He Xi Meng had originally thought the Spurs would hand the ball to Ginobili, but surprisingly, Popovich gave it to Parker?
Parker held the ball at the right elbow of the arc, calling for Duncan to set a screen near the free-throw line. It seemed they were attempting a high-low play. The Celtics gritted their teeth and rotated, desperately trying to prevent Duncan from driving directly to the basket.
However, Duncan had no intention of forcing a drive. After drawing the Celtics' defensive attention, he twisted and passed the ball to Ginobili, who was cutting to the wing for a pass!
Ginobili actually had an open shot opportunity, but he didn't take it. In a do-or-die moment, Ginobili trusted his driving skills more than a three-point shot!
Ginobili faked with the ball, drawing a leap from Tony Allen, then drove to the side again. With a burst of acceleration, he got past Allen and dove into the crowded paint!
Just moments before, when Duncan had driven down the middle, he had drawn the Celtics' Gortat, Barnes, and Yao Ming. The paint was, to say the least, very congested.
But Ginobili was like that; once he made up his mind, he didn't care how crowded the paint was!
"Whether it's crowded or not is someone else's problem. Whether I drive or not is my own problem!"
Fueled by extreme confidence, Ginobili weaved through the crowd like a serpent, executing a series of bizarre moves, and finally completed a twisting, Eurostep layup in front of Yao Ming...
Yao Ming's block attempt went wide, and the ball kissed the glass and fell into the net.
This play, from the drive to the final layup, was extremely difficult! But Ginobili still made it!
If the play wasn't difficult, Ginobili wouldn't have taken it...
After sinking this signature and unbelievable shot, Ginobili was incredibly excited, pounding his chest and ripping his jersey towards the home crowd!
Duncan ran over and playfully ruffled Ginobili's hair!
It was evident that Ginobili's hair had visibly thinned in the three years He Xi Meng had been away from the Spurs...
The deficit remained 5 points, with only 5.9 seconds left on the clock!
The Celtics were left with only a theoretical chance to come back, needing to score two or three points quickly, then foul the Spurs players to send them to the free-throw line, hoping they would miss.
He Xi Meng opted for a quick three-pointer!
After receiving the inbound pass from the sideline, he used Tony Allen's screen to avoid a double-team from Parker and Ginobili, pulled up, and shot!
This shot was no less difficult than Ginobili's bizarre drive just moments before!
Because this was essentially a shot from logo territory, with Tony Allen, Parker, and Ginobili still hounding him...
But He Xi Meng, making a desperate gamble, felt it was an opportunity, and therefore, it was an opportunity!
To the astonishment of the entire city's fans, the basketball traced a very high arc and, incredibly, went in!
The score narrowed to 2 points again, with only 2.7 seconds remaining!
He Xi Meng took only 3.2 seconds from catching the ball, taking a dribble, to shooting, compressing the time to its absolute limit!
Next, the Spurs' final possession would test the free-throw shooting prowess of the GDP trio. Who would Popovich entrust with this critical task?
Ginobili!
The reason was simple: as the Finals had progressed, the free-throw percentages of the GDP trio were: Parker 52.6%, Duncan 62.5%, and Ginobili 83.3%!
Their free-throw percentages roughly indicated who had steadier hands and bigger hearts in crucial moments.
Ginobili didn't disappoint the coach. He not only caught the ball cleanly, drawing a foul from the Celtics, but on Tony Allen's first foul attempt, he successfully evaded it with a twisting dodge, costing the Celtics nearly a second!
The time left for the Celtics, already scarce, was now reduced to just 0.8 seconds by Ginobili!
If Ginobili missed both free throws, the Celtics would still have 0.8 seconds to pull off an improbable comeback!
If Ginobili made one of two, the Celtics would still have 0.8 seconds to tie the game!
The eyes of the world were focused on the free-throw line, on Ginobili, wearing jersey number 20!
As a result, Ginobili took the ball from the referee, dribbled once, and shot directly, without any hesitation...
The ball hit the rim and went in, sending a shiver down the Spurs' fans in attendance.
With the first free throw made, the Spurs had secured their victory.
For the second free throw, Ginobili's expression remained unchanged, his motion the same, his rhythm consistent. He again took the ball, dribbled once, and shot directly...
The second shot swished through the net, and the crowd erupted!
In fact, the entire game was over. The Spurs had won Game Seven!
But Ginobili didn't celebrate. Instead, he was the first to call out to his teammates: "Defense! Defense! The game isn't over yet..."
On the Celtics' side, despite having no hope left, Yao Ming, following head coach Kerr's instructions, quickly inbounded the ball and, using his unmatched height, launched a super long pass that sailed past half-court!
Ahead, He Xi Meng was sprinting at full speed, crossing half-court instantly. While on the run, he caught Yao Ming's long pass, leaped, and without time or space to adjust, released a leaning, super-long three-point shot in mid-air...
As the ball left He Xi Meng's hands, the game-ending countdown clock sounded.
The referee signaled that the shot was not too late... although, regardless of whether it was in or out, it wouldn't affect the final outcome.
And the shot, incredibly, went in!
Yao Ming and He Xi Meng's perfectly coordinated, incredibly difficult, 0.8-second, super-long three-pointer had actually gone in!
It was a shame that such a beautiful shot couldn't salvage the Celtics' eventual defeat.
112:113, a heartbreaking one-point loss!
He Xi Meng's final score for the game stood at 63 points!
The Celtics' dream of a three-peat was shattered, defeated by their old rivals from three years ago!
Three years prior, it was the Celtics who had ended the Spurs' four-peat aspirations and begun their own championship journey.
Three years later, the Spurs had exacted their revenge, ending the Celtics' dream of a three-peat.
History truly is a circle.
After the game, He Xi Meng lay on the familiar floor of the familiar arena, utterly exhausted, his mind blank, contemplating life.
He Xi Meng felt regret about not achieving the three-peat, but not heartbroken. He was simply exhausted, so tired he could barely open his eyes, feeling like he could just fall asleep right there on the floor...
"I truly gave my all in this battle..."