But this goal also seemed to open up Anderson's career. Anderson, who had previously made 0 of 5 three-pointers, turned around and bounced out of the pick-and-roll, receiving an assist from Vasquez, and finally hit the three-pointer at 51:33.
After the ball scored, Anderson roared and vented all his depression. Looking back, I was actually much more active on the defensive end.
Anticipated Harden's passing route, completed the steal, and assisted Gordon to chase for a three-pointer.
51:36.
The Hornets stopped the Rockets with two consecutive three-pointers. Although they were still leading by 15 points, McHale still chose to be cautious. The opponent's three-pointers were missed and he needed to manually cool down.
"Be steady and don't make mistakes. It doesn't matter if you can't make the shot. Retreat quickly and pay attention to Eric (Gordon) and Ryan (Anderson). Don't give them an easy shot."
McHale repeated everything in detail, hoping that in this way the players would remember it more deeply and translate it into effects on the field.
Come back from the pause and it works immediately.
Harden faced Gordon one-on-one. He dribbled the ball continuously in one direction. He reset his steps and started to dig. He passed him in one step and rushed to the basket to meet Lopez's defense. This time he did not pass the ball again. , choose to go it alone.
Facing Lopez, who was blocking his path, Harden's classic European step, left and right, with just the right rhythm and speed, kept Lopez firmly in place.
Then he made a low layup and hit the board.
53:36.
Looking back, it's still Harden. Vasquez breaks through with big strides. Harden swipes from the side to defend, cuts the basketball accurately with one palm, controls the ball and runs forward, looking back to see how close the pursuer is to him. Very far away, I have given up catching up.
The tomahawk dunk provides a photo moment for Hornets fans.
55:36.
When the Hornets attacked, Gordon was eager for success. He took a step away from the three-point line and shot hard against Harden. The trajectory was positive, but in order to avoid Harden's block, Gordon deliberately raised the arc and lacked strength. Basketball Hit the front edge of the basket and pop out.
Garnett collected the rebound and looked up to see that Harden was running forward at full speed. He accurately guided a four-point long pass and successfully connected. Harden caught the ball and started with another one-handed dunk.
At 57:36, after the timeout, Harden scored 6 points in a minute, helping the team expand the lead to double digits again.
The Hornets head coach also called for a timeout to adjust. He doesn't want to give up yet, and he can't give up.
"It seems that tonight's game is stable. James and Allen are both online. It's time for the shooters to find the touch and end the game."
Lucas Sr. said confidently.
Xu Xin muttered:
"Maybe it's not that simple. The state of the Hornets players tonight is to have a gambling mentality. Many shot selections are not conventional methods. Although it is more difficult, the victory lies in determination. From that first quarter, no matter how hard the shot was, how could it not be scored? There has been some improvement in this quarter, but if their touch continues to improve, we will be in trouble."
"No, my physical fitness dropped in the second half, and my shooting percentage should probably drop."
Old Lucas said dubiously.
After the timeout, the execution ability of the Hornets players was equally good. Gordon ran without the ball to find an open opportunity. Vasquez had a good timing of passing the ball. The ball came to the man.
Facing an open opportunity, Gordon firmly grasped it and raised his hand to hit the net with a three-pointer.
57:39.
When Harden came back, he wanted to return the previous one. He dribbled continuously in one direction to find rhythm, then started diagonally to the back, stepped back 012, opened up the space and jumped up to shoot.
The shot was very determined, but it was a little crooked. The basketball hit the basket. Lopez made a big block under the basket, firmly stuck in position, and helped clear the obstacles for his teammates. Aminu collected the rebound.
Then he dribbled the ball to counterattack, strode to the frontcourt, and attacked the basket resolutely, causing Butler to foul.
Made two free throws from the free throw line, 57:41.
The Hornets came back from the timeout and stubbornly pushed the point difference back to 16 points again.
Although the offense has improved, the defense is still unable to effectively restrict Harden.
The reason why the ball was defended just now was not actually due to how good Gordon's defense was. Harden's step back had already made the second brother sigh in despair. It was just that Harden himself did not make a move.
But Harden is Harden after all. He may miss some shots, but he won't always fail to score.
In the next round, Harden once again used the 012 step-back three-pointer, and this time the basketball hit the net accurately.
60:41, the score difference is approaching 20 points again.
The Hornets were also tough. Aminu had just found his touch through free throws. This time he took Gordon's breakthrough pass and seized the semi-open opportunity in the bottom corner. He hit his first three-pointer of the game. 60:44.
After the ball was scored, Aminu himself seemed very excited, making a three-point gesture and shaking his head in joy.
"The Hornets had three players hit threes."
Xu Xin's face looked a little solemn.
"That doesn't make you right."
Old Lucas also became a little nervous. It was not that the 16-point lead made him feel unsafe, but mainly because Xu Xin's views had always been accurate, which made him a little uneasy.
This game tonight must be won. Although the Rockets have now risen to first place in the Western Conference, they cannot rest easy.
The Thunder behind them are only 0.5 games away from the Rockets, and the third-ranked Spurs are only one win away from the Rockets. If one of the three teams loses its place, the ranking will change immediately.
On the court, Harden hit another mid-range pull-up jumper, and he already scored 20 points.
But the Hornets can respond based on the evidence. This time it was Vasquez, who received Gordon's breakthrough pass and scored two points.
Harden felt hot in his hand, like an offensive kaleidoscope that was unstoppable.
But except for him, others have been unable to find their form.
Butler felt average today. He stole Aminu from the front and counterattacked for a layup. Under Gordon's interference, he went up to the neck of the basket.
Jeremy Lin seemed to be infected too. He cut in in the next round and failed to score an empty layup when no one was marking him.
On the contrary, the Hornets players all fought hard to take the lead. Gordon made a good start, and Anderson followed up. After that, Aminu, Vasquez and Lopez also scored.
After halftime, the Rockets were 66:55, only leading the Hornets by 11 points.
The Rockets players looked a little annoyed. After leading so much in the first quarter, they actually let their opponents catch up in the second quarter. Together, they lost points in the second quarter. This was the most famous player in the Hornets, Brother Big Eyebrows. In the absence of Davis.
They now have a clear goal and are determined to compete for the championship. It should not be played like this in this quarter.
But if you think about it carefully, is it because the defense is not doing enough? Not really.
Many of the opponent's shots are difficult to shoot, but they can still be scored. Who can explain this.
