One Guard

The atmosphere of a battle had already permeated the entire stadium. When the referee signaled the starting five players from both sides to stand in the designated area, all the fans cheered impatiently.

Dwight Howard looked at Gobert in front of him jokingly, even with a slight smile on his face. Howard's confidence is not groundless. Although Howard's performance in the first round of the playoffs was good and bad, overall he was pretty good.

In front of a strong man like Jordan, Howard played smoothly. He still didn't believe that the Frenchman, who was as thin as a bamboo pole, could restrain himself.

Maybe Howard, who was too busy in the first round, didn't have time to watch the Pelicans-Mavericks series, so he didn't know how good Gobert's performance was.

Restricting Anthony Davis is not something everyone can do.

The referee blew the whistle, and Howard jumped up suddenly, trying to show off his jumping ability. However, Gobert was one finger ahead of Howard and easily pushed the basketball away.

"Rudy's height is completely beyond Dwight's reach!" Barkley yelled. As soon as the game started, Howard was stunned.

Yiyang controlled the ball unhurriedly and advanced. Although he had only rested for a few more days, this long-lost battle atmosphere still made him extremely excited. He was like a shark smelling the smell of blood, eager to kill everyone in front of him. and shredded.

But being excited, Yiyang still played very carefully. The biggest change for the Rockets this season is that they pay more attention to defending the opponent's pick-and-roll. They have successfully improved the defensive effect of the pick-and-roll through strategic adjustments. The Rockets are fifth in the league in guarding pick-and-roll ball handlers this season, and are second in the league in blocking opponents' spot-up jumpers. The first place is the Dallas Mavericks.

To put it bluntly, McHale racked his brains and finally solved the problem of Harden always missing people. But when Wade cut through the ball-free screen and Yiyang passed the ball to assist the former for an easy layup, McHale was dumbfounded.

The Mavericks' offense often doesn't give you time to react! Yiyang's passes are always very timely. Before anyone else notices the opportunity, he can already outline a perfect offensive route in his mind.

Wade took the lead for the Mavericks, and it seemed that the "Flash" still maintained his superstar status in the first round.

Under normal circumstances, this kind of veteran's performance in the playoffs will be better. The regular season schedule is relatively tight, with back-to-back games and consecutive road trips that require flying back and forth. In the playoffs, there is relatively sufficient rest time between games, so that the physical fitness of the veterans can be fully replenished. Therefore, even if the competition in the playoffs is more intense, the veterans will perform better. This is the reason why many veterans did nothing during the regular season, but in the playoffs they seemed to have been beaten to death.

But the Rockets were not discouraged by Wade's goal. James Harden personally controlled the ball through halftime. In the Rockets' lineup, Harden is actually more like a point guard, while Terry is Like shooting guard.

Ariza saw the Rockets attacking and ran quickly to find an opening for a three-pointer. This season, the Rockets' offense has been quite extreme. They shoot three-pointers crazily, or break into the penalty area and draw fouls, but rarely take shots from mid-range. This guy McHale is pursuing the ultimate in efficiency!

But when Ariza was frustrated, even after using Josh's off-ball screen, he still couldn't get rid of Tony Allen, who was biting him like a mad dog.

He didn't know why the Mavericks would let Tony Allen start today, as if God was really teasing him on purpose.

Not only Ariza, but people on the commentary table didn't know why Carlisle suddenly benched Iguodala. Their only guess is that maybe Iguodala is not feeling well today.

Seeing that Ariza couldn't get out of the way, Harden raised his hand and called Howard to cover!

The Rockets' style of play is really not much different from last season. They use Harden as the core defender to constantly play pick-and-rolls, and use breakthroughs to distribute the ball to create opportunities inside and outside.

There is really no way to give the ball to Harden for a single. McHale's offensive game is so simple that Carlisle can tell it with his eyes closed.

But it was this simple method that allowed the Rockets to get through all the way and get here. In basketball tactics, the more complicated it is, the better it is.

Don't tell me, Howard's pick-and-roll quality is really excellent. Wade was stunned but did not push away. Seeing this situation, Yiyang had to guard against the bearded man.

However, Harden skillfully passed the ball to Terry, who fired from long range before Wade could catch up. Three-pointers, this is Terry's trump card!

"Good shot! Jason Terry, facing his former team the Mavericks, Terry hit a three-pointer as soon as he came up."

After scoring, Terry flew close to the ground at the American Airlines Center for the first time in a long time and made his signature gliding celebration. However, seeing this scene now, the Mavericks players couldn't help but laugh.

The next time they defended, the Rockets did a great job. Yiyang took advantage of the cover to break through, but Josh Smith quickly made up the defense. I have to admit that using Josh as the starting four is much better than using Lithuanian Motyjunas. If this ball had been replaced by Motel, he would not have had time to make up the defense.

Seeing this situation, Yiyang gave the ball to Dirk. However, before Dirk could take action, Howard got involved again. The Rockets' defense was very quick, and their defense was much better than Yiyang imagined.

Although the Mavericks swept the Rockets in the regular season this season, in fact, the Rockets, who have experienced major injuries this season, have very different lineups in each period. It can be said that, except for Harden, the other four players in the Rockets' starting lineup seem to be different every time they meet the Mavericks.

The Rockets are special here. If the Mavericks have maintained a high level from the beginning of the regular season to the present, it is a straight line. The Rockets went from mediocre to top, and continued to improve as the season progressed, eventually drawing an upward slope.

Nowitzki's shot was interfered by Howard and missed the frame. Josh roughly pushed Yiyang away and pocketed the rebound.

Counterattack after defense, this is the Rockets' third major scoring weapon. James Harden advanced quickly with the ball, and Howard ran all over the court to participate in the fast break. At this time, there seemed to be no distinction between positions on the basketball court. Everyone was running very fast, and no one was behind them.

As players become more versatile and the five positions blur, this seems to have become an inevitable trend in basketball.

Harden suddenly raised the basketball mid-run. Gobert jumped high to stop him. He thought Howard was going to make an alley-oop!

Unexpectedly, Howard did not take off. Harden raised the basketball and turned his wrist, passing the ball to Josh Smith, who cut quickly from the center.

Gobert was out of position due to a misjudgment, and Nowitzki was completely unable to keep up with Josh. So after receiving the basketball, Josh didn't even have to dribble, he just took two steps and dunked!

The smoothness of the Rockets' offense even surprised Carlisle. "Do you think that if James Harden is placed at the No. 1 position, his playing effect will be better?"

After watching Harden's wonderful organization in two consecutive rounds, Carlisle seemed to see more potential in the bearded man.

Armstrong didn't answer the question because he couldn't. But it won't be long before a mustache named D'Antoni will confirm Carlisle's suspicion.

5 to 2, the Houston Rockets' fearless momentum really came out in the game. A team that can complete a counterattack in a desperate situation of 3-1 cannot be without some weight.

"Stay steady and play slowly!" At this time, a shout came from the court, it was Yiyang.

While controlling the ball, he raised his right hand and pressed down, signaling everyone to stabilize the situation and not panic. The opponent just played a 5-0 wave, nothing surprising.

Carlisle smiled happily, because he was about to get up and ask the players to stabilize the situation, but Yiyang had already done it for him.

The Rockets can play pick-and-rolls, and the Mavericks' pick-and-rolls are equally powerful. The Rockets' defense switch just now was indeed very good, but not every time, they can just fill the gap.

This time, the person who blocked Yiyang became Dirk. With Dirk outside the three-point line, Josh Smith was naturally pinned to death. If you dare to let the German shoot, the German will shoot you alive.

After Yiyang completed the breakthrough, he did not confront Howard head-on. Instead, he suddenly slowed down and pushed Terry away with his butt, gaining himself some shooting space. Then, Yiyang made a small throw, and the basketball rubbed the backboard from the side and fell gracefully.

Never try to hit an offensive climax on the Mavericks, because Yiyang will not allow this to happen. Even if he is in a desperate situation, Yiyang can use his personal abilities to solve the problem.

The rhythm of the first few rounds between the two sides seemed to set the tone for this game. In the next few minutes, the Rockets and Mavericks exchanged offense and defense. If you want to score, everyone must score. If no goal is scored, neither team can score.

There seems to be a mirror between the two teams, because the ups and downs of the two teams today are exactly the same.

Eight minutes into the first quarter, Yiyang assisted Nowitzki in a low-post turnaround jumper, beating Josh Smith, who was only 2.06 meters tall, without any temper. He is not good at protecting the basket, and he is helpless against Nowitzki's nearly 3-meter-high shooting point.

The ball was scored and the Mavericks went ahead by one point. The whistle sounded and the game was paused. McHale plans to make a substitution, maybe Brewer, maybe Terrence Jones. In short, the Rockets bench is full of guys who can make an impact as soon as they come on the court, and can even "beat the old master to death with random punches".

Isn’t this how the Los Angeles Clippers lost?

Carlisle expected the game to be so tense. After Tony Allen came on the court, the Mavericks had no other three-point shooting spots except Dirk. At this time, the space left for Yiyang will inevitably be extremely narrow. Yiyang can continue to score and assist under such tight defense, which has demonstrated his MVP-level strength.

But in the next substitution, you might be outgunned, McHale!

"Andre, you replace Tony. Vince, replace Dwayne." Carlisle walked up to the two veterans, his eyes shining.

"Yi, you start with half the substitute lineup and play for two minutes. After two minutes, I will replace you."

Yiyang nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Carlisle's intention was very clear, didn't he just want them to open up a slight difference within two minutes?

The task of the Mavericks' starting lineup is to hold on to the score. What really establishes the advantage is this combination of half substitute and half starter!

The electronic buzzer sounded, and Iguodala and Carter, two old guys who had not averaged more than double digits in points per game during the regular season, came on the court.

But Carlisle sat back on the bench very confidently and crossed his legs. With Yiyang around, these two old guys can unleash their greatest power. Even if Yiyang comes off the field after two minutes, they should find their own rhythm.

Lineup depth? McHale can take a look and see whose lineup depth can withstand more scrutiny. ()

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