Gortat's defense stayed in position, not overcommitting, but against Duncan, not making mistakes was far from enough.
Barnes on the wing immediately retreated to help Gortat double-team, but Duncan was very determined on this play. He gathered the ball before Barnes could get there, and with both of them interfering, he turned and shot!
It was a bank shot again, and it went in again!
Duncan tied the score for the Spurs, putting the pressure back on the Celtics.
Kerr gave the final possession to He Xi Meng, who abandoned the elevator door tactic.
First, this tactic hadn't been very effective against the Spurs in this game. Second, this game had been fiercely contested, and the off-ball movement required by the elevator door was very draining.
He Xi Meng had his teammates spread out, and he controlled the ball at the top of the arc, going one-on-one against Uncle Bo.
Bowen thought He Xi Meng would shoot from beyond the three-point line, so he guarded He Xi Meng very closely.
However, He Xi Meng used a high-speed cut, and in one step, he was past Bowen. Bowen, thinking He Xi Meng was driving to the basket, quickly backpedaled.
Then, He Xi Meng immediately pulled back into a stop and, one step inside the three-point line, jumped and shot. It was simple and direct!
He Xi Meng rarely shot from this spot.
Because a step back would have been a three-pointer, taking two points was not worth it.
But on this play, He Xi Meng wanted the element of surprise.
Bowen was left behind, and He Xi Meng effortlessly made a rare long two-pointer!
However, because the shot was so sudden, the game clock wasn't fully used, leaving the Spurs with 2.1 seconds for a final possession.
For the Spurs' final possession, He Xi Meng guessed that Popovich would give the ball to Ginobili, so he advised Kerr to heavily guard the tricky demon.
However, the old man didn't play by the book and instead passed the ball to Duncan near the free-throw line!
Duncan's shooting touch was perfect today! Not only did he make the bank shot from the post, but he also made this mid-range turnaround jumper!
The Spurs successfully dragged the game into overtime.
In overtime, Kerr substituted Rondo to ease He Xi Meng's playmaking burden, allowing He Xi Meng to focus entirely on offense.
As a result, the Spurs focused heavily on defending He Xi Meng, which opened up opportunities for the young Rondo.
Rondo drove strong against Parker twice and scored, providing significant support for the team.
As overtime was about to expire, the Celtics led the Spurs by 3 points, with victory seemingly within reach, Ginobili somehow slipped to the left corner, received a drive-and-dish pass from Parker, caught the ball, and shot!
As the buzzer for the end of the first overtime sounded, the ball went in!
Ginobili successfully pushed the game into a second overtime.
By this point, both He Xi Meng and Yao Ming were feeling exhausted.
The Spurs were also tired, but with the GDP trio sharing the load, they were in a better position than the Celtics' dual-core.
Moreover, the Spurs had largely played conservatively today, focusing on defense and fast breaks, which meant less physical exertion compared to the Celtics' aggressive approach.
Yao Ming had already accumulated five fouls, and this was with the home crowd and referees favoring them. If it weren't for the North Garden Arena, Yao Ming would likely have been disqualified long ago.
Gortat, to say nothing of him, had already received his sixth foul while defending Duncan before the first overtime ended.
Milsap was called upon in the emergency to replace Gortat and guard Duncan.
On the guard line, Hu Weidong from the bench was having a tough time against Ginobili, accumulating four fouls and also gradually running out of energy, leading to increasingly poor defense.
When the regular season ended, during the first overtime, while Tony Allen was resting, Kerr brought in Hu Weidong, choosing to pair Rondo with He Xi Meng to help He Xi Meng withstand the onslaught from Ginobili and Parker.
The young Rondo ultimately became the deciding factor in this game.
With both teams' core players exhausted, it was Rondo who stole the ball from Parker, drove and passed to He Xi Meng on the wing, assisting He Xi Meng on a crucial three-pointer that ultimately sealed the victory!
In Game 6, the Celtics, after a grueling two overtimes, narrowly defeated the Spurs by 3 points, pushing the NBA Finals to a decisive Game 7.
Theoretically, a Game 7 should be relatively fair for both sides.
Whoever desires victory more will win the championship.
However, in reality, the Celtics were at their absolute limit, especially their core player, Yao Ming, who was almost completely depleted. He Xi Meng, thanks to his coasting in previous rounds, still had some energy reserves, but not much.
Kerr could rely more on the two rookies who had recently emerged from the bench: Milsap and Rondo!
But as first-year rookies, how much impact could these two have in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals?
In contrast, the Spurs' GDP trio still had energy to spare.
In the previous rounds, the Spurs had hardly encountered any significant resistance!
They easily defeated the Nuggets 4-1 in the Western Conference First Round, beat the Blazers 4-2 in the Western Conference Semifinals, and then swept aside the Jazz 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
By the time they reached the Finals, the Celtics had been fighting tooth and nail, while the Spurs had been playing with ease.
They won Games 1 and 2 with ease, and deliberately held back in Games 3 and 4.
They exerted some effort in Game 5, but the Celtics had already conceded, so the real consumption was not significant.
The only game where they truly gave their all was the just-concluded Game 6. This was because Popovich wanted to end the Finals early and go home to drink wine. Unfortunately, the plan didn't succeed.
The Spurs fought through two overtimes but still couldn't lift the O'Brien Cup. But it didn't matter; the Spurs still had fight left in them.
Returning to their home court, the Spurs were ready to lift the championship trophy in front of their entire fanbase!
"Yao Ming is spent! In this game, if we shut down Xi Meng, we win!"
In the pre-game pep talk, Popovich didn't hide his confidence, very assuredly instructing all the Spurs players: stop Xi Meng, and the Spurs will win!
On the Celtics' side, Kerr was also giving his final motivational speech, urging the players to unite, strictly follow the game plan, and provide He Xi Meng with maximum support...
After Kerr finished, He Xi Meng also gave his final speech as the team leader.
"This is the NBA Finals I've felt least confident about in three years. For the team, this is bad! It means we're at a disadvantage, and we need to win as the underdog.
But for me personally, this is the most challenging game I've had in recent years! I will not give up!
I hope you don't give up either!
Only in adversity can true strength be revealed!
This game might be the best stepping stone for our three-peat!
I need your help!
Come on, let's complete this last impossible battle..."