xi Meng at all times!
Strike the snake at its vital point! After Duncan, who was the most threatening player for the Spurs? Don Nelson saw it clearly.
To achieve this, Don Nelson did not hesitate to have Nájera focus heavily on He Xi Meng. As for Bowen, whom Nájera was originally supposed to guard… a defensive role player, what kind of impact could he make?
But, could Bowen truly make no impact?
Upon seeing the Mavericks’ change, He Xi Meng deliberately drove towards Nájera’s side, fully drawing Nájera into the double-team. Then, he executed a low bounce pass behind Nájera to Bruce Bowen, who had cut to the baseline.
Bowen received an open shot opportunity. On his first attempt, he hesitated slightly, considering passing to David Robinson inside.
He Xi Meng immediately shouted, “Shoot! Shoot decisively…”
Encouraged by He Xi Meng, Bowen took a stable shot, but unfortunately, the ball missed. However, He Xi Meng, amidst the double-team by Finley and Nájera, charged in to grab the offensive rebound and passed it back to Bowen!
This time, Bowen did not hesitate at all. He caught the ball and shot, smoothly sinking it, not betraying He Xi Meng’s trust!
“You want to double-team me? Then you have to see if you can bear the consequences…”
As a shooting guard, he disliked being double-teamed.
As a point guard, He Xi Meng welcomed double-teams.
Because a double-team meant his teammates had space and opportunities to shoot. As long as his court vision was broad enough, he could always find opportunities to assist.
Thus, for the remainder of the first quarter, the Mavericks did manage to contain He Xi Meng’s individual scoring, but they failed to contain the Spurs’ overall scoring.
He Xi Meng, without hesitation, abandoned his own scoring opportunities and left them for his teammates!
Bruce Bowen and Othella Harrington became the biggest beneficiaries!
Bruce Bowen hit two three-pointers and one long two-pointer in the first quarter, scoring a team-high 8 points!
Harrington made two layups and a mid-range pull-up jumper, scoring 6 points!
He Xi Meng made two three-pointers and one mid-range bank shot, also scoring 8 points, in addition to 5 assists, 2 rebounds, and 1 steal!
In the first quarter, He Xi Meng displayed an extremely well-rounded game, excelling in scoring, playmaking, and defense.
The Spurs smoothly ended the first quarter with a 10-point lead.