basketball never sleeps

Chapter 316: Make plans early
From making grand pronouncements to falling silent, McGrady only needed one quarter.

Spurs fans watching on TV couldn't help but feel despair.

It's one thing that Ginobili, who earned $800 million last season, couldn't beat Mo Wen, but McGrady's annual salary this year is $1900 million, putting him in the same league as Duncan.

McGrady had performed well in the previous few games, and everyone was hoping for a spectacular clash of titans today.

How did things develop into a familiar situation again?

In fact, McGrady performed quite well after his intelligence returned to its peak.

Even a top-tier star like him isn't completely isolated; Mo Wen could only do his best to limit him.

When you're not in the mood, minimizing your presence is a "very, very smart" thing to do.

But in the eyes of fans, running away is tantamount to admitting defeat.

McGrady and Harden later shared some similarities in personality; in the eyes of fans, they were both "unlucky guys" who always seemed to fall just short.

But fate is the excuse of the weak, and luck is the humble word of the strong.

Essentially, both of them lacked sufficient, or rather, a frenzied, competitive drive—if you can accept failure, then you will have endless enjoyment of failure.

Duncan saw all of this, but he didn't feel too much dissatisfaction.

He knew what level of player Mo Wen was, and he was also full of confidence in his own abilities.

The Spurs are his team, this is his game, and McGrady's performance has already relieved enough of his pressure.

He was in pretty good form today. Tyson Chandler couldn't defend him one-on-one in the paint, and the presence of Parker and McGrady made it difficult for the SuperSonics to double-team him.

Although Oberto's stats weren't impressive after he received the Spurs' mini mid-level exception in the summer, his catch-and-shoot ability was quite good. He made a layup and a long two-pointer, which made the SuperSonics hesitant to leave him open.

On the defensive end...

In the first half of the first quarter, Scola skillfully drove into the paint, scoring 2 out of 3 shots against his compatriots.

The commentators on the sidelines couldn't help but praise him, saying that he was no less skilled than Milicic in one-on-one combat.

The background music played by the DJ seemed to have turned into the march of the Dragon King's return.

In the heat of the moment, Scola couldn't help but yell at Popovich.

Then there is no more.

With a blank expression, Duncan took over the defense against him, launching a comprehensive bullying and domination campaign based on his height, wingspan, weight, skills, experience, and mentality.

Fortunately, Duncan won the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, so it's not surprising that Scola was dominated.

Both teams had high shooting percentages in the first half of the first quarter, and then picked up the pace in the second half, resulting in a close game with the SuperSonics leading the Spurs 38-37.

The offensive battles were thrilling for the fans, but Mo Wen wasn't entirely satisfied.

The problems weren't so noticeable when playing against weaker teams, but they became apparent when facing truly strong teams.

When Milicic was on the court, the SuperSonics, even if they didn't gain an advantage against top-tier centers, at least wouldn't suffer a loss.

Scola couldn't hold on, and Millsap, who came on as a substitute, is also under immense pressure. Not only can he not defend, but his offensive desire is also as disoriented as if he's facing a stunning beauty on par with Duncan.

This year's path to defending the title will be difficult.

When the Spurs returned in the second quarter, they didn't make many substitutions and continued their fierce offensive momentum.

After scoring 13 points in the first quarter, Dada seemed tireless, only resting for three minutes before returning to the court to work like a workhorse.

Although he knew it would be very taxing on the star player, Popovich still did it.

The Spurs need a real victory to announce their return to the championship race.

Meanwhile, Mo Wen also abandoned his previous mindset of playing against weaker teams.

I only rested for two minutes, and at the same time, I reduced my slacking off.

The Spurs need a declaration, and so do he and the SuperSonics.

Stories of pretending to be weak while actually being strong, or of a cunning underdog achieving a comeback, are certainly satisfying.

But he already has 4 championships, 3 FMVPs, and 1 MVP.

Considering his age, the fact that he didn't say things like "You must respect me," "I must be on every list," or "I think I'm the GOAT" shows he has good manners.

He understands to some extent the media's hype surrounding these Big Three teams, but that doesn't mean he accepts it.

As the star players continued to play, the fans on the sidelines felt the determination of both teams to win the game, and their cheers grew even louder.

However, Mo Wen and Duncan tacitly restrained their urge to shoot, leaving the stage to their teammates and coaches, and only stepped in to take over the game when they couldn't solve it themselves.

Both teams played at a high tempo. Before halftime, the Spurs took the lead over the SuperSonics with two consecutive pick-and-roll drives by Parker, leading 61-58.

In the locker room, seeing Ray Allen's displeasure and even his unusual use of words starting with the letter F, Mo Wen assumed he was blaming himself for his poor three-point shooting (1 of 6 in the first half) and couldn't help but comfort him.
"It's not the first time we've fallen behind. There's no need to worry about a slight lapse in form. We can adjust gradually."

Ray Allen shook his head: "I'm fine, really. It's just that when I came here today, I found that the water pipe above the parking space was leaking. Damn it, my car gets dripped with water when I park there, but it's my parking space, so I have to park there."

Mo Wen: "..."

It's a clash of titans, why are you still concerned about your beat-up car?

With your car worth 20, it's questionable whether the depreciation will even cover your salary for today's competition.

Damn OCD!

Mo Wen beckoned to the team's equipment manager, telling him to find a waterproof sheet to put on Ray Allen's car hood, and the obsessive-compulsive star suddenly snapped out of his daze.

Oh, yeah, you can do it that way too.

However, isn't it a bit strange to cover an underground parking lot with a tarpaulin?
Back for the second half.

The SuperSonics changed their formation, bringing on Tyson and Francisco to limit Duncan, and started a twin-tower lineup.

The Spurs also generously fielded their entire starting lineup.

Duncan and McGrady are playing their full minutes, and they also have to face the SuperSonics' fast break tactics. But Popovich has no choice. The Spurs have a slight advantage in a battle of starters, but when it comes to rotation, the Spurs' roster depth has no advantage whatsoever.

At the beginning of the season, the players were in high physical condition, and the Spurs are still holding on.

Mo Wen originally wanted to pull ahead in the third quarter and close out the game, but the Spurs' Big Three were indeed in good form today.

Parker, Duncan, and McGrady are like a gourd that keeps popping up no matter how the SuperSonics set up their defense, it's very difficult to lock down the three of them.

Fortunately, the Spurs' defense wasn't as tough as before, so the two teams entered a high-level phase of mutual attrition.

In the final quarter, with seven minutes left in the game, Kobe, watching on TV, suddenly changed his mind and began to hope that the SuperSonics would win.

This year, the Lakers will face the SuperSonics at KeyArena for a Christmas Day game, and he hopes the SuperSonics' home winning streak can continue until Christmas Day, allowing the Lakers to end it.

He is very confident in defeating the SuperSonics. Although they lost to the Spurs, the Lakers are clearly better at countering the SuperSonics. Their outside shooting is stronger than the Spurs', and although their inside shooting is slightly weaker, it is enough to deal with the SuperSonics' rough and inexperienced players.

“Mo will definitely take over the game in the coming minutes, so Tmac, unless they tighten up decisively, your main task is to replace Bruce to defend Mo.”

"From now on, we'll focus on the pick-and-roll between Tony and Tim. Tony, you'll be responsible for feinting and making sure to pass the ball in time. We need a high success rate, understand?"

Popovich emphasized this to several key players.

McGrady nodded. Apart from the first quarter, he had been playing sporadically throughout the day, so his energy wasn't depleted. He really wanted to score, but after understanding his situation, he wanted to win even more.

Parker then reminded him, "Tyson Chandler already has 5 fouls, should we..." "No need, just play normally." Popovich refused, fearing that the referees would loosen their officiating standards in the end, and if they drew a foul but missed, and then the SuperSonics launched a few fast breaks, the game might be over.

The setup for the supersonic side is much simpler.

"Do you need me to set up a spatial array?" Old Hill suggested.

Mo Wen couldn't help but lift his eyelids slightly. The old man looked at his white hair and was surprised to find that he was quite trendy, actually thinking about Experiment 5.

The SuperSonics have the potential to play a small-ball lineup. Although Scola doesn't have a three-point shot, Damian Wilkins does. However, it's a bit too cruel to move Millsap to center to face Duncan head-on.

"Oh, I forgot Dark has already left, sigh." Old Hill rubbed his forehead.

It turns out I'm getting old.

Mo Wen pouted: "I'll do it. The other day, Katie was complaining to me that I haven't had any high-scoring games lately, so he's having trouble writing press releases."

He has already scored 37 points. If he works hard, he still has a chance to get 50 points to make up the difference.

Back on the court, Mo Wen dribbled the ball forward, and McGrady unexpectedly appeared in front of him.

"You should pass the ball. From now on, I'll guard you like I guarded Kobe."

Mo Wen was too lazy to argue with him. He ignored McGrady's feigned toughness and physical confrontation, dribbled behind his back, switched hands, lowered his shoulder to make a feint, and then pulled the ball between his legs to change direction.

McGrady's arms were not outstretched, and his pulling motion was interrupted halfway by Mo Wen's assisting hand, so he could only watch as Mo Wen squeezed past him.

Upon seeing this, Bowen immediately tried to let go of Gay and retreat, but Mo Wen didn't stop. As the ball bounced back, he used his strong ball sense and experience to catch it with one hand, his eyes looking at Tyson under the basket, while his wrist twisted back towards Gay.

With excellent defensive awareness, Bowen decisively stopped and retreated to defend Gay, who was making a receiving motion. But when he turned around, he was met with the sound of Mo Wen suddenly stopping his brakes.

The ball's trajectory was straight, and Mo Wen didn't even look before heading back to defend.

The score is now tied at 103-103.

McGrady was pressured by Ray Allen as he dribbled the ball up the court. He tried to pass it to Parker, but the man hiding behind Parker, Mo Wen, seized the opportunity and suddenly closed in. As Parker received the ball, Mo Wen used his long arms to push him away just as he touched the ball.

When Millsap controlled the ball, he looked up and saw his boss, who was on full display of fast break awareness.

Duncan, who hadn't planned to participate in the fast break, benefited from the "walking" strategy and blocked Mo Wen's path to the breakout.

Mr. Mo is kind-hearted and can't bear to see someone become a background character twice in one game, so he paused outside the three-point line and took the shot.

Swish!
Parker dribbled the ball up the court, and under Popovich's watchful eye, he waited for everyone to be in position and confirm the play before launching his own attack.

After setting two pick-and-rolls at the top of the court, Millsap switched to face Parker. After being pushed out of position, he decisively grabbed Parker while he still had some space and sent him to the free-throw line.

Made 2 of 1 free throws.

Tyson picked up the rebound, and under Mo Wen's direction, the SuperSonics decisively launched a fast break.

The Spurs' main advantage was that Mo Wen played a lot of minutes, while the others rotated, and the Spurs' two big men couldn't keep up with the sudden fast breaks.

Seeing his teammates rushing into the paint, Mo Wen saw an opportunity to help with the rebound.

They decisively stepped on the Supersonic logo and pulled out with a vengeance.

Unfortunately, the assist missed, and the basketball went straight into the net.

Even with Duncan's composure, he couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh, while Popovich on the sidelines raised his arms and pressed them to his temples, performing the classic inverted triangle pose.

"MVP! MVP! MVP!"

The fans on the sidelines were having a blast. Mo Wen is back! The familiar Mo Wen is back.

The Spurs only had one timeout left in the previously close game, and they dared not call it now.

The game continued, and this time the ball was given to Duncan. The SuperSonics slowed down their defense, and Duncan easily took on Tyson, who had five fouls.

The score was 109-106, and the game remained suspenseful.

In the next possession, Mo Wen changed his tactics, handing the ball to Ray Allen and calling on Gay and Tyson to set a high double screen for him. Ray Allen and Millsap then made a handoff on the weak side.

Because of his consecutive points, Mo Wen's name was already flashing red above his head. As soon as he received the ball in an open position, he was met with a double-team from McGrady and Parker.

Mo Wenhe pretended to rely on his hot hand to do whatever he wanted, fooling the two players who rushed forward. He then passed the ball through the gap to Tyson, who was cutting into the basket.

The basket slammed shut, and the point difference widened once again.

The Spurs maintained their pace, and after Parker and McGrady drew enough defense, they passed the ball to Duncan.

Duncan didn't rush to attack, but waited for Parker's baseline cut before passing to Parker and successfully stealing the ball.

With no opportunity for a quick attack, Mo Wen switched to targeted attack mode.

Duncan dared not let Mo Wen, who was in good form, continue to shoot, so he had no choice but to switch defense and create a big delay.

Mo Wen's pass was timely, and McGrady, running halfway, could only follow the ball to block Tyson, while Duncan also turned back to defend.

Tyson was unable to immediately dive to the basket after being pushed by McGrady. Remembering that he had five fouls and hadn't forced his way in, he twisted his waist and slammed the ball to the outside.

The two coordinated a great in-out play, leaving the three-point line wide open. Parker didn't even bother to come over and watched as Mo Wen scored again.

114:108, Mo Wen's personal score also reached 48 points.

The Spurs wanted to respond, but Duncan wasn't a star who relied on his shooting touch. In the next three possessions, he missed two shots, drew a foul on Gay, and made one of two free throws.

McGrady attempted a three-pointer but missed again. The SuperSonics, however, managed to extend their lead to double digits thanks to two free throws by Morten and an assist to Ray Allen.

With three minutes left, the Spurs made another substitution during a dead ball situation, leaving only Duncan on the court and replacing the rest with players who could shoot three-pointers.

With 1 minute and 46 seconds left, McGrady hit two consecutive three-pointers, reminding Popovich of that man. No, McGrady was that man.

But Mo Wen successfully tricked the excited McGrady with a one-on-one attack beyond the three-point line.

He completed the three-point attempt before he could pounce on him.

The sounds of snapping, whistling, and swishing nets filled the air.

"3+1, Mo completed the four-point play and made the free throw, he will have scored his 55th point tonight. There is still 1 minute left. Can he score 60 points tonight? With a 13-point difference, can TMAC respond to Mo and create another miracle in 60 seconds?"

The commentators on the sidelines were full of anticipation, but McGrady disappointed them.

He hastily took a long-range three-pointer but missed. Even though there was still plenty of time left, he visibly lost his fighting spirit and passed the ball to Bowen.

After Mo Wen scored 57 points, he wanted to leave the court immediately, but Old Hill unexpectedly refused his request to rest and pushed him back.

"60 points, you're just 3 points away from 60. Don't keep everyone up at night."

With no other option, Mo Wen could only pause for another 3 seconds in the logo area before throwing his last shot of the night.

The crowd erupted in cheers as if they had won a championship.

It's a pity about his career record; he lacks a truly impressive 50+ score and has an extra 60 that seems like it was artificially inflated.

Before the game ended, Mo Wen did not approach McGrady to respond to his "jokes," but instead went to the Spurs' bench and looked at Popovich with a meaningful gaze.

"Tmac is in good form, you should design more tactics for him."

"Stop pretending. I know what kind of person you are," Popovich said with a dark face, showing no appreciation.

"Don't get me wrong. What I really meant was that Tim only has two years left on his contract, while Tmac has three. You need to start planning for the future."

(End of this chapter)