With the Kings and the Spurs each throwing out red herrings, their fans were happy one moment and worried the next.
It was not until five that afternoon that the Kings players arrived at the Spurs' cramped, stuffy locker room.
This time, the Kings players had learned their lesson. Not one of them immediately opened his locker.
Instead, they cautiously tested the doors before opening them.
Nothing happened in the other players' lockers, but Wang Yi's locker had another surprise in store.
The moment he opened it, something sprang out.
It was a ghostly face.
A ghastly pale face.
As it sprang out, it let out an incredibly shrill scream.
"Aaaah!"
Wang Yi had been opening the locker cautiously, already on edge in case there was a snake or something else weird inside. The sudden appearance of the ghostly face made him jump.
His heart pounded wildly.
Even Wang Yi, who was usually so composed, couldn't help cursing furiously. "Old Popo, you despicable, shameless, low-down old bastard! I've never seen anyone as shameless as you!"
The other Kings players burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, in another locker room at the end of the hallway, Popovich was smiling.
Imagining Wang Yi's furious reaction after being startled, Old Popo wore the grin of a mischievous old child.
Still rattled, Wang Yi said angrily, "Just wait until they come to Sacramento. We'll make sure to give them the full home-team welcome!"
Everyone understood what Wang Yi meant, and they all made up their minds.
They had taken plenty of hits in this locker room when they played at the Spurs' home court last year.
So when the Spurs came to play at the Kings' home court, they would make sure to give them a proper welcome.
As the players went through their pregame preparations,