After halftime, the score between the two teams was fixed at 24-30.
The Devils trailed by six points at halftime.
Stanford can achieve a undefeated record, and their ability to cope is also very strong.
After the Devils hit the zone on consecutive possessions, they quickly switched to man-to-man coverage.
At this time, the Devils can't make any outside shots. The Lopez brothers can sink the basket when switching defenses. It's not that easy for the Devils to grab offensive rebounds.
While the Devils defense still did a good job, they were unable to tie the game.
However, this result is acceptable to both parties.
The Cardinals contained the Devils' counterattack, and the Devils relied on defense and rebounding to narrow the point difference a lot.
During the halftime break, the players returned to the locker room one after another.
It was only then that someone noticed that Harden hadn't come back yet.
Sandeck didn't mention Harden when he came in to lay out the tactics.
It wasn't until the halftime break was over that the players returned to the court one after another, only to find that Harden had stayed on the court to practice three-pointers.
It can be seen that he is anxious to get his outside touch back.
After seeing this, Xu Yong went over and patted Harden on the shoulder: "Don't put too much psychological pressure on yourself. Your mentality will affect your shooting."
A big reason why you can't score when you're behind is that your mentality has changed.
In history, when Harden led the Rockets to defeat the Warriors, the Rockets shot 0 of 27 three-pointers. The impact of mentality was a major factor.
Although [Bravely Never Goes Out of Bounds] and [Five vs. Eight], there are actually many open spaces.
Harden nodded and put down the basketball in his hand.
He was so smart, of course he knew this, but when Xu Yong told him now, the effect was completely different.
Because after experiencing the score chasing in the first half, his trust in Xu Yong has reached a new level.
After sitting back on the bench, he took a deep breath to relax.
Soon, the half-time break came and the game between the two sides continued.
Brook Lopez returned in the second half and continued the attack in the low post.
Xu Yong chose to flank, and Brook Lopez chose to turn towards the baseline and shoot a fadeaway jumper.
This choice exposed his weakness. In fact, it could be seen when Xu Yong was double-teamed in the first half that he was not good at dealing with double-teams.
At this time, it is obviously better to quickly distribute the ball to Robin Lopez under the basket than to choose such a difficult shot.
Brook Lopez's final shot missed the basket, and Ayers turned around and collected the defensive rebound.
The Cardinals' first possession back in the second half was blocked!
The Devils continued their defensive performance in the first half, and now they have a chance to narrow the gap further.
Many home fans subconsciously looked up at the score.
A 6-point difference is not safe at all.
In the transition between offense and defense, the Cardinals continued to guard man-to-man, and the Lopez brothers also continued to sink.
Glasser got an opportunity to shoot from the outside at a 45-degree angle on the left.
The ball still bounced off the edge of the basket, but Ayers saw the opportunity and grabbed the offensive rebound.
Even after halftime, the Devils were still working hard on defense and struggling for rebounds.
Ayers gave the ball to Xu Yong on the outside. Xu Yong saw Gus coming to cover and quickly passed the ball to Harden at the top of the arc.
Harden's chance.
He adjusted his rhythm and then shot a three-pointer.
From his expression, you can tell that he is very calm at this time.
And the consistency of his shots was significantly better than in the first half.
The basketball flew through the air and passed through a high parabola...
"Uh-huh!"
Hole through the mesh bag!
Harden hit the Devils' first three-pointer of the second half and tonight!
After scoring, Harden reached out and pointed at Xu Yong.
The fans at the scene were restless.
27 to 30!
The score difference has reached 3 points, a goal difference!
The Devils' bench was in a state of excitement, and the Devils finally waited for the moment when their touch recovered!
In transition, the Devils' defense continued to perform well, but Anthony Guise's layup on a cutback added to the Cardinals' scoring.
This goal also caused the silent fans at the scene to burst into violent cheers.
The advantage of the Cardinals is the twin towers inside, but they are not just the twin towers. When the twin towers restrained the defense, the team's outside core Gus began to stand up.
"Defend! Defend!"
The fans also started cheering for the home team in unison, led by the DJ on site.
It is by no means that simple to conquer the holy land of Stanford University.
The Devils played a "horns" tactic, but the Cardinals players showed defensive intensity amidst the shouts. Even the Lopez brothers tried their best to use their legs to cover up the defense, no longer giving the Devils an easy chance to shoot.
Seeing that there was not much offensive time left, Harden saw that he was being defended by Brook Lopez. After asking for the ball, he directly signaled to open up and play.
Lopez's defensive position is inside, and he knows Harden's breakthrough damage.
Upon seeing this, Harden dribbled the ball from behind and made a breakthrough gesture. After a fake breakthrough, he quickly collected the ball and then shot a three-pointer.
The previous three-pointer clearly boosted his shooting confidence.
Lopez's speed was very slow. He was forced to tilt his center of gravity backward by Harden's fake move. He could no longer pounce forward. His whole body seemed to be frozen in place, and he could only watch Harden take a three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
The basketball falls into the bag again!
Harden hit consecutive three-pointers!
He missed a single three-pointer in the first half, but made two consecutive shots in the second half.
Harden looked ruthless after making the shot, and this time he went straight to Xu Yong and gave him a high-five to celebrate.
Everything Xu Yong said is right, no one will always fail to score!
Not only Harden, but also a strong psychological suggestion burst out from the hearts of all the Devils players. Their touch is recovering and they can complete the reversal.
Sandek unconsciously looked at Xu Yong. Appointing Xu Yong as captain was the most correct thing he did.
Gus missed again, but Robin Lopez grabbed the offensive rebound and won two free throws.
The Cardinals are worthy of the label of a strong team and have not been disrupted by the Devils' resurgent three-point shooting.
Robin Lopez made one of two free throws and the Cardinals still led by 3 points.
"Defend! Defend!"
And the shouts from the scene echoed throughout the arena again.
At this time, Xu Yong took the initiative to set up a pick-and-roll for Harden, and the purpose was to send Robin Lopez to Harden again.
After the success, he also signaled his teammates to create space for Harden to play in singles.
As a reborn player, he knows very well what it will look like after Harden's outside touch comes and he is mismatched against the opponent's inside line.
The desire in Harden's eyes is getting stronger and stronger. After being sluggish in the last key game and being underestimated by "Sports Illustrated", he needs a good performance to prove himself!
With continuous changes of direction and false moves, Lopez's center of gravity swung uncontrollably like seaweed.
Catching the moment when Lopez leaned to the right, Harden suddenly accelerated and broke through to the left.
Lopez also struggled to shrink to the left.
But in the next second, Harden pulled back his crotch with his left hand and quickly retreated outside the three-point line.
During this process, there was a physical confrontation between the two. Lopez lost his center of gravity and fell to the left with a "pop".
The fans at the scene were stunned.
Lopez was knocked down by Harden!
This isn't the first time Harden has knocked someone down. In the previous opener against the University of Arizona, he flew past McClellan.
But the visual effect of the swing this time is far better than the previous one.
Because this is when the two teams are in a stalemate, this has a great impact on the morale of both sides.
Moreover, Harden did not shoot immediately after knocking Lopez away. Instead, he stood there and glanced at Lopez. After Lopez got up, he took a three-point shot. gif!
From this choice, you can completely feel how relaxed he is at the moment.
The result of relaxing the mentality is that the basketball falls into the bag empty again.
Harden, three consecutive three-pointers!
The Cardinals simply reached out and called timeout.
Harden was really excited now. He ran up to Xu Yong and bumped his chest directly with him.
Xu Yong also had a smile on his face, because at this time he was convinced of Harden's change.
