The second half continued the madness of the first.
The thuds of colliding muscles, the sharp screech of sneakers against the hardwood, and the hysterical roars of the fans intertwined into a wild symphony.
Every score was met with an even fiercer counterattack from the other side, and every defensive stand demanded nearly every last ounce of strength.
The score remained locked in a dead heat, fiercely intertwined.
112-112!
With only five minutes left in the game, the two sides were tied once again!
The atmosphere inside the AT&T Center had reached its breaking point. Many fans no longer dared to sit; they stood with their hands clutching their heads, their hearts pounding violently with every possession.
Just then, Popovich suddenly rose from the sideline and made a gesture at Duncan and Robinson on the court that no one had expected.
He raised one finger and sharply split it to either side!
Abandon the double-team! One-on-one!
"What?!" At the TNT commentary desk, Marv Albert's voice instantly shot up an octave, filled with shock and confusion. "At the most crucial moment of the game, Popovich has abandoned the double-team on Li Fei?! He wants Duncan to guard Li Fei one-on-one? Has he lost his mind? This is practically suicide!"
The assistant coaches were frantic as well, but Popovich merely stared coldly at the court, his eyes burning with a gambler's mad fire.
Here it came! Forty-three minutes of madness, all for a gamble on these final five minutes of normalcy!
Knicks possession.
When Li Fei received the ball at the top of the arc again, he keenly sensed the difference.
The suffocating two-man trap was gone, as was the pressure closing in from all directions.
Only one man stood before him.
Tim Duncan.
The Stone Buddha spread his arms, lowered his