Xu Xin thought about it, and the game started at the referee's whistle.
The referee threw the ball high into the air, and Warcraft jumped up, hit the basketball first, and called Ty Lawson in the backcourt.
A skinny camel is bigger than a horse. Even though the Warcraft's athletic ability has declined due to problems on its back, it is still a presence that can crush Asik.
Lawson received the ball and dribbled to the frontcourt, and the Nuggets took the lead in attacking.
Warcraft fought hand-to-hand with Asik on the inside and soon took the position. Lawson did not dare to neglect and passed the ball to Warcraft. The latter took the initiative to catch the ball, pushed it to the basket with his back, half-turned and sent the ball into the basket with a small hook, 0:2.
"He's still the same as before. He only knows how to do hard work. He doesn't have anything new."
Yao Ming said with a smile when he saw the monster's attack.
"If you encounter him in the playoffs, you can teach him a lesson."
Maddie quipped.
"that's for sure."
Yao Ming smiled.
"You defended very well. If you just resist the defense like this, his physical fitness is no longer what it was then, and his shooting rate will not be high."
Jeremy Lin walked towards Asik and encouraged him.
Asik nodded. His task tonight was to limit Warcraft's shooting percentage to less than 50%. As for how many points he scored or how many rebounds he grabbed, it didn't matter. His teammates could make up for it.
Asik sent the baseline ball and saw the opponent's small guard Ty Lawson guarding the whole court. He took advantage of the situation and made a screen for Jeremy Lin who was receiving the ball, helping him get rid of the defense and pass the half court easily.
In McHale's tactical system, Jeremy Lin is the team's main offensive point in the first quarter. Nuggets veteran coach George Karl knew this very well and sent Ty Lawson to press him all over the court from the beginning. It can be said to be the right medicine for the situation.
Fortunately, with Asik's help, Jeremy Lin was not disturbed much. He came to the frontcourt with the ball, waited for Ty Lawson to get into a defensive position, and used the opportunity to play a high pick-and-roll with Asik to get rid of Lawson again.
Jeremy Lin rushed to the free throw line and saw that the Nuggets' two wings, Gallinari and Chandler, did not come to protect him, and Warcraft's defensive position was relatively deep.
Then he no longer hesitated and made a decisive mid-range jump shot, making it 2:2.
"Good ball. Jeremy Lin's statistics this season are not as dazzling as Lin's in New York last season. Many people think he is a flash in the pan. In fact, this is not the case. Jeremy Lin's abilities have improved this season. Although his statistics have shrunk, his shooting percentage has improved. Both his performance and efficiency are career highs. Especially his mid-range jumpers and open three-pointers are extremely reliable."
Zhang Weiping praised.
After Jeremy Lin scored, he did not retreat immediately. Instead, he responded in kind and guarded Lawson for the entire game.
Lawson called Faried to come over to cover. Jeremy Lin collided with Faried while going around the screen, and then fell to the ground.
This scene happened right under the nose of the referee, "Beep!" covering the foul.
Rockets fans applauded and discussed enthusiastically:
"As expected of a top student who graduated from a prestigious school, he has a good brain."
"I admit that he has acting qualities, but who makes him a Rockets player? He looks good and I love watching him!"
In the box, Yao Ming couldn't laugh or cry when he saw the scene in front of him:
"This kid is playing evil tricks."
"How does it compare to the original Luis (Scola)?"
Xu Xin joked.
"It's still a little behind Lewis, but given time, we will definitely surpass it."
Maddie said pretending to be serious.
Jeremy Lin's well-timed dive helped the Rockets win the ball. He also used this ball to beat Lawson one-on-one, stopped and turned around and hit the mid-range shot again, 4:2.
"This is Jeremy Lin's signature move. He began to use it extensively last season. It is very useful when facing defenders shorter than himself."
Yang Jian said.
After the ball was scored, Jeremy Lin defended the whole court again. This time Lawson was on guard and did not choose to use the screen to escape. Instead, he passed Jeremy Lin and reached the frontcourt through skillful dribbling and changing speed.
Jeremy Lin lost his position and chased behind, creating a short-term opportunity to play more and less in the frontcourt.
Lawson did not hesitate and drove straight into the penalty area. Asik quickly stepped forward to protect the frame, missing the monster behind him.
Warcraft pointed at the basket covertly. Lawson understood it and threw the ball high with his right hand. Asik jumped hard but still couldn't touch it.
The height of the ball was too high for him, but it was just right for the monster behind him.
Warcraft took off lightly, grabbed the basketball with both hands in the air, and smashed it into the basket.
"Boom!"
Alley-oop completed, 4:4.
After the World of Warcraft landed, he celebrated like a plane taking off, as happy as a child.
"His mentality is still too immature. When he is happy, he will be very active on the court, and when he is unhappy, he will play passively."
Maddie shook her head and said.
"If he could use his talents better, I might not be my opponent."
Yao Ming said in agreement.
After Lawson passed a beautiful alley-oop, he took a step forward and continued to stay close to Jeremy Lin.
"Good guys, these two are fighting today."
Zhang Weiping smiled when he saw Lawson's actions.
Jeremy Lin received the ball and was well prepared for Lawson's sudden attack. He used a silky behind-the-back dribble to get out of position. When Lawson made another attack, he changed direction and passed him cleanly.
Jeremy Lin accelerated forward and dribbled one step beyond the three-point line. Seeing that the opponent was not defending, he raised his hand and hit a three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
The three-pointer hit the net, 7:4.
After Jeremy Lin made the shot, he turned around and saw Lawson coming over. He said, "Continue to defend like this next time." He ran back to his own half.
Lawson said nothing, staring at Jeremy Lin's back.
"We see that Jeremy Lin took the lead in making changes. This time he no longer leads the defense."
Yang Jian said.
"Lawson has adapted to his defensive intensity. If no changes are made, Jeremy Lin will be very passive."
Zhang Weiping analyzed.
After Lawson caught the ball, his eyes became sharp. What he was least afraid of was provocation from his opponent. He had to get serious.
Dribbling to the frontcourt, Lawson called Faried up to play the pick-and-roll, and then dribbled "in and out" to mislead Jeremy Lin to go around the screen to the other side, gaining space for himself. Then he jumped up and shot a shot. A nice three-pointer.
"Uh-huh!"
The basketball went hollow into the net, and Lawson responded in kind, 7:7.
After the ball was scored, Lawson did not forget to look at Jeremy Lin, raising his chin slightly with a disdainful look.
Jeremy Lin smiled slightly and didn't take it seriously.
He has achieved his goal. He has a relatively gentle personality and it is not his style to provoke opponents on the court. He did this uncharacteristically just now, and he did it intentionally.
Xu Xin told him before the game that he should look for the right moment to anger Lawson. As the brains of the Nuggets' backcourt, Lawson's mind sometimes gets hot and makes some irrational offensive choices.
