Y13 [EN]: Chapter 279

The Dallas timeout served a dual purpose for both teams. Dallas, holding the lead, needed the break to regroup and make player substitutions.

Coach Carlisle reinserted Jason Kidd alongside Youngjae for the final three minutes of the third quarter, also bringing back Marion, Nowitzki, and Chandler to restore the starting lineup. Conversely, Gregg Popovich, whose plays Youngjae had consistently disrupted, chose to use Gary Neal instead of Parker, along with Danny Green, Stephen Jackson, Matt Bonner, and Tiago Splitter. His strategy was to ride out the quarter with the bench lineup as much as possible and reintroduce the starters in the fourth.

Dallas featured a blend of starters, while San Antonio essentially fielded an all-bench unit.

[BONNER FOR THREE!!]

Swish!

[HE GOT IT!!!]

The San Antonio Spurs attempt to narrow the gap with a three-pointer.

[Y13 TO KIDD!!!]

[JASON KIDD FOR THREE!!!]

Swish!

[YES!]

Beeeep!!!

[The bench players gave it their all, but the point difference didn’t shrink; instead, it widened slightly as the third quarter concludes. No matter how effective San Antonio’s reserves are, they were facing Dallas’s starters.]

Kevin Harlan’s commentary was followed by Steve Kerr’s agreeing nod, who seamlessly continued the analysis.

[I wonder if Coach Popovich is being too cautious with his starters. In situations like these, when the opponent counters with their starters, momentum can swing dramatically if you rely solely on bench players. Fortunately, that didn’t happen, but I think Coach Popovich’s player management was a bit too risky this time.]

Steve Kerr questioned Coach Popovich’s approach. Dallas, despite being constantly labeled as an aging team, had a higher average age than San Antonio. While the bench players had a strong regular season, the playoffs are a different beast. Deploying a lineup without a clear leader to maintain focus in a high-stakes playoff game was, in Kerr’s view, a gamble.

“…”

Coach Carlisle paused, lost in thought, before conferring with assistant coach Terry Stotts and nodding.

“For the fourth quarter, we’ll start with Barea, followed by Terry, Parsons, Nowitzki, and Haywood. Barea, just keep doing what you’ve been doing today. I don’t need anything more from you. Avoid holding the ball too long. Remember to keep your possessions shorter than usual.”

Barea nodded, taking a deep breath. During the regular season, injuries to Kidd and Terry had given Barea around 19 minutes of playing time, but in the playoffs, that had decreased to about 15. With Beaubois essentially out of the rotation, the guard lineup consisted only of Barea, Terry, Kidd, and Youngjae. However, as Youngjae, Terry, and Kidd’s minutes increased and three-guard lineups became less frequent, Barea’s playing time inevitably diminished.

“Terry, you’ll likely be matched up against Ginobili or Green. Ginobili might play the entire fourth quarter, so you’ll probably stay in as well. Just do what you always do. Focus on the Nowitzki pick-and-pop, and consistently try the curl cut with Parsons.”

“Alright, let’s do it.”

Terry replied confidently.

“Parsons, you’re up against Stephen Jackson. He’s a veteran with a lot of playoff experience and a high basketball IQ. He finishes well around the basket, so it’s important to stay tight on him when he comes inside the three-point line. He’s also good at psychological warfare, so don’t get drawn into it. He’s a player who gets hot easily, so try to disrupt his rhythm. And he’s strong, so you need to hold your ground.”

Parsons felt a surge of satisfaction, knowing he was receiving detailed instructions and playing in such a crucial game.

“Haywood, focus on defense. Your opponent is Splitter. They probably won’t run their offense through Splitter when you’re out there, but just concentrate on boxing out, rebounding, and avoiding unnecessary fouls. For our defensive scheme, we’ll scrap the trap defense and go with a variable zone. Don’t hedge or venture outside the high post. Just leave the perimeter defense to the other guys.”

After delivering his instructions, Coach Carlisle offered words of encouragement and then crossed his arms, his eyes fixed on the court.

[The games between these two teams are always nail-biters! San Antonio Spurs have closed the gap by 5 points in just over 4 minutes of the fourth quarter!]

[Dallas is holding strong! They’re holding their own, just like San Antonio’s bench did in the third quarter. Of course, Dallas isn’t running a complete bench lineup. Terry, Nowitzki, Marion, and Kidd are all in the mix.]

Thwack!

[Chandler Parsons! Tips away Stephen Jackson’s careless pass!]

Beep!

[Too bad he couldn’t secure the steal, but Chandler Parsons is putting on a great performance. It’s a shame he only made the All-Rookie Second Team, but he’s playing a vital role for the team. This is excellent for a rookie in his first year.]

Youngjae, waiting to substitute on the sideline, applauded Parsons’ deflection and shouted, “Nice play!” Parsons, heading to the bench, smiled and gave Youngjae a light high-five as he entered the game.

[Alright, the timeout is over, and the players are returning to the court. Let’s see… Both teams’ best lineups are now facing off for the final showdown! The score is 92 to 91. Dallas is facing San Antonio, who have closed to within one point, with their closing lineup! It’s a bit early, but it’s the playoffs, and it’s such a close game, so it can’t be helped. Everyone will have to play a few more minutes than usual.]

[Youngjae Yoon, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Tyson Chandler. Isn’t that Dallas’s lineup with the highest net rating and excellent balance on both offense and defense? San Antonio is countering with Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Kawhi Leonard, Boris Diaw, and Tim Duncan. Coach Popovich is favoring Boris Diaw over DeJuan Blair, who performed well in the regular season. So far, this choice seems to be paying off. After all, they’ve made it to the Conference Finals.]

[Diaw has definitely improved since his time in Charlotte. Playing alongside his close friend Parker has improved his shooting, and his unique post-up and point forward skills are still evident. His mobility, which allows him to defend both inside and outside, has also returned. But he lacks the raw strength and rebounding prowess of Blair. He’s a player with both strengths and weaknesses.]

San Antonio initiated their attack from the sideline. Parker, with the ball on the wing, dribbled slowly, briefly assessing the situation.

Thump!

[A sudden drive from the top!]

[Tony Parker TO Ginobili!]

Ginobili, guarded by Youngjae, suddenly drove his right shoulder into Youngjae’s chest, creating space towards Parker’s direction. Youngjae, knowing Ginobili’s exceptional driving and dribbling skills, leaned his upper body forward, trying to contain Ginobili with his strength.

“Ugh!”

Despite Youngjae’s surprisingly strong resistance, Ginobili drove in with mesmerizing dribbling, teetering on the edge of control.

“Ha!”

Ginobili’s exclamation. He instantly switched the ball behind his back with his left hand, changing his driving direction from left to right with a right-foot step. An incredibly concise and miraculous display of ball-handling and a Euro-step [a basketball move where a player takes steps in different directions to avoid defenders].

[Euro-step!!! Ginobili’s Euro-step and behind-the-back handling!!!]

But Youngjae had studied Ginobili’s tendencies, his signature moves, and had received extensive instruction from Ginobili himself.

[Youngjae Yoon is not an easy mark! He quickly side-steps, once again blocking Ginobili’s path and preventing the breakthrough!!!]

“Tsk!”

Ginobili clicked his tongue but still managed to elevate for a shot. Youngjae timed his jump perfectly, resulting in a near-perfect contest.

“?!”

The moment they were both airborne, Youngjae panicked when he saw Ginobili’s right hand, holding the ball as if supporting a plate.

‘Damn it, a floater [a high-arcing shot taken close to the basket]!’

Youngjae stretched his left arm as far as possible, trying to get it as close to the ball as possible, and in a split-second decision, subtly obscured Ginobili’s vision with his right hand. Youngjae employed the tenacious defense he had learned from Tony Allen, and Ginobili, despite the obstructed view, trusted his instincts and launched the floater.

“Uwaaaah!!!”

At that moment, Youngjae and Ginobili were startled and turned their heads at the sudden scream. Shawn Marion, who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, soared a head taller than Youngjae, swinging his right hand with all his might. It was as if the Hulk had leaped from the pages of a comic book, such was the raw power.

Slam!!!!

[OHHHH!!!! SPIKE!!!! HULK SPIKE!!!]

With an incredible spike block, the ball landed in Terry’s hands, who was guarding Parker on the perimeter, and Terry took off sprinting. Youngjae and Marion followed closely behind, with Nowitzki and Chandler also joining the rush, instantly transitioning into a fast break.

[They’re running! The wild horses are starting to gallop!]

The only players who could immediately get back to defend the basket and stop the Mavericks’ three fast-break players were Leonard and Diaw, who were positioned at the high post. Leonard gritted his teeth and sprinted back, lowering his center of gravity to defend the basket alone, but seeing Terry, Youngjae, and Marion bearing down on him, he was unsure of where to position himself.

Whoosh-

“Heh-”

The familiar deflated shout. Youngjae leaped himself, and Leonard, feeling compelled to contest Youngjae’s shot, jumped with him.

‘Marion? Or directly?’

Even as he approached the rim and reached the peak of his jump, Youngjae continued to hold the ball, maintaining a perfect floater stance. Leonard anticipated that Youngjae would make a play, whether a floater or a double-clutch.

Thwack!!

[Kawhi Leonard fiercely contests in the air! Youngjae Yoon staggers!]

At that moment, Youngjae, staggering and on the verge of falling, lowered his left hand, which had been supporting the ball, and scooped the ball in a semi-circular motion, as if scooping pudding with a spoon. But the ball wasn’t heading towards the rim; instead, it was slowly falling behind the rim.

“Uwaaaah!!”

Thwack! Kwaaaang!!!!!!

[BAAANG!!!! OH, OH MY GODNESSS!]

[SHAWN MARION MATRIX AGAIN!!!]

[He’s not done yet, Shawn Marion!!! A fantastic alley-oop one-hander that completely shifts the momentum!!!]

[It was such a powerful slam that it looked like he was going to rip the rim off!]

Youngjae, unable to contain his excitement, exchanged an overly enthusiastic high-five with Marion, who had landed while still gripping the rim. Not only Emily, Gay, and Cawell, who were in the audience, but also the 20,000 spectators packed into the American Airlines Center, erupted in cheers, a blue wave of sound washing over the arena.

[The score is 94 to 91! The lead widens again to 3 points! It was only 2 points, but it was a play that completely stole the momentum. San Antonio was slowly gaining ground as they continued to chase, but this play has completely doused their fire.]