Five minutes into the second quarter, Matt. Bonner pocketed to the outside and picked up Tony. Parker's breakaway ball.

Once again, Gasol Jr. did not keep up, and the defense of Gasol Jr. in this period was not yet so versatile. And it's not like the era when all centers ran to shoot threes.

The sudden appearance of a Bonner who can shoot three-pointers made Gasol Jr. very uncomfortable. He's used to defending in the low post, and that isn't something that can be changed in a matter of minutes.

Bonner catches the basketball and shoots it straight without any interference! Bonner's three-point shooting rate is as high as 45.7%, and three-point shooting is the foundation of his foothold for the Spurs.

Gasol Jr.'s defenses didn't work, and by the time he pounced, Bonner was halfway through his basketballs.

Bonner didn't disappoint Popovich and hit his open shot again! That's right, again!

So far in the second quarter, this was Bonner's second three-pointer. In the case that both sides rely on tight defense to contain each other, three-point shooting is the best means to open the score.

"Again! Bonner played very well today. Defensively, he didn't let Gasol Jr. take advantage of it too much. But on the offensive end, he has already scored 6 points! This guy may be inconspicuous, and he may not be able to kill the game. But you have to understand that Coach Popovich will not send people he does not trust! ”

Originally, the Spurs entered the second quarter with a one-point deficit, but now, after Bonner hit a second three-pointer, the Spurs led the Grizzlies by six points.

To put it bluntly, the positional battle between the two teams is all about you punching each other and me punching each other. What really opened the gap was these two three-pointers.

Popovich smiled, even if it was only a 6-point advantage in this kind of grinding position, it was an extremely huge advantage. Bonner didn't play a minute in the first quarter, so Popovich decided to keep "Red Mamba" on the court and continue to suppress the Grizzlies.

But for now, Link's guy is still a big problem. So far, Link has 10 points and 4 assists. In the second quarter, Link scored four more points with a catch-and-shoot after running without the ball and a pull-up jumper after a tentative step. After that, he sent two more clever passes, assisting Conley and Toney. Allen scored one goal each.

If Popovich is to be judged, it was Link who led the Grizzlies' offense in the Spurs' tight defense. Now, the Grizzlies have two brains, Conley and Link.

Without a solution to Link's troubles, the Spurs will never be able to truly hold the initiative in their hands. I have to say that this is the first time that Popovich has been so distressed about a failed draft.

Before the old man could come up with a countermeasure, Hollins paused. Hollins' timeout is very timely, and there will be no situation where the momentum is captured by the opponent before calling a timeout.

Link went off the court out of breath, don't look at the slow-paced game with the Spurs, but under the high-intensity defense, even the super physical Link felt a little difficult.

He is very happy that his performance today did not lag behind, and he scored 10 points and 4 assists before the end of the two quarters, which cannot be said to be bad.

But good stats don't satisfy Link, who wants to win against the Spurs, and now the Spurs are six points ahead.

Hollins is also a bit of a stumbling force right now, with a feeling of being overrun by Popovich. Gasol Jr. doesn't have the ability to defend three-pointers, and he needs to send a more flexible insider. But who can choose? Darrell. Arthur? He's terrible rebounding, and his consistency makes Hollins uncomfortable.

Haddadi? Well...... When he didn't say.

To be able to defend from the outside and attack, Hollins suddenly had a bold idea.

※※※

"Matt, you're going to keep looking for three shots, and you did a great job today, keep your touch!"

Popovich continued to encourage Bonner, and once the "red mamba" felt better, it was not without miracles.

Not long ago, in November of 10, Bonner shot 7 of 7 from three-point range against the Thunder, beating the young and vigorous Thunder to the point of crying. And before? He also did things in 6 shots. In short, Bonner is the kind of player who can create magic.

So far today, Bonner has made two shots, making Popovich eager for him to keep trying. With both Duncan and Parker in poor offensive form, Bonner can maintain his crosshairs and be twice as effective for the Spurs.

At the end of the timeout, the Spurs continued to play with Parker, Ginobili, Richard. The lineup of Jefferson, Duncan and Bonner played.

But when the Grizzlies players came out, Popovich was shocked. Hollins guy, what's the trick up your sleeve?

Conley, Tony. Aaron, Battier, Link and Randolph! The Grizzlies are on the court, leaving only Randolph with an inside line! Battier and Link are two strikers playing at the same time, and one of them will definitely play in the number four position!

"The Grizzlies are ...... Sent a big four small? ”

"No," Steve said. Kerr hurriedly vetoed his partner, "The Grizzlies' tallest Randolph is only 2.06 meters, so to be exact, the Grizzlies are sending a lineup without height." ”

At that time, there was no such thing as five small, and the Grizzlies' lineup surprised everyone.

However, Hollins is not worried about the height of the team, although the maximum value is not high, but the average is not short. Compared with the Spurs, only Duncan is more than 2.10 meters tall, so Hollins is not afraid of the team's loss.

Before the Spurs fans could close their mouths, the Grizzlies went on offense. Battier gives Link a screen, and the purpose of this cover is not to get Link to get an empty seat, but to force Richard. Jefferson and Bonner switch places!

Bonner crossed in front of Link, and a misplaced opportunity was instantaneous. Popovich gritted his teeth, is this the Grizzlies' strategy?

Link held the ball from beyond the three-point line and was very calm. He made a few tentative steps, but Bonner was unmoved. So Link made a decisive three-point shot, and suddenly pulled it up and shot!

Bonner jumped up and down in a panic, but was in too much of a hurry and hit Link's hand directly. The referee's whistle blew and Link missed the ball, but still got three free throws from the free throw line.

"It's really decisive, don't you think that since winning the MVP of the rookie game, Link's offense is more mature than before? Bonner still seems to be struggling to defend Link. ”

Link walked to the free-throw line, and he had countless ways to deflate Bonner. Bonner is actually very tough on the defensive end, which is why Gasol Jr. will suffer on the head just now.

But on the perimeter defense, Bonner isn't that good at it. This guy isn't fast, and his judgment of Link's ghostly footsteps isn't that accurate. For example, just now, he thought that Link would not dare to shoot directly. Who knows, a shot is fatal.

Link made 2 of 3 free throws, and although he missed a free throw, it made Bonner pay the price. Hollins' strategy was simple, let Link continue to attack Bonner, and make Bonner the Spurs' biggest hole on the defensive end.

As a result, Popovich will certainly not dare to play Bonner again. In that case, Hollins can also play his "black and white" tactics with peace of mind.

Popovich knew that Bonner was being targeted, and it was no coincidence that Link and Battier had just switched positions. But Popovich also wants to see how Bonner plays on the offensive end, and he wants to see who the Grizzlies use to play the No. 4 position.

As expected, it was Link who defended Bonner on the defensive end!

"Link defended Bonner, which meant he played in the number four position. Fantastic player, he has played at the Grizzlies in three positions: shooting guard, small forward and power forward. In the second and third positions, Link performed very well. Now let's take a look at how he does in the number four position. ”

Bonner is a spatial No. 4 with little threat from the low post. That's why Hollins dared to let Link defend him.

This time, when Bonner pulled back to the three-point line, he wasn't alone. Link isn't Gasol Jr., and he can keep up with Bonner wherever he goes.

Bonner also wanted to sit on the inside to single Link, but Link's rough push made it impossible for Bonner to even stabilize his position.

Parker didn't dare to give Bonner the ball easily, and the interior player was also unstable in receiving the ball without stabilizing his position. The Spurs aren't the kind of team that likes to take risks, so Parker ended up choosing someone else.

Richard. Jefferson catches the basketball in the bottom right corner and catches the ball and throws it. But alas, Battier's defense didn't make it much easier for Jefferson. His blindfolding method made Jefferson's crosshairs completely missing.

Link jammed Bonner behind him the moment Jefferson shot, and then protected the offensive rebound. The Grizzlies didn't drop rebounds because of their height disadvantage. Link has always been an excellent rebounder, even better than Bonner's proper No. 4 position.

After grabbing the basketball, Link personally controlled the ball and advanced, and just after halftime, he suddenly started to hit the ground with a long pass. The long ball is one of the most difficult ways to grasp, but once it is passed, it is very pleasing to watch and practical.

Link, on the other hand, has performed his excellent long-pass skills more than once.

Link's pass bounced through the crowd and bounced off Tony, who cut into the box. Aaron's hands. The Spurs' retreat ultimately couldn't outpace Link's pass, which made it through the entire line and eventually resulted in an assist.

Tony. Allen scored an easy layup after receiving the ball, but Ginobili simply didn't jump, because if he jumped, he would only get one foul.

The entire Grizzlies bench was cheering, seeing that the Spurs were about to take control of the situation, Link's appearance brought the Grizzlies back to life again!

"Blair, get ready to play, and after the next dead ball, you replace Bonner." Popovich walked to De Juan. In front of Blair, he must admit that he can no longer let Bonner stay on the field.

If Bonner continues to play, he will only become a burden, and he has been targeted by Link on both offensive and defensive ends. Bringing on Blair again was Popovich's only option. Bonner may have done some magic in the future, but not today.

As a result, Popovich's strategy failed again, and the two sides had to be caught in a punch and kick again. And it was Link who broke all this.

Popovich suddenly realized that he really couldn't find a way to deal with that kid for a while.

No. 1 in the West and at risk of being dragged down by a draft loser.