Zhiba NBA

Chapter 199 (190) Fighting Old Friends Again

After defeating the Bobcats, the Rockets returned to home against the Kings back-to-back.At this time, the Kings are no longer the wealthy team of the year. Adelman's departure seems to have removed the last bit of their dignity as a strong team, and they no longer fight for the championship.Then, with Stujakovic's back strain, Bunch Wells' groin strain and Raheem's jaw injury, the Kings, which is full of injuries, are already running around.

The game was lackluster. Stujakovic, who had just returned from injury, was completely out of shape, and only scored 5 points on 1 of 3 shots under Jefferson's active defense.Bibby, Thomas and Miller went all out to carry the team to resist, but they couldn't stand the fierce firepower of the Rockets outside.The Rockets made 28 of 13 three-pointers and easily defeated their opponents by 24 points.

Kenny Thomas couldn't help feeling sad when he looked at his teammates back then. Although he is doing well now, he can be regarded as a well-known titan in the league.But compared with the few remaining in the team now, they are much inferior.Yao Ming, Jefferson, and Reed have all started the championship team, and the transferred Parker, Okur and others have also become their own stars, not to mention McGrady, who is expensive as a double MVP.

"If I could stay in the Rockets, maybe I would get the championship ring too?" He couldn't help thinking like this.After all, the past cannot be undone.He also knows that his talent is limited. If he stayed in the Rockets, he might not be able to play.

On January 1, the Rockets did not stop moving forward and beat the underdog Hornets by 14 points at home.The winning streak has accumulated to 22 games.

Then they have another chance to compete with their old friends.Speaking of which, after years of team building, the Rockets have sent many young talents to the league, many of whom are already the backbone of the team.What I have to mention here is the Eagles with two guns in the backcourt—Joe Johnson and Tony Parker. Under their leadership, the Eagles swept away their true colors and showed their sharp eagle claws. They have already achieved a record of 20-14, ranking fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Wang Yuanfei is very pleased with this, now not only the Rockets, but the whole league structure has undergone considerable changes under his influence.At this point in the previous life, the Bobcats and Eagles were the two worst teams in the East, but after getting Wallace, Johnson and Parker trained by the Rockets, their records have reached above the middle.The Rockets have an impressive record, and to a certain extent, they have also become the target of the underdogs. They can be called a superstar treasure.The rumor in the league that "produced by the Rockets must be a boutique" is not a rumor.

On January 1, the Rockets went to Atlanta to play against the Eagles.In addition to Johnson and Parker, the Eagles also have an old friend of theirs, that is, former Rockets assistant Larry Smith.After his contract expired, he signed with the Eagles and became the assistant coach of Eagles coach Mike Woodson.For this game, Smith, who is familiar with the Rockets, did not make too many adjustments to the lineup.The Hawks' starters are still the usual Zaza Pachulia, Josh Smith, Al Harrington, Joe Johnson and Tony Parker this season.

Adelman didn't make any specific arrangements, and still let the players play according to their own ideas. He is a coach who only cares about macro guidance and likes to let the players think for themselves.Such a coach is perfect for Billups, who knows very well that the height of the Hawks inside is average and their rebounding ability is mediocre.It is a good tactic to start with Yao Ming's strong point.

Sure enough, the Rockets gave Yao Ming the first goal. Pachulia is an insider with solid skills and fast speed, but he is powerless to confront the big center head-on.Yao Ming forcibly blocked his opponent and hit a hook.

The Eagles didn't dare to fight hard. After the pick-and-roll, Parker slashed to the penalty area to attract Yao Ming's defense and then made a wonderful pass to Pachulia, who made a mid-range shot.

"It doesn't matter, that guy's shot is not accurate, he hit it by accident." Billups encouraged his teammates loudly, and hung the ball to the inside again.

Once again, Yao Ming got to a deep position, and he nimbly turned around and shot the basket.But he saw Josh Smith on the side jumping up from the ground, soaring into the sky and slapping the ball violently.

"Smith is a player with great physical fitness!" Varejao couldn't help but praised.Although he is young, his style of play tends to be floor style. He is very envious of the inside line of the type of flying to the sky and escaping from the ground.

Parker got the ball quickly and put it in the basket before the chasing Billups and Bosh.

This time Billups fired from the outside, but Yao Ming grabbed the offensive rebound and made a tip-up that caused Pachulia's foul.Yao Ming made two free throws and the two sides drew again.

"As expected of the Rockets, it's really amazing." Josh didn't dare to mess around under the basket. He ran to the free throw line to receive a pass from Johnson and hit a jumper.

"Of course, everyone on this team is full of talent. Otherwise, how could Tony and I bear to be on the bench there." Johnson laughed, and now they are not substitutes, but the cornerstone of the team's future.They are also very grateful to the Rockets, who have trained them.

The main weakness of the Eagles is their poor defense. The two guns in the backcourt were not good at defense when they were in the Rockets. Pachulia was mediocre, and Harrington was not good at defense.Billups also saw it and wanted to kill Smith. After he broke through, he made a pass to Bosh. The latter shot a jumper and caused Smith's thug foul.Bosh made two free throws and the Hawks grabbed a rebound, but Josh made a careless pass that was too slow and was intercepted by the vigilant Billups.Chauncey caught the ball without hesitation and went straight to the basket. Josh lost face and of course wanted to grab it back, so he grabbed it immediately.

Thug foul!Smith stupidly fouled 10 times in 2 seconds.Billups grinned and made two free throws.Woodson reluctantly replaced Smith and replaced David Lee, who is 206cm in size, with the intention of increasing the height of the basket.

"The five starters of the Eagles are very young, and Harrington, the oldest, is only 5 years old." Pulzbila is from the Eagles and is very familiar with this team.

"Not only that, but their main substitutes are also very young. David Lee on the inside and Kleiza on the wing are rookies this year, and Childress entered the league in 04. Over time, these players will all grow up, and this team may become a strong team in the Eastern Conference." Curry analyzed with great foresight.

If Yuanfei is here, I am afraid I will complain. Do you think every team is the Rockets?There are many talented players, but not every team can hoard talented players and turn them into combat effectiveness.

The shortcomings of the Eagles' offensive end are also obvious, that is, their offensive options are poor, and the most cost-effective big players shoot more two-pointers and fewer three-pointers.It's no wonder, because they lack high-quality shooters, Johnson and Ellington are the starters, and they can't be said to be accurate. Parker and Smith are simply the types who can't shoot.They only made 8 of 2 shots throughout the first half, while the Rockets made 13 of 6 shots from the outside with full firepower, gradually widening the point difference.

Can't keep the rebounds, the only rim protector is trapped by fouls, and the long-range firepower is completely defeated. All the Eagles can fight is singles.Johnson and Parker met old teammates Reid and Billups, and they were also refreshed.After all, they have been substituting for each other for many years, and they are not satisfied with each other's familiarity. Today is a good opportunity to justify their reputation, so naturally they can't miss it.The Eagles' offense turned into Johnson singles on Reid, Parker broke through for a layup, Johnson made another strong jumper, and Parker made another breakthrough and scored.A good team basketball game turned into a duo, and Woodson could only shake his head and sigh.There is nothing to say, other players are not as effective as these two.

But what the Rockets are most afraid of is fighting for stars. Yao Ming's stable singles crushed Pachulia.The Eagles were forced to choose the zone defense after suffering the pain, but this gave the Rockets more opportunities outside.Yao Ming repeatedly scored the ball and fired long-range shots at his teammates, but the point difference was stretched to 15 points.Although Harrington hit all 5 shots in the last quarter and played a wonderful performance of 13 in a single quarter, he could only save face a little. At 102:94, the Rockets defeated the Eagles in an away game, continuing their winning streak.

(End of this chapter)