In G1 of the Finals, before the game started, Popovich and the coaching staff watched a lot of Knicks videos.
Steve Kerr even shared his experience against Li You.
It's just that the regular season has little reference value. With Ewing in the first two rounds of the playoffs, the Knicks are almost egalitarian.
After watching the Eastern Conference finals, I finally saw something, but when it came to the game, I found that the Knicks had changed drastically.
After realizing that the Knicks' offense was faster, had more rounds, and had difficulty in defensive counterattacks, Popovich also added some routines after the timeout.
The kind of offense that started halftime in 6 seconds, blocked in 3 seconds, and passed the ball in 2 seconds. Others watched the Twin Towers fight hard and had no chance to move the ball. It gradually disappeared.
Avery Johnson adds some aggression on the outside.
Nearly 20 seconds later, the right wing received the ball outside the three-point line. With the help of Duncan's screen, Avery Johnson got rid of Li You and succeeded in a throw from the free throw line.
It's just the same routine. When Avery Johnson tried it again in a different direction, he broke through deeper, directly in front of the basket, and shot in the paint area, but Ben Wallace, who was assisting on defense, made a volleyball block!
The basketball flew directly to the half court, and the wonderful block made the New York fans at the scene scream in surprise.
"oh!"
Duncan, who was behind the screen, was trying to squeeze toward the basket. Li You, with quick eyes and quick hands, had already controlled the ball at the three-point line, and then rushed after taking the ball.
Although Mario Elie is old, he is very fast in returning to defense and catches up to Li You's side immediately.
Before he could cut the ball, Li You crossed the three-point line and completed a pass from behind.
On the other side, Alan Houston quickly moved down the field and was unguarded. After catching the ball, he easily made a one-handed dunk!
In the commentary box, Bob Costas saw the easy two-on-one fast break and kept sighing:
"God! The Knicks counterattacked too quickly. In these few minutes, the Spurs were very passive."
Doug Collins on the side looked at Ben Wallace who was thumping his chest under the basket and said thoughtfully:
"Perhaps Wallace can't limit the Spurs' big men, but he has a good sense of help defense and his rebound speed is also very fast!"
The Spurs also began to speed up their offensive rhythm. Duncan no longer turned his back to ask for the ball, but suddenly came to the right block and received the ball facing the frame.
Facing Oakley's defense, Duncan quickly took a test step with his right foot, and then pulled it out directly.
"state!"
The basketball just hit the basket, and Ben Wallace, who was blocking David Robinson under the basket, jumped up high, grabbed the rebound with his right hand, and then immediately gave the ball to Li You who was receiving the ball.
Jeff Van Gundy stood up and clapped his hands on the sidelines. His rebounding speed is also a talent. At least in terms of rebounding, the Knicks are not suffering at present.
Avery Johnson's close defense didn't have much effect, and Li You's ball protector instinctively batted away the small defender's interference.
Quickly coming to the right wing and seeing Li You's tactical gesture, Larry Johnson immediately slipped across the baseline from left to right and came to the right low post to ask for the ball with his back.
Elliott tried hard to defend, but the physical strength gap between the two was not small. As soon as Larry Johnson opened his hand to ask for the ball, Li You sent a lob pass.
The moment he caught the ball, Larry Johnson immediately started to release the ball, hit it, jumped away from the defense, and completed a fadeaway jumper in the paint!
"Whoa!" The two-point ball hit the net.
David Robinson, who was assisting in defense, was half a beat slow. When he saw Elliott raising his hand to indicate that it was his problem, he could only frown and quickly serve the baseline ball.
At 10:17, there were 4 minutes and 13 seconds left in the first quarter, and the Spurs' scoring had stopped for a while.
"Defense! Defense! Defense!"
Seeing Li You continue to lead the defense against Avery Johnson, the defensive cheers on the scene became louder and louder.
In the Knicks' defensive system, Li You is usually only responsible for putting pressure on the ball and delaying the opponent's advancement.
The Spurs' offense was already slow, and Avery Johnson controlled the ball cautiously. Many rounds took 8 seconds to pass halftime.
Protecting the ball sideways and turning around continuously, Avery Johnson still couldn't get rid of Li You's arm after rushing across the half court.
With Popovich yelling from the sideline, David Robinson quickly reached the free throw line and set up a screen for Avery Johnson.
Li You simply walked off the line, squeezed past David Robinson, and when he chased Avery Johnson again, the two came to the right elbow area. Taking advantage of the gap, the latter quickly sent a ground pass. ball.
David Robinson caught the ball at the free throw line, took a quick test step with his left foot, and bent down to get the ball.
But just as the basketball reached the waist position, Ben Wallace suddenly grabbed the ball and stabbed it away.
David Robinson quickly turned around to control the ball, but Ben Wallace immediately dived for the ball. The two fell to the ground at the same time. "Little Ben" who controlled the ball quickly threw the ball downfield.
Even after Avery Johnson pulled and pulled him, Li You rushed over and successfully grabbed the ball.
Amid the cheers of the fans at the scene, Li You rushed faster and faster after halftime, and Avery Johnson struggled to catch up with him.
When the two came to the paint area, Li You still did not slow down. He hung on the opponent's defense, quickly circled the ball, stepped forward to the left, and completely dodged the defense.
Coming to the lower left side of the basket, Li You grabbed the ball with his left hand, facing Avery Johnson who turned to block the shot, and easily picked the basket!
"Squeak! Swish!"
The ball was scored when the buzzer sounded, but Avery Johnson's pulling interference had no effect and instead resulted in a foul.
Seeing that the score difference was about to become 10 points, the excited New York fans began to wave their orange handkerchiefs wildly, and the Knicks' atmosphere team also raised their hands in the air and cheered loudly.
Li You moved his left arm, smiled and high-fived Ben Wallace, who was shouting excitedly, and walked to the free throw line. Oakley was next to the paint area and joked with Duncan next to him:
"Double-team players? I knew those media were unreliable."
Duncan just glanced at the old guy and then didn't react at all, waiting for Li You to complete the free throw.
The Spurs took the opportunity to replace Antonio Daniels and replaced veteran Mario Elie.
Li Youjia made a solid free throw, and the score reached 10:20. The double-digit point difference made Jeff Van Gundy return to the bench.
The Spurs had difficulty scoring, so they simply adopted star tactics at this time. First, they repeatedly gave the ball to Duncan in the low post on the left.
After just a few hits and plays, Duncan only had to turn towards the baseline, and Ben Wallace would shrink to the basket.
After two attempts, Duncan still did not force the attack, but quickly returned the ball to David Robinson on the free throw line.
Finally, relying on his height advantage, David Robinson held the ball and attacked the basket, and Ben Wallace fouled.
"Shh!"
Seeing the Spurs starting to take free throws, boos broke out all over the place. The New York fans on the opposite side stood up and spat out sweet smells, waved their handkerchiefs and interfered loudly. David Robinson was not affected too much and made two free throws steadily.
Quickly retreating from defense, David Robinson called on his teammates to complete the matchup. This time, Elliott quickly came to double-team Li You as soon as he passed half court.
On the left wing, Larry Johnson, who was left open, received the pass, adjusted, and immediately shot a jump shot from outside the three-point line!
"state!"
The basketball knocked out of the frame and the rebound bounced toward the right corner. Ben Wallace reacted quickly and successfully recovered the ball before it was about to leave the baseline.
Alan Houston caught the ball and returned the ball to Li You at the top of the arc again.
This time, before being double-teamed, Li You swung right and left the moment he caught the ball. After releasing the ball with his left hand, he immediately crossed over to break through.
Avery Johnson was stuck half of his body, and after reaching the paint area, he was almost completely out of position.
Before David Robinson could return to the basket, Duncan noticed something was wrong and quickly returned to the basket.
When Li You jumped and completely pushed Avery Johnson away from his side, Duncan, who was assisting in defense, immediately jumped to block the shot.
The two were fighting in the air. Li You grabbed the ball with one hand with his left hand, hovered briefly, dodged Duncan's block, and threw the ball toward the backboard!
Just when the basketball was released, Duncan simply pulled hard, completely destroying Li You's shot.
After landing, both of them lost their center of gravity and almost fell down next to the camera under the basket.
Turning his head to look back, Duncan found that the basketball bounced several times on the rim after hitting the board high, and finally fell into the net.
"squeak!"
Hearing the referee blow the whistle again, Popovich on the sidelines held his forehead, looked at the bench, hesitated, and still did not choose to substitute.
Standing on the free throw line again, Li You looked calm and clapped the basketball in his hand. A huge shout immediately sounded in the arena:
"MVP! MVP! MVP!"
At 12:23, Li You's 2+1 widened the point difference again.
In the final minutes of the first quarter, David Robinson turned on free throw mode.
The Knicks were not polite either, with Larry Johnson and Alan Houston also taking free throws.
After Oakley also committed a foul, Jeff Van Gundy simply replaced Kurt Thomas and Chris Dudley.
Less than a minute after his debut, David Robinson hit the basket hard, and Chris Dudley committed a defensive foul.
"Shh!"
The consecutive free throws immediately angered the New York fans at the scene. Fortunately, they were leading by a big score and no one yelled at the referee.
During the second penalty, David Robinson clapped his hands regretfully and hurriedly called on his teammates to retreat.
Li You was still double-teamed in advance at the top of the arc, and Larry Johnson continued to make an open jump shot from the left wing this time.
Larry Johnson also clapped his hands in frustration after missing two open three-pointers in a row.
A rare opportunity to switch offense, Avery Johnson quickly advanced after receiving the ball, but Li You's pursuit still played a role in delaying the game.
After crossing the three-point line, he noticed that the Knicks had completed their retreat, circled around, and Avery Johnson returned to the top of the arc.
Duncan asked for the ball with his back in the left block. While Kurt Thomas was defending, he kept trying to complete the forward defense.
The two struggled in the blocking area, and Avery Johnson on the left wing almost stopped the ball when he hesitated.
Suddenly cutting to the basket, Avery Johnson hurriedly sent a high throw, but the quality of the pass was not high, allowing Duncan to catch the ball under the basket and was immediately surrounded by double players.
Larry Johnson blocked the ball in time, and Duncan, who was almost pushed out of the baseline, threw the ball to the right corner. Elliott, who was left open, adjusted and hit the ball angrily.
Spike Lee, who was wearing a turban on the sidelines, grinned widely and chased Elliott, who was retreating on defense, and taunted loudly:
"Look at your crappy shot! You almost knocked our basket off its side!"
It was a rare collaboration to score and play, but the Spurs' perimeter didn't respond.
Alan Houston protected the long rebound and advanced quickly with the ball.
Larry Johnson missed consecutive shots and ran to the side corner immediately without Li You's call. The Knicks simply left the entire upper line space free.
On the left wing, Li You moved quickly and immediately reached the top of the arc to receive the pass from Alan Houston.
After the handover, Alan Houston quickly moved to the left wing. Antonio Daniels was confused. At this time, he followed Avery Johnson to flank Li You.
Simply moving to the right, Li You pulled the defense and immediately threw the ball behind his back. Alan Houston received the ball and David Robinson quickly pounced on it.
A fake shot and a real pass, Alan Houston sent a through pass, and Chris Dudley, who was on the lower left side of the basket, caught the ball and dunked it hard with both hands!
"Wow!"
The smooth cooperation caused a huge noise in the arena. Popovich was so angry that he yelled at Antonio Daniels.
In the commentary box, Doug Collins looked at Popovich jumping and sighed in a low voice:
"The Spurs' defense is collapsing, and the coaching staff needs to give the players a good reminder during the break."
"At this time, we should trust the veterans more. Maybe head coach Popovich can consider replacing Steve Kerr."
When Isiah Thomas heard this, he retorted unceremoniously:
"No matter what adjustments he makes, Lee can handle it calmly against the Spurs' backcourt."
At the last moment, Antonio Daniels hit a super long three-pointer at the buzzer, but the Spurs bench was still very quiet.
At 18:29, the point difference was still 11 points.
Unlike Popovich who was furiously complaining about the players on the other side, Jeff Van Gundy smiled and patted everyone, and kept saying:
"Good job!"
Li You watched as Jeff Van Gundy had already drank two bottles of drinks in less than one quarter of the game, and he knew that the bald young coach was still a little nervous:
"Don't worry about tonight's game, we will definitely win!"
Patting Jeff Van Gundy on the shoulder, Li You sat back on the bench with a smile.
Played the first quarter, 4 of 5, 1 of 2 from beyond the three-point line, 2 of 2 free throws, 11 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists.
Li You is quite satisfied with his performance.
Alan Houston made 3 of 6 goals and Larry Johnson made 3 of 5 goals. The three of them almost dominated the team's scoring.
The Knicks' interior players are all focused on defense and screening. Unless there is an absolute opportunity, they will not participate in the offense at all.
Due to good foul control, the lineup was rotated in the second quarter, with Kurt Thomas and Ben Wallace partnering inside.
Larry Johnson also continued to play, and the back line became Sprewell and Chris Childs.
The Knicks are rotating extensively, and for the Spurs, Tim Duncan, who played the entire first quarter, continues to play.
Daniels and Steve Kerr were on the defensive line, and Elliott and Malik Rose were on the forward line.
Duncan, who scored 4 points on 2 of 4 shots in the first quarter, began to take the initiative to attack.
After Sprewell came on the court, he succeeded in a step-back jumper in the left block.
Looking back, Duncan caught the ball in the left block, quickly turned toward the baseline, passed Ben Wallace's defense, and completed a one-handed dunk against Kurt who was assisting in defense!
"Shh!"
Seeing that the inside defense was penetrated, boos began to circulate again.
In fact, many New York fans are already used to this situation.
In the Eastern Conference Finals, Rick Schmitz almost turned into O'Neal
"Little Ben" smashed the ball in frustration. Facing Duncan's low attack, he really had no good solution.
Steve Kerr didn't get many chances after he came on the field. Chris Childs kept chasing and defending, but no goals or hits occurred. Within a few minutes, it was almost soy sauce.
Duncan, who had completely let go of his hands and feet, was full of firepower at this time, and continued to hit mid-range shots and strong attacks at the basket.
As for the Knicks, most of the rounds were to clear one side. Chris Childs handed over the ball after halftime, and Sprewell singled out Antonio Daniels.
The Spurs bench initially cheered loudly as Duncan scored, but Sprewell also hit consecutive jump shots, and everyone soon became silent.
With 7 minutes and 01 seconds left in the second quarter, Sprewell broke through and caused Daniels to foul and get to the free throw line.
Li You shook the towel with the atmosphere team on the sidelines, and the atmosphere in Madison Square Garden was still fiery.
"Tim Duncan made 4 of 4 shots in this quarter and scored 8 points. But Sprewell made 3 of 3 free throws and the point difference will be 11 points."
Bob Costas didn't expect the game to turn out like this. The Spurs' expectation of relying on rebounds to suppress the Knicks didn't happen at all.
Sprewell made two free throws at 26:37, and the Knicks continued to lead.
Doug Collins saw the Knicks turning into a three-guard and the Spurs putting up the twin towers again. He simply commented:
"Lee will increase off-the-ball offense, and Mario Eli can also take advantage of this opportunity to perform misplaced singles!"
The Spurs' offense showed some different tactics. Mario Elie seemed to want to squeeze Li You, a soft persimmon, and took the initiative to ask for the ball from behind in the left block.
The two have similar body shapes, but Mario Eli has bigger muscles and looks a bit stronger than Li You.
After receiving the ball, the Spurs all stretched out. David Robinson stood at the free throw line again, and Duncan was on the right near the baseline, ready to respond.
Outside Daniels and Elliott stood on the left and right wings respectively, and everyone watched Mario Eli play Li You in singles.
Instead of choosing to attack facing the frame, Mario Eli hit the ball hard after receiving the ball. As a result, after two blows, he found that Li You was not moving at all.
Mario Elie, who was pivoting with his left foot and holding the ball in his right hand, suddenly quickly turned toward the baseline, switched to his left hand, and tried to squeeze to the basket.
Successfully predicting the opponent's attack, Li You blocked the baseline. The two had a physical confrontation and immediately started to cut the ball.
Subconsciously pulling the ball back to avoid Li You's defense, Mario Eli wanted to continue driving toward the basket, but the referee's whistle came to his ears.
The referee pointed to the baseline, indicating that Mario Eli had just stepped on the line.
Popovich on the sidelines rubbed his eyebrows and loudly called for the Spurs to retreat.
"oh!!"
Li You's successful defense made the New York fans scream happily and continue to throw up their handkerchiefs. Some fans in the front row also mocked the veteran.
Sprewell sent out a baseline ball and immediately waved to the Knicks, signaling everyone to spread out. After quickly dribbling across the half court, he gave the ball directly to Li You, who was looking for the ball from the left wing.
The moment he caught the ball, Li You immediately turned around and took a quick test step with his right foot. Mario Elie subconsciously took a small step. Li You immediately released the ball with his left hand, blasted the ball hard, stepped back quickly, and shot a quick jumper from beyond the three-point line. Take action!
"Whoa!" The three-pointer hit the net!
Seeing Li You retreating with a smile, Mario Elie, who was stuck in place, his eyes widened. He just threw it away?
"God! Lee's shot was too fast. Mario Eli needs to pay attention to his defensive focus."
In the commentary box, Bob Costas exclaimed and called God several times.
Avery Johnson can also lower his center of gravity and interfere, while veteran Mario Elie only has his tendons.
Popovich wanted to request a timeout, but David Robinson hit a mid-range jumper from the free throw line and was relieved.
Sprewell quickly advanced through the half again, but Daniels kept interfering, but it didn't have much effect.
On the line, Li You quickly crossed from left to right, and with the help of the cover of Kurt and Ben at the two elbows, he quickly bounced out to the right flank.
Mario Eli lost his defensive position after a screen. David Robinson quickly changed defense and caught up with Li You. He raised his left hand high and lowered his body center of gravity, preparing to slide.
Li You caught the ball and feinted. Taking advantage of David Robinson's body leaning forward, he quickly released the ball with his right hand. After blasting the ball, he quickly took a large step laterally, drifted to the right, and quickly completed the shot!
"squeak!"
David Robinson, who reacted quickly, jumped up and tackled Li You directly. The referee's whistle sounded and the basketball hit the net again.
"Wow!"
The New York fans at the scene began to stand up and cheer, and the fans in the back row even waved their handkerchiefs and screamed wildly.
This time, all five members of the Spurs were stunned, and Popovich stopped angrily yelling at the players. Obviously, there was a mistake in their preparations before the game.
Sprewell and Alan Houston smiled and pulled Li You up. On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team even began to celebrate the victory.
Seeing Li Youjia make steady free throws and score 7 points in two rounds, the Spurs immediately requested a timeout.
At 28:44, the score difference reached 16 points, and Madison Square Garden was completely boiling.
The huge point difference made Doug Collins realize that the Knicks would most likely protect their home court, and for a while he could only sigh:
"It's unbelievable! This is really a terrifying projection ability, completely unreasonable!"
"The Spurs were clearly not prepared and they should see how the Pacers defended."
Bob Costas was speechless. The two narrated the entire Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers were the "Blackfoot" defense.
Facing the pads on both sides, Reggie Miller was chased and could only break through smoothly.
In the finals, this kind of defense was somewhat inappropriate. Bob Costas knew that the NBA still wanted to show its beautiful basketball to the world, so the whistleblowing standards were much stricter.
Isiah Thomas also knew that times have changed, and added with a smile:
"The Spurs can consider using Elliott to defend Lee, but I don't think it will be of much use. They still need to respond on the offensive end."
"At least take advantage of those open three-pointers, otherwise the game will soon lose its suspense."
After regaining the main lineup, the Spurs quickly responded on the offensive end, and David Robinson succeeded in another strong attack under the basket.
But at this time, Li You, who was feeling hot, continued his three-pointers. For several consecutive rounds, he made step-back jumpers.
Avery Johnson, who had not yet adapted to Li You's offensive rhythm, failed to use the "black foot" move.
David Robinson made consecutive shots and penalties, and the Spurs also began to work hard to speed up.
With 2 minutes and 42 seconds left in the half, the Knicks were about to attack for 24 seconds. In the right corner, Li You took over. After three threats, he released the ball with his right hand, stepped back after blowing the ball, and quickly made a jump shot!
"Whoa!" Another three-pointer!
After hitting two irons angrily, Li You hit another shot. Li You raised three fingers, jumped up and down, and retreated quickly.
Popovich couldn't stand it anymore and asked for a timeout again. When he returned to the bench, everyone on the Spurs team was a little confused. They were going to be shot to death in this quarter.
Sprewell walked to the bench and shouted excitedly. Everyone knew that after winning by so many points, there was basically no suspense in the game.
In the last 2 minutes of the half, the Spurs also tried to respond from beyond the three-point line.
After just a few strikes, the Knicks, who were denied long rebounds, found an opportunity, and Sprewell began to get to the free throw line.
After Oakley came on the court to stretch his body, the half game ended quickly.
At 42:59, the Knicks entered the second half with a 17-point lead.
4 of 7 in a single quarter, all three-pointers, Li You scored 13 points in the second quarter.
Avery Johnson was numb from the shot. When he walked to the tunnel, his eyes were straight and he didn't feel when he bumped into his teammates.
Bob Costas has watched too many Knicks games and naturally knows what 17 points means:
"Popovich and the coaching staff should be preparing for the next game at this time."
"As much as Spurs fans may not like to hear that comment, it's going to be hard to even with the shooting tonight."
Doug Collins also nodded in agreement. The two witnessed all the Knicks' games in this year's playoffs, and then added:
"Like I said, slow down the pace of the game, improve the quality of defense, and attack more positions, and the Spurs can still dominate the game."
"The premise is that they have to limit Lee's performance. Considering this is their first meeting this season, I think the Spurs will adjust in time."
After the second half of the game started, it became boring.
The three people in the commentary box chatted more and more, and even began to discuss how the Spurs broke out of the Western Conference.
The huge point difference did not make the Spurs give up the game, but as the Knicks blossomed more, Popovich on the sidelines could only sit back on the bench with a face.
Larry Johnson's low singles, Kurt and Ben's secondary rebounds, Li You's breakthrough point shot, and Alan Houston's catch-and-shoot jumper.
Although the number of fouls increased rapidly, Ben Wallace was still not troubled by fouls thanks to his performance in the first half.
The Spurs, who were trying hard to speed up, made a few mistakes and then honestly started to play positional offense.
It's just that Duncan's goal seems to be of no use. On the defensive end, the Knicks will still score easily.
There was a change of perimeter defenders, and the Spurs coaching staff finally realized they just couldn't guard it.
With 1 minute and 47 seconds left in the third quarter, after receiving a tactical foul, Li You stood on the free throw line. Avery Johnson completely lost his temper. The "Little General" received 4 fouls and was replaced.
Popovich looked at the score difference on the court, waved his hand, and switched directly to the atmosphere group.
22:26 in a single quarter, after three quarters, 64:85, the game entered garbage time.
On the Knicks bench, the atmosphere team cheered along with the fans, everyone can show their faces in the finals.
Li You returned to his seat, took the towel from Lewis, and bumped fists with the cute newcomer:
"Come on, Bro, try to get some data after playing!"
The newbie Lewis patted his chest, looking a little excited, jumping up and down and moving his body. He didn't expect that he would still be able to appear in the finals.
Played 31 minutes, 10 of 16, 5 of 9 from beyond the arc, 4 of 4 free throws, 29 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, no mistakes.
Jeff Van Gundy glanced at the technical statistics and nodded secretly when he saw Li You's performance, but pretended to be calm on the surface.
The on-site director also frequently focused the camera on the bald young coach and Ewing. One was calmly drinking a drink, while the other was grinning and constantly bumping fists with everyone on the bench.
The atmosphere team came on stage. In the commentary box, Doug Collins saw the serious-looking Popovich and sighed again:
"Coach Van Gundy deserves to be a championship coach. Popovich may need to re-understand the series after the game."
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(End of chapter)
