Duncan began to exert his strength in the paint after being continuously chased and defended, forcing the bench players to shrink inward.

Duncan's passing was also exceptional, with Green hitting consecutive shots from beyond the arc. After a wave of offense, the starting lineup still won 20-10.

However, the loss couldn't overshadow Tang Tian's outstanding performance; he contributed 6 points, 3 steals, and 1 block all by himself.

A team has fifteen players, but generally only 8-9 can play in a game. Popovich is a bit special, but he uses at most 10-12 players. There will definitely be someone who sits on the bench for the entire game.

(Note: NBA has a 15-man roster, but a maximum of 12 players can be on the active list for a game. This year is an exception due to the shortened season, because the time interval between games is short, and there are many back-to-back games, so the rule allows a team to have a maximum of 13 players.)

In other words, to get on the court, you must squeeze into the coach's rotation list. And to get into this list, you rely on your performance in training games, because training games show not only individual strength but also form.

Superstars are indispensable and must play regardless of their form, but role players, because the defensive pressure on them is relatively small and the work they do is simple, coaches definitely want them to be effective as soon as they get on the court, so they will naturally choose those in good form.

The competitive state that Tang Tian showed in this game was the result of his hard work throughout the summer. Popovich has already put him on his list.

Training camp started on December 9th, and the Spurs' first preseason game was on December 18th, leaving only 9 days in between.

During these 9 days, the team trained almost every day. The veteran players were finding their game feel and chemistry because the time was short, making it quite difficult.

For Tang Tian and the other two rookies, they also had to learn the team's tactics, making it even harder.

However, during this process, Tang Tian's performance continued to amaze Popovich and the Spurs' coaching staff.

This rookie, who had just turned 19, grasped tactics at an incredible speed. He didn't seem like a rookie at all; instead, he was like Duncan, Ginobili, and others who had been with the team for more than a decade.

"We really drafted a genius," Budenholzer had said similar things to Popovich more than once.

Popovich was relatively steady. After all, he had been coaching in the league for a long time, and he had seen players who performed well in training but were useless once they got on the court. So, he just maintained a positive attitude.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was December 18th. The entire Spurs team boarded a plane to Oklahoma City, where they would play their first preseason game of the new season against the Thunder.

The Thunder had drafted talented rookies such as Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden for several years in a row. Last season, their record was already fourth in the West. Not only was their potential unlimited, but their immediate combat power was also quite outstanding.

Because each team only had two preseason games in the shortened season, it was foreseeable that this game would be intense. It certainly wouldn't be like a normal season where they would play half a game, take it easy, and scout new players. This would definitely be a tough battle.

After arriving in Oklahoma City, Popovich arranged for daily training, which showed how seriously he took this preseason game.

"Our goal for the new season is the championship. The Thunder will be our main competitor this year. We need a victory to boost morale, and that's this game," Popovich's pre-game motivation fully demonstrated his foresight.

After training, he also announced the team's starting lineup and the 13-man active roster.

Starters: Parker, Green, Jefferson, Duncan, Blair.

The starting lineup was the same as in the training game. Although Tang Tian's outstanding performance in the first training game had once made Popovich consider putting him in the starting lineup, it was just a fleeting thought. Because he valued the game, he still put out the safest lineup.

The remaining 8 reserves: Neal, Ginobili, Leonard, Bonner, Splitter, Joseph, Tang Tian, Malcolm Thomas.

Oklahoma City is a well-known small city, but small cities have one characteristic: the locals have relatively few entertainment options, so basketball games naturally become a popular pursuit.

Especially with the Thunder's rapid rise in the past two years, coupled with the recent lockout season, the attendance rate for this preseason game actually exceeded 80%, and the atmosphere was truly different from the regular season.

Although it was a preseason game, both sides took it seriously, and the attendance rate was no less than a regular season game.

With more than half an hour to go before the game, both teams came to the court to begin their final warm-ups.

Tang Tian had a small surprise when he came out. He saw fans holding "Godfather" signs in the front row of the stands. Although there weren't many of them, it was quite rare for an away game.

It seemed that the influence of the "Godfather" was greater than many people had expected.

However, this was also an invisible pressure. If he didn't perform well in official games, this popularity would quickly disappear.

"Don't be nervous, don't worry, I've got your back," Ginobili, who also saw the signs, came over and put his arm around Tang Tian's shoulder.

Tang Tian turned to look at Ginobili.

Ginobili smiled at him.

"Manu, I've played in front of 70,000 people."

"..." Ginobili was taken aback.

"Two games, and I've even hit a game-winning shot, so you don't have to worry about me."

"..."

"Haha~" Parker, who was nearby at this time, couldn't help but laugh out loud when he heard the two of them talking. This was the first time he had seen Ginobili stumped.

Ginobili also laughed, and he reached out to touch his head. After touching it for a while, he realized something and put his hand down.

On the other side of the court, the Thunder's star player Kevin Durant was resting on the sidelines.

He looked around the court and also noticed those fans and the signs they were holding.

His face immediately turned ugly.

During the offseason, his image had become very bad because of the burner account incident. Now, seeing this was like tearing open a wound that had just begun to heal.

"Boss." At this time, the team's rookie Reggie Jackson finished warming up and also sat down on the sidelines.

Durant glanced at Jackson and then said, "I heard you challenged 'Godfather' in the summer?"

When Jackson heard Durant mention this, he nodded awkwardly. He had originally wanted to step on Tang Tian to boost his popularity, but he had failed. He didn't expect Durant to know about it.

However, Durant's next words made him ecstatic.

"If you're on the court with him later, beat him badly. Coach Brooks needs to see that, and I believe you have the ability to do it."