However, fans did not notice any changes in the Rockets, and their offense seemed to be the same as before.
It's nothing more than Yao Ming's singles at the basket, Tracy McGrady's outside singles, and Battier, Scola and Alston picking up the misses from the outside.
Yao Ming caused a foul by Bynum under the basket and made one of two free throws, losing blood.
During the transition between offense and defense, the Rockets players were much more active on defense, following their respective players.
Kobe caught the ball and hit McGrady hard.
This was originally a 50-50 situation, but McGrady was not in good condition today, and Kobe gained an advantage in the matchup.
After scoring again, Kobe felt a little proud.
Most of the stars with similar age to him have declined, and some have even faded out of the fans' sight. Only he is still at the top.
This is also something to be proud of.
Kobe was happy, but McGrady was depressed.
He didn't know what happened to him today, why he felt tired just after the game started.
Other times, poor form is not a big deal, but today's game is very important to him.
Last season, the Rockets played better after his absence, and he has been described as a cancer by the media.
Therefore, he urgently needs to win the direct dialogue with Zhang Zhiyuan and crush those rumors.
It's a pity that, by coincidence, he was not in good condition today.
McGrady spent half of the game depressed, even hesitating whether to continue attacking.
If he doesn't attack, the media will laugh at him for being scared.
If he continues to attack, the media will criticize him as a cancer.
Being a football star is great, but the pressure from public opinion is also very high.
In the end, McGrady chose to attack on his own.
It's a pity that he couldn't break through Zhang Zhiyuan's defense and could only choose to force the shot.
The ball didn't go in.
1 out of 5, this hit rate is quite eye-catching.
The offense and defense transitioned, and Kobe continued to attack.
He didn't mean to target Tracy McGrady, he just wanted to score more points and suppress Zhang Zhiyuan.
However, his behavior made McGrady feel uncomfortable.
The performance on the offensive end was poor, and now the defensive end is about to be blown up again.
Being pushed away by Kobe again, McGrady suddenly had a question in his mind, whether he was really old.
Last season, he scored 24.6 points and shot 43% from the field.
This season, his scoring average dropped directly to 19.8, and his shooting percentage was only 40.1%, which was a very serious decline.
When the Rockets attack, McGrady no longer dares to attack with the ball.
If he continues to throw around, Van Gundy will probably replace him.
His status in the team is no longer what it used to be, and he has even been put on the shelf. It's just that the management's asking price is too high and no one is willing to take over.
After a few more rounds, Van Gundy actually replaced Tracy McGrady.
Why did I end up in this situation?
McGrady sat on the bench and pondered.
He was a superstar and an All-Star starter last season, why did he suddenly become a cancer?
After thinking about it, McGrady was surprised to find that it all seemed to have started when Zhang Zhiyuan joined the Rockets.
After Zhang Zhiyuan joined the Rockets, his shooting power has been reduced and his tactical status has been reduced.
What's even more terrible is the injury in the Western Conference Finals.
Madfak.
Based on this, Tracy McGrady's hatred towards Zhang Zhiyuan increased by dozens of points.
If it weren't for the fact that the higher the hatred value, the slower the increase, the hatred value he generated now would be at least a few hundred points.
Tracy McGrady believes that Zhang Zhiyuan ruined his career, and this is not a small hatred.
On the court, without McGrady, the Rockets' offense still hasn't improved.
However, due to the decline in the Lakers' touch, the Lakers did not score much during this period, and the point difference between the two teams did not continue to widen.
It felt to the fans like the Rockets' substitution adjustment to withstand the Lakers' offensive, which meant that Van Gundy's substitution was effective.
This made the fans couldn't help but think more.
Why do the Rockets play better after McGrady comes off the court? Is it because McGrady's defense is too poor? Is it because McGrady's offensive efficiency is too low?
"He is no longer a superstar, he can be considered an ordinary star at most."
Barkley doesn't mince words.
"Compared with last season, he has indeed declined a lot. I guess it is due to injuries. This is a situation that most players cannot avoid."
Smith sighed, and he finally explained the reason for McGrady.
McGrady was already suffering from injuries, and he was stepped down by Bowen last season.
His poor performance this season is actually excusable.
"Some people are rising and some are falling. This is the NBA."
Buckley sighed.
This kind of thing happens every year in the NBA, it's not surprising at all.
After the first quarter, 36 to 25, the Lakers led by 11 points.
The point difference is not an exaggeration, but this is because Zhang Zhiyuan did not play in the second half and the Lakers had reservations.
Many commentators and guests bluntly said that the Rockets have no hope and that the Rockets have no advantage at all.
In the second quarter, the Lakers' lineup was Farmar, Zhang Zhiyuan, Ariza, Odom, and Kwame Brown.
Van Gundy almost flipped the table and didn't want to play anymore.
This lineup is more than enough to play most of the starting lineup in the league, but now Van Gundy has to send in substitutes to compete.
The Rockets' lineup is Rutherhead, Wells, Carl Landry, Scola, and Mutombo.
As soon as the game started, fans quickly discovered that among the five players, Scola was the only one who was somewhat useful.
Although his offensive efficiency is not high, he at least dares to take action.
People like Luther Head and Wells who knew Zhang Zhiyuan's power were afraid to fight.
Facing Zhang Zhiyuan's offense, Wells made panic mistakes throughout the game.
You really can't blame him, after all, he has been Zhang Zhiyuan's teammate and knows how incomprehensible Zhang Zhiyuan is after he goes crazy.
Although Zhang Zhiyuan has not exploded, Wells is still afraid.
To put it simply, Zhang Zhiyuan left a psychological shadow on him.
This sounds a bit bizarre, but it is true.
After a few rounds, Van Gundy couldn't bear it and called a timeout and replaced Wells.
But who should replace it?
The Rockets have many point guards, but there is only one shooting guard who can play, McGrady.
In desperation, Van Gundy replaced McGrady.
It's a trap, at least it won't be worse than Wells.
After McGrady came on the court, he directly faced Zhang Zhiyuan, and he chose to attack with the ball.
Although he had felt that his strength was declining and his condition was not good. But he did not give in and surrender.
Pride would not allow him to do this.
McGrady is still attacking, and this fighting spirit has moved some McGrady fans.
However, McGrady soon added another iron.
1 out of 7, this performance is a disaster.
"Fuck, why haven't the Rockets traded him away? Aren't they cheating on Yao?"
Chinese fans couldn't help but complain.
Tie Cheng continued to throw like this, and many fans couldn't stand it.
The Lakers attacked, but Zhang Zhiyuan was not polite to McGrady and continued to attack.
There is no mercy in the NBA. It doesn't mean that if someone's strength declines, everyone has to let him go. It's normal to beat the loser with a stick.
Even Jordan was remembered and challenged by newcomers when he was with the Wizards, and they all wanted to step on him to become famous.
McGrady was a little distracted and couldn't concentrate enough. Zhang Zhiyuan knocked him to the ground, then jumped up and shot, and the ball went in.
"Brother Zhang, this is a bit too much."
A few Tracy McGrady fans complained.
However, as soon as this voice appeared, Zhang Zhiyuan's fans immediately jumped out to refute.
"When Yao first entered the NBA, no one let him go, and he was knocked down."
"If humility is needed during the competition, why don't we send five adults to compete? Anyone who dares to touch them is disrespectful and does not know how to respect the old and care for the young."
"If you fail, you will be eliminated. This is the jungle rule of the NBA."
...
In China, whether it is quantity or quality, Tracy McGrady's fans cannot compete with Zhang Zhiyuan's fans.
In the United States, there are still many fans of Tracy McGrady.
However, not many of them think that Zhang Zhiyuan is too much. This is the case in the NBA.
On the court, McGrady struck again.
The frustration in his heart had reached its limit.
Then he rushed to the basket and grabbed a rebound from Odom, but the referee called him a pushing foul.
McGrady couldn't control himself anymore and yelled at the referee.
The referee immediately became angry.
Even if it is a misjudgment, the players cannot protest like this, let alone it is still an accurate penalty.
The referee, whose authority was offended, gave McGrady a technical foul without saying a word.
As long as McGrady doesn't restrain himself, the referee can expel him.
Fortunately, Lutherhead hugged Maddie in time to keep him calm.
"this......."
Smith didn't even know how to comment. He felt a little sympathetic to McGrady.
"This is a stage that every player must go through. I also had this feeling of powerlessness at the end of my career. I hope he can look away.
Adjust positioning."
Buckley said.
McGrady's current strength is definitely not enough to be used as the core. If he were to be the sixth man on the bench for some reason, he would still be fully capable with his firepower.
Players who can accept this gap can stay in the league for a few more years. Players who can't accept it will have no choice but to retire.
"Please, what you said is a bit serious. Tracy is not that bad yet, he is still a star."
Smith said.
"Star? You ask which team is willing to pay chips for him now?"
Buckley said.
On the court, the chaos ended.
McGrady was replaced again, and Yao Ming and other main players came on.
Zhang Zhiyuan made a free throw, and then the Lakers attacked.
Kobe and others also returned to the court. Kobe hit the basket and was blocked by Yao Ming.
Although the Rockets are already 17 points behind, Yao Ming and others have not given up yet and are still working hard.
The Rockets attacked, Yao Ming caught the ball at the basket, turned and threw, and the ball went in.
46 to 31.
After the shot, Yao Ming did not dare to slack off at all and immediately retreated quickly.
The Lakers' offensive speed is too fast. If he slows down a little, the Rockets' penalty area will be attacked.
Fortunately, the Rockets scored this time and the Lakers did not counterattack quickly.
But the Rockets didn't feel comfortable either, because the Lakers were playing a pick-and-roll.
After the tactic was successful, Yao Ming was forced to defend in front of Kobe.
Then Kobe immediately broke through, not giving the Rockets a chance to readjust their defense.
Yao Ming's pace was relatively slow and he was unable to prevent Kobe's breakthrough.
Kobe Bryant scored. New
48 to 31.
During the transition between offense and defense, Alston threw a three-pointer from the outside, but the ball missed.
Yao Ming didn't get an offensive rebound, which was bad.
Bynum took the basketball and threw it directly to Fisher, regardless of the risk of making a mistake, while Kobe and Zhang Zhiyuan were already running towards the Rockets' half.
Alston and Shane Battier retreated in time.
But how could the two of them guard the two muscular men of Kobe Bryant and Zhang Zhiyuan at the basket?
As soon as Zhang Zhiyuan and Alston came into contact, Alston fell to the ground and watched Zhang Zhiyuan score a layup.
Yao Ming stopped halfway and there was no point in chasing him.
When the Rockets attacked, Yao Ming caught the ball and was double-teamed. He lightly threw the ball and passed it to Scola.
Scola caught the ball and made a jump shot and scored.
The only bright spot for the Rockets this season is probably Scola. Because Yao Ming attracted a lot of firepower under the basket, Scola often got opportunities to shoot and performed quite well.
The offensive end scored, but Rockets fans were not too happy either.
They know that if they want to win this game, the most important thing is to see whether they can prevent the Lakers' offense.
As of now, the Rockets can't defend themselves.
After several rounds, Yao Ming gasped from exhaustion.
"Oh, Xiao Zhang doesn't have martial ethics. He targets Dayao's weaknesses."
Sun Zhengping joked.
"You can't say that. The Lakers have been playing very fast this season. Not only Yao Ming is tired, but Bynum is also tired. But he is not a key figure in the team. Whether he is tired or not has little impact."
Zhang Lili said.
The first half is over.
66 to 46, the Lakers led by 20 points.
With the Rockets' firepower and today's state, this game is almost out of the question.
What fans are now concerned about is no longer whether the Rockets can win, but whether McGrady will return to the court in the second half and continue playing.
"He must play. He is still the team's second scoring point."
Smith said.
"What are you doing up there? Are you going to continue to cause embarrassment? He needs to adjust his condition first."
Barkley said that McGrady was no longer fit to play in this game, and that playing would not help the team, and would even bring humiliation to himself.
This kind of statement is somewhat disrespectful to Tracy McGrady.
But who made Tracy McGrady play poorly?
During halftime, Van Gundy had a heart-to-heart talk with Tracy McGrady and asked him to adjust his mentality and not compete with Zhang Zhiyuan.
Van Gundy meant well, but his words deeply hurt McGrady.
Don't compete. Isn't this tantamount to giving in to Zhang Zhiyuan? It's too disgusting.
But what if you don’t admit defeat?
McGrady was very upset and finally agreed to Van Gundy.
He wants to get some more data and increase his trading value, so that it will be easier for the team to give him away.
He no longer wants to stay in the sad place of the Rockets, and wants to find another place to rise again.
In the second half, McGrady adjusted his mentality and came back on the court.
He no longer insisted on singles, but increased his tactical movements in an attempt to obtain easier shooting opportunities.
Soon, his adjustment had some effects.
Because the team was too far ahead, Zhang Zhiyuan let loose on the defensive end and did not try hard to pursue the defense.
Ever since, McGrady got consecutive open opportunities and threw in two.
Scoring 4 points in a row is something to be happy about.
But McGrady couldn't be happy because he knew that Zhang Zhiyuan was letting things go.
Have I reduced myself to the point of asking for charity?
Thinking of this, McGrady felt even more painful. Due to various problems, the address has been changed. Please save the new address to avoid getting lost.
