Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Alamodome.
When the Boston Celtics' starting lineup was announced, everything was as usual: Gary Payton, Jones, Pierce, Garnett, and Mutombo.
Doc Rivers really needs to adjust is the playing time after the starters leave the court.
With 7 minutes and 20 seconds left in the first quarter, Bo Outlaw and P.J. Brown entered the game simultaneously, replacing Mutombo and Pierce. At this point, the tallest players on the Boston court were the 2.11-meter P.J. Brown and Garnett, and they were facing Tim Duncan, who was also 2.11 meters tall, and David Robinson, who was 2.16 meters tall.
In the first possession, Tim Duncan, as usual, went to the high post to receive the ball, intending to draw the defender away from the basket. P.J. Brown followed, and as soon as Tim Duncan received the ball, Garnett immediately moved laterally from the weak side, quickly collapsing to double-team him.
At the start of the game, they double-teamed Tim Duncan near the three-point line with two 2.11-meter tall players, which was extremely rare in defensive strategies at the time.
Tim Duncan held the basketball high, calmly searching for an open shot. Sean Elliott found an opening in the corner, but Garnett had already slid in and blocked the passing lane the moment the double team formed. Mario Elie on the weak side was also blocked by Jones. Under the basket, Robinson went down to receive the ball, but Bo Outlaw, who moved extremely quickly laterally, came from the baseline to help defend, interfering with the passing lane.
With the shot clock ticking down, Tim Duncan was forced to drop the ball and attempt a strong drive, but Garnett blocked his path with a lateral movement. With the 24-second shot clock about to expire, he could only pass the ball back to Johnson at the top of the key.
The buzzer-beater missed. Garnett grabbed the rebound and, without hesitation, turned and delivered a long pass.
Protecting the defensive rebounds, without relying on the point guard for transition, the first pass goes directly to the frontcourt. While the ball is in the air, Garnett and Jones are already like two sharp knives piercing the heart of the Spurs. Not only on the perimeter, but even P.J. Brown and Outlaw are sprinting at full speed. Without cumbersome tactical calls or excessive dribbling, this lineup maximizes mobility, aiming to finish the game with speed before Tim Duncan and Robinson's Twin Towers can retreat to the paint and establish a defensive formation.
In the first three games, Boston had been grinding out half-court sets with the Spurs, but tonight they sped up. Throughout the first quarter, Boston only played four half-court sets. With three minutes left in the first quarter, the usually energetic Robinson had already put his hands on his knees.
Popovich immediately changed tactics, placing Tim Duncan in a deep post position on the left, attempting to use a back-to-the-basket move to break the double team. As long as Duncan got the ball first, the double team would be a step too late.
In the first round, Tim Duncan turned and scored with a layup.
In the second possession, as soon as the ball was lobbed into the paint, P.J. Brown lowered his center of gravity to block Tim Duncan's lower body. Bo Outlaw used his lateral speed to quickly pounce from the baseline, reaching out to cut towards Tim Duncan's receiving position. Tim Duncan tried to pass the ball but found that all the receiving points on the outside were blocked. Under the double-team, he struggled to dribble and ultimately committed a traveling violation.
At the end of the first quarter, the score was 28-21.
Tim Duncan made 2 of 5 shots, scoring only 4 points and committing 2 turnovers.
Boston didn't completely shut down Tim Duncan, but instead cut off his connections through rapid defensive rotations and lateral movement. When P.J. Brown, Outlaw, and Garnett were on the court together, they became the only team in the league that dared to double -Tim Duncan for the entire game.
The turning point in the second quarter came from P.J. Brown.
Gary Payton has the ball high up the post, and PJ receives it from the free-throw line. Robinson doesn't follow up, habitually retreating into the paint.
PJ raises his hand and hits.
In the next round, from the same spot, it hits again.
On the third attempt, Robinson finally lunged out, P.J. Brown faked him out, then drove into the paint for a layup and drew a foul.
As a blue-collar player in his seventh year, P.J. Brown has always been known for his positioning and rebounding. Scouting reports across the league only mention his offense in one sentence. "Not a threat."
But in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, his accurate mid-range shots were breaking down the Spurs ' interior defense.
With six minutes remaining in the second quarter, Robinson dared not collapse into the paint anymore, and the paint was cleared out.
Doc Rivers had been waiting for this moment: Bo Outlaw entered the game.
Pierce's drive missed, but Outlaw squeezed through the gap in the defense and flicked the ball in.
Gary Payton missed a floater, and Outlaw grabbed the offensive rebound and drew a foul.
Mario Elie's three-pointer missed, Outlaw grabbed the rebound and made a long pass to Jones was cutting ahead.
Garnett's strong drive failed, and Outlaw grabbed the ball over the heads of two Spurs big men and slammed it into the basket.
The reason is simple: whenever a Boston player shoots, Garnett and P.J. Brown's first reaction is not to rush for the rebound, but to immediately turn around, lower their center of gravity, and use their backs to firmly block the Spurs' Twin Towers behind them... They give up their own chance to grab the rebound, willingly acting as human shields, directly squeezing out Tim Duncan and Robinson's jumping space.
In the Spurs ' defensive lineup, Outlaw was never a priority. The defenders guarding him were focused on helping defend against drives and never bothered to box him out. Once Outlaw had the ball on the strong side, he was completely forgotten on the weak side.
Star players do the dirty work of positioning, while blue-collar workers reap the rewards.
In half a quarter, he had five offensive rebounds and eight points.
With four minutes remaining in the second quarter, Doc Rivers replaced Gary Payton with Harper.
A lineup with an average height of around two meters made its debut.
For the next four minutes, the San Antonio Spurs failed to score a single point. Their tactics involved direct turnovers after screens, with the Spurs ' offense always finding that someone was already waiting in the passing lane.
However, Boston only managed five points on offense, relying on isolation plays by Garnett and Jones, and also committed two 24-second violations.
Four minutes later, Doc Rivers quickly substituted Gary Payton back to ensure the organization of the offense.
He knew exactly what this lineup was like; it was a knife that could only be used for four minutes.
On the bench, Harper wiped his sweat and smiled at Billups next to him, "See? We used to be able to play like this for a full forty-eight minutes."
Billups paused for a moment, then asked, "Then why can't we?"
Harper draped the towel around her neck.
"Because we still had someone else back then."
He gestured with his hand in the air to indicate the height.
"Two and a half meters tall. Can defend five positions. Can score twenty points."
Halftime: Boston leads 56-44, a 12-point advantage.