NOVEL NEXT Chapter 184: The One Who Toppled the Idol
In the second half, the physical confrontation between the two teams reached its climax in the third quarter.
This intense physical struggle and merciless close combat greatly reduced both sides' shooting touch.
For the Bucks, who relied more heavily on shooting, this was disadvantageous.
However, the Spurs couldn't seize the opportunity to overtake the score because the loss of touch due to high confrontation was always fair.
The Spurs drained the Bucks' touch, but in turn, their own touch would vanish.
The Bucks' shooting percentage was limited to an extremely low level, and with the Spurs' own shooting percentage already low, influenced by this, they found no reliable offensive weapons other than Duncan's low-post singles and Parker's penetration.
This was a blistering quarter, a tough quarter.
This was the iron-blooded basketball those old fans who decried the small-ball era loved.
What was the cost of blood and iron? It was roughness, endless missed shots, and a sluggish pace.
After the quarter, the Bucks and Spurs were gasping for breath, successfully keeping each other to within 15 points.
The Spurs scored 14 points in the third quarter, while the Bucks scored 13 points.
When the fourth quarter arrived, the score on the court was 59 to 65.
The Bucks were leading by 6 points.
Yu Fei played almost the entire third quarter and was only substituted for a rest in the final half-minute.
But on the Spurs' side, Duncan played the whole third quarter, and Popovich had no plans to rest his superstar.
At this pace, Duncan was very likely to play the entire second half.
"This is the Finals!" Karl said loudly, "The more ruthless, the tougher, and the more unscrupulous will win in the end!"
Yu Fei stood on the sidelines, knowing he wouldn't be taken off for a rest.
Now was the decisive moment.
Every second of the fourth quarter was crucial. The Spurs couldn't afford to rest Duncan, nor could the Bucks sit Yu Fei on the sidelines to face the Duncan-led Spurs alone.
Karl wouldn't do that. It was even more so for Yu Fei himself.
From the moment he won the MVP, the public opinion that Duncan deserved it more than him soared. After four games of the Finals, the public opinion remained the same.
Because Duncan indeed exhibited dominance in the paint.
Yu Fei considered his performance not inferior, but the only way to defend his name was to defeat Duncan in the Finals.
The fourth quarter started with David Robinson posting up Dan Gadzuric, drawing a double-team and then passing to Stephen Jackson for a three-pointer.
Yu Fei didn't waste a second.
As the Spurs cheered for Jackson's three-pointer, he caught the ball and charged back like lightning on a quick break.
The Spurs were unsteady, with only Bruce Bowen under the basket.
Yu Fei didn't even regard Bowen, stepping into the paint for a dunk to score.
Back and forth in no more than five seconds.
62 to 67
League executives watching this game couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief; with both teams scoring so quickly in the fourth, it surely wouldn't be like the third quarter, which was like a hypnotic, literary iron-and-blood basketball.
Turned out, they were happy too soon.
The Spurs wouldn't abandon a strategy that had been effective.
The Bucks, although out of their comfort zone, didn't believe they would lose in this regard to the Spurs, with iron and blood in their current version of the answer.
Tony Parker passed the ball to Duncan, then quickly cut to the basket.
Duncan passed the ball.
Parker took off to shoot, but his attempt was blocked by Yu Fei, who had rotated back for the defensive help.
It was Yu Fei's turn to break through. With his teammates' outside shooting percentages plummeting, he didn't think of passing the ball when met with double-team defending.
So, he collided with David Robinson under the basket.
This devout believer, who played basketball with the Bible in mind and frequently said, "The Lord says thou shalt not," met him with force, his body like a Greek sculpture, standing firm against Yu Fei.
Yu Fei, aiming to dunk, caused a foul.
The physically drained and shooting-touched Yu Fei made one of two free throws.
The pace of the game returned to that of the third quarter.
All the praiseworthy basketball tactics lost their luster at this moment.
What was the most reliable offense?
Getting the ball inside, attacking the basket, and creating fouls.
That's what the Spurs did.
They gave the ball to the two posts, letting them take turns backing down.
The Bucks did the same, with Yu Fei being the main force to attack the basket. If he needed to catch his breath, they would pass it to Sprewell, whose ability to drive with the ball was just as strong.
If Sprewell's attack was not smooth, they could go to Ray Allen.
Ray Allen's shooting terrified the Spurs, and his penetration was just as good.
This was the Bucks' advantage.
When it came to penetrating the paint, the unsheltered Yu Fei might not be stronger than the Spurs' Twin Towers, but besides Yu Fei, the Bucks had two deputies to provide support.
Using the same tactic of attacking the paint, the Bucks actually gained more halfway through the quarter.
68 to 77
When Yu Fei once again penetrated the inside and passed behind the drawing defense to Mason for an easy bucket, Popovich couldn't bear it any longer and called for a timeout.
"Enough! From now on, we play zone defense!" Popovich roared, "We can't let them keep attacking the basket like this! Bruce, Stephen, as soon as No. 44 gets the ball, double-team him at all costs!"
Last, Popovich's gaze fell on Duncan, "They won't be entering the paint anymore, and our inside superiority will be infinitely magnified... Tim, you take care of them!"
In Game 5 of the Finals, with 6 minutes left, the Spurs behind by 9 points, Popovich chose to trust Duncan.
Would Duncan feel uneasy or anxious? No, there were only two things in Duncan's life that caused him anxiety: one was free throws, the other was golf.