Chapter 42: Dunking on Duncan

On the third day, the Suns and the Spurs faced off in the second game of the playoffs.

Popovich's mood seemed a bit off. Known as the old fox, he was usually cunning and calculating, but even after two days, he still hadn't come up with a way to counter the "Elevator Door Tactic."

So when he saw Gentry, his eyes still held anger. He thought Gentry's tactic was shameless and against the spirit of sportsmanship.

If O'Neal knew about Popovich's thoughts, he might have sat on Popovich to death.

The "Elevator Door Tactic" was shameless? Was there anything more shameless than the "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic? The infamous "Hack-a-Shaq" tactic was invented by Popovich himself.

"I'm a bit innocent here," Gentry muttered, seeing Popovich's gaze. "The 'Elevator Door Tactic' was Wade Dong's idea, not mine."

...

The second game began.

Popovich changed his tactics, not assigning players to double-team Nash and Wade Dong.

Whenever Gortat received the ball on the wing and Morris set a screen, Duncan would rush out to defend.

This seemed to solve the "Elevator Door Tactic."

But without double-teaming, it was as if Nash and Wade Dong were released, making it difficult for the Spurs to win.

Even without Wade Dong, if Nash were left open, his ability to control the game would make it hard for the Spurs to beat the Suns.

...

In the TNT studio:

Johnson: "The Spurs have abandoned their best defense and are now trying to outscore the Suns. This is suicide."

Barkley: "The game has just started, you're jumping to conclusions too early."

Johnson: "Let's make a bet. This game will enter garbage time by the third quarter."

...

Gentry also saw through Popovich's plan.

Halfway through the first quarter, he substituted Morris with Iverson, who had stronger scoring ability.

Both teams started scoring heavily.

Duncan scored in the paint, and Iverson immediately responded with a basket.

Leonard hit a mid-range shot, and Wade Dong answered with a three-pointer.

Parker made a jumper, and Nash replied with a running three-pointer.

The first quarter ended with the score at 47:41.

The Suns led the Spurs by six points, and both teams were on pace to score over 120 points.

At the start of the second quarter, Ginobili led the Spurs' reserves in a comeback. During this time, the Suns' reserves relaxed their defense, and the Spurs quickly closed the gap.

"Stone Buddha in prosperity, race car in adversity, demon blade in desperation!"

This saying has always been true in the NBA. Just as the Suns were about to take control of the game, Ginobili stepped up.

The score was tied, and Wade Dong and Nash returned to the court.

The "Elevator Door Tactic" reappeared! Wade Dong and Nash each hit a three-pointer, extinguishing the Spurs' comeback momentum.

Facing the Suns' strength, the Spurs did not give up.

They continued to play steadily until halftime, with the score at 76:73.

The Spurs were only down by three points.

The Suns scored 76 points in the first half, with Wade Dong scoring 17 points, Nash 13 points, Iverson 19 points, Hill 9 points, and the other players contributing 18 points.

With Wade Dong and Nash on the court, Iverson no longer faced the intense defensive pressure he used to.

Although past his prime, Iverson still managed to score 19 points in the first half.

...

In the locker room, Iverson was silent. Scoring 19 points in the first half didn't excite him; instead, he felt a bit disappointed.

Three years ago, scoring was as easy as slicing through butter. Scoring 30 or 40 points in a game was a breeze for Iverson. But now, he felt exhausted after scoring just 19 points in the first half.

In contrast, Wade Dong, who played even longer, scored only two points less than him but looked much fresher.

"Youth is wonderful!" Iverson thought to himself as he sipped his drink. "When I was young, who had better stamina, me or Wade Dong?"

Of course, no one knew about Iverson's thoughts. Gentry was still analyzing the game with the players. "The Spurs' pace was a bit chaotic in the first half. Unfortunately, we didn't take advantage of it to extend our lead. The Spurs will definitely strengthen their defense in the second half, so it will be a tough battle. Everyone must give their all."

"Let's go!!!"

The Suns players encouraged each other as the second half was about to begin.

...

At the start of the second half, Duncan scored several consecutive bank shots in the paint.

Gortat, Frye, and Lopez couldn't stop Duncan.

Currently, Gortat was defending Duncan. Wade Dong saw Gortat getting anxious and patted him on the back. "Don't rush. Since the Spurs want to play offense, let's play offense with them."

"Okay..."

Wade Dong's pat was a bit painful, but Gortat calmed down.

78:81!

The Suns were down by three points.

Nash brought the ball up, looking for an opportunity, while Wade Dong moved without the ball into the paint.

Was this the "Elevator Door Tactic" again?

The Spurs players immediately expanded their defense. Even Leonard, who was defending Wade Dong, gave him some space. This way, if Wade Dong retreated to the three-point line, Leonard could quickly recover.

Only Duncan in the paint didn't move. He saw through Wade Dong's plan.

But what good was seeing through it?

Wade Dong entered the paint, and Leonard was still a step away from him. The Spurs' paint defense was left to Duncan alone, so Nash quickly passed the ball to Wade Dong.

Wade Dong received the ball and took a step forward, leaping high into the air.

"I saw through your plan," Duncan thought. Wade Dong's move wasn't to retreat to the three-point line but to go straight for the dunk.

If Duncan had rushed out earlier, the Spurs' paint defense would have been empty.

"The Spurs' iron gate in the paint is inviolable!" Duncan shouted, jumping up to block Wade Dong.

But this time, Duncan was wrong. He thought Wade Dong had already reached his highest point, but Wade Dong kept rising like he was on an elevator.

"Boom!!!"

Wade Dong dunked the ball over Duncan, slamming it into the basket.

Duncan fell to the ground.

"Beep!!!"

The referee's whistle sounded, indicating a foul on the white number 21.

2+1!!!

Wade Dong not only dunked on Duncan but also drew a foul for a three-point play.

The entire crowd was in an uproar... If this had happened at the Suns' home court, the fans would have gone wild. But this was the Spurs' home court, and the home fans responded with silence. Some fans even covered their eyes, unable to watch.