Mark Jackson did not call a timeout, but let the players solve the problem on their own.
Curry is very sensible and knows that moments like this belong to the team boss, so he handed the ball to McGrady in the backcourt.
t-mac carries the ball through half court.
At the last moment, the Thunder handed over the burden of defending McGrady to Harden.
At this time, Brother Deng was very active in defense, not the "eye defense" of the Rockets era in the original time and space.
When the Thunder played the Spurs in the first round, head coach Brooks repeatedly asked Harden to defend Ginobili at critical moments.
Harden also lived up to his coach's trust and restricted the Demon Sword quite well.
And now, the difficulty of his task has been upgraded, and he will have to defend the new MVP!
Harden lowered his center of gravity, opened his hands, stared at McGrady, and was highly focused.
Soon, McGrady launched an offensive!
He was dribbling under his hips while approaching Harden, and every time he changed hands to dribble, his shoulders swayed.
At the same time, McGrady dribbles at a very low height, and every time the basketball bounces, it is below the knee.
Harden was not sure about taking the ball, and he was afraid of T-Mac's super-fast first step, so he could only retreat and defend at the same time.
In this way, McGrady approached the three-point line step by step.
Then, he suddenly exerted force, swung left and right, and accelerated past Harden!
In the Thunder penalty area, Ibaka reacted quickly and moved in front of Tracy McGrady.
But McGrady, who started at a fast pace, was already unstoppable!
I saw him leaping high, ready to buckle.
Ibaka jumped up hard, trying to compete with God!
I have to say, the young man jumped really high, and for a while he was on par with Tracy McGrady!
In the flash of lightning, t-mac relied on his strong waist and abdominal strength to forcefully cancel the dunk action, switch the ball to his left hand, and pick up the basket with a low hand...
Ibaka's eyes widened as he flew past McGrady and watched the ball fall into the net!
120:121.
The Rockets overtook the score again!
Toyota Center is boiling again.
Rockets fans wearing uniforms stood up and cheered, turning the entire stadium into a sea of red.
At this time, there are still 30 seconds before the end of the game.
Both the Thunder and Rockets still have one timeout opportunity left.
Westbrook looked at the head coach standing on the sidelines.
Brooks waved his hand, signaling the players to start attacking.
He wants to save the last pause and wait and see what happens!
Westbrook nodded, passed half court with the ball, and then handed the ball to Durant.
George took a step forward, slapped the floor with both hands, and looked directly at the basketball in Durant's hand.
"Defense!!!"
"Defense!!!"
"Defense!!!"
The atmosphere at the scene has reached its peak.
Even Shen Fei in the stands felt his palms sweating.
Soon, Durant moved.
However, before KD could make any move, the moment he dropped the ball, Pickle stepped forward and put pressure on Durant with body contact.
At such critical moments, referees usually let the players decide the final result.
George knows very well that as long as his movements are not too extreme, he will not be called for a foul.
So this time, he hit Durant very fiercely!
KD was hit a few times and quickly turned sideways, using his body to separate the basketball from George.
Normally, he would protect the ball while observing the Rockets' defensive arrangement.
But time waits for no one now. After Durant found a chance to breathe, he immediately switched to offensive mode.
He first took a big step with his left foot, trying to make a sudden move, and then immediately dribbled back with his hip and returned to the starting point.
But this time, George has unconsciously taken a step back, allowing Durant to gain more space.
KD immediately got into the rhythm, dribbling from his right hand to his left hand, and then used a crossover!
George was shaken for a moment, but he immediately adjusted his center of gravity in small steps and returned to the defensive position.
At the same time, Pickle speculates that Durant will do a crossover with his right hand next, just like he used a double change before.
The next moment, kd really changed direction with his right hand.
"Snapped!"
George made a trick and actually broke the ball!
"Roar!!!"
A fan in the stands immediately roared excitedly.
George controlled the ball and headed toward the Thunder's heartland.
As long as this fast break can be completed, the Rockets will be almost invincible!
At the same time, Durant, who was intercepted, rushed to catch up.
He gritted his teeth, stepped forward with his long legs, and rushed towards George like crazy.
Pickle noticed Durant behind him out of the corner of his eye.
But he was not afraid, he took the first step to collect the ball, took off with both feet, and planned to have a "Fast and Furious" game with KD!
Looking at physical talent alone, Durant is more static and George is more dynamic.
In a situation like this, Pickled Pepper should have the last thought.
But superstars can often create miracles at critical moments!
In the flash of lightning, Durant leaped high into the air, bursting out with greater strength than usual, and actually nailed George's dunk to the board from behind.
"woo..."
The fans at the scene were shocked.
They thought they had a chance to win, but the game turned into trouble again!
Moreover, Durant's performance is not over yet...
After completing the big block, he immediately took the ball and advanced towards the Rockets half court.
Curry glanced at Westbrook in front of him, and then at Durant who was running towards him...
[what can we do about it?]
Curry hesitated and decisively left Westbrook and ran towards Durant.
Westbrook immediately raised his hands to indicate that he was empty.
At this time, Durant was pursued by soldiers behind him and intercepted in front of him.
His teammates were left open and he was double-teamed. Faced with such a situation, I believe any star can make a wise choice!
So KD decisively collected the ball, faced Curry in front of him, and took a shot one meter outside the three-point line.
Curry took off to block the shot... but failed!
George also jumped up behind kd...to no avail!
The basketball left Durant's fingertips and spun at high speed, drawing a beautiful arc in the air...
"Shua~"
Hollow into the net!
123:121.
The Thunder lead by two points!
The Toyota Center fell silent for a moment.
Some fans were stunned, some had their mouths wide open, and some covered the back of their heads with their hands...
Since the beginning of the season, this is the first time they have encountered such a situation!
In the stands, Stern was surprised at first, and then looked at Shen Fei beside him.
"Shen, this ball makes no sense. Paul and Stephen can defend it without any problem."
Stern said with a slight smile.
Since Shen Fei appeared, Stern has never seen him look deflated.
Now that Durant has almost killed the game with his personal ability, Stern is somewhat interested in watching the fun.
But Shen Fei was very calm and just replied calmly: "This kind of shot is normal in the playoffs. Durant's shot was pretty good, and he gave us 15 seconds after the shot."
After hearing this, Stern's appreciation for Shen Fei deepened even more.
This young man was unfazed by flattery.
Faced with the praise of fans around the world, he did not swell.
He remained calm and composed when the team faced headwinds.
[This is a man who can achieve great things...]
Stern sighed in his heart.
............
On the court, Mark Jackson called the Rockets' last timeout.
With a two-point difference, they have enough time to change the situation!
On the Thunder bench, a group of people began to speculate on the Rockets' offensive options.
"I think they will score two points. Even if they don't score, they still have a chance to use foul tactics."
Westbrook analyzed.
"This is true for ordinary teams, but the Rockets...I wouldn't be surprised if they rush to shoot three-pointers. We still have to be prepared for both."
Durant touched the stubble on his chin and said.
"What Kevin said makes sense, let's just defend normally."
"In addition, no matter which strategy the Rockets choose in this attack, the ball will definitely be left to Tracy McGrady, so our defensive focus is very clear."
"James, you continue to defend T-MAC, others are ready to attack at any time!"
Brooks looked at Harden and said.
Harden nodded.
Although he failed to defend McGrady last time, he was not discouraged at all.
On the contrary, Harden is eager to face off against McGrady again.
"If we hold on to this round, we can take the victory home."
"We gave everything tonight, and now it's time to reap the fruits. Everyone must hold on to this last breath!"
Brooks clapped his hands and encouraged the players.
The Thunder generals nodded one after another, their fighting spirit high.
Under the influence of adrenaline, the young man forgot about his fatigue and returned to his best condition.
"one.two.three!"
"go. thunders!!!!"
............
The camera turned and came to the Rockets bench.
At this time, the Rockets were in an extremely disadvantageous situation, but the players did not panic too much.
"Paul, you just completed a very good defense. It's no coincidence that you also encountered a good defense later."
Tony Allen, wearing casual clothes, said seriously to George.
Teacher Tony now has a thick plaster on his hand and can only cheer for his teammates off the court.
George nodded, but his expression was somewhat annoyed.
"Come on, let's talk about the last attack. At this moment, the opponent will definitely focus on Tracy. So, guys, if the ball is in your hands, you must be bold when necessary!"
"Now we are two points behind and there is still plenty of time. If we can get an easy opportunity to attack the frame in a short period of time, that is the best situation."
"If there is no such opportunity, we don't have to limit ourselves to two points. If there is an opportunity from the outside, we must also take bold shots!"
Mark Jackson arranged.
After explaining the general idea, he quickly drew two more tactics, and then the timeout came.
"Come on, guys. There is an old saying in China that everything depends on people and God. Just try your best and don't feel any psychological burden!"
Mark Jackson served another bowl of hot chicken soup at the end.
............
The timeout ends and the game continues.
George came to the sideline to prepare to serve, and the other four Rockets lined up.
Upon seeing this, Su Qun explained: "This is a classic starburst tactic, let's wait and see."
As the referee handed the ball to the referee, the Rockets players began to move.
After a series of pick-and-rolls and reverse runs, McGrady successfully got rid of Harden and came to the three-point line to catch the ball.
But after receiving the ball, Westbrook and Harden immediately attacked him.
Westbrook made a very fierce save and even knocked McGrady staggering when he tried to get the ball.
This was undoubtedly a foul, but the referee hesitated for a moment and did not blow the whistle.
McGrady's center of gravity was unstable and he was unable to launch a normal attack.
Westbrook and Harden were unreasonable and rushed towards T-Mac together.
At this time, McGrady noticed Curry running to receive the ball.
He didn't hesitate, leaped high and passed the ball over the heads of Vuitton and Vuitton.
But the Thunder's defense rotates very quickly.
When Curry caught the ball, Ibaka had already rushed in front of him from the inside.
Curry didn't panic at all and looked up at the basket.
The next moment, Ibaka flew out directly.
Curry dribbled the ball on the spot, adjusted his steps, and shot a three-pointer...
"Shua~"
Three-point arrow, the flames of hell!
Once the ball was scored, the score became 123:124, and the Rockets took the lead again.
Brooks called a timeout immediately from the sidelines.
The Thunder generals walked back to the bench sadly.
As for the Rockets, the substitute players came out in full force to welcome the return of the "hero".
Yao Ming touched Curry's crew cut harshly.
McGrady left a pink punch on his chest.
Lowry, who was running wildly, jumped up and had a passionate chest-to-chest collision with Curry.
The Rockets players seem to have foreseen victory!
............
The timeout ended quickly and the game resumed.
In the last 10 seconds, the Thunder had enough time to make another comeback.
Harden walked out of bounds and took the basketball from the referee.
Then, the Thunder players started running wildly.
At the same time, all the fans at the scene stood up and cheered for the home team players!
The Rockets' defense is very good.
Harden waited and waited, but failed to find a chance to pass to Durant.
Looking at Westbrook again, he was also tightly guarded.
At the far end of the court, Cook did have a chance to catch the ball.
But it was George who stood in front of Harden and interfered with the serve!
If you are not careful with this difficult pass, you may be intercepted directly by Pickle.
Seeing that the 5-second service time was running out, Harden had no choice but to pass the ball to Collison.
Then Deng started immediately, played hand-to-hand with Collison, and successfully got the ball.
George followed closely and immediately rushed to the defensive position.
A fight ensued between the two.
George defended very fiercely, almost forcing Harden from the three-point line to the midfield.
But even so, Harden still did not panic.
He suddenly lowered his center of gravity, stepped out with his left foot, and performed a hip dribble.
The next moment, he changed direction in advance and switched the ball back to his right hand.
killercrossover!
This is the Beatles-Hardaway's signature move.
Harden reproduced it perfectly at such a critical moment!
George was shaken away and his center of gravity shifted backward.
At this time, Shen Fei in the stands already had a bad feeling in his heart.
[Could it be... that George's passive skill is going to be triggered?]
Shen Fei thought to himself.
As we all know, in addition to his silky dribbling and domineering dunks, George also has a special attribute!