I'm really not a superstar

Chapter 178
The fourth Thursday in November is the traditional Western Thanksgiving Day. On this day, the Rockets traveled to the Denver Plateau to challenge the Denver Nuggets away.

Recently, the Rockets have had a good momentum. They have played four consecutive games against the Eastern Conference teams and achieved a record of complete victories.

Yao Ming, the inside core, regained his form and became the most solid mainstay of the Rockets.

The Rockets regained the play style with Yao Ming as the core, and the entire team revolved very smoothly around Yao Ming.

Although Yao Ming's technical characteristics determine that he cannot be the axis that perfectly fits the Princeton system like Divac, but Yao's personal offensive power is stronger, and he can directly threaten the basket while passing the ball. The team's offense is tougher than the Princeton system.

The birth of Joey Dorsey also injected new vitality into the team.

Dorsey's extremely passionate style of play is refreshing; and the way the coaching staff uses Dorsey is even more amazing.

Mutombo's return and Novak's unexpected performance have also continuously brought good news to the team.

Before the game against the Denver Nuggets, Tracy McGrady's comeback added another weight to the team's winning streak.

During the field training before the game, Adelman specifically called McGrady aside and asked with concern:
"Well, Tracy, is your knee all right?"

McGrady shrugged indifferently, "The experts in Los Angeles gave me a comprehensive examination, and there was some effusion, but it's not a big problem."

"Would you like to take a little more rest? The team is in good shape recently, so you don't have to rush to come back."

This was originally a reassuring word, but McGrady's reaction was like a cat whose tail was stepped on, jumping up and down, and its hair exploded!
"Coach, do you mean that the team runs more smoothly without me? Do you think I'm a drag on the team? Do you think I'm a cancer on the team?"

Adelman was taken aback, and quickly denied: "No, Tracy, you misunderstood me, I mean you have more time to rest."

McGrady snorted heavily from his nostrils, "I'd better come back quickly, or else I'll be treated as a cancer! There are also some ignorant kids, I wish I could keep recovering from my injuries!"

As he spoke, he glanced at Dorsey, who was alive and well on the training ground.

McGrady himself was very surprised by this. He obviously disliked that kid off the court, but on the court, the opponent could understand his intentions the most, and cooperated with him most comfortably. Sometimes the opponent's running position made him feel uncomfortable. Passing the ball, I feel sorry for myself!
Adelman was snickering, and it was a great move to arrange for Dorsey to go outside!Not only allowed Dorsey to play a greater role, but also enriched the team's personnel reserves. Unexpectedly, it also stimulated McGrady's competitiveness and gave him a sense of crisis.

It really kills three birds with one stone!

Against the Denver Nuggets, the Rockets were able to meet the enemy with the strongest lineup, and the outside world is generally optimistic that the Rockets will win five consecutive victories.

The Denver Nuggets haven't been quiet this season either.

The most amazing deal in the league this season came from them. At the beginning of the season, they traded Iverson for Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons.

Compared with the Pistons, the Nuggets are obviously the beneficiaries.

Iverson's departure not only cleared up the salary space for the team, but also straightened out the possession of the ball, re-defining "Melon" Anthony's first-fire right.

After a period of running-in, the cooperation between Billups and Anthony has become more and more tacit, and it has become one of the most lethal combinations in the league.

Before the game, the media with good things hyped up the game as a contest between the Yao Mai combination and the Nuggets.

McGrady returned and naturally occupied the starting position.The Rockets' starting five became the starters at the beginning of the season.

In the jump ball session, Yao Ming lost to Nene.

Although the outcome of the jump ball is very normal, Adelman on the sidelines was keenly aware that Yao Ming's jumping height, which is not high at all, seems to be a bit shorter.

Adelman had a bad premonition, and Yao Ming's running speed and panting appearance in the next few minutes made Adelman confirm his guess: the "little giant" had a very strong altitude reaction!

Yao Ming's figure is doomed that he is more susceptible to external environmental factors than ordinary people, and his physique of the yellow race is difficult to compare with black athletes.

The Denver Nuggets' insiders, Nei and Martin, were originally a group of muscular jumpers with explosive physical fitness. Now that Dayao is suffering from altitude sickness, it is even more difficult to deal with them.

Dayao struggled to run back and forth behind his opponent's buttocks, and had to constantly fight and jump when he got to the baskets on both sides.

The already stretched physical fitness is even more unsustainable.

Compared with Dayao's predicament, the troubles on the perimeter are even more of a headache for Adelman.

Billups' performance is great. As one of the best point guards in the league, he has excellent physical confrontation and fixed-point shooting ability.

And this is exactly what Alstom lacked in the counterpoint.

Billups can easily break through Alston's defense, then make a quick stop for a jumper, and keep sending the ball to the basket.

But this is not the most frightening thing. What is even more frightening is his reasonable distribution of the ball. Even if he breaks through to the basket, he can accurately deliver the ball to his teammates.

Under the control of Billups, the Nuggets have become a strong team that can be fast or slow, advance, attack, retreat, or defend.

In the past, everyone thought that the Nuggets were Anthony's team, but only after the actual match could they truly perceive that Anthony was just a forward general, and Billups was the commander who really gave orders.

After the first quarter, the Rockets trailed the Nuggets at 21:30.

Billups scored 8 points and 5 assists alone.In other words, 2/3 of the Nuggets' scoring is related to Billups.

During the halftime break of the first quarter, Adelman made adjustments, and McGrady took control of the ball again, and arranged for McGrady to dislocate Billups.

As soon as the second quarter opened, Tracy McGrady had a contest with Billups.

McGrady took the ball to the front court and signaled his teammates to pull away, and he wanted to single Billups.

After his teammates pulled away, McGrady suddenly accelerated, trying to pass Billups.

But now McGrady's explosive power is not as good as before, and the acceleration can't get rid of Billups.

McGrady changed hands and changed directions, but he didn't get rid of the opponent.

Moreover, Billups' defense is very aggressive, and he keeps hitting McGrady with his body. This kind of defense makes McGrady very uncomfortable.

Seeing that McGrady couldn't get in, he could only pull out a jumper.

This kind of shooting is naturally dependent on the sky, and the ball hits the iron.

Nene grabbed the rebound ahead of Yao Ming and immediately passed to Billups for a fast break.

Billups dribbled the ball all the way, sprinted to the three-point line.

McGrady clung to his side, using his height and wingspan to block Billups' path to the basket.

Billups reacted very quickly, seeing that he couldn't get to the basket, he suddenly made a back pass and passed the ball from behind to Anthony's hands.

Anthony is tall and has long legs. After receiving the ball, he reached the basket in two strides and scored the ball into the basket before Yao Ming blocked the shot.

In this round, the situation of Billups and McGrady was fully reflected.

McGrady, who has lost his explosive power, is like a toothless tiger. He has lost his sharpest weapon, and when he is unable to break through, McGrady's first thought is not to rely on his teammates to pass the ball, but to still fight alone .

When Billups was also unable to break through, the first thing he thought of was passing, and his excellent passing skills can also pass the ball accurately to his teammates.

After Anthony scored a goal, he had a passionate chest bump with Billups.

McGrady bent over, put his hands on his knees, and looked in the direction of the arrogant Billups with dark eyes, and behind Billups was the Rockets' bench, where Joey Dorsey was sitting.

"son of a bitch" McGrady cursed viciously in a low voice, but he didn't know who he was cursing.

There was a fire in McGrady's chest, and it was already burning blazingly.

……

(End of this chapter)