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At 3 minutes and 07 seconds in the first quarter, Zhang Yang made a back-cut move from the elbow area, sprinted long to the top of the arc, shook off Leonard, received a pass from Kobe, and hit a three-pointer... Popovich called a timeout!

The score difference wasn't actually big, you could even say it didn't exist.

The Lakers started with 5 shots, hitting 3, including 1 three-pointer, plus 2 free throws from 2 attempts, scoring 9 points with high efficiency.

The Spurs weren't bad either, utilizing various cuts and ball movement, showcasing the splendid Spurs system, tearing apart the Lakers' defense. They made 5 shots, hitting 3, one of which was Duncan receiving the ball and making a hook shot over Kobe's help defense for a 2+1, scoring 7 points. The Spurs were leading by 1 point before Zhang Yang's three-pointer.

But Popovich still called a timeout; if he didn't, Leonard was going to collapse!

He had anticipated Budenholzer's opening tactics tonight, setting a defensive trap — using Duncan's ability to delay in the paint to put pressure on Kobe and Zhang Yang, but merely delaying, to help Leonard and Danny Green stay on their defensive assignments steadily. Meanwhile, providing Lakers' wing shooters and cutting forwards opportunities to catch the ball, but the moment the Lakers' big three passed the ball to the duo, Parker, Danny Green, or Duncan, Leonard could double-team instantly, often not sticking to guard but focusing on cutting off passing and driving lanes.

Theoretically, this defense was actually quite unsolvable, even if seen through, in Popovich's design, it would put the Lakers starters' big three in a dilemma.

But the Lakers had gone through 6 offensive possessions since the game started, and not once fell into a trap!

There's only one reason for this situation — Zhang Yang!

After making the first shot, Zhang Yang missed the second, but on the third attempt, he hit another one with a turnaround shot moving sideways off the baseline, further from the basket.

By the fourth shot, Leonard, defending somewhat impatiently, couldn't stop his momentum and collided with Zhang Yang, who turned to catch the ball and raise his hand, resulting in Zhang Yang making both free throws.

The last was just now, this possession, Leonard who had picked up one foul, played much more cautiously, wary of sticking too tight and fouling again, but his speed was inherently slower than Zhang Yang's, and he got left behind...

The only possession not taken by Zhang Yang didn't step into a defensive trap either; it was Gasol who received the ball, turned, and missed a hook shot.

Popovich looked across at Zhang Yang, who was exchanging high-fives, chest bumps, and back pats with Kobe, and was simply stunned.

His meticulously prepared defensive plan ended up helping this kid find his shooting touch right at the start and go on a rampage, which also affected Leonard's defensive mindset!

This kid's level of self-assurance on offense is outrageous, even Kobe isn't this self-assured!

However, that's precisely why he took notice of Zhang Yang back then.

At that time, Zhang Yang was still a rookie, coming off the bench for the Phoenix Suns, yet he was relentless on the court, enjoying the game and with a passionate desire to defeat his opponents, which deeply attracted him.

Winning the championship in '12 was also thanks to Zhang Yang's spirit of 'one versus eight? I fear nothing.'

Popovich withdrew his gaze; the situation had reached a point of no return. Defeating the opponent before him was now the most crucial task.

As long as the Lakers could be defeated, the next two opponents would get progressively easier!

…

Popovich made personnel adjustments, bringing in Ginobili early to replace Leonard, and also adjusted the defensive strategy, abandoning the failed strategy and reverting to standard defense.

After the players came onto the court, Popovich's old buddy, team manager Buford, came over to him and said, "Being forced to compete with them in offense is very unfavorable for us."

Popovich: "I originally wanted to use that strategy to disrupt the Lakers' offensive rhythm, stopping them from finding their shooting touch like in the last game, but I underestimated Jack. As a result, it affected our defense. But it's okay; we have Tim, and with him leading the team, we won't be emotionally affected..."

He said this while looking at Leonard sitting on the bench, staring expressionlessly at the court.

Buford glanced at Leonard and quietly said, "That's exactly what I'm worried about too. Kawhi cares too much about Jack, but his maturity level is far inferior to Jack's. Jack has Kobe, Nash, and Gasol by his side, being the league's top scorer, and Kawhi is at a disadvantage compared to Jack right now."

Popovich: "We have to have confidence in him, just as Jack has confidence in Kawhi. Believe that he can adjust his mindset. Didn't Jack say that he saw Tim's shadow in Kawhi, said that Kawhi has the same strong heart as Tim."

Buford felt a wave of melancholy hearing these words, as the confidence for their future core unexpectedly came from a remark by the opposing team's star player, who used to be their cornerstone... But now they had no choice but to have faith in Leonard and pay him enough attention, avoiding last year's mistakes.

On the court, the game had already resumed.

The Spurs inbounded in the frontcourt, executing a beautiful offensive play. Ginobili squeezed through a gap, slipped inside the paint, received a pass from Parker, and turned to shoot, scoring.

At almost 37 years of age, Ginobili's athletic ability was far from what it used to be, and his stamina was even poorer. Previously, he could play 30 minutes per game and be at his peak for 20 minutes, but now he could only play at most 25 minutes per game, with his peak even shorter.

However, Ginobili's skills were more refined, his defensive reading ability stronger, and his opportunity-grabbing capability even better. As long as he had enough stamina, he remained the unpredictable and hard-to-guard crafty blade.

When it came to the Lakers' offense, they didn't make any substitutions after the timeout. Kobe saw Zhang Yang obediently stretching to the mid-range on the baseline as instructed by the coach, feeling the discomfort fade away, his satisfaction with his successor soaring.