The Spurs' hammer play relies not only on teamwork but also on the ball-handler's ability to orchestrate and distribute the ball.

The Spurs' roster is well-balanced, but only Parker and Ginobili can truly execute this tactic effectively.

The remaining guards, Neal, Mills, and even Tang Tian, are primarily three-point shooters.

Joseph can penetrate, but as a rookie, he lacks experience. So, Ginobili's injury significantly impacts the Spurs' offense.

This is another reason why Popovich didn't substitute Parker.

With the season just beginning and Ginobili's injury unclear, he can't rely solely on Parker to orchestrate the entire season. He needs someone to step up.

Leading by over 20 points is the best opportunity to train, and Joseph is his first test subject.

"Pay attention to the defender's position. Don't rush the pass, got it?"

Popovich shouted at Joseph. His attitude during games isn't so friendly.

"Don't be nervous. Their defense is terrible."

Tang Tian encouraged Joseph as he ran to the frontcourt.

The Spurs continued the Ai hammer play on offense, but Paul anticipated Joseph's pass and made another steal.

Paul scored on a fast-break layup, and the Clippers continued to close the gap, reducing the deficit to 22 points.

The Clippers seemed to be gaining momentum.

Popovich stood up and signaled for Mills to rise, substituting him for Joseph.

Mills is a third-year player, but he was drafted very low. Last season with the Trail Blazers, he was almost out of the league. Combined with injuries during the offseason, Popovich's decision to play him was purely experimental.

The Spurs' offense, orchestrated by Mills, used a zip hammer.

His breakthrough speed was fast. After rushing into the paint and attracting a double team, he successfully passed the ball to Leonard in the corner.

Unfortunately, Leonard missed the open three-pointer.

After being continuously scored on, the Spurs' players' mentality inevitably fluctuated.

In return, Paul continued to orchestrate. The Spurs' defense was well-positioned, and the Clippers' other players had no opportunities.

Seeing this, Paul chose to force a drive against Mills.

Mills attempted a steal but was faked out by Paul. Paul used his hip to shield Mills into the restricted area, hitting a bank shot floater over Blair.

The Clippers scored eight consecutive points, narrowing the gap to 20 points.

"Don't try to steal. Paul's dribbling is the most stable," Tang Tian reminded Mills at this time.

Popovich also called Duncan over, preparing to substitute him for Bonner.

On offense, Mills continued to run the zip hammer play. Seeing that the Clippers weren't collapsing to double team, he scored a layup before Evans could recover.

The Spurs' bench erupted in cheers. The scoring drought had finally been broken.

Popovich's expression also improved slightly at this time. Mills was a pleasant surprise.

Mills' basket boosted the Spurs' morale, and the players' intensity on the defensive end also increased.

Even Bonner's fronting of Griffin was quite excellent. Paul couldn't pass the ball inside, so he once again isolated Mills.

This time, Mills listened to Tang Tian's advice and didn't try to steal. His speed wasn't inferior to Paul's. After Paul failed to penetrate several times, he directly called for a pick-and-roll with Evans.

Evans was big, and Mills didn't secure early positioning and was screened out. Paul's step-back mid-range shot went in again.

Still a 20-point difference.

The game didn't enter a dead ball situation, and Duncan remained seated in front of the scorer's table.

Tang Tian took the initiative to find Mills at this time: "Let's switch on defense."

The Clippers had a dual point guard lineup on the court. Mills could match up against either Paul or Billups.

Mills nodded gratefully.

Although he had made contributions on offense, he had been scored on repeatedly by Paul on defense. Popovich had seen all of this.

No one wants their weaknesses exposed in front of the head coach. Tang Tian was helping him out.

Tang Tian also knew that Popovich was watching from the sidelines, but he felt that this was an opportunity.

If he could put defensive pressure on Paul, he would definitely get more playing time.

Moreover, he also wanted to test his current defensive limits and see how much his defense had improved after an entire offseason.

The system's numbers were very digitized. Only actual combat could prove the issue.

On offense, Mills' layup didn't go in. Evans boxed out Blair and grabbed the defensive rebound.

Paul dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again, and the fans in the arena booed.

At this time, the score was 20. If the Clippers could score on this possession, the difference would be within 20 points.

This was a very crucial possession for both sides, both in terms of morale and the point difference.

Paul saw that his defender had changed from Mills to Tang Tian. Seeing the serious expression on Tang Tian's face, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

He rarely saw players actively switch to defend him. It seemed that Tang Tian was very confident in his defense.

He gestured for his teammates to spread out, dribbling the ball and preparing to start a one-on-one.

Saying things like "Welcome to the NBA" to rookies wasn't something he liked to do, but if an opponent wanted to challenge him, he didn't mind obliging.

With continuous left and right-hand crossovers, Paul's ball-handling was excellent. You couldn't predict the moment he would start.

Tang Tian took a step back at this time. He knew that Paul's three-point shooting wasn't very accurate at this time.

Compared to shooting, Paul's penetration and mid-range shots were his regular weapons.

Understanding his opponent allowed the defense to be more targeted. While taking a step back, Tang Tian focused all his attention on Paul's dribbling hand, his entire center of gravity ready to adjust at any time.

Paul was the best point guard in the league right now. Tang Tian's defensive investment at this time was also at its most extreme.

Paul started, a breakthrough on the right, then a Shammgod crossover directly with his left hand.

Before his knee injury, Paul's playing style was a bit like Rose's, charging hard in every way. But after the injury, he began to take the technical route. This change of pace and rhythm was almost perfectly grasped.

However, Tang Tian kept up. The step he had given allowed him more time to adjust his position.

Paul's change of pace didn't earn him the usual opportunity to penetrate or shoot a mid-range jumper.

A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but his dribbling didn't stop. A crossover in place, he accelerated forward again with a sudden step.

Because of the short distance this time, Tang Tian was clearly a bit unable to keep up.

Paul was too fast. He charged into the paint, colliding in the air with Blair after he rushed up, using a small motion with his left hand to push Blair away to create enough space for himself, using a double clutch layup in the air with his hang time.

Blair's block couldn't reach.

The arena erupted in cheers. Paul was about to succeed in a one-on-two!

But before the cheers could fully rise, a figure suddenly flew up from behind Paul.

*Pa!*

With a swat, Tang Tian made a chase-down block, directly swatting Paul's shot out of bounds!