It wasn’t just him, Reggie Miller also ca in hot.
The sum of the first two gas of the Finals, he shot a total of 15 tis and made only 4, but today alone in the first half, he managed 5 out of 8 shots.
In gas where they are accurate beyond the three-point line, the Pacers have yet to lose in this year’s playoffs.
This ga was no exception, as they quickly built up a 15-point lead and maintained it until the end, finally winning 102 to 88, taking a major lead in the series score.
Tim Duncan once again showed what "Stone Buddha" ans, scoring 25 points, 15 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, but sadly, on a night when the whole team was off, his stats alone couldn’t sustain the suspense.
Indeed, this also exemplifies a problem with Tim Duncan:
Too stable!
Whether winning or losing, the stats are nearly the sa.
One might say he is the "comprehensive data version of Wiggins."
Popovich’s voice was nearly hoarse tonight, yet he could not bring back the "soul" of the Spurs team.
After the ga ended, he continued to furiously denounce the Pacers for playing tricks off the court.
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But no matter how much he ranted, the Indiana fans’ mischief continued, and the Spurs players were nearly driven mad.
An assistant coach suggested to Popovich, "We could go back to San Antonio to prepare and return on ga day."
They preferred the hassle of travel over staying in Indiana any longer, which speaks to how much they were tornted.
However, as the saying goes, without the "cause" of the past, there wouldn’t be the "effect" of today.
Popovich was nearly swayed, but he still refused.
Not to ntion the long distance, with the round trip needing 13 hours, just the expense of the travel was enough to make reporting to the owner difficult.
The Spurs’ owner was a tractor salesman.
When he selected Popovich as general manager, he told him, "I want not only the championship but also my money!" Therefore, when it ca to spending, he was extrely cautious. Only with an impeccable financial report could Popovich secure his position as general manager.
Moreover, the Spurs were an established powerhouse that had experienced all sorts of situations.
Though they hadn’t seen scenes like the last few days too often.
But now they had adapted.
"Just win the next ga, and we’ll be able to return to San Antonio. Trust , the Spurs fans will only be crazier!"
Besides, he had his "spiritual duck soup" to relieve the players’ fatigue.
For the Spurs, the long two days passed, and the fourth ga of the Finals arrived as scheduled.
Now they were even more eager for the ga day.
Well-rested Pacers players arrived early in the locker room, waiting for the ga to start.
Suddenly, Foster sat next to Su Wan, "Su, there might be so trouble today."
Su Wan felt the sa way.
The Pacers were currently leading 2-1, and if they won tonight, it would be 3-1.
There had never been a Finals coback from a 1-3 deficit in NBA history.
If the Spurs still harbored championship aspirations, they had to win tonight.
Considering the current state of both teams, a Spurs win tonight seed unlikely. They had to think of other ans if they wanted to win.
Foster’s expression turned serious, "What I’m saying is, if anything unexpected happens, Su, do not get involved. If you retalize, we’ll have no chance at the championship! This is important..."
Su Wan was about to say he might not be able to restrain himself.
That’s when he heard Foster continue, "Leave it to . Our role on the team is to handle these things!"
"Are you sure?"
Foster thought Su Wan was questioning his capacity for hard fouls, "Have you forgotten my retaliation against Shaquille O’Neal?"
"Or do you think I don’t know who to retaliate against?"
Su Wan shook his head, "...No."
What he didn’t expect was that not only Foster spoke to him in this way, Tinsley also ca over to say sothing similar.
They all hoped that Su Wan could focus solely on the ga.
That way, if their shady tactics were to fail, the Pacers still had a chance to win.
Aside from Su Wan and the younger O’Neal, none of them could ensure the Pacers would definitely win this year’s championship.
Well, it seems with the way the younger O’Neal was being limited, only with Su Wan present could the Pacers guarantee the title.
Amid the huge cheers of the crowd, the fourth ga of the Finals officially began.
Just like the last ga, the Pacers took the initiative right from the start.
One after another, they played explosively.
This allowed Su Wan to play his favorite "Assist Board" style with ease.
He was indeed the player who restrained the Spurs the most.
Not to ntion that his "Assist Board Play" could maximize the unleashing of the younger O’Neal on the inside.
Just as the "slow boil" rhythm favored by the Spurs was also his preferred style.
Of course, so far in this Finals series, only the first ga was close in score; in the other gas, including tonight’s, one team quickly took a substantial lead.
Tonight, it was the Pacers!
At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers had already pulled ahead by 9 points.
Popovich’s expression was more serious than ever, hesitation and determination flickering in his eyes.
He was having a "battle of conscience" in his mind.
In the end, "Devil Popovich" triumphed over "Angel Popovich":
He wouldn’t dare!
He absolutely wouldn’t dare to do it!
He’s just trying to intimidate !
During halfti, with the help of Tim Duncan’s performance, the Spurs barely kept the deficit at around 10 points.
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