1999-06-24, By Jerry Briggs
马刺队下半场开始后迅速进入状态 - 纽约犯规引发圣安东尼奥的进攻高潮
马刺队在周三晚上的第三节开始时获得了一个机会 - 纽约尼克斯队的拉里·约翰逊在距离篮筐20英尺的地方对蒂姆·邓肯进行了一次愚蠢的犯规。
约翰逊伸手击中了邓肯的手。
马刺队利用了这次失误，对尼克斯队发起了9-0的进攻，这被证明是NBA总决赛第四场中最关键的一波。
在麦迪逊广场花园的下半场初段，马刺队凭借这一波进攻取得了13分的领先优势，最终以96-89击败尼克斯队，并在七场四胜制的系列赛中取得了3-1的领先。
“我们第三节开始时有点像我们比赛最后阶段的打法，”马刺队教练格雷格·波波维奇说。“我们进行了防守，我们进行了拦截，我们执行了战术。当你发起一波进攻时，就会发生这样的情况。我们投进了一些关键的球和防守。对我们来说，通常都是防守。”
在马刺队朝着他们的第一个NBA总冠军迈出了巨大步伐的这个夜晚，全国电视转播的戏剧性场面在第四节展开。
尼克斯队从落后中奋起直追，将分差缩小到只剩一分，比赛还剩五分钟。但马刺队的大卫·罗宾逊和邓肯连续命中勾手投篮，并在比赛的最后阶段抵挡住了主队，让19,763名满座的观众非常不悦地回家了。
纽约球员当然不喜欢第四场比赛的结局。然而，他们知道第三节开始可能是关键的阶段。
“他们在下半场开始时更想要胜利，”纽约前锋马库斯·坎比说。“我们找不到投篮机会。我们让对手空位，他们对我们发起了9-0的进攻。从那时起，我们在下半场的其余时间都在被动防守。”
约翰逊的愚蠢犯规开始了这一切。这是一个违反了防守基本规则的打法 - 不要对跳投手犯规。
邓肯，以28分和18个篮板领衔马刺队，走上罚球线并命中两球。
这并不是尼克斯队在这一系列中最后一次不明智的打法。几个回合后，约翰逊在内线跳起试图越过邓肯投篮。邓肯将其封盖，马刺队快攻，最终以马里奥·埃利的上篮结束了这次进攻。
埃利在这次进攻中被犯规，他必须等待才能罚球，因为尼克斯队教练杰夫·范甘迪叫了暂停 - 无疑是对他的球队缺乏集中注意力感到不满。
暂停后，埃利（18分，6个篮板，4次助攻）命中罚球，以55-46领先。马刺队的势头从那里开始增长。对尼克斯队来说，约翰逊又犯了一次失误。
然后艾伦·休斯顿变得有点太急了。休斯顿突破进入内线，撞倒了罗宾逊（14分，17个篮板），被判了进攻犯规。
在下一个回合，罗宾逊封盖了休斯顿的投篮，为下一个回合，邓肯的12英尺投篮创造了机会，球在篮板上轻轻一碰，马刺以59-46领先。
比赛结束后，当马刺队在更衣室聚集时，罗宾逊是最后一名进入的球员。他低头穿过门，自言自语说：“只差一场，现在。只差一场。”
罗宾逊说马刺队将在周五的花园球场的第五场比赛中做好准备，届时他们可以结束系列赛并获得冠军。
“这基本上和我们整个季后赛的心态一样，”罗宾逊说。“我们只是一直关注下一节。现在，我们的重点是变得更好。我们今晚犯了一些非常愚蠢的错误。
“我们在底线发球时把球扔丢了。我们在转换进攻时掉了球。我们有快攻，然后把球运到某人的腿上。我们必须做得更好，更有效率。”
点击查看原文：Third party: Spurs get on a roll after half - New York foul touches off S.A.'s big run
Third party: Spurs get on a roll after half - New York foul touches off S.A.'s big run
The Spurs started the third quarter Wednesday night by getting a break - a silly foul on Tim Duncan 20 feet from the hoop, courtesy of the New York Knicks’ Larry Johnson.
Johnson reached in and slapped Duncan on the hand.
The Spurs took advantage of the mistake, slapping a 9-0 run on the Knicks that proved to be the most pivotal streak in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Riding the run to a 13-point advantage early in the second half at Madison Square Garden, the Spurs held on to whip the Knicks 96-89 and grab a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
“We started the third quarter a little like we played the end of the game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We made defensive stops. We made stops, and we executed. That’s what happens when you make a run. We made some shots and stops that counted. It usually is the defense for us.”
On a night when the Spurs took a huge stride toward their first NBA championship, the nationally televised drama unfolded in the fourth quarter.
The Knicks battled from behind and cut the deficit to one with five minutes remaining. But the Spurs’ David Robinson and Duncan hit consecutive hook shots and held off the home team down the stretch, sending a sellout crowd of 19,763 home very unhappy.
New York players didn’t like the end of Game 4, for sure. They knew, however, that the beginning of the third period was probably the critical stretch.
“They just came out and wanted it more (at) the start of the second half,” New York forward Marcus Camby said. “We couldn’t buy a shot. We left guys open, and they went on that 9-0 run on us. From that point, we were playing on our heels the rest of the second half.”
Johnson’s silly foul started it all. It was a play that went against one of the basic rules of defense - don’t foul a jump shooter.
Duncan, who led the Spurs with 28 points and 18 rebounds, went to the free-throw line and knocked down two.
It wasn’t the last ill-advised play by the Knicks in the sequence. A few possessions later, Johnson rose up in the lane and tried to shoot over Duncan. Duncan swatted it away, sending the Spurs out on a fast break that ended with Mario Elie’s driving layup.
Fouled on the play, Elie had to wait because Knicks coach Jeff Van Gundy called a timeout - undoubtedly upset with his team’s lack of concentration.
After the stoppage, Elie (18 points, six rebounds, four assists) nailed the free throw for a 55-46 lead. The Spurs’ momentum grew from there. For the Knicks, Johnson committed another turnover.
Then Allan Houston became a little too anxious. Houston drove inside, ran over Robinson (14 points, 17 rebounds) and was whistled for a charging foul.
On the next possession, Robinson blocked Houston’s shot, setting up the next play, a Duncan 12-footer that kissed off the glass for a 59-46 lead.
After the game, as the Spurs congregated in the locker room, Robinson was one of the last players to get inside. Ducking through the door, Robinson said to himself, “One away, now. One away.”
Robinson said the Spurs will be ready for Game 5 on Friday at the Garden when they can wrap up the series and the title.
“It’s pretty much the same mindset as we’ve had the whole playoffs,” Robinson said. "We’ve just looked toward the next quarter. Right now, our focus is to get better. We made some really dumb mistakes tonight.
“We were throwing the ball away on inbounds plays. We were giving it up on transition plays. We have a fast break and dribble it off someone’s legs. We have to be better, more efficient, than that.”
By Jerry Briggs, via San Antonio Express-News