777: The Difference Between Them (Third Update 4K)

By the halfway point of the second quarter, the Spurs' situation had gone from bad to worse.

The gap was gradually widening, and Link's offensive onslaught had put the Spurs on edge.

The Spurs had gone from leading by two at the end of the first quarter to trailing by six. Popovich's brow furrowed deeper and deeper. He could not believe that, in the face of this flawless plan, he was still losing control of the game.

At that moment, Link once again had the ball against Diaw. This was, remarkably, the third time Link had matched up against Diaw in this quarter.

Three possessions to force Popovich into switching the matchup—Link had not forgotten the goal he had set for himself. As long as Popovich sent Leonard to guard him, the Grizzlies' entire offense would open up!

He absolutely could not fail on this possession.

Diaw remained the same as ever: he did not bite on fakes, did not foul, did not take risks, and gave Link a step of space.

Honestly, defenders like this, who simply did not make mistakes, were truly difficult to deal with. Link felt that Diaw's defense had been severely underrated. This guy should have been in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

Westbrook got plenty of steals and blocks, but he often made mistakes and frequently got caught out of position because of his impulsiveness. So no matter how many steals and blocks he piled up, he could not be considered an elite defender.

Diaw was the exact opposite of Westbrook. He did not seem particularly good at steals or blocks. But what he excelled at was keeping his opponent from scoring. And wasn't that the ultimate purpose of defense? Steals and blocks were merely means to prevent the other team