"Mr. Duncan,"
An ESPN reporter turned his microphone toward Tim Duncan beside him. "In the final five minutes, Li Fei scored on you repeatedly in isolation on the defensive end. Did that affect your mindset offensively? As one of the league's recognized best defenders, how did it feel to be beaten using the very method you excel at most?"
Duncan still wore his trademark Stone Buddha expression, though a barely perceptible ripple lay hidden deep in his eyes.
He glanced at the coach beside him before slowly saying, "Li Fei is a great player. He delivered an extraordinary performance. At that moment, he made some very, very difficult shots. My job was to defend him as well as I could. I did my best, but he was better. That's the playoffs. That's the Finals. We lost. We'll go back, watch the film, and prepare for the next game."
Next, the question was directed at The Admiral, David Robinson.
"David, Li Fei also got a crucial three-point play against you, and you hesitated on a help-defense rotation during one of his drives. Was that because forty-three minutes of executing the double-team strategy had thrown off your defensive instincts?"
Robinson was far more candid than Duncan. He gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "When you execute one strategy all night, your body develops muscle memory. Yes, I did hesitate in that instant. I was used to going in to double-team him. By the time I realized the strategy had changed, he was already past me. As for that three-point play, his release point... was too high. I thought I got to it, but I didn't. His performance tonight was dominant. Being down 0-3 is a very difficult situation, but we're professionals. We won't give up."
The atmosphere at the press