At halftime, 67:49, the Trail Blazers opened the score difference to 18 points.
Wang Zelin played about 8 minutes in the second quarter and took only 4 shots, only half of the first quarter. He made 3 of 4 shots and 2 of 2 free throws, scoring 8 points. His personal score at halftime reached 25 points.
Compared with his scoring, his other statistics increased rapidly, especially rebounds and assists. In the second quarter, he grabbed 6 rebounds and 1 block, and sent out 7 assists!
In other words, in just half the game, Wang Zelin had already scored a triple-double of 25 points, 14 rebounds, and 10 assists, plus 6 blocks and 1 steal.
"What does it mean to dominate the field? What does it mean to seek after oneself? This is it!
! "Zhang Lili was filled with emotion.
"Mosaic is no match for the Trail Blazers. If Harden hadn't exploded in the first half and scored 22 points, Mosaic would have collapsed!" Yang Yi shook his head and sighed.
Then the two sides entered the intermission, and they also began to praise Wang Zelin's performance tonight.
Got a triple-double at halftime!
This performance cannot be overstated.
Compared to the court and TNT, Barkley's blood pressure soared after the second quarter.
Shouldn't it be Wang Zelin who single-handedly destroyed the Mosaic defense tonight? Why did it suddenly change?
Obviously that's not how the script was written!
Barkley is almost feeling regretful now. If he had known earlier, he shouldn't have guessed so many points. Judging from Wang Zelin's performance in the second quarter, that kid must take the all-around route tonight.
He was careless and didn't dodge.
…
…
At the beginning of the second half, both sides returned to their starting lineups.
Mosaic attack.
The Trail Blazers did not double-team Harden because they found another way to restrict Harden, which was to cut off Harden's connection with other teammates, leaving Harden to do it from start to finish alone.
Sometimes I have to admit that Harden was really good during the regular season. Even if we look at history, this guy's leadership ability during the regular season is still first-rate.
After understanding the Trail Blazers' defensive strategy, Harden, who sought cooperation to no avail, began to take charge of the offensive end, fully displaying his offensive talents.
Not to mention, at least the two sides looked very exciting on the scene.
On the Mosaic team's side, after turning on the scoring mode, Harden showed some of the style of the future scoring champion.
It is worth mentioning that Harden, who has not yet completely turned into a magic ball at this stage, still has a precise mid-range shot, and coupled with his elusive step back, it will be useless for either Patton or Batum to defend alone.
But fortunately, the Trail Blazers have Wang Zelin in charge, and their offensive efficiency is guaranteed. Their defensive strategy is slowly taking effect.
Soon, after three quarters, the score reached 95:74, and the Trail Blazers' lead expanded to 21 points.
In this quarter, the Trail Blazers team scored 28 points together, and the Mosaic team scored 25 points. It can be regarded as a deadlock.
But the difference is that the Trail Blazers have a lot of success. Although Wang Zelin only scored 3 points, he sent the highest 4 assists in a single quarter. The other 4 starting teammates also received different scoring data.
On the Mosaic team, Harden, who was completely dominant on the court, turned on the killer mode, scoring 19 points in a single quarter. His personal scoring data successfully surpassed Wang Zelin, scoring 41 points in three quarters, ranking the highest in the game!
He alone accounted for nearly 80% of the Mosaic team's scores.
However, he ultimately failed to stop the Trail Blazers from widening the gap. He fought desperately for three quarters and was panting from exhaustion, but he could only watch the score gap between the two sides getting wider and wider.
In front of the Trail Blazers bench.
“It has been laid out for so long, it’s time to close the net!”
Coach Terry looked at the disciples in front of him and took out his tactical board to make the final deployment - double-teaming Harden crazily in the final quarter!
As we all know, the reason why there is such a big salary gap between stars and ordinary players is now incomparable with the strength of the two.
In addition, the offensive firepower of stars is also more durable than ordinary players. As long as the team needs it, they can threaten on the offensive end.
In contrast, if an ordinary player has not touched the ball for a long time, his touch will probably be gone.
And this is why the Trail Blazers did not choose to double-team Harden in the second and third quarters.
After letting Harden play for so long, it’s time to increase his intensity.
Return from the timeout and the game continues.
Wang Zelin went one-on-one at the basket and easily broke through Howard. Then he encountered Ariza's defense and passed the ball without looking at anyone. Batum made a three-pointer in the left corner from the outside.
At this point, Wang Zelin successfully got his 15th assist of the game!
Although Mosaic coach Bickerstaff still roared passionately on the sidelines, the situation in the game was already one-sided.
The Mosaic team simply couldn't guard Wang Zelin!
"Tonight, Wang transformed into the assist king!"
"A triple-double on Christmas Eve! This is the best Christmas gift Wang can give to our fans!"
"Is this really a center? This is the most organized center I have ever seen since watching the NBA!"
All the fans around the Rose Garden stand were excited, standing and cheering.
Offensive and defensive transition, mosaic offense.
As soon as Harden received the ball in the frontcourt, he suddenly realized that something was wrong. Batum directly let go of Ariza, and together with Button, they adopted a two-person team attack tactic against Harden.
But Harden didn't think much about it. He even breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that his teammates were open.
Harden returned suddenly, but if he is allowed to play alone all the time, his physical fitness is also a big problem.
After being double-teamed, he decisively chose to pass the ball at a 45-degree angle on the left side. Ariza received the ball in a wide open space and took off with no one to defend him.
You can’t lose this ball!
Harden prayed in his heart, staring at the basketball in the air, and then...
Duang~
A dull sound of hitting the ball could be heard, and Ariza, who had not touched the ball for a long time, felt his hands were cold and entered the hitting mode.
Aldridge collected the rebound and handed it to Lillard.
In a fast break counterattack, Lillard found Wang Zelin near the center circle. Wang Zelin received the ball and distributed the ball again, assisting Button who cut in from the right for a dunk.
100:74, the Trail Blazers' lead expanded by 26 points.
In the next round, the Trail Blazers' double-teaming was even more excessive. The double-Bath combination attacked Harden directly from the backcourt, giving him no chance to make contact at all.
Ty Lawson was given a step back. The guy's brain twitched and he took the shot without even thinking about it.
Duang~
A familiar voice came, and the Mosaic team made another strike.
"Charge! Charge!"
Coach Terry came to the sideline and yelled.
"boom"
After grabbing a rebound under the basket, Wang Zelin advanced forward alone, quickly advanced, and dunked against the Mosaic team's unguarded basket.
This goal seemed to break the backbone of the Mosaic team, making them unable to hold on any longer.
