The whole Celtics team wants to win this game.

Not only because the Spurs may become the opponent of the Celtics in the Finals, but because the strong team that the Celtics have encountered since the start of the game has not won a single game.

Lost to the Cavaliers, lost to the Warriors, and even the Wizards never played.

Now the morale is like a rainbow, and the Celtics, who are in good form, want to prove themselves against the Spurs.

The three illusions of the Texas Final Three — the Mavericks are weak, the Rockets are strong, and the Spurs are old — this season looks like it's finally no longer an illusion.

This year's Spurs are missing a core soul.

Duncan retired.

The Spurs teammates are happy that their hair can be kept. And the other teams in the league should also be glad that their opponents have one less old oilman who is not smiling. Especially for James, he's finally waiting for Duncan, the future he talks about, but he's also already in his thirties.

Last season's regrettable stop in the Western Conference semifinals made Duncan decide to leave, and even Ginobili admitted that he was thinking about retirement, but in the end he came back, and people still have a chance to see the sharp serpentine breakthrough.

The Spurs didn't have much trade this summer, just poached Pau Gasol from the Bulls to fill the void of Duncan's retirement. After all, Aldridge, who has always been considered Duncan's successor, has not been convincing enough.

Signing David Lee ushers in two veterans.

At the same time, two veterans also left, Dior went to the Jazz, and David West defected to the Warriors, the division of champions.

Overall, Spurs are still very old.

But the Spurs have always been a team to be reckoned with, and as long as Popovich doesn't leave, he can always get you an amazing player from somewhere in the world.

Or from his rookie player, he has discovered an extremely practical player.

In the Spurs' system, the player's statistics will not be so flashy, but they are all practical.

Of course, you must have the correct instruction manual.

Duncan's retirement has a relatively large impact on this team.

A bad start is proof of that.

But soon the Spurs adjusted, and now they are on another eight-game winning streak.

Even if they play Celtic away today, they are still determined to win.

In the post-Duncan era, Leonard has been the absolute core of the Spurs, and this lad has been rising every year. Last season, Leonard averaged 21.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.78 steals and 0.99 blocks per game, transforming from a 3-and-D player to a super sharp All-Star player on both offensive and defensive ends.

It is very likely that in today's game, Shangguan Yu will face the strict defense of the league's best defensive player many times.

Spurs started five tigers: "French sports car" Tony Parker, Leonard, Danny Green, Aldridge and Pau Gasol, compared to last season, it was Gasol who replaced Duncan's place.

Gasol is certainly not as important in the technical and tactical system as Duncan.

But his strength is undoubted, and he was still able to get 16.5 points, 11.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the Bulls last season.

Bobo has always liked players who play smart, and it's clear that Gasol fits his criteria.

The Celtics started with five players, still the same as the previous game.

As the referee's whistle blew, the game officially began, and the Spurs won the jump ball.

Parker has struggled to find opportunities from the outside with the ball, and as he gets older, he is no longer the French sports car that can pass defenders in the first step and choose small spinning tops at will. On the offensive end, his skill is not as good as before.

But the Spurs' offense is never done by one person, they play team basketball.

All were on the run, Gasol pulled out a high block, Parker used the screen, looked for a misplaced offensive opportunity, and in the face of Horford's defense, he took the ball out and put it into Green's hands.

Green passed again, Aldridge took the ball with his back inside and passed to Leonard, who cut in the middle.

The Celtics rotated in a timely manner, and Leonard split again from the perimeter Parker, who burst into points, and finally found the open spot for Green, who hit a three-point shot.

The Spurs' offense is always so patient and the players are willing to share the ball.

They are always looking for the best shot.

Everyone is on the field, doing what they have to do, and they will play according to the coach's arrangement.

Except, of course, for that bald one.

The Celtics' offense now relies more on Thomas and Guan Yu, and the two are responsible for the team, most of the offensive tasks.

Their tactics are more to use blocking and dismantling to create breakthrough opportunities with Thomas, and give Shangguan Yu the opportunity to seek and shoot in an open position.

Most teams know it, and so do Spurs.

But sometimes it just can't be stopped.

In these games, Shangguan Yu has a good hand, and his shooting rate in two consecutive games is above 60%.

The same is true of this game, coming up for the first offense, using Crowder to cover, Shangguan Yu ran out of the opportunity to catch the ball, faced Green's defense, and hit a three-point shot.

As soon as the Celtics came up, they were very excited to play.

And very smart, when playing, will give Parker and Gasol more chances, but will limit Leonard and Aldridge to death.

In the first five minutes of the game, the tempo was completely controlled by the Celtics, and Parker missed his first three shots.

Gasol missed both shots and made two turnovers.

Celtic seized the opportunity and frequently played quick counterattacks to gradually pull the score away.

However, Spurs' defense is also very targeted.

Use Green and Leonard to keep an eye on Shangguan Yu, and don't give him too many opportunities to shoot on the outside.

Despite their height, they may be slightly at a disadvantage, but they are fast and defensively excellent.

Leonard, in particular, has a pair of long arms and a pair of large palms.

The speed of the shot is also extremely fast, as long as the ball protection is slightly exposed, he will reach out and pull out the ball, which is annoying.

Shangguan Yu didn't have much chance to perform in this section.

The reason why the Spurs have been able to break into the playoffs for more than ten consecutive years, and they are all in the style of a strong team, Popovich's on-the-spot command ability is really good.

This lineup is not good, you bully our veterans, then I will replace the younger ones.

Quickly replaced Mills and Davis Baelstein on the court, and the results were immediately immediate.

Although on the defensive end, there was no way to completely limit the firepower of the Celtics, but on the offensive end, it finally improved, and did not let the point difference be widened.

As long as you stick to the game, in the final stages of the game, the experience of the veteran, many times, will have unexpected miracles.

This may be the reason why Spurs have been hoarding so many veterans for so many years.

Young people are prone to make mistakes, while veterans are not.

Ginger is still old and spicy, and the older the spurs, the more terrible it is.