The Celtics successfully executed their pre-game plan, forcing a Game 7 against the Spurs!
In Game 5, with home-court advantage in San Antonio, the league could not help even if they wanted to. The Celtics could rely on no one but themselves.
If He Xi Meng's explosion in Game 3 was somewhat unexpected, then in this game, He Xi Meng truly gathered all his might and strength, preparing for a major battle against the "GDP" trio.
This was the do-or-die game He Xi Meng had set for himself.
No one understood the Spurs better than He Xi Meng!
Strictly speaking, this Spurs team had no fatal weakness.
If one had to be named, it could only be Parker!
Among the "GDP" trio, Duncan was a bug, invincible on both offense and defense. Not only was he invincible at his position, but his defensive capabilities also radiated to the paint, helping Muhammad, who was not very strong, hold his ground.
The first four games had already proven that without home-court advantage, even with the help of Josh Smith, Yao Ming struggled to break through the Spurs' paint defended by Duncan and Muhammad.
Ginobili's defensive habits were risky, but by voluntarily coming off the bench to lead the second unit, his defense was no longer a major issue.
Prince and Bowen, on this Spurs team, primarily served as defensive stalwarts, so they could not be considered weak links.
After searching, the only opportunity for the Celtics in the starting lineup was Parker!
Therefore, in this pivotal Game 5, the Celtics changed their lineup again, promoting their sixth man of the season, Kevin Martin, from the bench to the starting lineup to partner with He Xi Meng and Carter!
He Xi Meng's intention was to form a three-pronged attack on the Celtics' guard and forward lines, so that whoever Parker defended, that player would attack Parker!
The Spurs continued to employ defensive mismatches.
Bowen guarded He Xi Meng, Prince guarded Carter, and Parker guarded Kevin Martin.
As soon as the game began, He Xi Meng showed extreme offensive desire, constantly calling for screens from Kevin Martin, creating mismatches against Parker, and attacking Parker relentlessly!
In terms of physical attributes, He Xi Meng was superior to Parker in both height and core strength.
Parker's individual defense was never considered strong, but he rarely became a defensive liability because the Spurs' rotations and help defense were outstanding.
No matter the position or spot, Parker could call for assistance from his teammates, thus preventing opponents from easily scoring on him.
However, He Xi Meng was very familiar with the Spurs' rotation and help defense strategy. He knew exactly from which positions Parker could call for what kind of assistance.
In the previous few games, He Xi Meng deliberately avoided targeting Parker, holding back his offensive intentions, precisely to achieve a miraculous effect in this crucial battle.
He Xi Meng's strategy paid off!
At least, in the opening stages, He Xi Meng scored consecutively with pull-up jumpers after strong drives against Parker!
The mid-range jump shot was a scoring method He Xi Meng rarely employed. But one should never underestimate the range of a top shooter; distance and proximity were merely matters of habit, not ability.
To break through the Spurs' zone defense, He Xi Meng had to avoid their defensive focus.
The paint was a given, guarded by Duncan, and was the primary focus of the Spurs' defense.
Beyond the paint, the Spurs also placed great importance on defending the three-point line.
Especially against He Xi Meng, defending the three-point line was the Spurs' non-negotiable choice.
Therefore, the area between the three-point line and the basket was the best zone to attack the Spurs.
And this was precisely the area where, after a strong drive against Parker, the help defense had not yet arrived!
The approximate range was around the free-throw line.
He Xi Meng relentlessly targeted Parker, constantly shooting from this spot, catching the Spurs completely off guard.
Popovich made urgent adjustments, on the one hand, strengthening the defense on He Xi Meng, and on the other hand, minimizing the frequency of He Xi Meng and Parker's encounters.
The Celtics responded equally. He Xi Meng immediately passed the ball to Carter and Kevin Martin, asking them to catch and shoot.
Because both Carter and Kevin Martin had good shooting percentages from the mid-range.
In short, the strategy was to target Parker and keep attacking him!
Especially Kevin Martin, as the Spurs defended He Xi Meng and Carter more rigorously when they had the ball, Kevin Martin received the most opportunities to handle the ball.
Years of training for a single moment of use!
After a season of development, Kevin Martin finally exploded when the team needed him the most!
In the first half alone, Kevin Martin scored 15 points, tying He Xi Meng for the team high!
With the double boost of pounding on Parker and Kevin Martin's explosion, the Celtics successfully turned the tables, nullifying the Spurs' home-court advantage, and dominating the Spurs throughout the first half.
At the end of the first half, the Celtics led the Spurs by 4 points, 55-51!
Carter was extremely excited! This was his first Finals, and the first time he had pushed the defending champions this far. In his opinion, as long as the Celtics could maintain the rhythm of the first half, they would surely defeat the Spurs... But, was it that easy to defeat the defending champions?
At least, as former Spurs players, He Xi Meng, Yao Ming, and head coach Kerr all knew clearly that it was far too early to be optimistic.
A team like the Spurs would not give up so easily.
As expected, at the start of the second half, Popovich proactively made changes, replacing Parker with Ginobili to control the Spurs' organization!
Although Ginobili's defense was risky, he at least possessed the height. Even Carter would have to think twice about driving against Ginobili, fearing a block, let alone He Xi Meng.
And while Ginobili's passing and ball-handling skills were not as exquisite as Parker's, they were sufficient for executing the second-half strategy.
Because in the second half, the Spurs would tightly focus their offense around Duncan, with Duncan dictating the entire team's offensive rhythm.
When things are going well, the "Car" runs; in adversity, the "Buddha" calms; in dire straits, the "Demon Blade" slashes through demons.
In this game, the Spurs could not rely on their smooth sailing. The dire straits had not yet arrived; it was precisely the moment for Duncan to showcase his ability. Duncan naturally would not let down the expectations of the home crowd, scoring point by point, and catching up, successfully erasing the deficit from the first half before the start of the fourth quarter!
The game was back to square one.
The Celtics' trump card had been revealed in the first half. Through lineup and tactical adjustments, Popovich had, in just one quarter, successfully withstood the Celtics' surprise attack, helping the Spurs regain their footing!
The remainder of the game would be a fierce battle, a test of who were true superstars and who were false titans!