() At 7:30 pm on November 1, 2004, the opening game of the NBA 2004-2005 season officially started.
The Bulls' starting center is Eddie Curry, power forward, Tyson Chandler, small forward, Edarian Griffin, shooting guard, Jay Sean, point guard, Kirk Sheen.
Rich.
The Magic's starting centers are Kevin Catto, power forward, Dwight Howard, small forward, Grant Hill, shooting guard, Cuttino Mobley, point guard, and Steve Francis.
This game was also the first face-to-face conversation between this year's No. 1 pick, Dwight Howard, and No. 3 overall pick, Jay Shawn.
Of course, the Magic's new lineup this year after that big trade has also attracted media attention.
It is worth mentioning that when the players were introduced at the beginning, Jay Sean, this year's rookie, was the last one to appear. Everyone knows that the unspoken rule of the NBA is that the last player to appear is usually the star of the team.
Jay Sean's treatment also shows how much the Bulls value him.
After the players and coaches of both teams were introduced, the Bulls' mascot ran around the scene to liven up the atmosphere. Bundles of lights were turned on, and the fans' cheers reached a fever pitch.
Highlights of previous games of today's Bulls' five starting players are constantly displayed on the big screen. The NBA is still much better than the NCAA in creating a court atmosphere.
Three of the Magic's starting players today are from Houston. They and Griffin are all old teammates, so before the game was about to start, a few of them chatted in the center circle.
Because of Yao Ming, when Chen Jie went to Houston last year, he also met his opponent today, Mobley. During the shooting training just now, Mobley took the initiative to come over and say hello to Chen Jie.
, now on the stage, the old cat came over and gave him another hug.
However, friendship is friendship, and once the competition begins, neither of the two will hold back.
Chen Jie is holding back all his energy and wants to prove himself in this game. Although the selection of the best rookie depends on his performance throughout the season, facing Howard for the first time, Chen Jie does not want to be overshadowed by him.
.Besides, this is your home court.
And Mobley also wanted to teach this friend in life and his opponent on the court a good lesson, and prove that he is still a treasure trove.
The moment the game started, the two people's eyes instantly became focused.
Howard's character has always been very easy-going. The moment Cato and Curry jumped the ball, he was still smiling heartlessly, enjoying his first NBA game.
At 7:30, the referee threw the ball into the air and the game started. Cato flicked the ball with his finger. Howard immediately used his excellent jumping to jump high, caught the basketball, and then immediately passed it to Francis.
The Bulls retreated collectively, Francis dribbled the ball across half court, and the battle began!
Because he had the experience of working with Yao Ming, the No. 1 pick in 2002 and also an inside player, Francis was very experienced in how to mobilize Howard's enthusiasm. On the first ball, when Howard saw Howard taking position in the inside, Francis took the ball.
The lob passed in.
Howard, who entered the league in his first year, actually didn't have much to do against Chandler's defense. He has never been a good offensive player. He has no mid-range shot and no post-up steps. In his rookie season, he basically relied on scoring points.
His own secondary rebounds and alley-oops.
Francis naturally knew this very well, but he still passed the ball in without hesitation. In fact, he did not expect Howard to score the ball. He just hoped that this confrontation would allow Howard to get into the state as soon as possible!
However, accidents always happen.
After Howard squeezed Chandler a few times, he made a hook shot that was not very standard and hit the board into the basket.
After scoring the goal, he looked at his right hand in disbelief and ran back with a smile on his face.
Chandler clapped his hands in frustration.
Chen Jie also shook his head and smiled bitterly. He was really fooled.
Because they knew Howard's characteristics and Chandler's defensive ability, the Bulls did not double-team him. The main defender today was actually Francis on the outside.
Hinrich, who was playing against him, estimated that it would be difficult for one person to limit Freddie's performance, so before the game, Scales told other players to protect Freddie while ensuring that they defend their opponents.
The Magic, on the other hand, focused on Eddie Curry. The No. 4 rookie who entered the league in 2001 was quite talented on the offensive end and was even called the Little Shark.
Some people even commented on him, saying that when the weather is good and the mood is good, Curry will transform into a babyshaq, suppressing opponents with his huge body, using the back-up step that is almost lost in the NBA, and finally using ridiculous long arms and soft hooks.
Hand ends the fight.
Although it was meant to be a joke, it can also be seen that Curry is indeed a threat on the offensive end.
On the defensive end, Chen Jie, who knew this player very well in his previous life, only had three words to comment on it, hahaha.
He can still remember the classic commentary line he heard when watching the Bulls game in his previous life. Curry once again watched as the opponent got a rebound.
With this sentence, you can know Curry's defensive attitude.
Hinrich took possession of the ball after halftime and rushed inside under Chandler's pick-and-roll without handing the ball to Curry. This surprised the Magic, but Howard and Cato immediately formed a tall defense.
The network blocked all of Hinrich's shooting routes. Unexpectedly, Hinrich just wandered inside and completely disrupted the Magic's defensive formation. Then he slipped out from the baseline with the ball and passed the ball.
It was given to Griffin. At this time, Francis, Howard, Cato, and three others were on the inside. Hill was defending Chandler. Griffin was completely empty. Mobley, who was guarding Chen Jie, immediately pounced on him.
However, Griffin did not choose to shoot, but quickly passed the ball to Chen Jie who was standing outside the three-point line. The closest person to Chen Jie was Howard, who was officially this year's No. 1 pick.
Seeing Chen Jie about to shoot a three-pointer, Howard quickly ran out from the inside and jumped high.
Rumor has it that his jumping height is an astonishing 3.80 meters, which is almost the height of a two-story building.
You can imagine how terrifying it would be for such a person to jump at you.
The commentator on the sidelines shouted loudly when he saw this scene. Rookie vs. rookie!
Yes, that's exactly it.
Rookie vs. rookie, Howard jumped high and prepared to block the shot, but Chen Jie remained unmoved and shot resolutely.
Bang!
Howard did not block Chen Jie's shot, but due to his influence, Chen Jie's shot missed the basket, and Cato grabbed the defensive rebound.
The first time the rookies faced each other, it seemed like it was a draw. No one was victorious.
