Faced with reporters' questions, Duncan remained as calm and silent as ever.
"We didn't play well and disappointed the fans. Next season, we'll continue to work hard..."
This was clearly not what the reporters wanted to hear. They hoped to extract more information from Duncan, but it was obvious they were destined to be disappointed.
Popovich took the initiative to turn on his microphone, diverting the reporters' attention from Duncan and helping him out.
"Duncan is fine, and the players are fine. The main reason for the Spurs' defeat this season is me!"
It was I who wanted to try different lineups and playing styles, which led to poor team cohesion.
In this round of the playoffs, we had significant problems on defense, allowing the Mavericks to score too many points.
This was once unimaginable.
Of course, the Mavericks' improvement was one reason, but I believe the bigger reason was that we gave the Mavericks opportunities they shouldn't have had.
The coaching staff is the root cause of our team's failure, so I need to take full responsibility.
Next, we will use the offseason to summarize our experiences and lessons learned, readjust our lineup and tactics, and strive for a different performance next season..."
Popovich took it upon himself to bear all the responsibility for the team's failure.
For other head coaches in the league, this would be an unbearable burden, one that could easily lead to being fired, but Popovich had no such worries.
In San Antonio, his position was as stable as Mount Tai. A single team loss would not affect his reputation. On the contrary, his honesty and protection of his players earned him even more admiration from players and fans.
The fans of San Antonio also remained extremely calm in the face of the team's loss this year.
"No team can monopolize the championship forever, nor can any team always contend for the championship. The players played well, we just lacked a bit of luck... Let's look forward to next season. I believe Coach Popovich will bring us surprises..."
Not arrogant in victory, not discouraged in defeat. This is the style of San Antonio. Whether it's the team or the fans, their spirit and style are consistent.
In another Western Conference matchup, the Suns and Clippers engaged in a rare offensive battle!
In Game 1, without overtime, the two teams reached a score of 130:123. With three-pointers not yet prevalent, such a score indicated a complete lack of defense.
Such games were common in the regular season, but extremely rare in the playoffs.
The Suns could be considered pioneers of a trend.
In Game 2, the Suns' strategy remained unchanged, but the Clippers quietly increased their defensive intensity, successfully curbing the Suns' shooting percentage. The score was 122:97, breaking the Suns' home-court advantage.
In Game 3, the Suns retaliated, also increasing their defensive intensity and successfully containing the Clippers' offense on their home court. The score was 94:91, with the Suns breaking the Clippers' home advantage and regaining home-court advantage.
Starting with Game 4, as if by agreement, both teams abandoned defense and engaged in an offensive shootout once more.
The Clippers won Game 4 with a score of 114:107, tying the series.
The Suns won Game 5 with a score of 125:118.
The Clippers won Game 6 with a score of 118:106.
The Suns won Game 7 with a score of 127:107.
As the originators of the "Seven Seconds or Less" offense, the Suns ultimately defeated the Clippers with overwhelming firepower.
Captain Elton Brand put up career-best numbers of 30.9 points and 10.4 rebounds in the second round, but unfortunately, he fell short, ultimately losing to the all-around Suns.
A significant reason for Elton Brand's impressive performance was the absence of Stoudemire. The Suns' interior lacked height, and no one could contain Elton Brand.
This weakness would make the Suns' subsequent games increasingly difficult.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks indeed exploited the Suns' interior weakness and relentlessly attacked them.
With a 4:2 series win, the Mavericks successfully eliminated the Suns, who had a flawed roster, and thus secured the Western Conference championship, advancing to the NBA Finals.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics faced the Heat once again.
Before the game, as He Xi Meng, who enjoyed reminiscing, had not yet made his move, the enthusiastic O'Neal took the initiative to greet the home team.
He Xi Meng, Yao Ming, and Carter, the Celtics' Big Three, all had good personal relationships with O'Neal.
Accompanying O'Neal was former Celtics player Payton.
Last season, Payton was still with the Celtics and won a championship ring he had long dreamed of as He Xi Meng's backup.
Logically, Payton could have retired with the Celtics.
However, the defiant Payton, swayed by Riley, gave up his comfortable contract with the Celtics and went to the Heat to seek a second spring.
Initially, Riley likely promised Payton the starting point guard position and a near-max contract.
But Payton's starting position lasted less than 30 games before being replaced by Jason Williams.
The result was that Payton gave up the opportunity to be He Xi Meng's backup and went to Miami to become Jason Williams' backup...
Fortunately, the Heat, like the Celtics, had reached the Eastern Conference Finals; otherwise, Payton would not have known how to slap himself.
Did Payton have even a shred of regret deep down? It was likely so.
But in front of the Celtics players, Payton did a good job of hiding his true emotions and was joking and laughing with everyone.
Wade did not accompany O'Neal to greet them. Facing the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals, he was prepared for a battle to the death...
As the game was about to begin, the players from both teams entered the court.
The Heat's starting lineup consisted of center O'Neal, power forward Haslem, small forward Antoine Walker, shooting guard Wade, and point guard Jason Williams.
For the Celtics, the previously impressive Gortat returned to the bench, as his effectiveness against Haslem was limited.
Haslem was an offensive-minded player with weaker defense and less offensive threat.
Yao Ming, under the basket, was not at a disadvantage in a one-on-one matchup against O'Neal.
Bringing in a player like Diogu to assist Yao Ming would be sufficient.
At small forward, Ariza returned, matching up against Antoine Walker.
Walker preferred to shoot from the perimeter, which was perfect for Ariza to defend.
Wade would be personally guarded by Carter, while Jason Williams would be guarded by He Xi Meng.
This lineup, compared to the starting lineup against the Cavaliers in the previous round, was more mobile and flexible.
This was also a strategic choice against the Heat, as both Wade and Jason Williams were speed-oriented, driving guards.
Speed was more important than strength...