Spoelstra couldn't sit still and called a timeout to let the players calm down.
"Chalmers, why did you force the shot? When your teammates got a chance, pass the ball.
Don't underestimate the Rockets and think that if they lead by 10 points, the game is safe. You will pay the price for thinking this way.
This is the case now. Two stupid offensive choices gave the opponent two opportunities to counterattack. They succeeded in both, and the point difference was only 3 points.
We still have to follow the established tactics. Our strength is better than our opponents, but we don't have the capital to fight casually. "
Spoelstra is worthy of being an iron commander of a generation, and he is strict in running the army. As a young commander, he is not an ordinary person who can control the Big Three in their peak period.
After the timeout, Coach Spoelstra replaced Chalmers and replaced him with Ray Allen. The team needs to strengthen its offense and score points first.
On the sidelines, Chalmers covered his face with a towel depressedly on the bench.
Coach Spoelstra stood nearby, watching the situation on the court without looking back at him.
If there was no garbage time in this game, Chalmers would not appear again.
The Heat attack, this time started by Wade.
Wade dribbled the ball with his right hand, made a gesture with his left hand, and called a double screen from Bosh and James.
The two obediently came up to cover, blocking Harden firmly on the left and right.
Wade walked to the left, facing Asik, and through a large change of direction and rhythm, he threw the ball into the ball, which was another lost move.
60:65.
In the following rounds, both sides further increased their investment in defense, and the players' physical strength also declined rapidly. Both sides scored a few points through piecemeal play, but the point difference could never be widened.
Until the transition period, the rotation lineup came on, and the Heat's star advantage was reflected.
Wade and Bosh scored points through continuous cooperation, and outsiders Ray Allen and Mike Miller also scored.
On the other hand, the Rockets can only support themselves through the singles of Jeremy Lin and Parsons.
The Heat once again opened up the score, and a wave of defeating their opponents in the third quarter has been their main theme this season.
After three quarters, the Rockets trailed by 15 points, 72:87.
"The Rockets played very tenaciously. In the first half of the third quarter, they even had the upper hand in the main battle and closed the point difference to 3 points.
However, the Rockets do still have a big gap compared to the Heat in terms of the number of stars, star level, and lineup depth, which is clearly reflected in the transition period. "
"The first five minutes of the fourth quarter will become the watershed of this game. If the Rockets can withstand it, they will still have a chance. If the point difference continues to expand and reaches more than 20 points, then this game will basically be settled. ”
Zhang Weiping analyzed.
The break between sections was short, and Harden returned to battle.
Coach McHale decided to increase Harden's playing time.
Under normal circumstances, Harden will have to rest for at least 3-4 minutes before appearing on the court, but if this game follows this time of rest, Harden may not have the need to appear again.
The Heat were led by James, with Wade and Bosh taking a rest.
Harden burst out with all his energy after he came on the court. Facing the aging Ray Allen, Harden had to eat and drink on the court, shooting inside and outside to score consecutive points.
The Heat's offense was led by James, and they encountered stubborn resistance from Morris Jr., and Dongshan legend Motiejunas in the paint was equally tough in protecting the frame.
Coupled with the significant increase in the Rockets' offensive success rate, James had no chance to counterattack and could only engage in positional combat, with relatively average results.
In 4 minutes, the Rockets once again narrowed the point difference to single digits, and the score reached 86:95.
Coach Spoelstra called a timeout, brought Wade and Bosh back on, and James went down to charge.
On the Rockets' side, they got back the main force and sixth man Parsons, and replaced Morris Jr. to rest, but Harden could only stay on the court.
There is no way, except for Harden, the Rockets have no strong point that can stabilize output.
Wade and Bosh came up, and the Heat's defense immediately improved to a new level.
Wade's one-on-one defense against Harden was very good in normal games. Bosh's ability to sweep inside and supplement the protective frame reduces the hit rate of Harden, Jeremy Lin and others who break through.
The Heat relied on strong defense to open the score to double digits again.
With 5 minutes left in the game, James came back to close the game.
The decisive moment has come.
On the Heat's side, the Big Three plus Battier and Ray Allen.
The Rockets are the Harlem combination plus Asik, Patterson and Morris.
This is the terrifying thing about the Heat's Big Three. They not only have the ability to solve the game hard, but also have the physical reserves in their prime.
All three of them are in their prime, and they are all fast-charging players. They can play a game for 40 minutes, which is more than enough. How can their opponents compete with each other?
The Rockets have the ball, and Harden is playing singles with the ball. Facing Wade's iron-blooded defense, Harden doesn't have much to do.
After dribbling under the crotch and making two major changes of direction, he still couldn't get rid of Wade. Seeing that there was not much offensive time left, he could only take three steps to get the ball together. Fortunately, the referee's whistle blew and Harden stepped to the free throw line.
Two free throws made, 92:103.
The Heat attacked, James launched a pick-and-roll, and Wade came up to cover. James dribbled through the Rockets' defense, then passed it back to Wade, took a step forward, and in turn provided a screen for Wade.
Wade holds the ball in his right hand, gets rid of Harden through James' screen, and then pulls out from mid-range.
"Uh-huh!"
Jump shot made, 92:105.
Jeremy Lin quickly advanced to the frontcourt, faced Ray Allen's defense, and made a decisive breakthrough. Battier came over to swipe the card, and Jeremy Lin made a fake pass to Patterson who was 45 degrees outside.
Patterson made a three-pointer, 95:105.
"Patterson has really tough hands and doesn't show mercy at critical moments. He is an unexpected surprise for the Rockets this season."
Yang Jian commented.
Looking back, Wade once again used James's screen to gain space for a mid-range shot. This time Asik made timely defense and pounced on him. Wade changed his attack options in the air and passed to Bosh, who was left open on the baseline.
Jeremy Lin predicted it well in advance and intercepted Wade's pass.
Then he made a long pass to the quarterback in the frontcourt. Harden ran to the frontcourt early, successfully received the pass, and once again ignited the court with a tomahawk dunk.
97:105.
The Heat's offense was handed over to James this time. James asked his teammates to pull away, faced Morris Jr., took a dominant step, pushed Morris away, and made a tank layup.
This time the force was a little stronger. After the basketball hit the board, it hit the basket.
Asik protected the rebound. Harden saw that the Heat retreated quickly and slowed down the rhythm after receiving the ball.
There are three minutes left in the game, and what the team needs for this attack is success rate.
Harden dribbled slowly across half court, somewhat out of breath. He had not rested in the fourth quarter.
Fortunately, the beard concealed his fatigue well, and Wade, who was guarding him, did not notice it.
Harden and Jeremy Lin made eye contact, and Jeremy Lin understood instantly and ran over to cover Harden. The Heat made substitutions when the screen was on, which played right into Harden's plan.
Facing Ray Allen, who came over from defense, Harden took a breath, pushed his left foot on the ground, accelerated past Gentleman Ray, and faced Bosh, who came up to defend, and made a European step layup.
"Beep!"
The referee blew the whistle and the ball was scored.
"And One," Harden yelled.
The audience all stood up, applauded, and cheered excitedly.
