Chapter 828: A Shot in 3 Seconds
Never underestimate the heart of a champion.
That saying applied to the New York Knicks too.
Most of New York's young players had never won an NBA championship.
Their hunger for the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy was no weaker than that of San Antonio's veteran core.
After Game 3, Curry personally approached Nelson.
He wanted more minutes in the next game.
San Antonio's victory had not come from some revolutionary tactical adjustment.
The Spurs had simply extended the minutes of their stars.
Duncan played more.
Parker played more.
Ginóbili played more.
They relied on their best players and won.
If that was how San Antonio wanted to fight, New York had no reason to back down.
In terms of star talent, the Knicks were not inferior.
And when it came to physical condition, New York should have held an advantage.
Of San Antonio's 3 core players, Duncan and Ginóbili were already veterans.
Only Parker was still firmly in his prime.
New York's stars, meanwhile, were all at or near their physical peaks.
If the series became a battle of stamina and minutes, the Knicks had no reason to fear.
Even after San Antonio's Game 3 victory, the overall media prediction barely changed.
Most analysts still believed New York would eventually win the series.
San Antonio's local media celebrated the victory heavily, hoping to restore confidence throughout the city.
For most of San Antonio, Game 3 had been a reason to celebrate.
There was 1 exception.
Kawhi Leonard.
The Spurs had won.
Leonard had still been torched for more than 50 points by Chen Yan.
It was an unusual feeling.
The entire city was celebrating while he personally felt as though he had spent the night getting beaten.
Game 4 would also be played in San Antonio.
Before the game, Nelson gathered his coaching staff for another tactical meeting.
There was immediate agreement on 1 point.
The key players needed more minutes.
Especially Chen.
Curry.
Battier.
Chen and Curry were New York's primary sources of offensive firepower.
Battier was the perimeter defensive anchor.
Depending on which San Antonio guard had the hotter hand, Battier could be assigned accordingly.
If Ginóbili was rolling, Battier guarded Ginóbili.
If Parker was controlling the game, Battier moved onto Parker.
To Nelson, Battier was essentially the piece that could be moved wherever the structure needed reinforcement.
The Knicks also understood the significance of Game 4.
This was their decisive battle.
If San Antonio tied the Finals at 2 to 2, the series would suddenly become far more dangerous.
New York wanted no part of that.
This was a game they believed they had to win.
Nelson's opening defensive plan focused on Duncan.
New York would use more zone principles and collapse toward the paint whenever Duncan established position.
But Nelson had no intention of using that strategy for the entire game.
San Antonio had too much perimeter shooting for that.
During the regular season, the Spurs had shot 39.3 percent from beyond the arc.
Leaving those shooters open all night would be suicidal.
The strategy was specifically designed for the opening stretch.
In Game 3, Duncan's interior offense had helped San Antonio establish control.
Nelson wanted to take that away immediately.
If the Spurs started hitting from outside, New York would adjust.
There was only so much the Knicks could accomplish defensively anyway.
No defensive scheme was going to transform them into a team that won games by grinding opponents down.
Nelson spent far more time emphasizing offense.
The message was familiar.
Speed up.
Run.
Push the pace.
New York's greatest advantage over San Antonio was youth, speed, and energy.
The Spurs could not run with the Knicks for 48 minutes.
If they tried, even if New York did not beat them directly, exhaustion eventually would.
That was why David West and DeAndre Jordan remained the starting big men.
Together, they protected the glass.
Al Harrington could stretch the floor and create more space for Chen.
But Harrington averaged only around 5 rebounds per game.
If New York sacrificed too much size, it might fail to secure defensive rebounds.
And without defensive rebounds, there would be no transition offense.
Game 4 arrived quickly.
The AT&T Center was packed again.
San Antonio fans had recovered their confidence after Game 3.
For the first time since the Finals began, they could genuinely imagine the series becoming competitive.
The Spurs themselves remained serious during introductions.
1 victory had not erased the pressure.
Before his players took the floor, Nelson delivered 1 final message.
"Be physical."
His eyes moved through the starting lineup.
"Play to our strengths."
Then he singled out DeAndre.
"DeAndre, keep Duncan away from the paint."
DeAndre nodded.
"If you cannot hold your position, foul him."
Nelson's voice sharpened.
"Be aggressive. Make him feel you."
DeAndre nodded again.
Among New York's starters, he was the most unpredictable.
When focused, his athleticism and rebounding could change a game.
When distracted, he could create unnecessary problems.
For that reason, DeAndre had been unusually disciplined since the Finals began.
3 days before Game 1, he had even entered a self imposed period of abstinence.
Nightclubs were completely out of the question.
Chen had warned him directly.
DeAndre understood that Chen had not been joking.
Soon, the starting lineups were announced.
New York Knicks:
Curry.
Chen Yan.
Shane Battier.
David West.
DeAndre Jordan.
San Antonio Spurs:
Tony Parker.
Manu Ginóbili.
Kawhi Leonard.
Matt Bonner.
Tim Duncan.
The broadcast immediately focused on San Antonio's change.
"Bonner is starting tonight. That is interesting."
"Diaw has played well throughout the series. He gives San Antonio another passer and can provide reliable scoring. Moving Bonner into the starting group is clearly a spacing decision."
Bonner's presence had 1 obvious benefit.
He could shoot.
Popovich wanted to pull New York's defense farther away from the paint and give Parker, Ginóbili, and Duncan more room to operate.
But the adjustment had risks.
In a game with this level of intensity, perimeter shooting could fluctuate.
A player might start hot and cool later as fatigue accumulated.
More importantly, Bonner represented a weaker defensive matchup than San Antonio's other options.
Whether the change would work remained to be seen.
The players moved toward center court.
Game 4 began.
The referee tossed the ball into the air.
DeAndre won the tip.
Throughout the series, whenever he stayed focused, his athletic advantage made winning the opening jump relatively easy.
The ball flew directly toward Chen.
Catch.
Chen did not look for Curry.
He simply brought the ball up himself.
1 dribble.
Another.
Cross half court.
Then he stopped.
Rise.
Deep 3 pointer.
Just like that.
San Antonio had barely organized its defense.
Leonard knew Chen could shoot from absurd distances.
He knew Chen enjoyed those shots.
He had spent 3 games learning exactly how dangerous Chen was from beyond normal range.
Even then, he was not prepared for this.
The first possession.
And Chen had already launched from deep.
There was no attempt to make the shot unnecessarily difficult.
Chen simply recognized the opportunity.
If he took another dribble, Leonard would close the distance.
Right now, Leonard was still about 2 steps away.
That was enough space.
Release.
Swish!
Nothing but net.
0 to 3.
Several San Antonio fans had barely settled into their seats.
Some had just lowered their heads for a sip of beer.
Others were reaching for popcorn.
By the time they looked back toward the court, the scoreboard had already changed.
3 seconds.
That was all Chen needed to score.
Leonard stared toward him.
After everything Chen had done to him over the first 3 games, he had hoped Game 4 might finally be different.
Instead, Chen had needed only 3 seconds to remind him otherwise.
....
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