Their performance in these two games cannot be said to be anything less than outstanding.

Because even the Spurs players admit... the frenzy at Oracle Arena far exceeded their expectations.

However, the fact that the Warriors lost two consecutive games upon returning home is indisputable.

After the adjustments in the first two games, the Spurs seem to have truly found a way to beat the Warriors.

In the third battle, the Spurs maintained the starting lineup consisting of Duncan, Horry, Bowen, Finley, and Parker.

At the start, through tactics designed for Bowen, Horry, and Finley, the Spurs first opened the game with three-pointers.

At this point, Parker, who was gradually entering his peak, smoothly took over the remainder of the first quarter.

Davis has a model advantage over Parker, but facing Parker's elusive breakthroughs, he can only stop him through tactical fouls.

In the first quarter, the Spurs no longer sought the "DP" pick-and-roll between Duncan and Parker but instead used the offensive space created by teammates to allow Parker ample opportunities for one-on-one plays.

This was the first change for the Spurs in the third battle.

Qin Yue and Brown couldn't possibly assist defensively each possession.

Moreover, Parker's isolation plays mixed with a lot of mid-range jump shots?

Next, on the defensive end, the Spurs also changed their approach from the first two games, choosing not to let Duncan avoid a duel with Qin Yue but instead sending Duncan to defend Qin Yue one-on-one.

This is precisely the main reason Duncan's stats significantly dropped in the third and fourth battles.

Because he saved nearly all his energy for Qin Yue.

"In the first two games, the main reason the Warriors could blow up our defense was because we couldn't effectively cut off the connection between their other players and that Messiah."

The Spurs adjusted their previous strategy of testing the defense of other players and sent Duncan to execute a man-to-man defense on Qin Yue.

Unless necessary, the rest of the Spurs players never offered Duncan any protection.

In the NBA, this is a very frightening thing.

Because this means the Spurs will objectively create the fact that Qin Yue "dominated" Duncan, the legendary big forward.

This has nothing to do with Qin Yue's offensive ability and Duncan's defensive prowess.

Simply put, although statistically, those metrics would prove Qin Yue "dominated" Duncan.

But in the actual game, Duncan would not only be stretched to the high post and pounded with attacks hard for traditional bigs to defend, Duncan also had to single-handedly face the offense mounted by Qin Yue and his teammates for most of the time.

This is terrifying.

If you swap the strategies of both sides, Duncan can also "dominate" Qin Yue when left unguarded on the field.

In fact, when explaining this game plan to Duncan before the match, Popovich and Budenholzer were somewhat nervous.

Because if the Spurs cannot be the ultimate winners of this series...

This means the official end of the Tim Duncan era!

After the game, journalists and fans won't care how much Duncan sacrificed for the Spurs in the game; they will only care that Qin Yue flattened the long river of Tim Duncan, and they will only care that Qin Yue "dominated" Duncan in the matchup while leading the Warriors to win the series!

"No problem, leave him to me. I've wanted to have a showdown with him for a long time."

As a veteran who has been through many battles, as the person in the league who knows Qin Yue best, how could Duncan not know what it looks like to face a super forward without any teammate protection in a five-on-five basketball game?

Yet Duncan almost accepted the Spurs coaching staff's arrangement without hesitation.

Because he is Tim Duncan.

In the third and fourth battles, Qin Yue scored 38 points and 40 points respectively.

At Oracle Arena, witnessed by Bay Area fans, even Charles Barkley remarked during commentary: "The crown has changed hands, the Warriors' Messiah has demonstrated with consecutive matchup performances that he is the top forward in the league today!"

Has the crown really changed hands, Charles Barkley, who has never touched a championship trophy?

At least, Qin Yue doesn't think so.

On the court, looking at Duncan's resolute eyes, Qin Yue felt fear for the first time in his life.

Yes, fear.

Although he can always find various ways to send that pesky ball into the basket, in the next round, Duncan would be right in front of him, focused.

He doesn't care about any stats.

His eyes are only on Qin Yue.

He wants to stall him as much as possible.

He wants Qin Yue to lose the explosive creativity that terrifies the Spurs due to excessive physical exertion in this one-on-one contest.

Tim Duncan has staked all his honors, his entire reputation, and even his future historical standing after retirement in this series!

All he wants is one thing.

He wants to win!

He has to win!

He must win!

In the fourth battle, at the moment when the Spurs conquered Oracle Arena, Duncan rarely let out a roar at the dome of this arena!

On the court, being passively beaten for two consecutive nights, he was very aggrieved and suffocated.

But so what?

The winners of the third and fourth battles are the Spurs!

When the Warriors lose the explosive creativity from Qin Yue, when the Warriors' connection with the other players is severed, when the Warriors can no longer reproduce the smooth shooting touch they displayed in the first two battles...

The San Antonio Spurs, who advanced to Oakland with a big score of 0 to 2, successfully returned to the Holy City with a 2 to 2 draw in the grand score!

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