However, the Spurs were clearly celebrating too soon.
Because the Phoenix Suns still had Hardaway.
In clutch time, in a high-stakes game, Hardaway never went soft.
He’d played against Jordan. What was this in comparison?
He dribbled the ball rhythmically, then suddenly exploded forward. In a single step, he left Parker behind.
Parker’s defense had never been considered good.
In fact, before the series even started, Chen Yu had felt that the Phoenix Suns should run their offense through Hardaway.
It was like Tian Ji’s horse race. At the power forward position, Nowitzki versus Duncan wasn’t much of an advantage—in fact, there was no advantage at all.
On the perimeter, however, Parker was at too much of a size disadvantage.
He was already at a disadvantage against average point guards, let alone against Hardaway, the league’s number one tall point guard.
In previous years against the Spurs, the Phoenix Suns had always managed to wipe the floor with them. A stacked roster was one reason, but another was that Hardaway always put up stellar numbers.
Parker’s terrible defense was a weakness purely masked by the Spurs’ overall team defense.
He blew past Parker in one step, pulled up for a sudden jump shot, and drained it.
And his experience was vast. He seized the opportunity when the Spurs couldn’t adjust their defensive focus in time, rattling off 7 straight points to help the Phoenix Suns retake the lead.
The Spurs called another timeout, but there was hardly any time left.
Most importantly, Duncan went cold in the clutch.
Because the Phoenix Suns had subbed in Brown.
Kwame Brown was no good on offense. He had butterfingers that he could never seem to fix, but on the defensive end, he was always on point.
He and Chandler double-teamed Duncan. With two defensive stalwarts in the paint, how could Duncan not go cold?
Skiles had actually considered the idea of starting Brown and Chandler together.
With those two, the Phoenix Suns’ interior would have no problems.
But if he played Brown, what about Nowitzki?
You had to play Nowitzki, and you had to accept his defensive flaws.
You couldn’t even move him to the small forward position.
Because there was still Marion.
That was the problem with the roster. There was no perfect solution, only trade-offs.
seconds left. Phoenix Suns 98, Spurs 97. A lead of just one point.
Hardaway held the ball, running down the clock.
The Spurs didn’t foul, clearly not wanting to give the Phoenix Suns a three-point play opportunity.
Poseidon, Ben Gordon, and Marion were on the court, constantly moving and looking for a chance to shoot.
Just then, Hardaway made his move.
He drove to the basket.
Parker turned and swiped at the ball, but missed.
Marion was already cutting to the basket.
Duncan lunged over, while Nazr Mohammed stepped up to block his path.
Hardaway used a Euro Step-like change of direction, and Mohammed instinctively turned and jumped.
Their bodies collided in mid-air. Hardaway seemed to hang in the air, pulling off an extreme reverse layup and tossing the ball out.
He landed, and the spinning basketball dropped into the hoop.
The whistle blew at the same time.
And one!
The Phoenix Suns’ bench erupted.
The entire AT&T Center fell as silent as a tomb.
A fatal offensive play!
Chen Yu stood up and applauded. ’In the clutch, Hardaway is still as tough as they come.’
He stepped up to the free-throw line and sank it.
Six seconds left, a four-point deficit. It was safe to say the Spurs were done for.
Popovich stood on the sideline, his face pale and bloodless.
’We’ve lost both home games!’
You could say the Spurs already had one foot over the edge of a cliff.
He silently prayed for a miracle.
Unfortunately, no miracle occurred.
Ginobili’s three-pointer clanked off the rim.
The game was over.
The Phoenix Suns took a 2-0 series lead over the Spurs.
"The Spurs are done for!"
In the TNT broadcast booth, Barkley had already made his declaration.
The Spurs weren’t facing an ordinary team, where losing two games was just an accident and they could hope for a comeback once they got back in form.
They were facing the Phoenix Suns, a team with championship-contending talent. Their losses weren’t accidents; they were due to a lack of strength.
Even with Nowitzki ejected, the Phoenix Suns still had someone who could step up and win the game.
So under these circumstances, having lost both home games, how could they possibly mount a comeback?
"But I still think the Lakers will win the championship. Yao is too strong. I’m his fan now," Barkley’s tone shifted as he clamored.
Sitting across from him, Reggie Miller shook his head. "Trust me, Charles, the Phoenix Suns will win the championship."
This season, the retired Miller had come to TNT as a guest analyst, just for the playoffs.
"Believe me, Dirk is very strong," Miller added.
"Him?"
Barkley wanted to let out a contemptuous sneer but held it back. He just gave a dismissive wave of his hand and said, "Let’s talk after he actually becomes the team’s number one guy."
In his eyes, the leader of the Phoenix Suns was still Hardaway.
「In the locker room.」
Since they were watching on TV, Nowitzki heard Barkley’s comment.
Just a moment ago, he had been excited about the team’s victory, but he instantly fell silent.
Boylan, who was next to him, also immediately went quiet.
He didn’t dare say a word when it came to such a sensitive topic.
He glanced at the equipment manager beside him and made a gesture, asking why Chen Yu wasn’t back yet.
On such a sensitive topic, no one besides Chen Yu, not even Skiles, would dare to easily talk to Nowitzki about it.
Fortunately, the players soon began to return to the locker room one after another.
Boylan carefully observed Nowitzki. He was high-fiving his teammates to celebrate, but his expression was clearly forced and unnatural.
’He must have taken Barkley’s words to heart.’
Boylan couldn’t help but curse inwardly. ’Barkley must be doing this on purpose. You won an MVP with the Phoenix Suns, for crying out loud. At least use your brain when you talk!’
Just as Boylan was about to grab Frank Johnson and ask why Chen Yu still hadn’t returned, he noticed Hardaway walking toward Nowitzki.
He instantly became vigilant.
The two of them shared a hug.
Facing Hardaway, Nowitzki had a complicated look in his eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Hardaway spoke first. "Dirk, Chen told me to. I won this one for you, so the next one is on you. You’re the core of this team, and the team needs you!"
He thumped Nowitzki’s chest and said this in a calm and relaxed tone.
Nowitzki froze, his eyes filled with surprise.
"I..."
For a moment, he was at a loss for words, not knowing what to say.
"’I’ what? Let’s go get a massage."
Hardaway said cheerfully, pulling him along.
Everyone loses their cool sometimes. Hardaway wouldn’t take what had happened earlier to heart at all.
Nowitzki followed in a daze. Amid his astonishment, his expression clearly grew much more resolute.
"What did Anfernee say to Dirk?" Boylan nudged Frank Johnson beside him. He could clearly sense a change in Nowitzki’s mood.
"How would I know?"
Frank Johnson shook his head; he didn’t even know what had happened.
When Chen Yu returned to the locker room afterward, he didn’t make a special point of talking to Nowitzki about the matter.
Nowitzki also attended the post-game press conference, where he calmly admitted that he had lost control of his emotions and would be more careful next time.
And just like that, the incident was over.
Even Barkley’s comment didn’t cause the slightest ripple.
But Nowitzki’s mentality had undergone a metamorphosis. In Game 3 in Phoenix, even when Popovich sent Horry in again, he wasn’t affected in the slightest.
He shot 15 for 23 from the field, racking up 37 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Phoenix Suns to another victory over the Spurs.
3-0. The Spurs’ elimination was all but certain!

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