The Spurs staged a feint.
Ginobili served as the decoy, running desperately, tearing at the Mavericks' defense. During this, Horry even came up to set a screen for Ginobili, showing no sign of being the true killer.
So, when Parker didn't pass to Ginobili, but ultimately passed to Horry, the entire Mavericks team was momentarily stunned and shocked.
Amidst his shock, Nowitzki reacted, lunging towards Horry near the free-throw line, but it was largely ineffective.
The Spurs' strategy was highly successful, and Horry managed to get an open shot. The only pity was that his last-second buzzer-beater rimmed out...
This time, the miracle did not happen.
Horry's buzzer-beater failed, and the Spurs lost by one point.
The home-court Mavericks were jolted by the Spurs' final offense, but fortunately, Lady Luck was on their side in the end, and the Mavericks held onto their first home game.
In Game 4, Popovich continued to adjust the lineup.
Following Ginobili's return to the bench, Horry also returned to the bench. In fact, the core reserve lineup of Ginobili and Horry was an excellent choice for the Spurs.
However, Popovich moved Finley into the starting lineup, and Duncan continued to play center, still unable to solve the Spurs' other core issue: the paint.
The two teams battled to a deciding moment again. Duncan posted up strong, drawing the Mavericks' defensive attention, then kicked the ball out to Finley, who received it on the wing.
Finley hit a crucial three-pointer, helping the Spurs take a two-point lead over the Mavericks.
With 15 seconds left for the Mavericks, Coach Johnson instructed his players to get the ball into Nowitzki's hands.
Nowitzki drove strong against Duncan, attacking the basket and drawing a foul from Bowen, who came to help.
In this do-or-die moment, Nowitzki held his nerve and made both free throws, tying the game for the Mavericks.
The Spurs had 8 seconds left for a final offensive play.
With Ginobili having fouled out with six fouls, Popovich had no choice.
And Horry, having missed his last-second shot in the previous game, had disappointed Popovich.
Therefore, at this crucial moment, Popovich gave the final shot opportunity to Duncan.
Unfortunately, Duncan also failed to meet Popovich's expectations. His turnaround jumper after a post-up was also off the rim.
The Spurs were dragged into overtime by the Mavericks.
In overtime, both teams continued to battle fiercely until the last minute.
At a critical juncture, Parker missed two free throws, and Finley's three-pointer from the perimeter rimmed out. The Mavericks scored five consecutive points, and the Spurs lost this crucial game.
At 1-3, the regular-season Western Conference kings were pushed to the brink of elimination by the Mavericks.
After being eliminated by the Spurs in the semifinals for several consecutive seasons, the Mavericks finally saw a glimmer of revenge, and the entire team was incredibly excited.
The Mavericks attempted to eliminate their opponents on the Spurs' home court in Game 5.
But Duncan went off, recording 36 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal to ensure the Spurs defended their home court.
In the crucial Game 6, Ginobili exploded for 30 points, 0 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 1 block, crushing the Mavericks' attempt to quickly defeat the Spurs.
The Mavericks and Spurs series was once again pushed to a Game 7, with home-court advantage belonging to the Spurs.
The Mavericks had lost their commanding lead and seemed poised to suffer a 1-3 comeback reversal at the hands of the Spurs.
Nowitzki certainly wasn't having it!
From the start of Game 7, Nowitzki led his teammates in an extremely efficient scoring run, building a 10-point lead at 37-27.
For the next three quarters, the Spurs were desperately trying to catch up. By the middle of the fourth quarter, the Mavericks maintained a 10-point lead, 91-82.
As the Spurs fans in the arena began to despair, Ginobili finally unleashed his "weirdness."
Ginobili first ignited the Spurs' comeback with an improbable three-pointer.
He then followed up with two driving layups and two free throws, scoring 9 points in under three minutes, bringing the Spurs within 2 points and forcing the Mavericks to call a timeout.
With 32 seconds left in the game, the score was tied. It was Ginobili again, receiving a pass from Duncan after his post-up, who drained a corner three from the left wing, giving the Spurs their first lead of the game!
Just as a stunning comeback was about to be completed, Nowitzki made a heroic play, driving for a layup and completing a 2+1!
The player who fouled him was Ginobili...
Nowitzki made the ensuing free throw, pushing the game into overtime once again.
In overtime, Ginobili was exhausted and couldn't drive effectively.
Parker was hesitant to shoot, deferring to Duncan.
Duncan was willing to shoot, but he went 1-for-7 from the field, scoring only 2 points...
The result was predictable. The Spurs, who had worked hard to catch up for nearly an entire game, lost it all in overtime.
With a final score of 4-3, the Mavericks narrowly won the Game 7, eliminating the Spurs and advancing to the Western Conference Finals.
As a former Spurs discard, Mavericks head coach Johnson was ecstatic, appearing happier and more excited than any Mavericks player...
"For us, every game is a Game 7! After all, our opponent is the Spurs, who have won four championships in six years! Before the game, no one expected us to beat the Spurs, but we did..."
"What factors led to your victory?"
"It was belief, the infinite desire for victory that kept us going until the final moment!"
"So, in your opinion, which game was the most difficult for the Mavericks to play? Was it the Game 7?"
"No! Every game was tough! If you watched the entire series, you would know that we were almost in a deciding moment in every game against the Spurs! Whether we won or lost!"
Compared to the joyous atmosphere surrounding the Mavericks, the Spurs were in despair.
It wasn't that the Spurs couldn't accept the loss, but rather that after losing, no one could be happy.
Duncan, as the undisputed core of the Spurs, attended the post-game press conference with Popovich.
Duncan's performance in this series was not bad; he averaged 32.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1 steal, and 2.6 blocks, which was a better and more impressive stat line than any season in his career up to that point.
However, the Spurs experienced their most dismal playoff run since Duncan joined the team.