After the Nuggets won the Tianwangshan battle at home, they were only one step away from the finals.
On the other side, the Eastern Conference finals.
The Cavaliers have eliminated the Pistons with a score of 4 to 2 and are the first to enter the finals.
Following "The Flash" Dwyane Wade, "Little Emperor" LeBron James became the second star player in the 2003 class to reach the Finals.
After winning G5, the Nuggets did not rush to the away game. They stayed in Denver to prepare for the game for a day before going to San Antonio.
Public opinion before the game has completely shifted towards the Nuggets.
After all, in the last game, the Nuggets, who were short of major generals, pinned the Spurs to the ground and rubbed them hard.
Now, the Nuggets are fully loaded, but the Spurs are missing perimeter defender Bruce Bowen.
Although Bowen is mentioned more for his notoriety, there is no denying his contribution to the Spurs' overall defense.
The most intriguing thing is that league president David Stern will come to the AT&T Center Arena to watch the G6 game between the Nuggets and Spurs. This is regarded by the media as the league's ultimate warning to the Spurs.
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Inside the TNT studios.
Barkley explained: "The Nuggets won the crucial battle at Tianwangshan. They came to San Antonio with match points. Now is a good time to make a big push."
"Yes." Smith agreed: "With the return of Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, and Nene Hilario, the Nuggets are strong. On the other hand, the Spurs, although the GDP is there, Bruce - Bowen's absence also has a great impact on the Spurs' perimeter defense."
"Of course, the Spurs have rich experience after all, and they will definitely fight to the end at home."
The G6 live broadcast between the Nuggets and Spurs was unprecedented, with more than 150 countries around the world broadcasting it.
The game starts soon.
Nuggets starting lineup: Li Yan, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby;
Spurs starting lineup: Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley, Fabricio Oberto, Tim Duncan.
It was a helpless move for Popovich to mention Ginobili to the starting lineup. The Spurs had no room for error and they had to go all out from the start.
Duncan beat Camby on a jump ball, and he dialed the ball to Parker.
Parker doesn't advance very quickly with the ball, he controls the tempo of the game.
The Spurs players moved according to the tactics. Duncan covered his crotch and raised it to the top of the arc to give Parker a pick-and-roll.
Parker's breakthrough route was blocked and he gave the ball to Duncan.
Duncan is the core of the Spurs' offense and defense. He holds the ball in the high post and provides support.
The Nuggets' defense did a very good job with no obvious holes.
Without a good chance, Duncan faced Camby and chose to attack by himself.
He held the ball to test and tried a mid-range shot at a 45-degree angle.
Camby didn't expect Duncan to take action directly, so he came up a little slower.
Duncan completed a signature 45-degree rebound in the mid-range.
"Shua!" 2 to 0!
Duncan started the game with a good touch, which is a good thing for the Spurs.
Nuggets offense.
Li Yan advanced with the ball from the backcourt.
The Spurs directly increased their defensive intensity, and they kept putting pressure on the Nuggets' players.
Li Yan felt the Spurs' determination on the defensive end, and Ginobili actually came up to confront Li Yan.
this! Does Ginobili think he has too much physical strength? Li Yan expressed his confusion, and then protected the ball and pushed Ginobili away with his butt.
Li Yan came to the frontcourt, and Kenyon Martin came up to cover.
The Spurs didn't want Li Yan to play out of position, so they started to press.
Li Yan directly gave the ball to Anthony, and "Melon" took a step and then stopped for a jumper.
Michael Finley's long arm interfered with Anthony's shot, and the basketball bounced off the front of the basket.
Duncan firmly controlled the rebound.
Anthony shook his head, he was a little dissatisfied with his performance.
In the last game, Anthony could only sit on the sidelines and watch Iverson and Li Yan play an epic game. Today, he no longer wants to be an outsider.
"Don't worry, defend!" Iverson loudly ordered his teammates to return to defense.
After the last fierce battle, Iverson became more proactive in the game.
"The AI's enthusiasm for the game is really amazing." Smith explained: "He really wants to win the game."
"Indeed, with AI's state in the last game, he should have asked for more shots, but he didn't." Barkley said:
"The whole Nuggets team has a whole new spirit."
The Spurs' defense in this round was blocked by the Nuggets.
Parker's breakthrough layup was flanked by Li Yan and Camby.
Looking back, in transition between offense and defense, Iverson passed Parker and completed a beautiful pull-up layup.
The Spurs pressed hard, and the Nuggets did not flinch. Both teams' defenses were at full strength after the start.
Subsequently, the two sides entered into a tug of war. For a long period of time, neither team scored in a sports match.
The number of fouls on both sides continued to increase, and soon they both reached the number of free throws.
The progress of the game was not smooth, and the offensive efficiency of both sides was not high.
However, as the game continued, the Nuggets' advantage began to slowly emerge.
If Li Yan, who uses "Eagle Eye", has divine help, he will basically not make mistakes; while Parker and Ginobili will inevitably show signs of fatigue as time goes by.
The Spurs' mistakes began to increase, and the Nuggets began to take the initiative on the court.
However, what makes Popovich despair the most is that Anthony is no longer obsessed with 1VS1 singles.
"Melon" finally figured it out, and he began to actively cooperate with Li Yan in pick-and-roll.
Needless to say, Anthony's offensive skills are as "offensive kaleidoscope" as he possesses top sudden shooting skills.
Even if the passing vision is slightly worse, it doesn't matter to the overall situation.
With Li Yan's support, Anthony succeeded in consecutive attacks.
The Nuggets seized the opportunity to establish an advantage in one fell swoop.
At the end of the first half, 58 to 46!
The Nuggets came back and led by 12 points, with only the second half remaining before reaching the Finals for the first time in their history.