In the second quarter, the Nets made personnel adjustments and replaced Deron and Luo, who played the entire first quarter, as well as veteran Stackhouse. Replaced with Humphries, Watson and Eagle King Joe Johnson, who didn't play much in the first quarter, this is considered a regular rotation.
On the Rockets' side, McHale made a bold rotation attempt. The team unprecedentedly deployed Iverson, Jeremy Lin and Harden, a three-guard combination on the outside, and the two towers of O'Neal and Garnett on the inside, which is eye-catching. One light.
As soon as these five people came on the field, the commentator was confused, the fans were confused, and the players on the opposite side were also confused.
What is this, what is this, for a moment they didn’t know who to face off against.
"How to defend, the coach didn't say, otherwise we just go according to size."
Joe Johnson said.
"I think it will work."
Watson is gearing up. As the shortest player on the team, he naturally has to face Iverson. Iverson is his idol, and they don't have many opportunities to interact with each other, which is what he dreams of.
The Rockets took the lead in attacking, and Iverson advanced with the ball.
Compared with Iverson, Jeremy Lin and Harden have more experience without the ball. McHale arranges for Iverson to hold the ball, which is the best way for the three of them to coexist.
Iverson came to the frontcourt, called Garnett to come over to cover, and started a pick-and-roll to start the game.
Garnett stood still and helped Iverson get rid of the defense. The latter sped up and rushed inside to attract Humphries' defense. He passed the ball with a coquettish back to find Garnett who bounced out of the pick-and-roll.
Garnett caught the ball without hesitation, took a jump shot, and made a solid mid-range shot.
At 34:32, he helped the Rockets score the first sports game score of the second quarter.
"Good shot, this pass is so imaginative. Everyone thought Iverson would do it alone, but he chose to pass the ball instead, and Garnett also grasped it firmly. The No. 5 pick in the 1995 class and the No. 1 pick in the 1996 class I don’t know how many more times we can see this wonderful cooperation, let’s just watch and cherish it.”
Yang Yi couldn't help but burst into tears when he said this.
As a senior basketball commentator, his love for basketball surpasses many people. To be honest, he is grateful to Xu Xin in his heart. It was Xu Xin who brought two former superstars to the Rockets, allowing people to see the cooperation between the two. Although they are both in their twilight years, they are content.
"McHale chose to use a three-guard combination of Iverson, Jeremy Lin and Harden. There is no problem on the offensive end, but I am a little worried about their defense. Not only is the height and strength gap with the opponent, but more importantly, the three of them He hasn’t been a defensive player his whole career.”
Yu Jia said solemnly.
But soon, the three of them proved that Yu Jia's worries were unnecessary with their performance on the field.
Watson dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and handed it to Joe Johnson to attack.
Harden faced him. Joe Johnson looked at the bearded man in front of him, raised the corners of his mouth slightly, and thought to himself:
Finally, Ariza and Butler weren't here to guard me, so it was time for me to show off.
He shuffled continuously and made a mid-range pull-up jumper.
"Bang!"
The basketball hit the basket. This was his first shot of the game. It's understandable that his touch was not online yet.
O'Neal Jr. collected the rebound and handed it to Iverson to counterattack.
Iverson caught the ball and ran forward quickly. Watson was also not slow and followed closely.
Seeing that Iverson couldn't get rid of the high-speed advancement, he stopped suddenly and started to change rhythm. The sudden slowdown and then acceleration caught Watson off guard, and he slipped and fell to the ground.
The scene was filled with exclamations. Iverson remained calm and continued to speed up the attack on the inside. Brooks was the only one left in front of him.
Iverson took off with all his strength, pulled the stick in the air, and made a perfect layup.
"Good shot. Iverson made a one-stop counterattack. He first passed Watson and then scored a layup over Brooks. This goal is no less impressive than it was back then."
Yang Yi said excitedly.
At 36:32, Iverson helped the Rockets extend their lead to two rounds.
Watson got up from the ground and gave a wry smile. He had tried his best just now, but he still became the background of his idol. This shot just now must be among the top ten. I didn’t expect that my first time playing in the top ten would be in this way.
He took a deep breath, regrouped, and must be more careful next time.
The dribble came to the frontcourt and was handed to Joe Johnson on the wing again.
Johnson faced the bearded man again, and this time he chose to face the frame and turn his back.
He just made a mid-range shot, and he felt that his touch was not very good. To be on the safe side, he shot inward first. After all, the philosophy of basketball remains unchanged. The closer you are to the basket, the higher your hit rate.
If you are lucky and cause Harden to foul, you can not only score, but also take advantage of free throws to find your touch, killing two birds with one stone.
Joe Johnson thought so and started his own action.
"Bang bang!"
Johnson fought hard and pushed against Harden's chest. The spectators who were close could hear the banging sound of muscles colliding.
But Harden behind him was like an old monk in trance, with his feet planted on the ground. Facing Johnson's great strength, he didn't move at all.
Johnson was greatly surprised. This was completely beyond his expectation. For a moment, he didn't know what to do next.
Xu Xin, who was sitting behind the Rockets bench, smiled slightly and hit Harden with his back. You can imagine that.
Not to mention you are just a swingman, even if you are a beast inside like Randolph, you may not be able to withstand it.
"Beep!"
The referee's whistle sounded and there was a 5-second violation.
Johnson looked stunned that he had made such a low-level mistake.
"Brother, you almost turned me on, that's all."
Harden said with a smile and gestures.
When Johnson heard this, he shook his head helplessly and smiled. This kind of mentality was of no use to him, but it was an indisputable fact that he was weak on the offensive end.
The Rockets had the ball. Iverson dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and handed it to Harden. He ran to the bottom corner and waited for the opportunity.
McHale requires the three defenders to have more changes. They cannot always be dominated by one person. The three of them must take turns to attack and touch the ball more to maintain their touch.
Harden dribbled to the top of the arc and asked O'Neal to cover.
The moment O'Neal was positioned, Harden accelerated and used the pick-and-roll to break through.
Faced with Blatche's big delay and Johnson's pursuit behind him, Harden went through the flowers like a butterfly.
He snaked past the two of them, jumped to the basket and started to launch. He ignored Humphries' two-hand block and launched a tomahawk dunk with the bowstring fully drawn. The dunk was so powerful and heavy that it was quite shocking.
The whole audience screamed, and then cheers broke out. The Rockets bench was full of atmosphere. The towels waving in their hands almost flew away, and the scene was out of control.
In the live broadcast room, Yang Yi and Yu Jia were equally surprised and speechless. Yang Yi no longer knew what language to use to describe it, only the modal particles "oh ho ho".
Everyone couldn't believe that the bearded man also had such explosive output.
