Delfino's two cloud-piercing arrows saved Vogel, and the lead returned to 7 points.
With Ariza's half-time buzzer-beating shot, the three quarters ended, 90:97, and the Rockets trailed by 7 points entering the fourth quarter.
Yu Jia, Su Kui, and everyone including Xu Xin thought that the Rockets would regain their form in the fourth quarter. When they caught up, the Rockets surprised people.
Stephenson burst out with amazing energy in the final quarter, hitting the inside continuously and succeeding, and then also hit a three-pointer from the outside.
Ariza was beaten three times in a row, but he had no problem defending every time. Stephenson's unreasonable playing style is really difficult to deal with once the touch is online.
As for the Rockets, O'Neal, the main offensive point on the field, obviously lacked stamina in this quarter, and failed to make two strong inside attacks.
Livingston, another player who can attack with the ball, also couldn't find the touch, so he hit the mid-range shot.
Stephenson jumped high to collect the rebound, quickly counterattacked, ran to the frontcourt and shot the ball two steps away from the three-point line.
The fans at the scene were in shock. Not only them, but also the two commentators Yu Jia and Su Kui did not predict his shot choice.
"Uh-huh!"
The basketball hit the net and the audience burst into cheers after a brief silence.
The Pacers bench was happy, waving towels vigorously, this can make it!
The Rockets players were a little bit confused. In less than three minutes of this quarter, the score difference became 17 points.
Xu Xin looked at the score on the screen, 90:107, and said nothing.
"Xu, before the game you said it would be difficult for the Rockets to win this game. It seems you were right. Were the changes in this quarter also what you expected?"
Bird said with a smile.
"Not really, but the Rockets' recent poor state really bothers me. They always collapse suddenly in the third and fourth quarters."
Xu Xin shook his head and smiled bitterly.
"There is no problem with the player's strength, but it is caused by the accumulation of fatigue. I see that the core players of the Rockets, James (Harden), Jimmy (Butler), including Jeremy (Jeremy Lin), average 30 minutes of playing time per game. minutes or more, James and Jimmy even reached 36 minutes. But except for the three of them, the Rockets have no long-term stable scoring ability."
Bird analyzed.
"Yes, I am also thinking of ways to help them reduce their burden. You know, the season is about to be halfway through and they have not missed a single game."
Xu Xin said.
In the Huaxia live broadcast room, the two commentators had different views on this.
"I think McHale's rotation was a little chaotic tonight, and Vogel led him away."
Su Kui said decisively.
"Yes, normally, Harden will play as a substitute at the beginning of the fourth quarter. As a commander, Harden attracts defenses with his powerful offensive threat and dominates the ball to create opportunities for his teammates. If his teammates are not feeling good, Well, he can also rely on his personal ability to score points. This is a logical closed loop. As long as Harden's condition does not fluctuate too much, the Rockets will be invincible."
Yu Jia analyzed.
"Today, Harden played too long in the third quarter. During that time, McHale focused on killing Hibbert, which paved the way for the current big deficit."
Su Kui took the words and said.
McHale also realized the problem and called a timeout to replace Harden, but it was too late to make amends.
Vogel will also get back George, Pierce and Hibbert, while retaining Stephenson and Delfino who have performed well.
"Vogel's hiring is very bold. The Rockets' defensive line offensive ability ranks among the best in the league. Vogel is very clear about this, so tonight he only used Hill, a small guard. The rest of the time, he basically Use Stephenson at the one position."
Su Kui analyzed.
After Harden came on board, the Rockets' offense improved, but they were unable to limit Hibbert and Pierce on the defensive end.
Pierce had enough energy in the third quarter, and from the beginning of this quarter, he was on full fire.
"Paul Pierce is closing the game."
Xu Xin murmured to himself, which happened to be clearly heard by Bird beside him.
Bird said proudly:
"That's natural. Paul is still at the forefront of the league, a small forward second only to LeBron (James), Carmelo (Anthony), and Kevin (Durant)."
Xu Xin was not annoyed that Bird automatically ignored Butler.
In tonight's duel, although Butler and Pierce were tied on the scene, in terms of actual effect, Pierce is undoubtedly better. His experience and judgment are too sophisticated.
As Pierce made a difficult three-pointer against Ariza, 95:110, the Rockets were still 15 points behind.
McHale called a timeout again. There were still six minutes left in the game. He sent out a small lineup of Jeremy Lin, Harden, Butler, Ariza and Garnett. He was preparing to rely on offense to chase points.
Vogel had already expected it, and during the timeout, he told his players to expand their defense and not give the Rockets an easy chance to shoot a three-pointer.
The players have a high level of execution on the court, and it is not easy for the Rockets to chase points through long shots.
Only one three-pointer was hit in three rounds, and when it was the Pacers' turn to attack, Pierce controlled the rhythm with the ball on the court, and waited until the end of almost every round before taking a shot.
Now, time is their best friend.
As Harden missed a three-pointer, Hibbert collected the rebound. The game entered the last two minutes, 106:122, and the Rockets were still 16 points behind.
McHale saw that the defeat was certain and there was no hope of reversal. When the ball was dead, he waved his hand and called the gold to retreat.
The scattered Rockets fans at the scene chose to leave. For them, they came to take advantage of the excitement and left in dismay. It was not a beautiful night.
The same is true for Xu Xin and the Rockets generals.
In the box, Xu Xin said nothing. It was not that losing made it difficult for him to laugh, but that he was thinking about how to help the team get out of trouble.
Two consecutive losses and poor overall record recently, are they really just caused by fatigue?
Xu Xin suddenly felt that when opponents began to focus on the Rockets' tactics, the Rockets had no good solutions.
Just like tonight's game, the Rockets players were in good shape in the first half and led by 7 points at halftime.
But in the second half, Vogel came up with his trump card, tightening the blockade on Harden and Butler, pursuing success rate in every attack, and hitting the ball inside.
Harden and Butler were unable to maintain efficiency throughout the game when facing a good enough defensive system.
"The problem still lies in the paint. When Yao Ming returns, the Rockets' biggest shortcomings will be filled."
Xu Xin sighed and exhaled, feeling much better. At least he found a solution.
