Chapter 271 The curtain opens, the finals preview?
This battle for the top spot in the East and West is naturally the one that fans talk about the most.
Discussions about this game are extremely heated on major social media.
For example, on Twitter, a fan's casual question triggered thousands of discussions!
His question was - "It's finally here! The second battle between the Rockets and the Heat! The Heat were defeated midway last time, so they should be able to perform better this time, right?"
Soon, a Heat fan retweeted this tweet and gave his answer in a long article:
"As someone who has witnessed all the Heat's games this season, I need to express my opinion."
"First of all, both teams have undergone huge personnel changes in the offseason. But the difference is that the Rockets' personnel structure has been very healthy from the beginning, with good players in five positions."
"The Heat are different. Before the Big Three cooperated, they actually all played in the same style as the core players. Their running-in period is naturally much longer than that of the Rockets, who each perform their own duties."
"Moreover, the Heat's center and point guard positions are very weak, and there are no trustworthy players."
"So, it seems normal to me that the Rockets won the first meeting between the two teams."
"But times have changed. After half a season of running in, the Heat have basically found their own style of play. The chemical reaction of the Big Three is good, and the reinforcements in other positions have also been done well!"
"At the center position, Ilgauskas and Eric Dampier can basically guard the penalty area. At point guard, Chalmers and Arroyo have their own strengths in offense and defense.
"
"To put it simply, this Heat has been polished and their current 10-game winning streak somewhat illustrates their competitiveness!"
"When we meet the Rockets again this time, I believe the Heat will show a completely different competitive level and fight a turnaround!"
This long article seemed to represent the aspirations of many Heat fans, so it received a large number of likes and reposts.
Of course, if there are supporters, there will be doubters and opponents.
"James said at the meeting of the Big Three that the Heat not only want to win one championship, not two, not three, but seven! As a result, the Rockets came out halfway. I would like to see how he fulfills his promise.
Bragging bull*.”
"Pure passers-by, not fans of the two teams. Objectively speaking, the Rockets are obviously the team with more talent and a thicker bench. I estimate that if the Heat want to compete, the Big Three will basically play the entire game.
.”
"In my opinion, James is the best player in the league right now (Kobe is troubled by a knee injury, and McGrady's ability to continue his performance is unknown), but the Heat are not the best team. Their 'long and short feet' are too obvious!"
"Let me just say this...the Heat can't solve the problem if the Rockets only have one Yao Ming."
...
In addition to fans expressing their opinions, major sports media and commentators also expressed their own opinions.
Generally speaking, the Rockets are generally optimistic about the team, but many fans believe that the Heat will play with intensity and win with a slight upset.
In the heated discussion atmosphere, the Christmas War officially kicked off!
............
Beautiful Country, December 25th, local time, Toyota Center Arena.
The much-anticipated Rockets-Heat rematch is coming as scheduled!
CCTV will naturally not miss such an important game.
"Hello all viewers, this is NBA game broadcast brought to you by tv-5."
"I am Yu Jia!"
"I am Yang Yi."
In the live broadcast room, two commentators started.
"What we bring to you today is the highlight of the Christmas Day game - the game between the Houston Rockets and the Miami Heat!"
"Coach Yang, can you give us a brief analysis of this game?"
Yu Jia asked.
"OK."
"The two teams are at the top of the Eastern and Western Conferences respectively. This game basically represents the highest level of today's NBA and is very likely to be a preview of the finals."
"The recent performance of both teams has been greatly improved compared to the beginning of the season."
"My feeling about this game is...the two teams are evenly matched, but the Rockets have a slight advantage."
Yang Yi analyzed.
"Then what do you think the Heat need to do to win this game?"
Yu Jia continued to ask.
"I think there are three keys to the Heat's victory."
"First, use the physical talents of James and Wade to create suffocating high-post pressure."
"And I think the Rockets' main point guard, Stephen Curry, can be regarded as a key target. His relatively thin body may become a breakthrough for the Rockets under high pressure!"
"Second, Big Z (Ilgauskas) and Dampier performed at a super level and restricted Yao Ming to a certain extent."
"Third, ensure the success rate on the offensive end and prevent the Rockets from counterattacking, which is what they are best at."
Yang Yi talked about it one by one.
"Thank you Coach Yang for sharing! Now both sides have announced the starting lineup, let's take a look."
"On the Rockets' side, Curry and McGrady partner in the backcourt, George and Griffin form the forward line, and our big Yao is on the inside."
"It can be seen that the Rockets' starting lineup is very young. There are three rookies in their early twenties, and the oldest McGrady is only 31 years old!"
"On the Heat's side, the Puerto Rican magicians Arroyo and Wade partner in the backcourt, James and Bosh form the front line, and Big Z guards the penalty area."
"The Heat have relied on this lineup to win many games recently. I have to say that these five people are both offensive and defensive, and their playing style is gorgeous, which makes people look forward to it."
"Okay, now the game is about to start, let's hand the camera to the front!"
After saying that, Yu Jia waved his hand and the screen turned to the Toyota Center Arena.
............
At this time, the players from both sides were doing their final warm-ups.
Shen Fei also arrived at the arena early today and was sitting in an exclusive box, waiting for the game to start.
In his spare time, he took out his mobile phone and exchanged blessings with Ajiali.
Even though it has been more than half a year since he traveled to the beautiful country, Shen Fei has always considered himself a descendant of the Yan and Huang Dynasties.
Therefore, in his opinion, Christmas is just an ordinary holiday.
The real New Year (Spring Festival) will still be a few months away.
But there is a saying that when in a country, do as the Romans do, and Shen Fei is a man who knows etiquette.
Living in a beautiful country, he is naturally happy to experience the Christmas atmosphere with others.
"I prepared apples for you, would you like to come and get them?"
Ajiali asked.
Shen Fei was slightly shocked when he saw this text message.
It can be seen from this text message that Ajiali's affection for him is very obvious.
Considering that although Ajiali is Asian, she has received Western education since she was a child, it is not difficult to understand why she expressed her feelings so boldly.
"Well, when the game is over, I will go find you."
Shen Fei replied.
Then, he called his assistant and asked him to prepare an apple as a gift in exchange.
After doing all this, Shen Fei turned his attention to the court again.
At this time, players from both sides were already walking toward the center of the court.
Since it was Christmas, the players were very excited.
On the Heat's side, James walked to the technical stage and threw a handful of magnesium powder for the first time in a long time.
Wade sprinted to his own penalty area, pulled the basket, and did a few pull-ups.
The Rockets are more Buddhist.
Curry pointed his hands in the sky and prayed.
McGrady was still sleepy and "bored" waiting for the game to start.
Da Yao and Da Z chatted and laughed.
But when the referee walked to the center circle with the basketball, the players from both teams stopped smiling.
They all know that this game is of great significance!
Both sides regard the championship as their only goal - failure to win is failure.
If they really meet in the finals, whoever wins this game will have a psychological advantage!
Both teams know this very well, so neither team wants to lose this game.
The war is about to break out!
............
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!