After the timeout, players from both teams continued to take to the court.
Stan Van Gundy, who was standing in front of the Heat bench, had naturally anticipated what his brother Jeff Van Gundy was thinking.
Maybe the Rockets will make a desperate effort to strangle the outside defense and the Heat's ball transmission. Even if they lose the game, they will not let Lin Fei break the three-point record in their home arena.
But the two brothers are equally stubborn and refuse to admit defeat.
Since the younger brother wants to strengthen his defense against Lin Fei and prevent him from breaking the record, the elder brother will arrange more complex cover and run tactics to create opportunities for Lin Fei no matter what.
In Stan Van Gundy's opinion, as long as he tries to control his mistakes and not give the Rockets a chance to counterattack on a fast break, even if Lin Fei's shooting percentage drops by half under strict defense, his overall offensive efficiency will still be terrifying.
On the court, during the Rockets' offense, Dayao took the ball with his back in the low post. Taking advantage of his height and wingspan, he adjusted his rhythm and hit a hook over O'Neal's head.
"Uh-huh!"
Even though O'Neal has a larger tonnage and more flexible steps, Yao has absolute height, coupled with his outside hook skills, it is basically impossible to be blocked by the shark.
Although there was little performance on the offensive end in the first quarter and he focused more on defense, after the second quarter, Dayao gradually found his feeling and did not fall behind against O'Neal.
Of course, judging from the overall state of this period, the third-year Yao is still worse than O'Neal, and O'Neal is still the league's number one center.
But the regular season is long, and you can't ask a historical superstar to be active in every game.
O'Neal is playing in an away game tonight, and his wife is far away from home, and he got too high with Wade in a nightclub in Houston last night, so his state is naturally a bit sluggish, which also reflects his overconfidence against Yao, an Asian center. .
But Dayao is just the opposite. As a key figure in this Chinese derby, coupled with the encouragement of Lin Fei, a junior in the national team, and the convenience of playing at home,
Dayao is naturally much better than O'Neal in terms of game status. He knows very well that there will be hundreds of millions of Chinese fans waiting in front of the TV tonight, cheering for him and Lin Fei.
Looking back, Wade advanced to the frontcourt with the ball, and Lin Fei continued to run back and forth, using the cover to stop and start quickly, using changes in rhythm to find opportunities to catch the ball.
But the Rockets obviously strengthened their marking and switching of Lin Fei, trying to strangle the passing line.
When Lin Fei and the ball holder Wade were engaged in a pick-and-roll, the Rockets' two defenders switched defenses promptly and were immediately alert to the ball holder's passing intentions.
The player who switched to guard Wade also chose to focus on Wade's outside passes and appropriately let his shots and breakthroughs go.
Wade is not good at shooting originally. If the defender is not even afraid of his breakthrough and only guards his pass to Lin Fei, the effect will naturally be doubled.
The young Wade was still too aggressive. This time the pass was a little risky, but Jim Jackson rushed up and cut it off.
"Snapped!"
Seeing that the Rockets were about to launch a counterattack and fast break, Wade, who made a mistake, was the first to turn over and quickly return to defense. His speed advantage was fully demonstrated, and he quickly blocked Jim Jackson's fast break path.
At this time, McGrady and Bob Sura also flew down in two directions, throwing away the defender and ready to catch the ball and go straight to Huanglong.
Obviously giving the ball to McGrady on the left side to completely get rid of Eddie Jones was the most correct choice, but Jim Jackson was motivated and gave the ball to Bob Sura who was fast down the right sideline.
Not only was there a problem with the passing choice of this ball, but the quality of the pass was also average. Lin Fei, who was actively chasing after Bob Sura, gritted his teeth and suddenly accelerated, his long arms unsheathed like a sword.
"Snapped!"
Lin Fei directly intercepted Jim Jackson's pass with his big hand and slapped the basketball in front of Wade in the middle.
With a flash of eyes and quick hands, Wade quickly grabbed the basketball and braked, then passed a diagonal cross to Lin Fei.
The two played a coordination that was similar to hitting the wall. After Lin Fei stole the ball, he quickly turned over and came down quickly. He stopped on the wing more than three meters away from the three-point line. After receiving the pass from Wade, he decisively jumped up and sent the ball over the top. Take a long shot.
Because Dayao was about to rush forward at this time, Lin Fei naturally had no chance to get close to the three-point line, so he could only make an emergency stop and shoot a super long three-pointer.
"Clang!"
The ball was thrown a little too hastily, and the basketball hit the side of the basket and popped up high.
The long rebound was protected by Juwan Howard, and the Rockets stabilized their rhythm and played positional warfare.
Seeing Lin Fei finally miss another shot, the Rockets fans at home breathed a sigh of relief and finally relaxed their tension.
"This guy finally missed the shot. If he scored again, it would be 10 three-pointers in the half!"
"Wade's choice after the Heat's counterattack was too sudden. He can break through the basket directly with his speed. It is also a good idea to transfer to O'Neal in the high position. Why pass to Lin? His position is not a good one at all. good chance!"
"Yeah, is Stan Van Gundy a little too superstitious about Lin's three-pointers? Is he determined to make Lin take enough shots tonight?"
"It feels like Shaquille and Dwayne have no desire to attack anymore. The entire Heat team is creating opportunities for Lin to catch the ball and shoot. Is Lin the boss of this team?"
"My, God, the moment Lin caught the ball and shot, I was really afraid that he would score another three-pointer!"
On the court, the Rockets played steadily.
McGrady gave the ball to Dayao on the sideline of the penalty area. O'Neal defended very well this time. Dayao did not take the risk of hooking the ball, but gave the ball to Uncle Huo.
Juwan Howard played the ball with his back, and after turning over, he successfully shook the ball with a shooting fake. Using his experience, he caused the ball player to foul.
"Beep!"
Uncle Huo, who stepped to the free throw line, was very steady and made both free throws.
"Uh-huh!"
"Uh-huh!"
After the timeout, the Rockets played a 4:0 wave, quickly stabilizing the situation and expanding their lead to 8 points.
Transition of possession.
Seeing that the Rockets were still blocking Lin Fei's ball during the pick-and-roll, O'Neal stepped up and took Yao out of the penalty area.
Wade, who was holding the ball on the right, didn't hesitate anymore and quickly switched to breakthrough mode. He passed the defense with a sharp first step that was almost touching the ground, flew into the penalty area and delivered a powerful chop.
"Boom!"
In the next offensive round, O'Neal set a screen with Lin Fei in the high post and then quickly turned down and received Wade's high-profile ball, and then made another iconic Shark two-handed dunk.
"Boom!"
Wade and O'Neal teamed up to score 4 points, which also made the Rockets' risky defense become hesitant again.
If the defense continued like this, Lin Fei was pinned down and unable to catch the ball, but Wade and O'Neal completely exploded.
Stan Van Gundy crossed his arms and smiled. Wade and O'Neal's easy dunks in the wide open space fully exposed the Rockets' defensive focus.
Although he promised Lin Fei unlimited firing rights tonight, the premise must be that Wade, O'Neal and others on the Heat's side can give the ball to Lin Fei without making mistakes.
If others get the opportunity to score easily, they must seize it naturally to contain the Rockets' gambling defense.
Stan Van Gundy looked calm. He wanted to see how long his stubborn brother could last.
On the offensive end, McGrady relied on Dayao's pick-and-roll screen, misplaced another opportunity, and made a decisive three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
This time there is.
After not scoring for nearly half a quarter, McGrady finally continued his fierce firepower tonight.
With this three-pointer, McGrady reached the last minute of the first half tonight and had already made 10 of 16 shots, 4 of 7 three-pointers, and 3 of 3 free throws, scoring 27 points efficiently.
The second highest score in the game, second only to Lin Fei’s 28 points.
The Toyota Center Arena was filled with cheers, and Rockets fans were cheering loudly for the new and old boss of the team. McGrady, who has won two consecutive scoring titles, is indeed much more popular than Francis.
And this was version 1.0 of Tracy McGrady before he created the miracle of 35 seconds and 13 minutes.
Looking back, with the help of Lin Fei's continuous cover and running, the Rockets' defense expanded. O'Neal once again seized the opportunity to turn over and pass down. Wade quickly sent an alley-oop pass from the outside.
Maybe it's the tacit understanding between the two, maybe Wade passed the ball too high, or maybe the 32-year-old O'Neal doesn't have the jumping ability he had at his peak after all.
In short, O'Neal failed to dunk the ball directly after his first leap. After landing, he wanted to make an adjustment and jump again, but Jim Jackson, who ran up after him, was very smart and quickly fouled.
"Snapped!"
"Beep!"
The number of fouls had reached, and the referee signaled O'Neal to go to the free throw line.
"Uh-huh!"
"Uh-huh!"
This time, O'Neal was rarely successful at the free throw line and made both free throws.
Heat (50): (57) Rockets.
With a 7-point difference, the first half of the game also came to the final 0 minutes and 29 seconds.
Lin Fei started playing for 3 minutes in the first quarter and did not take a break throughout the second quarter. He has played for 21 consecutive minutes now.
Big beads of sweat covered his forehead, dripping down to the floor along his long eyelashes and high bridge of nose.
If it were during the Timberwolves last season, Lin Fei was mainly running for 21 minutes, and he would have been physically exhausted by now.
But now, after a period of unremitting endurance training, Lin Fei's physical fitness has been significantly improved.
Of course, playing for 21 consecutive minutes is still very tiring, but this last attack of the first half must be executed well.
Standing on the sidelines of the Heat, Stan Van Gundy actually deliberately wanted Lin Fei to play for so long in the first half tonight. Since he is going to be the team's first main point of attack tonight, he naturally has to play enough. time.
At the same time, Stan Van Gundy also wanted to see if Lin Fei's three-point shooting percentage in official games would fluctuate significantly when he had physical problems.
On the court, the Rockets attacked, and Dayao gradually gained confidence in facing O'Neal. He decisively turned over and hooked 4 meters away from the basket, and the basketball bumped into the net.
"Uh-huh!"
At the last moment of the first half, Dayao had already scored 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.
On the timer, there were only 7 seconds left before the first half.
Stan Van Gundy on the sidelines did not call a timeout, but shouted for the players to serve quickly and attack.
A quick free throw roughly at the baseline, Wade dribbled the ball forward.
Perhaps it was because he was too excited in the first half, or perhaps it was the Rockets' tactical arrangement. McGrady did not retreat to the backcourt at this time, but directly moved up to Wade.
The Rockets suddenly launched a full-court press at the last moment of the first half, hoping to catch the Heat off guard and consume the last 7 seconds.
But it was this adventurous full-court pressing defense that made Lin Fei's greater first half performance possible.
"Whoosh!"
Wade almost made a mistake in the face of McGrady's sudden pressing. He quickly stabilized the rhythm and distributed the ball to the right side to follow up.
It was roughly given to Eddie Jones who was running at the front. The latter took the ball and went straight into the penalty area.
At this time, McGrady pressed Wade and completely let go of his opponent Eddie Jones. Yao, who retreated from defense, quickly made up for the delay and was ready to make a big block at any time.
On the timer at this time, there were only the last 3 seconds left before the end of the first half, and the Rockets' defense was obviously in chaos.
"Whoosh!"
O'Neal stood one meter outside the three-point line on the right to respond. Eddie Jones, who broke into the penalty area, faced Dayao's interference and quickly passed the ball to O'Neal on the outside.
O'Neal was wide open on the outside at this time, but he had no three-point ability, so the Rockets players did not pay too much attention.
But at the same moment Eddie Jones passed the ball to O'Neal, Lin Fei also rushed up quickly, using the cover of O'Neal's huge body to get rid of the chasing Jim Jackson to catch the ball.
And the moment Lin Fei rushed over from O'Neal's right side, the ball in O'Neal's hand quickly passed to Lin Fei's hand.
But Jim Jackson bypassed the defense very quickly this time, rushing over from the left side of O'Neal, almost in sync with Lin Fei.
Facing Jim Jackson who didn't let go, Lin Fei had no choice but to get the ball. He saw that the time on the timer only had one second left.
After taking a step, Lin Fei tilted his body and jumped into the air. Without any emergency braking, Lin Fei's entire body tilted forward at least 45 degrees.
Faced with Jim Jackson's flying defense, he seized the fleeting space and decisively shot a difficult and elegant three-pointer.
"Whoosh!"
The moment the basketball flew out of Lin Fei's fingertips, the time on the timer also ran out, and the steel backboard also turned red.
The first half of the game is over.
Seeing Lin Fei hit this difficult and elegant three-pointer at the buzzer, head coach Jeff Van Gundy, who was standing in front of the Rockets bench, had his pupils dilated and his heart seemed to suddenly stop.
Even though the shot is very difficult, even if there is a suspicion that it was shot out of time,
But Jeff Van Gundy still felt shocked and suffocated, and was wildly hoping in his heart that he must not score this three-pointer.
Letting his opponents hit 10 three-pointers in the half of his home arena, Jeff Van Gundy did not want to leave such a memory and record at Toyota Arena.
The Rockets players also didn't want it, especially Tracy McGrady, who only scored 4 three-pointers in the first half.
The Rockets fans at home were also so nervous that they were suffocating at this moment, with their hearts in their throats.
But unlike the Rockets head coach, when they saw Lin Fei take a difficult and elegant three-pointer at the buzzer, some Rockets fans subconsciously hoped that the ball would hit.
After all, the outcome of a regular season game doesn't matter, but being able to witness the birth of 10 three-pointers in the half at home, as well as this ultra-difficult and elegant buzzer-beating three-pointer,
That can definitely be said to be a stunning moment that will be unforgettable in a lifetime.
God seemed to press the pause button at this moment, recording all the situations in the world, and then pressed the start button again.
"Uh-huh!"
"boom!"
The clear squeaking sound of the basketball was almost at the same time as the sound of Lin Fei leaning forward and hitting the floor.
Lin Fei's flying three-pointer at a 45-degree angle during the fast break had no braking or protection measures at all. All his energy was focused on catching the ball and shooting in search of opportunities at that moment.
Lin Fei, who fell sideways to the ground, rubbed his body against the court floor and ran out along the sideline for more than two meters. His head passed directly between the legs of a white female fan sitting in the front row of the baseline and hit him. Under the seat.
"boom!"
At the moment of the impact, Lin Fei felt the world spinning and a stab of pain in his head.
Looking down at the uninvited guest appearing between her two slender white calves, the sexy beauty wearing sunglasses couldn't help but tremble.
The strong impact that Lin Fei felt when he jumped up just now made this sexy mixed-race beauty think a lot...
The fans in the front row of the baseline became a little panicked. Wade, Shou and O'Neal also rushed up and bent down to ask about Lin Fei's situation.
Judging from the impact just now, the force on Lin Fei's head was obviously not light, and it may even cause a concussion.
The sexy beauty wearing sunglasses quickly stood up and stepped aside, praying that Lin Fei would not be injured.
Lin Fei, who fell to the ground, covered his head. After a moment of adjustment, he gritted his teeth and was helped up by Wade and O'Neal.
"My head hurts a little, but it's not a big problem!"
Stan Van Gundy was shocked and really worried that Lin Fei would be injured or have a concussion.
Tonight, he decided to give Lin Fei unlimited power to fire. While testing the off-ball offensive system, he indeed put too much pressure on Lin Fei.
After all, Lin Fei is an off-ball player and cannot directly hold the ball in singles or use pick-and-rolls to get rid of the defense and shoot like McGrady and Kobe.
So this determines that if Lin Fei wants to get more shooting opportunities, he must constantly use cover to move and search for space to catch the ball.
Moreover, Wade and O'Neal sacrificed more ball rights to help Lin Fei tonight, which will inevitably make Lin Fei fight harder.
It is precisely for these reasons that his difficult and elegant shot just now laid the foundation for injury.
If he had known this would happen, Stan Van Gundy would never have made the decision tonight. He is partly responsible for Lin Fei's injury.
The team doctor quickly rushed over and examined Lin Fei's head and body. There were no major problems, but the possibility of a concussion was not ruled out.
At the same time, the right arm that rubbed against the floor also suffered slight scratches.
Thinking back to the dangerous operation he had just made, even risking his life in order to catch the ball, Lin Fei was a little scared at this time.
But he really hates this situation of wanting to take action but not being able to catch the ball under tight defense.
The team gave itself unlimited power to fire, but still couldn't catch the ball. This is indeed a joke.
Therefore, Lin Fei must break out of this oppressive situation. He wants his running position to be sharper, his escape to be quicker, and his shots to be faster...
At the end of the first half, accompanied by the team doctor, Lin Fei quickly returned to the locker room for a detailed examination of his head.
When he walked to the players' tunnel, there was a sudden commotion in the Toyota Center Arena.
After reviewing the video, the referee determined that Lin Fei's buzzer-beating three-pointer did not time out and the goal was valid.
"My, God, 10 three-pointers in the half, Lin's elegant buzzer beater is amazing!"
"Although I am a Rockets fan, I am still happy to witness Lin's superb performance in the first half tonight. He made 10 of 12 three-pointers in the half. It was really accurate!"
"Oh my god, 31 points at halftime, wouldn't it be at least 50+ at the end of the game? Are you telling me that this is the third leader of a team?"
"I still hope that Lin's head is not seriously injured and he can continue to play in the second half, so Kobe's record of 12 three-pointers in a single game is destined to become history!"
"Tracy's 27 points at halftime tonight were already crazy, but in front of Lin's 10 three-pointers, it was still bleak!"
McGrady, who returned to the locker room, shook his head and smiled bitterly, and said to Dayao next to him:
"Yao, Lin's three-pointers are really crazy. He is destined to be the protagonist tonight. Even if he can't play in the second half, even if I score 50+ tonight, I still can't beat his 10 three-pointers! "
Dayao naturally remembered Lin Fei's head injury and silently prayed for Lin Fei:
"Lin will be fine. I hope injuries will stay away from all of us!"
(End of chapter)
