52: How could they know?

52: How could they know?

The visiting team’s player introductions ended, and it was the home team Grizzlies’ players’ turn to take the court.

There was Marc Gasol, with a full beard and a broad, bear-like frame.

Mike Conley, with a stern face and piercing eyes.

Tony Allen, all sinewy muscle and an aggressive expression.

Sam Young with his gangster-boss look, his eyelids adorned with pronounced tattoos.

Zach Randolph, with a simple and naive appearance but a hint of mischief.

Zhang Yang watched the five starters emerge onto the court and thought of a Tianjin phrase—these guys don’t look like the good sort!

Just by appearance, the nickname ‘Memphis Mob Team’ wasn’t given for nothing.

Even the presence of Shawn Battier on the Grizzlies’ bench, who could pass for a president, couldn’t elevate the team’s overall demeanor.

After the entrance ceremony, Duncan, in a rare move, pulled his teammates aside to discuss the details of their defensive coordination with McDyess, Parker, and Richard Jefferson.

Ginobili was also pulling Zhang Yang aside, reminding him of things to be aware of in high post defense and the details of coordinating interior and perimeter defense.

Zhang Yang sensed what it meant to be a ‘team player’ from Ginobili.

Even during his prime, Ginobili was willing to come off the bench, and today, suddenly being demoted to a bench role again, he showed no resentment, only repeatedly instructing his replacement.

Having been with the Spurs for a while, Zhang Yang found that the team was actually quite warm on the inside, and the initial cold reception he felt was most likely influenced by a certain malevolent man.

…

At 8 p.m., the game began.

Duncan won the jump ball against Marc Gasol, and the Spurs had the first possession.

Little brother’s jump ball is really just that, a little brother’s; teammates immediately retreated upon hearing the whistle.

Zhang Yang quickly received the pass from Parker, but his attempt at a sneak attack was thwarted by Tony Allen’s aggressive defense.

He protected the ball and dribbled to the top of the arc, passing it to Parker who had come up to support.

Thank you, Coach N for the highly detailed ball-handling training!

Parker initiated an offense with a pick-and-roll with Duncan at the top of the key.

After a drive, he was unable to tear through the opponent’s defense, with four of the Grizzlies’ players holding the line defensively and Randolph actively partaking in defense after his ‘reformed bad boy’ transformation, making no mistakes and committing no fouls.

With Parker’s drive yielding no results, he passed back to Duncan.

Duncan, now closely guarded by Sam Young after a switch, dished the ball to Richard Jefferson.

Jefferson then passed on…

The Spurs’ ball movement was exquisite, but they still couldn’t create an easy shot, against the iron-clad defense crafted by Grizzlies’ head coach Lionel Hollins.

Parker received the ball again but with Big White Bear stationed beneath the hoop, he passed to Zhang Yang, who had come to support.

Zhang Yang caught the ball, failing to shake off Tony Allen and was forced to shoot over the defender…

it missed!

On the sideline, Coach Popovich’s face was serious.

As expected, they couldn’t break the defense with teamwork!

The Grizzlies’ half-court defense was even more tenacious tonight than in the previous three matchups.

With less than 10 games left in the regular season, the referees’ calls were already close to the playoff standard, which greatly benefited the Memphis Mob’s defensive style.

It’s time to try that move, but first, he had to stop that black bear.

The Grizzlies set a slow pace, but the Spurs quickly fell back into position, securing their defensive spots.

There were significant changes in the Spurs this year, but one thing remained the same—their defensive discipline.

Conley advanced to the frontcourt, with Zhang Yang guarding the top of the key.

Marc Gasol pulled up to the free-throw line, defended by Duncan; Richard Jefferson gave Sam Young some space and positioned himself on the right side of the three-second area; McDyess was sticking to Randolph at the right low block of the three-second area; and Parker was on the weak left side, guarding Tony Allen.

Conley lobbed the ball to Randolph in the low post.

Jefferson immediately collapsed along with McDyess, double-teaming Randolph and blocking his path to baseline on the left turn.

Simultaneously, Conley cut down to the right corner, and the unguarded Sam Young moved up, hustling toward Conley.

Zhang Yang stayed close to Conley’s footsteps, but when Conley and Sam Young crossed paths, he abruptly backed out, pulling toward the middle.

Sam Young set a screen for Conley without the ball and ended up screening nothing but air!

Watching Zhang Yang cut in front of Marc Gasol to the free-throw line, Sam Young looked completely puzzled with a face full of question marks, not sure what to do next.

Conley curled around Sam Young to the corner and was cut off by Richard Jefferson, who had expanded out, severing the passing lane to Randolph.

As Zhang Yang contracted to the middle, Duncan moved into the paint, joining forces with McDyess to sandwich the right-turning Randolph trying to get to the middle!

Facing a double-team from McDyess and Duncan, both defensive stalwarts, and having lost his passing lanes to Conley and Gasol, Randolph was flustered.

Duncan and McDyess didn’t reach out rashly, waiting for him to commit a three-second violation.

Seeing the referee already puffing his cheeks, Randolph hurriedly passed the ball.

Sam Young caught the pass but had three big men between him and the basket.

Jefferson and Zhang Yang desperately tried to get around in front, so he took the shot, a long two-pointer…and missed!

Randolph struggled to squeeze under the basket, hoping to fight for the offensive rebound, but was firmly blocked by both Duncan and McDyess.

The Spurs’ twin towers saw their teammate’s move and chose to box out purely for position, not for the rebound.

Randolph couldn’t squeeze through at all.

Parker retrieved the defensive rebound from the left side and initiated the counterattack!

Parker pushed to the frontcourt, drawing the retreating Tony Allen and Sam Young into a double-team trap.

He charged to the right side of the paint and passed the ball…

Zhang Yang caught the pass on the left side of the paint, muscled past the rushing Conley, took one step and leaped, slamming the ball into the hoop with one hand!

Popovich’s tense body relaxed and he cracked a crooked smile.

Grinding defense, it’s been a while since they played it, but his iron-blooded Popovich-style was still holding strong!

The Grizzlies were on the offense again, continuing to play the half-court game.

The Spurs replicated their successful defensive strategy.

This time Tony Allen was smart, proactively sticking to Parker and cutting towards the basket.

However, both Duncan and McDyess were taller than Randolph and had longer arms; Randolph couldn’t even see Tony Allen cutting from the left baseline, let alone pass him the ball.

But Randolph didn’t want to pass to Sam Young again, as their guards and forwards weren’t shooting well.

He decided to try something flashy and stepped back for a mid-range jumper…Duncan, standing tall, easily contested it, and the shot was off!

After his shot, Randolph immediately pressured inside…

only then did he see Tony Allen and Parker under the basket, with two turning into four; he had no chance to break through!

Duncan grabbed the defensive rebound over the head of Tony Allen and passed it directly to Parker without hesitation.

Parker broke out quickly, leading a fast break with Zhang Yang down both lanes.

This time Conley, Sam Young, and Tony Allen defended the fast break better than the previous play.

With a crowd at the basket just before, Parker had to circle around to start the rush, which also slowed his advance.

The Spurs’ fast break was halted.

Zhang Yang, receiving Parker’s pass, didn’t force it and dribbled out to space, waiting for his teammates to arrive and set up a team offense.

The Grizzlies’ tenacious defense severely limited the Spurs’ passing efficiency; their team offense still couldn’t get going, and in the end, the ball found its way back to Zhang Yang.

After a missed field goal attempt last possession, Zhang Yang didn’t back down.

Using a screen from McDyess, he came off the pick and pop for a mid-range shot…and it went in!

Popovich rose to the court’s edge, clapping his hands – mid-range shots, mid-range!

On the opposite side, Grizzlies’ head coach Lionel Hollins looked astonished.

The Spurs’ offensive and defensive strategies were highly targeted!

Especially the defensive tactics, they not only choked off their big three’s communication but also specifically defended against Randolph’s method of attacking the offensive rebounds.

This was a situation they hadn’t encountered in their previous three encounters!

Hollins felt it was improbable.

Why were they paying so much attention to a team that was about to clinch the seventh seed in the West?

The attitude they were facing should have been like when playing the Nuggets Team or the Trail Blazers, with normal offensive and defensive plays!

He didn’t think he had revealed his playoff plans, which had only recently formed…

Moreover, he had publicly set a goal for the fifth seed in the West, aiming to surpass the Nuggets Team and the Trail Blazers.

He claimed that even if the hope was slim, he would strive for it with all his might, telling this to his players and playing the games accordingly.

The opposition shouldn’t have been prepared, right?

…

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