Popovich saw this and shook his head, then said gently,
"This isn't your fault. Wang Yi is just too crafty."
The former Spurs trio standing beside Popovich heard this and couldn't help feeling wistful again.
Back in the day, if they'd made a mistake like that, getting yelled at by Popovich would've been the mild version. He might even have nailed them to the bench.
Now these young players made the same kind of mistake, and Popovich was comforting them so gently.
It really was enough to make anyone jealous.
Hearing Popovich's words, the players felt even more remorseful. They silently vowed to play every possession well from here on out.
In their eyes, Popo was like a kindly old father—no, like their grandfather.
No matter what mistakes they made, Popo was always generous with them, patiently guiding them.
Popovich then went over a few more things.
He knew that nearly all the players were close to running out of energy.
Asking them to beat their defenders one-on-one and drive to the basket would be too much to ask.
So most of the plays he laid out involved passing for a shot after a feint.
Taking a shot directly was less taxing than driving to the basket.
A minute and a half later, the players from both teams took the court again.
This time, every spectator in the arena—from the elderly in their sixties and seventies to children as young as six or seven—was standing to watch.
Not one person remained seated.
Who could stay seated with the Finals heading into a second overtime?
Meanwhile, near the Player Tunnel,
the more than fifty staff members at the arena were even more nervous than the spectators.
They were the workers responsible for setting up the presentation stage, along with the ceremonial