The television cameras focused on Tim Duncan.
Duncan hugged the ball with his hands crossed before the game started, and then gave it back to the referee.
Coming to the center circle, Duncan still started as the Spurs' center.
With a 0:2 deficit, Popovich still made no major lineup changes.
Starting center Duncan, power forward McDyess, small forward Jefferson, backcourt Parker and Ginobili.
He still refused to use Split, a taller and younger inside man, as a center to relieve Duncan's pressure.
In fact, Gasol, like Split, was born in 1985 and is 26 years old.
They were all selected in the 2007 draft and did not enter the league immediately.
Gasol entered the league earlier. This is his third season.
Split has just entered the league this season and is an NBA recruit.
He averaged only 4 points and 3 rebounds per game, but played only 12 minutes.
If Popovich is bolder with his players, he can definitely use Split to reduce the pressure inside.
Judging from the first two games, Split's performance cannot be said to be very good, but McDyess is really old.
In the first game, McDyess made 1 of 5 offensively and in the second game, he made 2 of 6, both scoring only 5 points.
If the offense is not good, it cannot put pressure on Randolph, and the defense cannot withstand Randolph.
The only thing that can be used is the so-called experience and the stability of veterans without making mistakes.
But if you can't attack or defend, what's the use of all this experience?
At the beginning, Duncan succeeded with a jump ball and the Spurs started their first attack.
In the first attack, the Spurs' routine was very clear, and Duncan mentioned the corner position to provide support.
Parker and Ginobili seem to be running around screens, catching the ball, running, and passing the ball.
It can be seen that the Spurs don't want to be as messy as they were at the beginning of the first game.
Let Parker run to the low post to force Curry, but Popovich thought of it.
Parker is not Magic Johnson, nor is he Baron Davis.
Let's just stick to Duncan and use Duncan's ability to contain and cover for tactics.
By opening the tactical point of Duncan, others can open it slowly, otherwise it will all be in vain.
After going around twice, there was no progress, because the Clippers' defense shrank very much.
No matter how you screen or pick-and-roll, the Clippers have one move: retreat.
Gasol and Randolph are determined to move in. Why don't you Parker and Ginobili shoot if they have the guts?
The ball was given to Duncan, who didn't take a shot from mid-range, and his opponent didn't feel confident at the start.
Min Congda felt regretful when he saw the Clippers' defense. He should never have dared to leak the pick-and-roll strategy to Dunleavy.
Look, now I have learned it in a good way, and I have mastered the trick of sinking back and protecting the basket.
Duncan wanted to rush in with the ball, but Gasol slapped the ball out of his hand.
The referee blew the whistle "in time" and called Gasol's thug for a foul.
Of course, Xiaojia looked innocent and thought this ball was a good ball.
Of course the referee ignored it.
As the core of the team's interior defense, a foul in the first ten seconds is very, very disadvantageous.
Min Congda was secretly happy, thinking that the referee had really shown his strength.
This is only right. How can we watch the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference being swept by the No. 8 seed?
How dignified!
Duncan also made a shooting move on this ball. Although it was very reluctant, the referee still whistled a free throw.
Standing on the free throw line, Duncan made two free throws and missed both!
"I'm sorry!"
Min Congda was so angry that he wanted to slap his thigh.
What's going on with this guy Duncan? He failed to give you a chance and didn't make any free throws?
What about the anger in his eyes before the game? Where's the ferocious face? You can't perform well at the free throw line, right?
Although Duncan's free throws were not as bad as those of the Sharks, they were resorted to shark-cutting tactics.
But there are still quite a few occasions when he misses two free throws.
The free throw shooting percentage hovers around 70 all year round, and sometimes drops below 70.
Duncan missed two free throws, and Curry immediately used the pick-and-roll to get to the basket during the offense, causing Parker to foul.
Curry also went to the free throw line. This kid made one free throw and another with great accuracy, and he made two free throws steadily.
It started 2:0, and then the score was maintained for nearly three minutes.
Both sides started to hit the iron like crazy.
Parker missed the mid-range shot after the pick-and-roll.
During the counterattack, Davis passed the ball to Randolph and missed the layup.
Ginobili counterattacked, holding the ball inside and riding a horse to shoot an arrow, but he missed.
The Clippers responded from the high post, and Gasol passed the ball to Curry who was cutting.
Curry's reverse layup was blocked by Duncan.
The Spurs' position battle is still Parker's pick-and-roll, and the mid-range... doesn't touch the basket.
Both teams were very tight at the beginning and failed to score in various ways.
It was Curry's two free throws that changed the score.
Looking at the score at this time, those who didn’t know thought they were playing football.
Popovich looked anxiously at the team's performance.
Before the game, everyone was angry and excited after hearing Smart's remarks.
They were all holding their breath and wanted to win the third game in Los Angeles.
To regain the home field advantage!
But in basketball games, willpower is important, but it is based on certain strength and status.
This is a real basketball game, not "Saint Seiya". If you shout Pegasus Meteor Fist, bronze can become gold.
Anger without strength and status is nothing more than incompetent rage.
Although the Spurs team is angry, they know their weakness.
Especially Duncan, the injured leg he was dragging made it difficult for him to move.
He knew after the first two games that he might never be able to play like he did in his prime.
Of course, he is still helping the team in his own way.
Duncan faced Randolph directly on defense.
Randolph caught the ball and faced Duncan one-on-one, dribbling hard!
As a result, the ball in his hand was knocked away by Duncan, and Parker successfully intercepted the ball.
Still counterattacking quickly, still trying to rush forward to get an easy scoring opportunity.
As a result, it was destroyed by Ricky Davis midway.
For foul balls, the Spurs still have to play positional offense.
With a quick serve, Parker got rid of Curry's defense.
Holding the ball and rushing to the basket to attract double teams, he hit the ground to Duncan.
Duncan made a layup and finally got the Spurs' first point.
It’s difficult, more than three minutes have passed in the first quarter, and the two teams are only 2:2.
What kind of quick attack, what kind of bombardment, what kind of V-shaped attack, three-pointers from the corner... in the regular season...
In the playoffs, everything is empty. We still have to slow down and sharpen our position, relying on Duncan to dig in to attract defensive attention and create opportunities for others.
Everything is back to how it was before, making Popovich's tactical reforms look like a joke.
At this time, Baron Davis missed his mid-range jumper.
But Gasol grabbed an offensive rebound.
Supporting at the top of the arc, Clippers players crossed the baseline in both directions.
Randolph set an off-ball screen for Curry.
Curry received a pass from Gasol from the bottom and made a mid-range jumper.
Catch&Shoot, easy two points.
It feels so light, free and sharp.
Curry is like a very thin and very sharp knife.
It doesn't hurt at first when it is cut on the body, but soon the blood will ooze out bit by bit.
Opponents who don't pay close attention will bleed to death.
(End of chapter)
