In the last game, Howard completed a gorgeous transformation and took his strength to a higher level.
At this time, he is no longer helpless in front of Yao Ming as he was in the past.
Whether it's offense or defense, this currently the most popular center in the league has the ability to challenge the little giants in the East.
Of course, with his outstanding performance this season, Yao Ming has once again been included in the discussion of the number one center after an absence of two years.
Today's matchup between the two is definitely the highlight of the game.
At this time, the game is about to start, and the starters from both sides have already stepped onto the court.
Howard changed his old "laughing boy" look, his face was dark the whole time, and he went straight to the center circle.
This season, the Orlando Magic are in a state of flux.
Vince Carter, the demigod who spent a lot of money to bring in, has never been able to integrate into the team.
The absolute core of the team, Howard, has also been caught up in the trade turmoil.
In order to change the status quo, Magic owner Richard DeVos showed great courage.
He sent Carter to Phoenix and got two generals from the Suns.
One is the dunk king and scorer-Jason Richardson.
The other one is the small forward who helped the Magic reach the finals two years ago - Hidu Turkoglu!
It can be seen that the Magic owner wants the team to return to the state it was in two years ago.
But things went counterproductive...
After two years of absence, Turkish agent Turkoglu has lost his former glory.
His speed and explosive power have dropped significantly, resulting in him being unable to score or defend in games. He can only rely on his good static talent to act as a tandem forward.
And Richardson is a "weakened version" of Carter.
What he can do, demigods can do better than him.
And what Carter couldn't do, Richardson couldn't do either.
Therefore, the result of this transaction can be imagined - magic is like a wooden ship with holes in its floor, which can no longer stop the sinking trend.
In the last game, they were beaten violently by the Lakers led by Kobe Bryant.
In the fourth quarter, the Magic fans at the scene even booed the star, Howard, deafeningly.
In the arena, winning or losing determines everything.
When you can't win, breathing is wrong!
Magic fans have already concluded that the team's record plummeted after Howard became involved with the Heat.
For a time, Warcraft became the target of public criticism.
This made Howard, who was at the peak of his career, feel extremely disappointed.
And his agent also recently formally asked him about his attitude towards joining the Heat.
If this question were asked before the start of the season, Howard would definitely refuse it.
But now, he is also shaken!
In fact, Howard has always longed for the O'Brien Cup.
Two years ago, the Magic lost to Los Angeles, and Howard also lost to Kobe.
Shortly after the series ended, legendary star Bill Russell, the "Lord of the Rings", had the following conversation with Warcraft on a talk show.
Howard: "I may take a week off and then go back to the training hall to train. Now all I can think about is how to win the championship! I want to win the championship next season!"
Russell: "No, you should go and relax. Give yourself a month and not think about anything about basketball. After you adjust your condition, you can return to training wholeheartedly."
Howard: "I can't do it... I want to train now, I want to win the championship."
...
It can be seen from this conversation that hidden under the big boy-like character, Howard also has a strong desire to win!
Once it is discovered that the Magic have no hope of competing for the championship, Howard may really choose to leave.
[Let’s fight hard today! If you still can’t beat the Rockets, then think about the Heat...]
Before the game, Howard made up his mind.
Seeing his solemn expression, his teammates asked him what happened.
Howard had no expression on his face and only uttered three words: "I want to win."
............
His eyes returned to the playing field.
The starters of both teams have arrived at their designated positions at this time.
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!
Howard jumped up and actually won the duel with Yao Ming.
Magic strikes first!
Nelson dribbled the ball through half court and passed the ball to Turkoglu.
After the Turkish agent returned, he took on the role of offensive defender.
The organization of the team falls entirely on Turkoglu.
But facing George's defense, the Turkish agents did not show their due style.
After only three seconds, George anticipated his passing intention and intercepted the ball.
After completing the steal, Pickle took up his long legs and headed towards the Magic half court.
Turkoglu struggled to catch up, but was unable to do so, and was soon far behind George.
"bang!"
2:0.
George used a powerful one-handed chop to give the Rockets a good start!
At the other end of the court, Howard's originally gloomy face was now even darker.
He walked straight to the low post on the left, then waved his hand to his teammates, motioning for them to move to the other side.
Naturally, the Magic generals would not dare to disobey the orders of the team boss.
Soon, the left side of the court was blocked and the ball was successfully handed over to Howard.
Behind him, Yao Ming dismounted and began to defend with full vigilance.
After Warcraft got the ball, it decisively switched from a back-up position to a face-to-face attack.
I saw him assuming a three-threat stance, then suddenly stepping out with his right foot, making a breakthrough.
Yao Ming's center of gravity tilted slightly to the left.
When Howard saw this, he took back his right foot and shot from the spot.
Warcraft's first offensive attempt was a mid-range jump shot!
This was undoubtedly beyond Yao Ming's expectations.
It wasn't until Howard completed the shot that Yao raised his hand symbolically.
The basketball didn't spin very fast in the air, but after rebounding from the backboard, it still fell into the net.
2:2, the Magic equalized the score.
Howard's move this time also surprised the Rockets fans at the scene.
"Hey, can he still hit the field goal?"
"Dwight's upper body is as strong as if it were inflated. Although the lines are very beautiful, it is obvious at a glance that it affects his shooting. His jump shots, like his free throws, look very awkward."
"No matter what, if you can score a goal, it's a good move. Maybe someone has worked hard and perfected the mid-range shot!"
...
The fans started discussing each other word by word.
In a box in the stands, Shen Fei watched the game calmly.
He was not surprised that Howard made the shot.
In fact, as long as you watch more Magic games, you will find that Howard is by no means the kind of reckless man who only relies on his body to fight hard.
In the original time and space, it was in his second year with the Rockets that he gradually discarded weapons such as the "mid-range shot", "hook hand" and "test step".
And all of this was thanks to Heywood's fatal punch.
Without that devastating lumbar injury, Howard might have been able to reach a higher level.
In a sense, he, like Rose, fell during his rise.
Fans have not seen them at their true peak!
"I hope you can avoid that injury in this time and space..."
"But today, even if you try your best, you can't win."
Shen Fei murmured to himself.
While talking, the Rockets generals have launched a fierce offensive!