It may be back-to-back away games. In addition to playing two games within 48 hours, players also have to deal with the fatigue caused by travel, which has a great impact on their physical strength.
But Xu Xin feels that it has more to do with the lineup and style of play. After trading away Deron and Boozer, the opponent's overall strength has not dropped much and is still in the middle of the league.
Inside, Al Jefferson is one of the best centers in the league with outstanding low-post skills.
There are also Millsap, Favors, Marvin Williams, DeMarre Carroll and other forwards who are faster and don't suffer from size.
Coupled with the rising star "Hai Gonggong" Gordon Hayward AKA E-Sports Boy who has become the boss of the team,
This team is mainly based on the inside, which gives them an advantage when facing the Rockets.
The Rockets' perimeter was not accurate enough tonight to give the Jazz enough counterattack.
"Ding, if you lose the game, 25 points will be deducted, leaving 525 points."
Xu Xin's expression was relaxed. No one wanted to lose, but losing was also part of the game.
Especially when faced with such a tight schedule, which can be said to be back-to-back games in the shortest term, or three away games in four days or three cities in the long term.
The team set a goal before the start, to win at least two games, maintain two and compete for three. Butler scored the winning goal last night, which is equivalent to giving away this game.
However, although the game was lost, Xu Xin did not lose.
Why do you say that? Because the Rockets' most stable performer tonight is Chandler Parsons.
He made 8 of 15 shots, including 3 of 7 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block. He filled up the data column. If he continues to play like this, Anji is afraid that I can't sit still.
On the plane back to Houston, Xu Xin was fast asleep with his goggles on. Even though he didn't play a game and just ran around with the team, he was also very tired these days.
The opposite of Xu Xin is Harden and Butler. Their movements are very synchronized, with their left hands in their pockets and their right hands holding their mobile phones. Their thumbs keep sliding across the screen, with very depressed expressions.
In last night's game, both of them performed abnormally.
Harden made 1 of 13 shots, 6 of 8 free throws, 9 points, 7 assists and 5 turnovers. Butler made 2 of 9 shots and scored 6 points and 6 rebounds. The two Rockets stars hit me hard and nearly knocked the Jazz's home rim off its side. The maintenance crew was still doing repairs this morning.
Both men were scolded on social media.
"The gap between Harden and Kobe is not that big. No matter how tough Kobe is, he won't hit 1 in 13."
"Harden and Kobe have different positions. Kobe is a shooting guard, while Harden is both scoring and organization, and is a combo guard."
"Upstairs, what is a combo guard? Five turnovers? Everyone who has watched the game knows that Kobe just doesn't want to pass the ball. He really wants to pass the ball with all his imagination!
They are all wonderful passes, the kind that feed the ball directly into the mouth and score. Let’s look at your Deng Deng pass. It was awkward for 20 seconds at the top of the arc. If it sounds good, it’s called dealing, but if it doesn’t sound good, it’s called passing the blame! "
"Don't be ridiculous, Harden is also a shooting guard, but not a shooting guard like Kobe, but a shooting guard."
"My family, who understands? I can't understand the game anymore. When did there be a 9-point line?"
"How powerful did I think it was to kill my lake last night? I saw it today and this is it?"
"It's true that we are unlucky to let such a guy score a goal. This ball will last a lifetime!"
"Let me tell you a little trivia: Butler is the illegitimate son of the gang leader (Wang Chai)"
"However, the title of Young Gang Leader belongs to Leonard, and Butler does not deserve it!"
Replied downstairs.
Jeremy Lin secretly looked at their mobile phone screens and understood.
"Winning or losing is a normal thing for a soldier. Everyone has times when they don't perform well. Keyboard warriors always know how to play but don't know how to play. Don't worry about it. You two are training so hard.
Believe me, God will definitely favor those who run hard. "
Jeremy Lin said.
The three of them looked at each other and smiled. Jeremy Lin was always so heartwarming, and he always gave his teammates the most encouragement and support.
Back in Houston, everyone took a good rest and regrouped to prepare for the next game.
On November 22, facing the eighth-ranked Bulls in the Eastern Conference, Rose suffered a season-ending injury due to a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee.
When "Mask Man" Hamilton also stopped playing due to injury, the Bulls' starting backcourt became "little potatoes" Nate Robinson and Kirk Hinrich.
The weak and short back line became the Rockets' breakthrough point, while the Bulls' inside line composed of Noah and Boozer moved relatively slowly, especially Boozer.
Facing the Rockets' frequent pick-and-rolls, Boozer was panting from exhaustion. He also experienced the pain of Yao Ming facing Deron in the playoffs that year.
The Harlem duo shined throughout the game. With such a bald head (Boozer) as a crosshair, they could shoot three-pointers at will, and the game was spent in three quarters.
In the end, the Rockets defeated the Bulls 125:101, sweeping away the haze of losing to the Jazz on the court.
Six Rockets players scored in double figures. Harden had 26 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. Jeremy Lin had 17 points, 3 rebounds and 6 assists. Butler had 15 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals. Parsons had 22 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists. Livingston had 12 points. , Ariza 12 points.
Xu Xin is very satisfied with this, especially Parsons, who plays very efficiently and has a stable grasp of the three-point line. In this way, he has a 3D player who can defend three-pointers.
In the current league, it is still rare. Things are rare and expensive, and some teams have already asked about the price.
Two days later, the Rockets continued to sit at home against the visiting New York Knicks.
Facing his old club, Jeremy Lin played very actively in this game, and the whole team was willing to create opportunities for him. Jeremy Lin took 25 crazy shots in the game, which was basically the number of shots he usually took in two games.
Jeremy Lin took 25 shots and hit 13 of them, including 5 of 11 three-pointers and 6 of 7 free throws. He scored 37 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals.
Not only did his teammates choose to believe in Jeremy Lin's offense, they also provided sufficient support on the defensive end.
Ariza, Butler, and Parsons took turns marking Anthony, making Melo feel uncomfortable.
Ariza and Butler are very tough, and he has to work hard every time he plays in the low post. Especially Butler, who doesn't look very strong. He looks like a carrot and can't push up no matter how hard he tries. It's like he's planted on the floor. .
Switching to Parsons' defense, Melo continued to fight with the same strength as before. Parsons' backhand was a kick that made him fall two and a half miles away.
The referee whistle blows, offensive foul! Anthony looked helpless, what is all this? Either they can't stand up, or they fly away as soon as they are hit. The Rockets' front line is really a mess of demons, each using their own tricks.
Anthony's defense burned up his CPU, and he didn't know how to exert his strength on the court.
Coupled with the fact that Stoudemire, the second in charge of the team, had just returned from injury and was in poor condition, the Knicks only lasted three and a half quarters before surrendering.
