Duncan's rhetorical question left the ill-intentioned reporters speechless.
With the support of Popovich and Duncan, He Xi Meng's minor adjustments to the Spurs yielded good results!
Duncan did not suffer any injuries during the regular season, nor was his season cut short. The Spurs finished with a record of 62 wins and 20 losses, ranking second in the Western Conference, trailing only the Lakers' 67 wins and 15 losses!
The Lakers found their rhythm in the second half of the season. O'Neal was in dominant form and remained injury-free, single-handedly dominating almost every team in the league! The Spurs, of course, were an exception!
The Spurs played three games against the Lakers this season, winning two and losing one, making them the only team in the league to have the upper hand against the Lakers.
Ultimately, the Western Conference regular season standings were: Lakers first, Spurs second, Jazz third, Trail Blazers fourth, Timberwolves fifth, SuperSonics sixth, Suns seventh, Kings eighth.
The Eastern Conference regular season standings were: Pacers first, Heat second, Knicks third, 76ers fourth, Hornets fifth, Raptors sixth, Pistons seventh, Bucks eighth.
The Spurs' first-round playoff opponent was the unfortunate Suns!
Why are the Suns unfortunate? Because this season, the Suns assembled a roster of players in their prime, including Penny Hardaway, Kidd, Marion, Longley, Gugliotta, and Clifford Robinson. Their strength had indeed improved significantly compared to the previous season. However, the unfortunate part was that Penny Hardaway, who had been plagued by injuries for years, managed to stay healthy this season, while Kidd, who was usually healthy, was sidelined for the season due to injury. Also sidelined with Kidd was Gugliotta.
With two core scoring players missing from the Suns' starting lineup, one of whom was the soul of the team, this outcome was truly tragic for the Phoenix fans.
However, in the original history, although the Suns were unfortunate, there was an even more unfortunate team: their opponent, the Spurs!
The Suns lost Kidd and Gugliotta to injuries. Penny Hardaway, playing as a solo act, averaged 45 minutes, contributing all-around stats of 19 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.8 assists, successfully defeating the Spurs, who were also playing a solo-act team.
Even though David Robinson increased his playing time to 39 minutes and his average stats improved to 23.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.8 steals, and 3 blocks, it still couldn't hide the fact that without Duncan, the Spurs were just an ordinary Western Conference team.
Now, Duncan's injury problem has been solved by He Xi Meng, or at least postponed. With both Spurs towers healthy, their strength is top-tier in the West, plus a Kidd-level player like He Xi Meng to drive them…
Penny Hardaway, playing solo, could only sigh to the heavens, "Heaven has betrayed me, it's not a fault of war..."
The healthy Spurs gave the Suns no chance, sweeping them 3-0 in straight sets.
In the other matchups, the regular season champions Lakers encountered fierce resistance from the eighth-seeded Kings!
After winning the first two games, the Lakers thought they could easily sweep the Kings and advance. However, starting from the third game, Webber unleashed his full power at home, recording a near triple-double of 29 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. Peja off the bench also scored 19 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. The duo's combined surge shattered the Lakers' plan to sweep.
In the fourth game, Webber continued his spectacular performance with 23 points, 13 rebounds, 8 assists, 7 blocks, and 4 steals. On the bench, Peja was targeted by the Lakers, but Jon Barry stepped up with 17 points, Tony Delk scored 12 points, and with Peja's 11 points, the three of them completely outplayed the Lakers' bench.
The Kings won two consecutive games, tying the series at 2-2 and successfully dragging the defending champions into a Game 5 battle.
After losing two straight games, the Lakers finally found their footing in Game 5. In this crucial elimination game, they comprehensively increased their defensive intensity, especially the quality of their bench defense!
Horry + Fox + Fisher + Brian Shaw + Devin George... The Lakers' bench has always been strong, but they were just a bit out of rhythm in the first two games.
After the verbal onslaught from Coach Harris, the Lakers' bench players fully awakened. By stifling the Kings' Princeton offense, they successfully disrupted the shooters' barrage. The Kings' bench shooters, led by Peja, were no longer as aggressive, and the Kings' firepower was instantly halved. In the starting lineup, Webber's incredible performance finally came to an end. O'Neal returned like a king, recording a monstrous double-double of 32 points and 18 rebounds, while also bringing Webber, who had been brilliant in the first two games, back to a more ordinary stat line of 20+4+4.
Ultimately, the Lakers defeated the Kings, who could not maintain their explosive performance, in Game 5, denying them the chance for an upset.
The series between the Jazz and the SuperSonics also went to a Game 5.
The Jazz's core lineup remained Malone, Hornacek, Russell, Stockton, and Ostertag.
The SuperSonics' core lineup was Payton, Van Exel, Brent Barry, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, and "The Cobra" Grant.
Both teams featured veteran players playing a more retro style of basketball.
The first four games saw both teams win two games each. In Game 5, the teams battled until the final minute. Stockton made two free throws, giving the Jazz a 3-point lead. The SuperSonics' final shot at the rim for three missed, and this veteran showdown concluded with a Jazz victory!
During Michael Jordan's second three-peat, his Finals opponents were either the SuperSonics or the Jazz. These two teams were arguably the biggest thorns in the Bulls dynasty's side.
Malone and Payton finally managed to outlast Michael Jordan, only to see O'Neal and Duncan arrive in the West. The Lakers and Spurs replaced the Jazz and SuperSonics, began to dominate the West, and monopolized the championship outcomes... Is it destiny or fate?
In the matchup between the Trail Blazers and the Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers, led by the "Left Hand of God" Pippen, rapidly rose to prominence!
Inside, they had a twin tower of Sabonis + Rasheed Wallace. On the perimeter, they had Stephon Marbury + Steve Smith... And on the bench, Bonzi Wells was lurking.
The well-rounded and clearly defined Trail Blazers team had a clear advantage against the Timberwolves' Garnett + Joe Smith.
Although Garnett was a dynamic force for the Timberwolves, putting up near triple-double averages of 18.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 8.8 assists, he couldn't overcome the odds alone. The young wolves simply couldn't withstand the Trail Blazers' combined assault, losing 1-3.
All four Western Conference teams successfully advanced.