Chapter 265 Punch in the third quarter, the terrifying strength of the Rockets!
"snort..."
Shen Fei coughed to hide his embarrassment.
It is strange to say that he, a prodigal in love who was killed by hundreds of people in his previous life, actually lost his mind twice when he was with Ajiali.
"Okay, let me think about it and give you some suggestions after the game is over and we have dinner."
Shen Fei came back to his senses and said sarcastically.
Ajiali nodded and said nothing more.
Compared to Shen Fei, she was the more embarrassed one.
In other words, Ajiali, who is career-minded, still doesn’t know how to deal with emotional problems.
But the strange thing is that unlike the misunderstanding when they first met, this time she didn't resent Shen Fei being distracted by her.
Even after regaining consciousness, Ajiali felt not only shy but also a little secretly happy.
Of course, she would never admit this to anyone, not even to herself.
After this small episode, the two set their sights on the competition field again.
At this time, the game entered the transition period, and both teams replaced many substitute players.
The strength of the bench is what the Rockets are most proud of.
Mark Jackson waved his hand and put on five substitutes.
Lowry, Roy, Danny Green, PJ Tucker, and Oden who performed extremely well in the last game.
Looking at the league, this substitute lineup cannot find a single enemy.
Strong players like Lowry, Roy, and Tucker would start 99% of the time on other teams!
On the other hand, the Kings' transitional lineup is a little less interesting.
Although there are familiar names like Casspi and Landry, they simply cannot compete with the Rockets based on their strength.
In order to remain competitive, Kings coach Mike Malone kept Evans on the court and asked him to continue the game with four substitutes.
However, even with Evans on the court, the Kings are still no match for the Rockets.
The original Blazers twin stars - Roy and Oden, one inside and one outside, played absolute dominance.
Some older Rockets fans even thought after watching it, "Isn't this just a low-end version of the OK team?"
This is not difficult to understand.
Although Roy's physical fitness is not as good as that of the top super giants, his rich offensive methods, balance of left and right hands, and general demeanor on the court do have some shadows of Kobe.
At the beginning of the second quarter, he made sudden shots from inside and outside, showing a variety of offensive methods.
Moreover, after becoming the sixth man, Roy's style of play has become even more pure - I just want to blast at one point and beat the opponent's defender one-on-one!
During the Trail Blazers period, he was the team leader and had many things to consider.
But now, Roy no longer needs to do the work of organizing and linking up, and he does not need to think too much about his teammates, and his offensive firepower has been further released.
Let's talk about Oden.
Before today's game, he was very much looking forward to the matchup with Cousins.
During the pre-game strategy meeting, the sentence that impressed Oden the most was Mark Jackson's reminder.
"Although he is only a first-year rookie, he plays very confidently and is very agile on the offensive end. We must not take him lightly."
"Furthermore, DeMarcus (Cousins)'s playing style is different from that of ordinary centers. Yao and Greg, you must be mentally prepared."
The Rockets marshal said this.
Then, Mark Jackson took everyone to analyze some details of Cousins' game.
The more Auden looked at it, the more novel he found it.
This gifted big center actually plays like a small forward and even frequently uses some guard skills.
Therefore, Oden is sharpening his skills today and plans to fight Cousins for 300 rounds.
It's a pity that when he came on the field, Kaoshen had already come off to rest.
Oden had no choice but to unleash his "enthusiasm" on the Kings' backup center, Samuel Dalembert.
This Haitian center, relying on his good static talent, can average 8.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. He is considered a very good blue-collar insider.
But today, Dalembert met a "monster" who was far more talented than him in all aspects and even younger than him!
Oden's style of play is very simple.
Just grab the position in the low position and then dig in one by one.
Dalembert is neither as tall nor as strong as Oden, so even if he tried his best, it would still be of no avail.
After Oden entered the three-second zone, he would either directly push him away and dunk, or use a hook to finish. The success rate was ridiculously high.
The other Kings players want to help, but the other four Rockets players - Lowry, Roy, Green, and Tucker - all have very good shooting abilities.
All four players are scattered outside the three-point line. Once any player from the Kings tries to double-team, Oden will pass the ball out as soon as possible.
After several attempts, the king's generals no longer dared to attack from a flank.
As a result, Dalembert was "ravaged" madly.
On the Kings coaching bench, Mike Malone covered his face with his hands and couldn't bear to watch.
Not far away, Cousins subconsciously clenched the towel with his right hand and looked at the court with a frown.
Everyone knows that Kaoshen just wants to rush forward and compete with Oden.
But Mike Malone doesn't plan to do that.
After all, Cousins had already fought hand-to-hand with Yao Ming for most of the first quarter, which must have consumed a lot of physical energy.
If he is forced to play again at this time, there will inevitably be hidden dangers of injury.
Coach Malone knows very well that Cousins is the future of the Kings, and he must not be allowed to take risks just because of the outcome of a game.
As a result, poor Dalembert could only continue to "get beaten".
Under the dual firepower of Oden and Roy, the Rockets quickly expanded their lead.
Halfway through the second quarter, the score between the two teams reached 55:37, and the point difference had reached 18 points!
At this time, both sides began to replace starting players one after another.
Cousins, who had been holding back his energy for a long time, finally went into battle.
Unfortunately, Oden was also replaced at this time.
Mark Jackson predicted that the Kings would replace Cousins, but instead of letting Yao Ming play, he found another way and played a smaller lineup.
Curry replaced Lowry, Shu Hao replaced Roy, and George replaced Oden, allowing Tucker to move to the fifth position.
At the moment, the Rockets' lineup is: Curry, Shu Hao, Danny Green, George, Tucker - a typical five-small lineup!
This lineup has extreme mobility. The three forwards can not only open up space in the offense, but also provide sufficient defensive capabilities.
The Rockets' method of dealing with Cousins is also very simple - as soon as Cousins receives the ball, he starts double-teaming!
Although the Kings generals had studied the so-called "Five Deaths" before the game, the players still seemed at a loss when they actually encountered them.
For example, the Rockets' unlimited defense changes directly made all pick-and-roll tactics disappear.
The Kings' tactics could only turn into singles with the ball until the end.
But Evans, who has the highest singles success rate in the team, is resting on the court at the moment, while Cousins is extremely uncomfortable being double-teamed.
This directly leads to the fact that, except for a few open shots (the assists provided by Kaoshen after being double-teamed), it is difficult for the Kings to play quality offense at other times.
And once they stumble on the offensive end or make a mistake, the Rockets' counterattack will come like a tide.
Among them, Curry and Danny Green performed most prominently.
Both of them are the kind of players who will decisively shoot three-pointers as long as the opponent gives them a little space.
George and Jeremy Lin provided the necessary breakthrough ability. The two attacked the basket from time to time, which also made Kings coach Mike Malone afraid to remove the inside players easily.
The offense was unfavorable, and the defense failed to do the same. The king's generals were very frustrated.
As a result, in just three minutes, the Rockets launched a 12:2 shock wave, widening the point difference to 28 points in one fell swoop!
The competition at this time can be described as "flowering".
Even if coach Malone called a timeout, it didn't have much effect.
After that, the Yao-Mai combination came back on the court, and the Rockets returned to their traditional style of play.
People like the king finally had some experience in dealing with it, but it was meaningless at this moment.
At the end of halftime, the score difference between the two teams had exceeded 30 points, and the game had completely lost its suspense.
In the stands, Ajiali shook her head, her expression no longer nervous, and she had obviously given up.
"Shen, I have watched a lot of games this season. I was also at the Kings, Heat, and Spurs games."
"Without any flattery, the Rockets are now the only ones in the league."
"Your goal should be successfully accomplished!"
Ajiali said sincerely.
Whether on social media or in private chats between the two, Shen Fei has made no secret of his desire for the championship, and Ajiali knows this very well.
Therefore, seeing that Team Rocket was so powerful, she was also happy for Shen Fei in her heart.
Although Ajiali is extremely professional, she deeply desires the Kings to become the best team in the NBA.
But she also knew that even if the king could rise, it would take several years of dormancy.
The current strength of the Rockets will not affect the development of the Kings.
Therefore, Ajiali and Shen Fei do not have any conflict of interest now.
Once they enter the playoffs, the King's daughter will even become a Rockets supporter.
"I think so."
Shen Fei smiled noncommittally.
The Rockets are the strongest player in the league right now, there is no doubt about this.
The only possible variable is that the Heat trade for Howard to form a new Big Three.
In that case, just looking at the starting lineup, James, Wade, and Howard - three MVP-level talents who are still in their prime, can really compete with the Rockets.
But the Heat don't have many chips right now, so it's extremely difficult to get the deal done.
However, considering that the Heat's general manager is a magician - Pat Riley, Shen Fei feels that it is still theoretically possible.
Once a "robbery" trade occurs and Howard really lands in Miami, the Rockets' championship will not be guaranteed.
Of course, these are all things for later, and whether it will succeed is still unknown.
Shen Fei is not the kind of person who worries about things unfounded, so he doesn't have any anxiety.
............
In the second half of the game, the Kings struggled for a while early in the third quarter, but the Rockets were soon suppressed again.
After the third quarter, the game entered garbage time.
The Rockets' main players started off work, and veterans such as Scola and Battier got the chance to perform.
In the VIP box, Ajiali watched the two men slaughtering the king's patron saints of water fountains during their garbage time, and couldn't help but sigh:
"Scola and Shane Battier are such useful players, but you guys can't even make it into the regular rotation."
"If they were in the Kings, they would definitely be the starters..."
Shen Fei smiled and did not deny this statement.
"Both of them are still very difficult to play. They are really inferior to the Rockets."
"Telling you secretly, Scola has approached me to apply for a deal, and I plan to help him and try my best to find a good home for him."
Shen Fei said lightly.
The two were already very familiar with each other, and he believed that with Ajiali's personality, she would definitely not reveal this matter.