The San Antonio Spurs' locker room was steeped in a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, as if time itself had frozen at that very moment.
In the silence, a low voice suddenly spoke. "My fault. Sorry."
The speaker was Kawhi Leonard, usually a man of few words with an icy expression, and everyone could not help but turn to look at him.
At that moment, the other teammates' gazes all fell on Leonard.
He looked slightly agitated, his cheeks faintly flushed, his eyes gleaming with regret and self-reproach.
He continued, "I really didn't mean to do it. I wasn't thinking that much at the time—I just instinctively shoved him.
Who would've thought that because of that one move, he'd score 5 straight points on the very next possession?"
By then, Leonard's voice was trembling, and his eyes had already turned red.
Every San Antonio Spurs player present knew exactly which possession Leonard was talking about.
And it was that very possession that had made all their efforts throughout the entire game go to waste.
Yet faced with this situation, no one could bring themselves to offer even a single word of comfort.
After all, they themselves were still immersed in the pain of defeat. Their hearts had yet to settle after the loss, so how could they have the energy or mood to console someone else?
Just then, the team's veteran leader, Tim Duncan, slowly rose to his feet, walked over to Leonard, gave him a warm hug, and gently patted his shoulder.
But even someone as experienced as Tim Duncan could not think of the right words to soothe his young teammate's wounded heart.
After all, in the game that had just ended, Tim Duncan had given it everything he had. He went 10-for-16 from the field and 6-for-8 from the