Chapter Summaries

Tang Tian persuaded Popovich to use a younger, faster lineup against the Lakers, and the Spurs seized control of Game 3 with defensive stops and fast breaks. After Pau Gasol entered and helped the Lakers run, Popovich adjusted by attacking him with Duncan in the post, leaving the Spurs firmly ahead.

• Tang Tian argued that the Spurs should use their three-wing lineup to exploit the Lakers' age and Howard's limitations, and Popovich agreed.
• Popovich held closed-door practices in Los Angeles to restore the Spurs' three-wing lineup before Game 3.
• Leonard stole Howard's pass, and Tang Tian hit a three-pointer as the Spurs began their defensive counterattack.
• Tang Tian and Leonard combined for a fast-break dunk, and steals by Tang Tian and Leonard helped the Spurs build an early lead.
• Pau Gasol replaced the foul-troubled Howard and helped Kobe score in transition, but Popovich countered by having Duncan attack Gasol in the post.
• Duncan scored twice against Gasol, and the Spurs extended their lead while Kobe grew frustrated with his limited chances to shoot.

The Lakers lost Games 3 and 4 to the Spurs, leaving them down 1-3, while several playoff series advanced and James won his second consecutive MVP. Steve Nash then led the Lakers to a Game 5 win in San Antonio, cutting the Spurs’ series lead to 3-2.

• Kobe scored 28 points in the Lakers’ 106-86 loss to the Spurs in Game 3, then scored 35 in a 104-91 defeat in Game 4, putting the Lakers down 1-3.
• JR Smith accepted the Sixth Man of the Year award before Game 5 and helped the Knicks beat the Pacers 85-75, reducing their series deficit to 2-3.
• James accepted his second straight MVP award before Game 5, then led the Heat to a 115-78 win over the Bulls to clinch their series 4-1.
• The Heat advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals as the Pacers led the Knicks 3-2 and the Grizzlies led the Warriors 3-2.
• Steve Nash scored 25 points with 11 assists, including seven three-pointers, as the Lakers beat the Spurs 106-103 and cut the series deficit to 2-3.

The Spurs defeated the Lakers in Game 6 to win their Western Conference Semifinals series, with Tang Tian shutting down Kobe. As the Spurs advanced, Metta World Peace praised Tang as the strongest defender he had ever seen and predicted he would become a superstar.

• Tang Tian, Diop, and Green discussed Damian Lillard’s unanimous Rookie of the Month award and Anthony Davis’s lack of first-place votes.
• Eric Gordon tried to reassure Anthony Davis about the award, but Davis returned to the court to practice ball-handling.
• The Grizzlies eliminated the Warriors 4-2 and advanced to the Western Conference Finals.
• Tang Tian contained Kobe in Game 6 as the Spurs beat the Lakers 101-83 and eliminated them 4-2.
• Metta World Peace called Tang Tian the strongest defensive player he had ever seen and said Tang would become a superstar.

After the Spurs returned to San Antonio, Tang Tian and Olson spent his birthday together and Olson surprised him with a space-themed hotel suite. The chapter ended with the two of them together in the suite before the Spurs’ Western Conference Finals.

• Fans debated Metta World Peace’s praise of Tang Tian and speculated that it might be intended to raise his value for the Lakers.
• Olson joined Tang Tian on the Spurs’ team plane, where she shared homemade cakes and heard teammates tell stories about him.
• After the Spurs arrived in San Antonio, Tang Tian and Olson strolled along the Riverside Promenade during their afternoon off.
• Olson surprised Tang Tian with a space-themed hotel suite and emerged from a cake box wearing a spacesuit.
• Tang Tian went out to buy what they needed, forgot his key card, and returned to the room after asking the front desk for the room number.
• Olson and Tang Tian joked about an astronaut experiencing weightlessness before embracing on the bed.

The Heat and Pacers traded early wins in the Eastern Conference Finals, while the Spurs dominated the Grizzlies to take a 3-0 lead. The Heat moved ahead 2-1 after unleashing their perimeter shooting, leaving the Grizzlies on the brink of elimination.

• The Pacers beat the Heat 103-102 in Game 1 as Roy Hibbert scored 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds.
• Splitter and Tang Tian led the Spurs to a 105-85 blowout over the Grizzlies, containing their interior stars and perimeter offense.
• The Heat edged the Pacers 103-102 in Game 2 to tie the series 1-1, with Chris Anderson scoring 16 points without a miss.
• The Spurs defeated the Grizzlies 101-85 in Game 2 and took a 2-0 series lead.
• The Heat beat the Pacers 114-96 in Game 3 as Chalmers, Ray Allen, and Battier fueled their three-point attack.
• The Spurs held the Grizzlies to 79 points and won 91-79, taking a 3-0 lead in the series.

Tang Tian made the All-Defensive First Team after winning Defensive Player of the Year, while the Spurs swept the Grizzlies to reach the Finals. The Eastern Conference Finals remained tied at 2-2, and Tang Tian expected the Heat to advance as the Spurs prepared for their next opponent.

• The league announced the All-NBA Teams, with Duncan, James, Durant, Kobe, and Paul named to the First Team.
• The league announced the All-Defensive Teams, and Tang Tian earned a First Team selection alongside Noah, Chandler, Ibaka, James, and Paul.
• The Pacers contained James and beat the Heat 99-92 in Game 4, tying the Eastern Conference Finals at 2-2.
• Parker scored 37 points as the Spurs defeated the Grizzlies in Game 4 and swept the Western Conference Finals 4-0.
• Tang Tian told Green he expected the Heat to reach the Finals, and the Spurs watched the Eastern Conference series while preparing.

Tang Tian continued his strength training and renewed his contract with Procopio, who predicted he could become even better than Kobe. Meanwhile, the Heat beat the Pacers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals and advanced to the NBA Finals to face the Spurs for the second year in a row.

• Tang Tian trained his core and arms with Procopio, then asked him to renew his expiring contract.
• Procopio said James Harden, Kevin Love, and Paul George had approached him, but he had turned them down and believed Tang Tian could surpass Kobe.
• The Pacers crushed the Heat in Game 6, forcing the Eastern Conference Finals to a decisive Game 7.
• James led the Heat past the Pacers 99-76 in Game 7, sending Miami to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.
• The Heat and Spurs met in the NBA Finals for the second consecutive year.

Tang Tian stepped in dog poop before traveling to Miami, then tested his belief in dog-poop luck by making a series of improbable throws and grew confident ahead of the Finals opener. The Spurs and Heat prepared for the series, while Battier told reporters the Heat had ways to handle Tang Tian.

• Tang Tian stepped in dog poop outside his apartment, washed his lucky shoe, and explained dog-poop luck to Olson.
• Tang Tian tossed his key into Olson's backpack pocket and later sank a paper ball into a trash can, convincing himself his luck and touch were unusually strong.
• The Spurs traveled to Miami, where Popovich gave the rested team time off before the opening game.
• Battier answered reporters' questions after the Heat's practice, praising Tang Tian's defense but saying the Heat had ways to deal with him.
• Tang Tian arrived at the arena with Olson and sank another paper ball into a trash can while declaring, "Score!"

Tang Tian’s extraordinary shooting gave the Spurs an early lead over the Heat in Game One of the Finals. He made all five of his three-point attempts in the first quarter, leaving the Heat struggling to contain him as the chapter ended.

• Tang Tian arrived at the arena with Olson, then prepared for the game while commentators identified him as a key factor in the Finals.
• The Heat opened the game by using James to attack Leonard and score, while Duncan and Splitter answered with baskets inside.
• Tang Tian made his first two three-pointers despite James and Bosh contesting his shots, and the Spurs built a lead.
• After James answered with a three-pointer, Tang Tian passed out of a double-team to set up a dunk by Splitter.
• Ray Allen entered and hit a three-pointer, but Tang Tian answered with three more shots from beyond the arc, including a contested corner shot over Allen, to finish the quarter five-for-five.

Tang Tian caught fire again in the second half as the Spurs fought off the Heat’s rally. He broke the NBA Playoffs single-game record with his tenth made three-pointer, leaving the Spurs ahead in a tense game.

• Tang Tian missed an early second-half three, while James scored and drew a foul to help cut the Spurs’ lead to five points.
• Tang Tian hit a difficult buzzer-beating three over Wade, then made another open three to stretch the lead back to double digits.
• Ray Allen made a three for the Heat, but Tang Tian answered with a contested shot over James and later tied the playoff record with his ninth three-pointer.
• Duncan grabbed consecutive offensive rebounds and passed the ball to Tang Tian, who made his ninth three to tie the record held by four players.
• After Wade turned the ball over, Parker, Leonard, and Tang Tian ran a fast break, and Tang Tian made his tenth three-pointer to set the playoff record outright.

Tang Tian led the Spurs to a Game 1 victory over the Heat with a record-setting 35-point performance, but Miami answered with a Game 2 win powered by its three-point shooting. The Finals shifted to San Antonio, where Tang Tian’s shooting helped the Spurs reclaim the series lead, and Popovich admitted he hated opponents’ three-pointers but would use them when necessary.

• Tang Tian scored 35 points on 11-of-14 three-point shooting as the Spurs beat the Heat 115-101 in Game 1 and took home-court advantage.
• Tang Tian credited his lucky bracelet and shoes in a courtside interview before Duncan dumped water on him and Ginobili laughed.
• Ray Allen organized extra shooting practice, and the Heat’s shooters made 13 three-pointers as Miami won Game 2, 113-98, to tie the Finals.
• Popovich complained that three-pointers were like cheating, drawing attention because the Spurs had won Game 1 with Tang Tian’s shooting.
• Tang Tian scored 26 points on eight three-pointers in Game 3 as the Spurs won and took a 2-1 series lead.
• Popovich told reporters he still hated three-pointers but would accept and use them to survive.

The Spurs lost Game 4 to the Heat, then fell behind 3-2 after Ray Allen hit the decisive three-pointer in Game 5. In Game 6, the Spurs trailed by 15 at halftime as the Heat moved closer to the championship.

• Tang Tian considered how rule changes had shaped basketball, then focused on winning the Finals with Popovich and the Spurs.
• Bosh, Wade, and James led the Heat to a Game 4 victory, tying the series 2-2.
• Duncan’s frustration sparked a Spurs comeback in Game 5, but Ray Allen hit James’s pass for the game-winning three, giving the Heat a 3-2 lead.
• The Heat took a 50-35 halftime lead in Game 6, while their fans celebrated and looked ahead to the championship.

At halftime, Tang Tian rallied the exhausted Spurs to keep fighting despite trailing the Heat by 15 points. The Spurs opened the second half with a block, a steal, and a fast-break layup, showing they had not given up.

• Popovich reviewed the Spurs' first-half tactics and urged the team to keep pushing.
• Tang Tian reminded his teammates that they were the defending champions and could still overcome a 15-point deficit, then led them in a team chant.
• Tang Tian told Leonard that they needed to set the tone on defense as the Spurs returned to the court.
• James missed a contested shot, but Tang Tian blocked his putback attempt out of bounds.
• Leonard stripped Wade, passed to Tang Tian, and Tang Tian sent a long pass to Parker, who drove down the court and scored a layup.

Tang Tian and the Spurs erased the Heat’s lead and tied the game, but Wade’s late jumper put Miami ahead after James saved the ball from out of bounds. The referees confirmed the blown call but let the basket stand, leaving the Spurs five seconds to respond.

• Leonard scored a three-point play, and the Spurs steadily cut into the Heat’s lead as Tang Tian rallied his teammates.
• The Spurs outscored the Heat 30–15 in the third quarter to tie the game at 65, then stayed even through the final period.
• With 30 seconds left, James missed a layup and both ensuing free throws, but Bosh kept the ball alive and James saved it near the baseline.
• Wade caught James’s save and made a contested fadeaway with five seconds remaining, giving the Heat a two-point lead.
• Popovich challenged the play, and the replay showed James had stepped out of bounds before saving the ball; the referees upheld Wade’s basket, and the Spurs kept their final timeout and five seconds.

Tang Tian hit a buzzer-beating three to give the Spurs a dramatic Game 6 victory over the Heat and force Game 7. The Spurs celebrated their comeback while the Heat regrouped for the deciding game in Miami.

• Ginobili missed a three-point Clutch Shot after the Spurs ran a play that freed him instead of Tang Tian.
• Diop tipped the rebound toward Tang Tian, who hit a contested three at the buzzer to win the game for the Spurs.
• The Spurs rushed the court to celebrate, and Tang Tian performed his signature Silencer move.
• Spoelstra requested a review, and James confirmed that Tang Tian’s game-winner counted before urging the Heat to prepare for Game 7.
• Ginobili brought out unused champagne, and the Spurs drenched Tang Tian during their celebration.

The Spurs and Heat prepared for the decisive Game 7 of the Finals, with both coaches adjusting their lineups and warning their players to stay ready. The chapter ended as the teams took the court in a charged Miami arena, with James firing up the crowd before tipoff.

• Tang Tian and Olson joked about finding dog poop for luck before Tang Tian rejoined the Spurs for practice in Miami.
• Popovich emphasized defense, foul control, and readiness, while Spoelstra told the Heat to push the pace and attack the paint.
• James told Ray Allen that he would primarily defend Tang Tian, and James told Ray Allen to be ready to take the final shot.
• Heat fans and Chinese supporters filled American Airlines Arena as worldwide broadcasts prepared to cover Game 7.
• Popovich started Diop in place of Splitter and moved Duncan to center, while Spoelstra put Ray Allen in the Heat starting lineup.
• Wade fired up James during introductions, and James tossed chalk into the air as Game 7 approached.

The Spurs and Heat battled through a tense Game 7, with their score tied at halftime and the lead changing hands in a physical second half. Tang Tian and James became entangled after Tang Tian pulled James down, and the chapter ended as officials reviewed the play while Popovich secretly gave Tang Tian an approving thumbs-up.

• Miller predicted a Spurs win while Breen backed the Heat, and the teams began Game 7 with James dunking and Leonard answering with a three.
• The Spurs and Heat traded baskets through disciplined Spurs offense and hard fouls, reaching halftime tied 55-55.
• Spoelstra urged the Heat to play tougher and draw fouls, and James agreed as the teams returned to the court.
• James took extra steps before attempting a dunk, and Tang Tian pulled him down; the two grabbed each other and exchanged trash talk before Duncan and Wade separated them.
• The referees went to review the confrontation, and Popovich gave Tang Tian a thumbs-up as he left the court.

With Game 7 tied in the final minute, James and Tang Tian traded clutch three-pointers before James tried to drive for the game-winner. Tang Tian drew an offensive foul, leaving Spoelstra to review the play and wonder whether Tang Tian was a devil or a show-off.

• After the referees charged Tang Tian and James with offsetting fouls, the Spurs and Heat continued battling until the score was tied at 101 in the final minute.
• James hit a contested three over Leonard to put the Heat ahead, but Tang Tian missed his first attempt from beyond the arc.
• Duncan grabbed Tang Tian's miss over Bosh and Wade, then passed out to Tang Tian, who shook Ray Allen and made a clutch three to tie the game.
• With 27 seconds left, James ignored Spoelstra's drawn-up play and drove against Tang Tian after Wade set a screen.
• Tang Tian planted himself, and James crashed into him, drawing an offensive foul; Spoelstra reviewed the call and saw the replay confirm it.

The Spurs faced the Heat’s final possession in Game 7 of the 2012–2013 NBA Finals after Tim Duncan tipped in a go-ahead basket. Tang Tian blocked Ray Allen’s last-second shot, securing the Spurs’ championship and leaving the Heat devastated.

• Tang Tian drew an offensive foul, giving the Spurs a chance to win, and Popovich called the team’s final timeout.
• Manu Ginobili drove into the lane, passed to Kawhi Leonard, and Leonard’s missed three was tipped in by Tim Duncan for a Spurs lead with 1.5 seconds left.
• Erik Spoelstra set up a final play for Ray Allen, who caught the inbound pass and shot as LeBron James watched.
• Tang Tian blocked Ray Allen’s shot out of bounds as the buzzer sounded, clinching the Spurs’ 2012–2013 NBA championship.
• The Spurs celebrated their back-to-back titles while the Heat players, including James and Wade, reacted in despair.

Tang Tian and the Spurs celebrated their second consecutive championship after defeating the Heat in Game 7, while James struggled to hide his grief. Stern presented the trophy to San Antonio, and the team ended the ceremony celebrating as champions of the 2012–2013 NBA season.

• Tang Tian embraced Popovich after celebrating with his teammates, and Ginobili drenched him with champagne.
• The defeated Heat players sat at the sideline, where Wade comforted a tearful James before they joined the handshake ceremony.
• Tang Tian taunted James and then congratulated Norris Cole, joking that Cole should join his team next year.
• Stern congratulated the Spurs and presented the championship trophy, which Holt passed to Popovich.
• The Spurs players kissed the trophy and raised it together, celebrating their second straight championship.