Xu Xinyan smiled and shook his head. Don't say it. Don't say it. People who are familiar with each other know better what the other person thinks.
Iverson made this shot and regained his form. In the next few rounds, he became more comfortable facing Lawson's defense.
They no longer stick to individual strong attacks, and sort out the team's offense becomes more reasonable.
Ariza, Green, Tucker and O'Neal each got good opportunities, and all four scored.
This is Iverson's style of play. He is the kind of person who needs to open himself up before he can drive the team.
For the Nuggets, Lawson and Fournier felt good and hit very difficult three-pointers one after another. Then Brewer made a foul on an air cut and made some achievements at the free throw line to help the Nuggets bite the score.
As Brewer failed to steal the ball and knocked the ball off the sideline, the game entered an official timeout. At 45:36, the Rockets led the Nuggets by 9 points.
"Iverson's outstanding performance really exceeded my expectations."
In the live broadcast room, Zhang Weiping sighed.
"I made the comparison based on his last season in the NBA three years ago. Originally, I thought it was pretty good for him to be at that level. Unexpectedly, his performance tonight has already reached the level he played with the Nuggets. During the period, he and Anthony formed a dual-core team. Of course, this is just one game, the sample is too small, and we still don’t know what the future will hold.”
Zhang Weiping continued:
"But as far as this game is concerned, Xu Xin may have found the best engine besides Harden."
This kind of evaluation is not a low one. If Xu Xin heard it, he would also say that it is reasonable! He signed with Iverson for this purpose.
On the Rockets bench, all the players greeted Iverson as if they were welcoming a returning hero, high-fiving him one after another.
This is a living legend. After leaving the NBA for three years, he can have such an amazing performance in the first game back. Looking at the history of the league for so many years, only the leader Qiao can do this.
They can see it with their own eyes and they can brag about it for a long time.
"sharp!"
McHale waited for Iverson to sit down and gave a thumbs up.
"Then you take a rest and take a breath. The main players come on the field. I only have one request: lead by double digits before halftime! Isn't this too much?"
McHale looked around, all the main players looked at it.
"Not too much!"
“Not too much at all!”
Harden and Garnett were the first to speak, and the other three nodded in agreement.
"Okay, this is what you promised. If you can't access the locker room door, you can't even get in!"
McHale half-joked that he wanted to give them a push this way.
The players laughed loudly after hearing this, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
The Nuggets are relatively bleak here. Being behind by 9 points is a small matter, but not having enough interior manpower is a big deal.
The expulsion of the monsters has invisibly put tremendous pressure on Faried. The latter has not rested for a minute since the start of the game. He is sweating profusely and is already out of breath.
Karl had a solemn look on his face, Faried had to rest, and Kufus' playing time was also not short. His physical strength has been poor, but what should we do next?
Only Mozgov and Anthony Randolph could take the lead, and Karl sighed.
Randolph's height of 2.08 is enough, but he is too light and his confrontation is too poor. He may be beaten when facing Garnett who is in excellent condition.
Not only that, the team's rebounding will also have a big problem, which is why he has not dared to replace Faried.
Back from the timeout, the Rockets are five up and five down. All the main players are back. Jeremy Lin, Harden, Butler, Garnett, and Asik are all gearing up. They have a mission. If they cannot lead by 2 digits, they will not be able to come back. Went to the locker room.
The Nuggets also made major adjustments, retaining only Lawson. Mozgov and Randolph partnered inside. Gallinari and Chandler also returned after half a quarter of rest.
"The Nuggets' inside line has become weaker. It depends on whether Jeremy Lin and Harden can seize this opportunity and make more fuss around the basket."
Xu Xin saw it clearly and said.
"Yes, both of them are good at breakthroughs. Although Mozgov and Randolph are taller and faster, the taller is slower and the faster is thinner. It is not difficult for Jeremy Lin and Harden to break through and lay up."
Yao Ming analyzed.
"I didn't expect you knew the Nuggets' bench very well. Have you played with them?"
Maddie was a little surprised.
"I haven't played before. I checked their information before the game."
Yao Ming chuckled.
On the court, Garnett sent a sideline ball to the frontcourt. Brewer just touched the ball out of bounds. The Rockets still had 8 seconds left in this attack.
Jeremy Lin used Asik's cover to successfully catch the ball and then directed his teammates to move.
Garnett quickly dropped to the low post and opened his hand for the ball. Jeremy Lin hit the ball quickly without wasting any time.
Garnett was very confident when facing Randolph. He bounced him away from a back-up confrontation, turned around and stepped up and down, hit a layup with his right hand, and easily scored two points.
47:36.
The Nuggets attack, with Lawson taking command from the center, and Chandler and Gallinari running quickly.
There is no way, neither Mozgov nor Randolph has much offensive ability. They mostly set up screens for their teammates and fight for rebounds. The team's tactical play is relatively limited.
But the hard work paid off. After Gallinari and Chandler ran twice in a row, Harden's defense was a little messed up. The next time he ran back, he didn't follow the opponent when changing defense.
Gallinari came out from the baseline and ran into a wide open opportunity.
Lawson saw it, flicked his wrist, and passed the ball straight to Gallinari.
The latter catches the ball, jumps, shoots, and takes the ball all at once.
"Uh-huh!"
The three-pointer hit the net, and the Nuggets bench stood up and cheered. At Houston's home court, they needed to make some noise of their own to boost their morale.
47:39.
"Harden still has this problem, it's a cliché. When he faces offensive players who move frequently, his defensive attention will not be focused, giving his opponents open opportunities. The regular season is fine, and he may win against the team in the playoffs. There are hidden dangers left.”
Zhang Weiping said.
When the Rockets attacked, Jeremy Lin dribbled to the frontcourt and still cleared one side to create singles opportunities for Garnett.
The latter caught the ball and continued to hit Randolph with his back, and bounced him away again after two confrontations.
Then he took a step towards the baseline and made a steady jump shot.
49:39.
Xu Xin's eyes lit up. After Garnett came to the Rockets, he rarely used such actions. His turnaround jump shot is different from Nowitzki and Aldridge. It is lighter and has a guaranteed hit rate.
"You can't guard against me, go home and wash up and sleep as soon as possible."
After the ball was scored, Garnett did not forget to talk trash to Randolph.
He has such a character that he doesn't care whether you are a junior or a senior, or whether you are a star player or a substitute player. As long as you play against him, he will go all out to defeat his opponent with actions and words.
