Chapter 86 The curtain opens, Rockets vs Timberwolves!
Before the game, the Rockets warmed up the game on their official Twitter and stated that the team would strive for 10 consecutive victories.
The comment section of this tweet quickly gathered a large number of fans.
Fire fans are naturally rejoicing.
Since this season, the team has won consecutive games, giving them the feeling of "turning over to become serfs and singing songs".
"Our morale is high and we have a lot of talents. I dare say that our 10-game winning streak is guaranteed!"
"The physical condition of Yao and Mai is so good this season, and they feel like they are both back to their peak! Coupled with the strong performance of young players such as Lowry, Courtney Lee, Griffin and other young players, the Rockets have enough fuel and are ready to fly.
Soaring to the sky’ trend!”
Fans of other teams will inevitably feel a little "sour" when they see the Rockets being so strong.
But the Timberwolves were obviously not the best choice to end Space City's winning streak. They had no choice but to talk about it and pick some other things to talk about:
"George is still on the daily observation list this time and will miss the fifth game soon. I wonder what it will be like when he comes back and finds out that he has lost his starting position?"
"Courtney Lee is definitely a strong contender for the Most Improved Player this year. Paul George is just a rookie. Let's practice for another two years!"
"Judging from the Rockets' recent attitude in cultivating Courtney Lee, there is a high probability that George will be gone, and Griffin's status as the third giant is also in jeopardy."
...
There are all kinds of weird remarks, but the only thing they have in common is that they hope that when the Rockets are about to reach their peak, there will be a fire in the backyard and a few potential rookies will "fight".
............
In such a public opinion environment, the competition came 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 opened the show as usual.
“Today brings you the Houston Rockets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves!”
"Coach Yang, can you give us a brief analysis of this game?"
Yu Jia asked.
"OK."
"The situation of both sides of the game is very different. The Rockets currently have nine consecutive victories, ranking first in the league, and are the biggest dark horse since the beginning of the season!"
"The Timberwolves have only achieved a record of 2 wins and 7 losses, and the current situation is not ideal. The core of the team is Kevin Love, known as the 'God of Love,' but so far, he has not proven that he can lead the team when achieving good data.
The team wins."
Yang Yi analyzed.
"Love has experienced a huge improvement in statistics this season. He is currently averaging 18.5 points and 12.3 rebounds per game. He is known as one of the best insiders in the new generation."
"However, he will face the Rockets insiders composed of Yao Ming and Blake Griffin today. I don't know if he can cope with it."
Yu Jia said with a smile.
Obviously after these 9 victories, both fans and commentators are more optimistic about the Rockets than they were at the beginning of the season!
"Okay, now I've got the starting lineups for both sides."
"The Rockets are still: Lowry, Courtney Lee, Tracy McGrady, Griffin and Yao Ming."
"The Timberwolves are: Luke Ridnour, this year's No. 4 pick - Wesley Johnson, the 2008 No. 2 pick who just transferred from the Heat - Michael Beasley, the new Wolf King -
Kevin Love, and the second pick of the 2003 golden generation - Darko Milicic!"
Yu Jia introduced.
"But in terms of draft picks, the Timberwolves are no worse than the Rockets."
"This also shows that in terms of talent alone, the gap between the two teams is not as great as reflected in the record."
"The key depends on whether talented young people like the Timberwolves can live up to people's expectations."
Yang Yi commented with a smile.
"Yes, the NBA is a place where miracles happen. The game is not over yet, and everything is still unknown!"
"Okay, now the game is about to begin, let's turn our attention to the front!"
After saying that, Yu Jia waved his hand and the screen switched to the Toyota Center Arena.
............
At this time, Shen Fei had brought Pritchard, the general manager of the Trail Blazers, who had come from afar, to the box.
The on-site director keenly captured this scene and turned the camera around.
Soon, Shen Fei's figure appeared on the big screen in the center of the arena.
The fans at Toyota Center immediately gave out warm applause and cheers.
Obviously, they are very satisfied with the new general manager!
The Asian young man smiled slightly and waved to the fans calmly.
"The fans like you very much!"
Pritchard said with a smile.
"I brought victory to Houston, and they will naturally like me."
Shen Fei said calmly, without any hint of pride in his words.
Pritchard was stunned when he heard this, and he admired the young man in front of him even more.
............
As the referee throws the ball high, the game officially begins!
As expected, Yao Ming won the duel again.
Since his comeback, he no longer has a matchbox bounce, so he hasn't lost a jump ball so far.
Rockets attack first!
Lowry held the ball and pushed across half court to organize the offense.
Griffin stepped forward to pick and roll.
With the help of the screen, the small steel cannon easily got rid of the defense of the Timberwolves' thin point guard, Ridnour.
Love didn't dare to neglect and quickly came out of the penalty area to defend.
Unexpectedly, Lowry saw the right opportunity, hit the ground, and passed the ball to Griffin down the line.
The next moment, the white monster comes out of the cage!
"bang!"
Griffin made a powerful one-handed dunk and slammed the ball into the basket.
The force was so strong that it seemed like the backboard was going to be smashed into pieces!
"wow~"
The Toyota Center erupted instantly.
The fans present have gradually become accustomed to Griffin's dunk performance, and they look forward to every game!
2:0, the Rockets took the lead!
During the transition between offense and defense, Love immediately wanted to regain the field with singles.
He received a pass from Ridnour in the low post and started a post-up play.
But after pushing twice, Love suddenly discovered that the opponent's strength was not inferior to his own at all.
Seeing the attack time passing second by second, he knew that delaying it any longer was not an option, so he wanted to pass the ball.
But when I looked up to observe the movements of my teammates, a figure quietly came around from the baseline...
"Snapped!"
The basketball in Love's hand was taken out, and it was Lowry who came!
After completing the steal, he immediately advanced with the ball and launched a counterattack.
Tracy McGrady and Courtney Lee quickly followed up.
The Rockets skillfully played a third-line fast break!
On the Timberwolves side, only Wesley Johnson and Beasley retreated to their own half at the first opportunity.
The two of them unanimously focused their attention on McGrady on the left.
Lori had an idea and faced the direction of t-mac, but suddenly flicked his wrist to the right, passing the ball ahead of time!
Courtney Lee rushed over and caught his teammate's pass.
At this moment, there was no one in front of him.
Johnson, who has outstanding physical fitness, quickly adjusted his steps and rushed towards Courtney Lee.
But...it's too late!
Xiao Li took three big steps, soared into the air, and reached the highest point before his opponent's defense was in place.
"bang!"
Another crisp one-handed chop.
Although it is far less powerful than Griffin's dunk just now, it is powerful enough for a wing player!
As soon as the goal was scored, the fans at the scene were completely excited.
As if they had foreseen victory, they began to celebrate crazily.
The sound was so loud that it seemed like it was going to knock off the roof of the stadium!
In the box, Shen Fei asked with a smile: "How's it going? Courtney Lee's fast break ability is pretty good, right?"