At the end of the first half, the two teams scored a high score of 63 to 66.
It was a high-scoring battle, with the two teams scoring goals non-stop, and the fans were really enjoying watching it.
During the intermission, the live performance was not a beautiful cheerleading team, but a kung fu performance group from China. They performed traditional Chinese kung fu, which can be regarded as promoting Chinese culture.
There was no flying over walls or being invulnerable. What they performed was just some moves that looked very beautiful and some acrobatic-like acrobatics.
It's not so much Kung Fu as it is a combination of dance and acrobatics.
However, it can still be used to bluff these foreigners. Anyway, even most Chinese people don't understand what real kung fu is, and these foreigners don't understand it even less.
The North American audience who saw this kind of performance for the first time were very impressed and applauded one after another.
"Do you think Zhang Zhiyuan knows Kung Fu?"
Buckley chatted.
"It's possible that if he doesn't know kung fu, why he can jump so high and run so fast is a bit incredible for yellow people. Of course, I don't mean to discriminate against yellow people. Yellow people are excellent in many aspects, such as table tennis.
Ball, diving, gymnastics. But in events that require absolute strength and speed, we blacks do take advantage of a lot of talent.
But Zhang Zhiyuan's physical fitness is better than that of black athletes, so he may have learned real physical fitness skills."
Smith had a strong sense of self-preservation. After a lot of verbosity, he made it clear what he wanted to express and made it clear that he was not discriminatory.
"If he knows kung fu, he should contribute it to benefit all mankind. I also want to learn it."
Buckley said.
"As you may think, Chinese Kung Fu is a secret that is not passed down. The master of a sect will only pass it on to his direct disciples..."
Smith actually knows a lot about this aspect and speaks eloquently.
His explanation was of course nonsense, but it exactly matched the speculation of the North American audience.
"It would be great if I could also learn real Chinese Kung Fu."
One fan lamented.
Although there are some martial arts schools in Chinatown, the things taught there seem to be very ordinary, and there is nothing beyond the normal scope of human beings.
Therefore, many people think that those are not real Kung Fu, and the real Kung Fu must still be in China.
"Then you have to go to China, and it is said that all Chinese kung fu schools are hidden in the mountains, isolated from the world, and can't be found at all."
Another fan struck up a conversation.
For a time, fans became very interested in this topic.
Just like when Chinese netizens talk about Freemasonry and the Rothschild family, they rely on only a few half-truths and half-false rumors to make it sound as if they are true.
If anyone dares to question them, they will be furious.
In the second half, both sides returned to the court.
The first half is performance time, and then you have to go all out.
The Clippers need to win to maintain second place in the Western Conference so that they can meet the Lakers later in the playoffs.
Those are the five-star Lakers. Although the chemical reaction between them is not perfect, the strength of the players is there, and they can beat most teams with just a few blind hits.
Naturally, Dunleavy and the Clippers players don't want to meet the Lakers prematurely, so their current season task is to be second in the Western Conference.
As for the Rockets, they need to win even more.
They are currently in the ninth position in the Western Conference. If they want to enter the playoffs, they need to compete with the Sun Jazz. It is extremely fierce and they have no advantage.
Last season the Warriors won 48 games and were unable to make the playoffs. The situation in the Western Conference remains the same this season.
Therefore, every game is important to the Rockets.
The Rockets attacked first, and Yao Ming got stuck under the basket. Kaman held on to prevent Yao Ming from getting close to the basket.
Alston could only hand the ball to Scola. Scola turned around and shook Thornton away, then took off and shot, hitting the ball.
65 to 66, the score difference was only 1 point, and the two sides were almost back on the same starting line.
The Clippers attack and the Rockets defend in a 1-2-2 formation.
Yao Ming guarded the basket alone, while Scola and Battier were responsible for filling in the gaps.
Alston and Vaughn went to double-team to interfere with Zhang Zhiyuan.
This is a desperate defensive strategy. Zhang Zhiyuan was surrounded by two people one after another, so naturally he couldn't control the ball and could only pass it to Maggette.
Maggette had Shane Battier in front of him, so he passed the ball to Thornton, and Scola immediately ran in front of Thornton.
Thornton could only pass to Livingston, who was open. Livingston broke through to the basket, but was sanctioned by Yao Ming when he went for a layup.
The Clippers lost the ball.
"Livingston is really not suitable for the Clippers. If he has the ability to shoot three-pointers, he can shoot as soon as he catches the ball without having to rush to the basket."
Buckley said.
"Chen may be an excellent boss, but he is by no means an excellent team manager. I think I can do a better job than him. Has he ever made any outstanding transactions?"
Smith also joined in the complaint.
They like to label players, coaches and managers in the league so that fans can remember them.
Chen Xiangwen's label is "no level", which has almost become a meme. Basketball commentators and commentators like to ridicule Chen Xiangwen's player operation level.
After Livingston played for a while, Dunleavy replaced him with Dragic. Dragic's confrontation and breakthrough were not as good as Livingston's, but because of his certain three-point ability, he played more and more time.
He can still serve as a starter from time to time, almost squeezing out Livingston's position.
There was no applause from the fans when Livingston came off the court because the Clippers fans didn't like him either.
He is the biggest shortcoming among the Clippers' five starters. He is the first to take the blame. He is often ridiculed by the media, and fans think he is not useful.
In short, Livingston is under a lot of pressure in the Clippers, and his life is not as comfortable and happy as other teammates.
He even had the idea of leaving the Clippers, but he was just a supporting role and was completely unqualified to ask the management to do anything.
On the court, Dragic's appearance put great pressure on the Rockets' defense. Battier and Scola had to defend a larger area. Running back and forth, their physical strength was exhausted very quickly, and they often couldn't fill the holes.
.
When the Clippers were attacking, Zhang Zhiyuan saw that the Rockets were double-teaming him, so he was too lazy to attack, and just stood on the outside and watched his teammates perform.
If others can't beat 4-on-3, then he really needs to change the team.
Dragic held the ball, Scola stood in front of him, Dragic passed the ball, and Scola was forced to pounce on Thornton.
Thornton passed to Maggette, and Maggette passed to Dragic.
Dragic took a three-point shot but missed.
But it doesn't matter, at least the opportunity has come up.
In this open situation, Dragic is almost 50% sure. As long as he shoots enough, the hit rate will be closer to 50%.
In the next round, the Clippers followed the same pattern and Dragic made a hit.
The Rockets were suddenly in a dilemma. They continued to implement the previous strategy. Dragic was difficult to deal with. If they didn't implement it, Zhang Zhiyuan would perform again.
In the next round, Battier chose to stay in front of Dragic, but can Maggette be released?
Maggette rushed to the basket and caused Yao Ming's defensive foul.
Maggette made two free throws and the Rockets suffered a blood loss.
"Occasionally he can make breakthroughs, his three-pointers are okay, and his passing is passable. Although this second-round pick is not particularly good, he is quite comprehensive. He may become a star player in the future."
Smith commented.
"This is difficult. His talent seems to be average. The reason why he can play better than other second-round picks is because he plays next to Zhang Zhiyuan and is more likely to get open shots."
Barkley disagreed with Smith's point of view. He felt that the statistics of the Clippers players needed to be discounted because their pace was too fast. Although they scored many points, they also lost a lot of points.
And because Zhang Zhiyuan creates opportunities, they can score more easily. If they were to go to other teams, they would have to find opportunities by themselves, and their efficiency would definitely drop significantly.
A player's level really depends on more than just statistics.
On the court, the Rockets attacked, and Alston bullied Dragic's inexperience. He deceived Dragic with a fake move, and then went to the basket for a layup.
Kaman could only watch helplessly and had no choice.
As long as he goes to make up for it, Alston will pass the ball to Yao Ming, and he will lose points as well.
It's impossible to prevent it anyway, so it's better not to move, at least it can save some energy.
The ball goes in.
The offense and defense switched, and Zhang Zhiyuan, who had rested for a while, suddenly ran back.
Vaughan did not react, only Alston followed.
However, with Alston's size, it would be difficult to stop Zhang Zhiyuan from catching the ball.
Dragic passed the ball slightly higher, and Zhang Zhiyuan caught it.
Then he pushed against Alston, who took a step back to release his strength. If he didn't take this step back, he would be knocked down.
But taking a step back gave Zhang Zhiyuan room to start. Zhang Zhiyuan turned around and started to break through, and Alstom had no time to stop him.
Zhang Zhiyuan went to the basket, Battier wanted to cover up, but Maggette got stuck in front of them, slowing down Battier.
In the end, Zhang Zhiyuan successfully broke into the basket and scored with a backhand.
The Rockets attacked. Yao Ming caught the ball under the basket and made a small hook to score the ball.
During the transition between offense and defense, Zhang Zhiyuan still played without the ball. Alston and Vaughan both felt exhausted. It was too difficult to defend.
Zhang Zhiyuan has taken the initiative, but they are always forced to adjust and always take a step slower.
Zhang Zhiyuan broke through again, but Vaughan retreated too hard, leaving too much space for Zhang Zhiyuan.
Zhang Zhiyuan no longer needs to break through, he just jumps on the spot and shoots a three-pointer.
The ball goes in.
Vaughn spread his hands and said he had no choice.
The Rockets attacked, and Yao Ming was double-teamed after receiving the ball. Kaman raised his hands to prevent Yao Ming from shooting and passing, while Thornton raised and lowered his hands to break the basketball.
Yao Ming made a mistake and the Clippers counterattacked.
After Zhang Zhiyuan received the ball, he carried the ball forward quickly. Battier continued to interfere in front of him, trying to slow down Zhang Zhiyuan and wait for his teammates to come over.
But Zhang Zhiyuan didn't give him this chance. He suddenly dribbled the ball with his back and passed Battier.
Battier could only stare blankly, and the Clippers scored two more points.
"There's really nothing we can do about it. The Rockets are still a bit weak. They need to find a better shooting guard."
Smith said.
"Who should I replace? Who can guard Zhang Zhiyuan? I think I'll just make do with it."
Barkley said he doesn't think the Rockets can solve the problem by changing players.
Two people were specially sent to guard against Zhang Zhiyuan, but Zhang Zhiyuan sneak attacked two of them, causing the Rockets to suffer a heavy loss.
Adelman could only change his strategy and let Battier defend Zhang Zhiyuan alone, while the others surrounded Yao Ming to lock up the inside.
This decision puts an extra burden on Battier, and the key to victory or defeat lies with him.
As long as his single defense can significantly reduce Zhang Zhiyuan's efficiency, they can win.
If you can't prevent it, then it's Amitabha.
Hearing the coach's arrangement, Battier almost burst into tears.
Back on the court, Battier came to Zhang Zhiyuan with tears in his eyes and defended alone.
Zhang Zhiyuan started the breakthrough with the ball, Battier followed up, Zhang Zhiyuan changed direction, and Battier lost his position.
Going to the basket, Zhang Zhiyuan caused Scola's foul.
Adelman shook his head off the court.
There are some players in the league. You know what they are going to do, you know how they are going to play, but you just can't do anything about them.
Zhang Zhiyuan, Kobe Bryant, and James are all such players.
The game continued, and the Clippers took an increasing lead.
At the end of the third quarter, 87 to 96, the Clippers had led by 9 points.
This point difference is already quite large. Judging from the Rockets' scoring ability and the Clippers' scoring, unless the Clippers make any major mistakes, it will be difficult for the Rockets to reverse.
However, the Rockets did not give up.
Yao Ming only took a two-minute rest before playing again. Zhang Zhiyuan shook his head off the court.
He has advised everything that needs to be done, and there is nothing he can do if Yao Ming doesn't listen. He can't go on the court and drag Yao Ming off now, nor can he let the Rockets win.
Yao Ming came on the court and took advantage of Zhang Zhiyuan to stop chasing 5 points.
But Yao Ming also consumed a lot of energy. There were still 7 minutes of game time left, so he could only rely on willpower to hold on.
At this critical moment, the Clippers replaced Zhang Zhiyuan.
The Clippers attacked. Zhang Zhiyuan hit a three-pointer as soon as he started, and then broke through and drew a foul, making two free throws.
Two rounds wiped out the efforts of the Rockets in the previous few minutes, and the Rockets fans were heartbroken.
In terms of killing one's heart, no player can compare to Zhang Zhiyuan.
The Clippers had a small climax, and the other Rockets players were immediately discouraged and their morale plummeted.
Alderman had no choice but to withdraw his main force and surrender.
Since there is absolutely no hope, it is better to save some of the main force's strength and put hope in the next game.
Zhang Zhiyuan continued to play for more than a minute, establishing a 13-point advantage before leaving the game.
In the end, the game ended without any suspense.
113 to 124, the Clippers won by 11 points.
Yao Ming made 11 of 18 shots, 1 of 2 three-pointers, and 9 of 10 free throws. He scored 32 points and 7 rebounds. He tried his best.
But there was no way, he met a more powerful opponent.
Zhang Zhiyuan's efficiency is actually not as high as Yao Ming's, but he made 38 shots, and the number of shots is not in the same level. This is the advantage of the defender. It is too difficult for Yao Ming to get the chance to take shots.
Zhang Zhiyuan made 19 of 38 shots, 9 of 16 three-pointers, 8 of 8 free throws, and scored 55 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists.
