Two points in hand, Ginobili stumbled to the ground, as the previous move was too awkward, it completely threw off his balance... After falling, Ginobili quickly got up, tidied his long hair, and as he retreated back on defense, he didn't forget to give a thumbs-up to He Xi Meng, who had delivered the brilliant assist!
He Xi Meng’s pass on this play was flawless!
Ginobili’s play on this possession was also perfect!
Popovich also noticed that in his partnership with He Xi Meng, Ginobili’s probability of becoming a god seemed significantly higher than becoming a ghost? Could it be that it varies from person to person, or perhaps, a kindred spirit?
The Lakers, having been scored on by the combined effort of He Xi Meng and Ginobili, turned the ball over. Fisher then wanted to try a little coordination with Fox. Fisher broke through and passed, and Fox received the ball and drove again!
Cole’s small frame couldn't stop Fox’s powerful drive, so he could only stick close to Fox, looking for an opportunity to disrupt him. But Fox was driving very resolutely. Ginobili suddenly appeared in Fox’s driving lane and blocked his path, colliding head-on with Fox!
The referee’s whistle blew, calling an offensive foul on Fox!
Fox immediately became agitated, spreading his hands and indignantly explaining to the referee that it was Ginobili’s blocking foul just now…
Whether it was a foul by Ginobili or not, his "all-out" defensive attitude was worthy of commendation!
Fox, on the other hand, held himself to a high standard as "an actor," trying to gain the referee's sympathy through his performance… But unfortunately, whether it was Fox's acting that was subpar or Ginobili's footwork that was clearly communicated, the referee gave Fox no room for negotiation and directly awarded possession to the Spurs.
Ginobili had shown his prowess on offense, and now he had contributed on defense. Even the cool and ruthless Duncan couldn't help but clap for Ginobili's excellent defense from the bench.
The Spurs gained possession, and He Xi Meng called for Brad Miller to set a screen at the three-point line. The Lakers knew Brad Miller had a three-point shot, so John Salley was forced to step out, while Da Zhi sank into the paint to guard the Lakers' basket!
He Xi Meng didn't attack the basket guarded by Da Zhi, but instead used his smaller size to his advantage. With a crossover, he easily got past John Salley, feigned a pass to Ginobili on the perimeter, drawing Horry to shift and help defend, and then stopped abruptly for a shot just inside the free-throw line!
He Xi Meng’s mid-range jumper wasn’t considered his greatest strength, but when unhindered, he could still consistently make the shot!
On this play, He Xi Meng found the intersection of the defensive areas of the three Lakers players – John Salley, Da Zhi, and Horry – a spot where none of them could quite reach him. He jumped precisely and easily made the shot.
As for rotation time, you play in a way that maximizes scoring efficiency…
On the Lakers' side, head coach Harris, seeing that He Xi Meng was about to go on a rampage again, quickly called Kobe over, substituting Fisher out and having Kobe play point guard to counter He Xi Meng!
During internal team practices, Kobe had always enjoyed matching up against He Xi Meng. They were very familiar with each other’s technical strengths, and crucially, Kobe often managed to contain He Xi Meng…
Therefore, without changing the Lakers' offensive and defensive tactics, Kobe was the first person Harris thought of to contain He Xi Meng, one-on-one!
Kobe, of course, welcomed this adjustment with open arms!
Tucking in his shorts, Kobe eagerly returned to the court. After taking the ball from Fox, Kobe signaled his teammates to spread out, then directly isolated and attacked, using a pump fake, a drive, and a mid-range pull-up jumper to overpower He Xi Meng… Even though He Xi Meng knew Kobe's intentions, there was a significant gap between knowing the intention and actually being able to defend it.
He Xi Meng was slightly at a disadvantage in height and weight compared to Kobe. Although their core strength was comparable, Kobe was the offensive player, and He Xi Meng was the defender. Kobe was in an active position, and He Xi Meng was in a passive one. The roles of offense and defense were inherently unequal.
Kobe's mid-range pull-up jumper, with its high arc and fadeaway, was actually very difficult to defend. He Xi Meng's usual strategy was to block his vision and disrupt him, interfering with one shot at a time!
When used too much, the "eye-blocking" defense would develop a certain immunity. Kobe had clearly faced this defense many times. Against He Xi Meng’s attempt to block his vision, he didn’t even blink an eye. Facing He Xi Meng’s outstretched hand, he shot as he pleased!
"What, you dare to poke my eye again?" With this somewhat roguish mindset, Kobe calmly made the jump shot.
After successfully retaliating, Kobe didn't forget to give He Xi Meng a provocative look: "Come on! Come and guard me one-on-one!"
He Xi Meng ignored Kobe's provocation and steadily dribbled the ball forward, looking for a shooting opportunity a few steps beyond the three-point line.
Kobe anticipated He Xi Meng's intentions. After He Xi Meng brought the ball past half-court, he started sticking close to him, using his body, and occasionally attempting to steal the ball, constantly pressuring He Xi Meng.
He Xi Meng actively called for Ginobili to take possession of the ball, while he and Cole positioned themselves on either side, widening the space for Ginobili.
Ginobili was on the perimeter with the ball, having absolute decision-making power! Whether to choose to play isolation or to facilitate assists was entirely up to Ginobili.
In fact, this was the kind of opportunity He Xi Meng wanted to create for Ginobili. Ginobili was not a player who excelled at simply following instructions. He needed the ball, he needed freedom to breathe, for him to truly grow and become the Spurs' dangerous "Demon Blade" off the bench! Even if it required paying a small price in the process, He Xi Meng believed it was worth it!
Therefore, after successfully drawing the Lakers' defensive attention to himself, He Xi Meng ceded possession, allowing Ginobili to control the Spurs' second unit!
Of course, to make the situation seem more realistic! He Xi Meng didn't just move to the baseline; he would occasionally cut into the paint, appearing as if he was constantly looking for off-ball shots, which made Kobe quite tense. Kobe ended up chasing He Xi Meng pointlessly, wasting a lot of energy.
In fact, He Xi Meng had already instructed Ginobili: "Dare to drive, dare to shoot, dare to pass, dare to make decisions… You can use me as a decoy, but don't just focus on me. Play to your strengths as much as possible, and get the teammates in the second unit going…"