Toyota Center.
An NBA regular season is being held here, and the two participating teams are the home team Houston Rockets and the away team Los Angeles Lakers.
Although the Rockets introduced star James Harden last season and hired the popular Jeremy Lin from the Knicks, their lineup was still mediocre and their final performance was not good enough. They failed to even make the playoffs. .
After the season ended, the Rockets continued to work and try to find more helpers.
It just so happened that Dwight Howard was not happy enough with the Lakers at this time. His muddling through was in sharp contrast to Kobe Bryant's strictness. Coupled with the team's poor record, the two had reached the point of parting ways.
Therefore, the Rockets successfully traded Dwight Howard and added him to their team.
This All-Star center player who could replace LeBron James alone has also made Rockets fans look forward to it. At the beginning of the preseason, Rockets fans have already begun to make predictions. Many people think that they can hit the Western Conference. Finals or even grand finals.
Playing against his former team is certainly an "interesting" thing for Dwight Howard.
He was not happy when he was in Los Angeles. Kobe Bryant had different requirements for the game and his attitude towards his teammates was also quite harsh. Of course, it is difficult for an optimistic player like Dwight Howard to Went together with Kobe Bryant.
Therefore, before the game started, Dwight Howard had already expressed his thoughts in interviews with the media.
"It's a pity that Kobe couldn't be here!"
"However, we will beat the Lakers... In Kobe's words, respecting your opponent means you should go all out..."
Dwight Howard's words may sound euphemistic, but in fact the meaning is very clear, that is, he will take his old team seriously and let them feel his "warm care"!
Not only Dwight Howard, but other Rockets players are equally confident, especially leader James Harden.
He just scored 31 points in the last game and led the team to three consecutive victories. He was naturally very confident when facing reporters' inquiries.
“We’ve won three games in a row and I think this will be our fourth game in a row!”
"The championship is our ultimate goal this season!"
Jeremy Lin, one of the main members of the team, was also interviewed by the media before the game. Of course, the media paid more attention to his views on Zhao Feiyang.
Jeremy Lin is still as humble and polite as before.
"Zhao is a great player! I have watched his games and his three-pointers are really good!"
"I am looking forward to playing against such outstanding players..."
At the same time, in the Lakers' locker room before the game, compared to the high morale of the Rockets, they seemed very sluggish.
Head coach Mike D'Antoni also looked anxious. When arranging the team's starting lineup, he looked at a group of players in the locker room deep in thought.
The Lakers' lineup has obvious problems this season, and age has become the biggest obstacle to the Lakers' lineup.
Either the team has veterans in their thirties like Pau Gasol and Steve Nash, or it has a group of young players with little experience. They want to find someone who can carry the team. From the current lineup It seems extremely unrealistic.
"Nick, you go and start at No. 2!"
"From now until Kobe recovers, you take his place..."
Coach Mike D'Antoni finally chose to believe in Nick Young and made him the first choice at the second position.
Sitting in the corner, Zhao Feiyang thought that he would be the first substitute after Nick Young started. What he didn't expect was that head coach Mike D'Antoni chose Jody Meeks as the first substitute. He became the second substitute.
"well!"
Zhao Feiyang shook his head helplessly.
In these games, Jodi Meeks only averaged 7.1 points per game, and his performance was definitely not very good. His own statistics were still better than his.
But because he did not gain the trust of head coach Mike D'Antoni, he still could only sit on the bench.
After the lineup was arranged, the staff came in to remind them that the game was about to start, and the players walked out of the locker room one after another and walked toward the infield.
Zhao Feiyang was a little depressed and was walking at the very back. But when he walked out of the player tunnel, he was shocked to find that the screams on the scene suddenly increased.
There were many yellow-skinned faces on both sides of the player tunnel waving their arms or shouting and screaming at him.
"He's out!"
"Ahhh! Zhao Feiyang!"
"Come on Feiyang, you are the pride of our Chinese players..."
Listening to the familiar Mandarin, Zhao Feiyang couldn't help but feel excited.
The live camera also focused on Zhao Feiyang and gave him a close-up. The moment his face appeared on the big screen, all the Chinese fans in the audience cheered.
Feeling surrounded by a lot of enthusiasm, Zhao Feiyang also took the initiative to wave and express his goodwill to the fans.
After entering the court, the players from both sides greeted each other and showed their goodwill, and Jeremy Lin also came to Zhao Feiyang's side specially.
"Hello Feiyang!"
"I'm Jeremy Lin!"
Jeremy Lin's Mandarin is not very good, but his friendly attitude surprised Zhao Feiyang.
"Shuhao, it's a pleasure to play against you!"
Zhao Feiyang also took the initiative to give high-fives and hugs.
This scene between the two was also captured by the live camera. The Chinese fans went crazy and shouted loudly in the stadium.
On the other side of the ocean, in China, many viewers watching the live broadcast in front of the screen were also very excited.
"Not to mention who is better, these two guys are indeed the pride of the yellow race in the basketball world!"
"If Yao Ming had not retired...if Jeremy Lin could become a naturalized player, and coupled with Zhao Feiyang, the backcourt formed by the two of them would be very strong, and at least in Asia it would definitely help the national team win the championship easily. ..."
call out.
The referee's whistle sounded and the game officially started.
Zhao Feiyang temporarily sat on the team bench as a substitute. Jeremy Lin, as the Rockets' main lineup player, served as the Rockets' No. 1 position, joining Dwight Howard and James Harden in the starting lineup.
Snapped.
The two sides jumped the ball, and the Rockets took the lead in getting the ball.
Jeremy Lin advanced with the ball.
After halftime, he organized the offense at the top of the key.
James Harden had the intention of coming up to catch the ball, but he was stuck by Nick Young. Seeing that James Harden was unable to respond, Jeremy Lin did not hesitate and raised the ball directly to the three-point line at a 45-degree angle on the right side. Take a decisive shot from the basketball.
Uh-huh.
An opening three-pointer hit the basket steadily.
Rockets fans on the sidelines cheered.
