“Oh! God!”

Some fans had already reached out to support their foreheads, unable to bear to watch any longer. They didn't know what language to use to describe their emotions.

That three-pointer was truly unreasonable!

This was 2011, after all. Three-point shots weren't nearly as common as they would become, and the accuracy rate was generally low!

Even for superstar shooters like Ray Allen and Reggie Miller, the accuracy rate was only around 40%!

Although it was an open three, the accurate shooters like Novak had a slow release, while those with a quick release had limited accuracy. Someone as accurate and steady as Tang Tian, with a quick release, was truly the first of his kind.

Of course, there was also the fact that Tang Tian's movement speed at the small forward position was a bit too fast. Whether it was the primary defender Butler or the help defender Griffin, they both had trouble keeping up.

Small forward, Paul realized something. He signaled Butler to post up when they got to the frontcourt and then passed the ball inside.

Jefferson was sitting on the bench. Tang Tian was now playing small forward, and his height and weight would put him at a disadvantage at this position.

Although Butler was already 31 years old and had suffered a serious knee injury, he was still a capable player as a former member of the "Washington Wizards' Big Three." His weight and experience gave him a significant advantage in this matchup.

Butler leaned on Tang Tian, trying to force his way inside. His strength was indeed much greater than Tang Tian's after his weight loss.

Tang Tian lowered his center of gravity to resist. This senior alumnus from UConn didn't hold back at all.

Butler did a turnaround fadeaway after getting into the low post. He was still wary of Duncan's presence in the paint.

This was exactly what Tang Tian wanted. His outstretched block caused interference.

"Bang!"

Butler's fadeaway was disturbed and missed, and Duncan grabbed the rebound.

His single attempt failed!

In the Spurs' frontcourt offense, Tang Tian was now being closely guarded by Paul the entire time.

However, with Paul guarding Tang Tian, Parker could only be defended by Billups.

Billups still had some gas left in the tank on offense, but he seemed to lack the strength on defense.

Parker quickly drove to the basket and hit a floater, and the Spurs once again widened the gap to 24 points.

In the Clippers' offense, Butler continued to attack Tang Tian in the frontcourt. This time, he chose to turn and drive towards the basket.

Tang Tian secured his position under the basket and reached out to interfere, and his turnaround layup still missed.

Butler failed to score twice in a row, and it wasn't until this moment that everyone gradually realized.

Tang Tian was not only accurate with his three-point shots, but his defense also seemed to be fierce. He could defend positions 1 through 3. He was a true, top-quality 3-and-D player!

The Clippers struggled to chase points, but the Spurs played steadily and maintained their advantage.

At the end of the first half, the Spurs led 64-43.

"Tang's three 3-pointers changed the course of the first half for both teams." The commentators on the sidelines couldn't help but sigh during the halftime break.

Without those 9 points, the Clippers would only be trailing by 12 points instead of 21.

These were two completely different concepts, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he changed the course of the first half.

The Clippers made a frantic effort to chase points after the second half resumed.

The Spurs' offense fluctuated because of Ginobili's absence, but because of their large lead in the first half, they ultimately defeated the Clippers 118-106 and achieved their first victory in the season opener.

For the Clippers, Griffin had 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists, while Paul's 20 points and 10 assists were not enough to turn the tide.

For the Spurs, Parker had a team-high 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists, while Duncan had 20 points and 11 rebounds. Green and Blair each had 9 points.

Off the bench, Tang Tian played 26 minutes, made 5 of 10 shots, including 4 of 7 three-pointers, and had 14 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block.

After the game, Popovich took Duncan and Parker to the post-game press conference.

Tang Tian hadn't even taken a shower yet when he was caught by reporters waiting outside the locker room.

"You set a new career high, how do you feel right now?"

"How did you manage to make 3 consecutive three-pointers?"

...

"Feels good."

"Good touch."

Tang Tian was worried about Ginobili's injury and answered relatively casually.

After answering, he quickly took a shower and then went to the hospital with Green to visit Ginobili.

The interview in the locker room ended quickly, but Popovich's was quite lengthy.

There were questions about Ginobili's injury, about winning, about the players' performance, and also about Tang Tian.

"Coach, Tang played 30 minutes in this game, which is a considerable amount of time for a rookie. He only played 5 minutes less than Tony Parker." The reporter said.

"What kind of question is that? Are you trying to say that I gave him too much playing time?" Popovich looked at the reporter.

The reporter nodded.

"Damn it, can't you see his performance? If I wasn't so old and senile, I would definitely let him play that long." Popovich cursed.

The reporter didn't dare to speak. Perhaps because of Ginobili's injury, the old man wasn't in a good mood tonight.

The atmosphere at the press conference suddenly turned cold.

"Yes, I am indeed old, I should have given him more playing time."

However, Popovich's next words made the reporters at the press conference laugh again.

This kind of American dark humor was the old man's consistent style.

The NBA is a very professional league. Taking away games as an example, the hotel that the Spurs stayed in had an agreement with the team. They would use about 40 rooms at a time. Similarly, they would also have a hospital with an agreement in the away game.

Ginobili was sent to the designated hospital for an MRI examination.

When Tang Tian and Green arrived, Ginobili's examination was already over, and he was resting in bed.

"Why are you guys here so early?" Ginobili was a little surprised to see the two of them. It had been less than half an hour since the end of the game.

"If Tang hadn't been held up by reporters for a while, we could have come earlier." Green said with a smile as he walked over.

"How do you feel?" He asked after walking over.

Because the results of the MRI would not be available until 24 hours later, Ginobili himself did not know the specific results.

"Bad news." Ginobili shook his head. As a veteran, he had some idea of his injuries.

"I briefly communicated with Schmidt, and it's likely a fracture." Ginobili forced a smile and said.

A fracture of the left wrist, although it is divided into mild and severe, but involving the word fracture, at least need to rest for one to two months.

Moreover, the injury was to his shooting hand, which could even be said to be the most serious injury of Ginobili's career.

"But there is good news." Ginobili looked up at Tang Tian at this time.

"You will have more playing time, Tang, play well, don't let the team be a mess when I come back."

He said with a trace of doting in his eyes.