This is the Reason for 5 Consecutive MVP + DPOY Awards!

Referee Crawford lofted the game ball high into the air, and Sabonis and "The Admiral" David Robinson leaped almost simultaneously.

But the Lithuanian's height and wingspan gave him the edge. With a light flick of his fingertips, he tipped the ball toward the Knicks' backcourt.

The Knicks gained possession for the first offensive play.

The cheers from the crowd rose another level, as if they intended to crush the San Antonio Spurs' defense completely beneath the roar.

Allan Houston calmly brought the ball into the frontcourt. Rather than rushing to create an opportunity, he patiently studied the Spurs' defensive setup.

The Spurs' formation was packed tight, especially in the paint. Duncan and Robinson stood on either side like two guardian gods, sealing off the lane completely.

Houston passed the ball to Larry Johnson at the top of the arc. After a pump fake, Johnson quickly lobbed it to Li Fei in the low post.

The moment the ball reached his hands, Li Fei felt immense pressure from behind.

David Robinson pressed his rock-hard chest tightly against Li Fei's back, spreading his arms like a massive seabird as he tried to cut off every one of Li Fei's passing lanes.

At the same time, Tim Duncan, the expressionless rookie wearing No. 21, silently slid over like a ghost from the other side, instantly forming a double-team.

This was the strategy the Spurs had repeatedly used to great effect in the Western Conference Finals—using the twin towers' absolute height and defensive coverage to smother the opponent's interior centerpiece.

They had achieved remarkable results with it against O'Neal in the previous round.

And now, they had brought that suffocating defensive system, unchanged, right in front of Li Fei.

Duncan's arms were astonishingly long. Like a crab waving enormous claws, he kept harassing the