The pre-match preparation time passed quickly, and at 7:58, players from both sides entered the stadium.
The two teams exchanged pleasantries when entering the stadium. As rivals in the international arena, Wang Zelin and Gasol had some sympathy for each other. Then Aldridge also chatted with Randolph for a few words and exchanged words with each other.
Bragging.
The scene of the four powerful men standing together was shown in a close-up on the live TV camera. On the court, Zhang Lili, who was in charge of the commentary tonight, said with emotion:
"The Grizzlies, with their combination of black and white bears, should be one of the few current major teams that can put pressure on Zelin in the paint. The contest between the two sides tonight can be called a meat grinder battle...
…”
These words triggered countless emotions.
After the pleasantries, Wang Zelin focused his attention on the game.
"Marc Gasol is rated 88, Mike Conley is rated 84, Tony Allen is rated 74, the outside defense is 93, and Zach Randolph is rated 76..."
These are the four best players on the Grizzlies, the others are Matt Barnes, Jeff Green, Benno Udrih, Brandon Wright, JaMychal Green, Janelle Stowe
Chriss and Russ Smith are all functional players, and their ratings are mostly in the middle.
Wang Zelin was quite surprised by Rotten Tofu's ability rating of 76. I remember when they played against each other at the end of last season, that guy's ability rating was still at 80, a quasi-All-Star level, but one summer...
Well, looking at Rotten Tofu's figure which is now several times rounder than last season, and at the same time he is one year older, he can probably understand why that guy's ability has declined so much.
Beep~~~
As the referee's whistle sounded, both sides jumped the ball in the middle circle.
"There is no doubt that the biggest highlight of today's game is: Wang Zelin or Marc Gasol, who will be the first team hero to defeat the opponent's defense!"
Between the words of the commentator on the sidelines, the two teams ended with a jump ball!
Wang Zelin took the lead in passing the ball to Lillard.
The Portland Trail Blazers dominated the first possession of the game.
Lillard steadily held the ball through half the court, and the other players were fully skilled in pick-and-roll cooperation.
In the end, Wang Zelin received a pass from Lillard and scored an alley-oop layup.
On the other side, during the Grizzlies' first attack, Randolph missed and the rebound was taken by Wang Zelin.
Coming to the offensive end, Wang Zelin used his skillful footwork to move the sky hook from the mid-range and scored two points steadily!
4:0, as soon as the Trail Blazers came on the field, Wang Zelin sounded the clarion call to attack!
"Guys, cheer up!"
While holding the ball, Mike Conley yelled at his teammates: "We Grizzlies are not vegetarians!"
After saying these words, Conley suddenly stood up from outside the three-point line and made a three-pointer.
3:4. Although the home team's offensive was fierce in the opening game, Conley, who is the Grizzlies' outside core and once had the largest contract in NBA history, will never disappoint.
Conley's response was very straightforward, and his three-pointer also sounded the clarion call for the Grizzlies' counterattack.
In the transition between offense and defense, the Trail Blazers are still surrounded by Wang Zelin, the absolute strong point on the inside, who will make tactical arrangements.
Wang Zelin's various hook shots and footwork in the low post fully demonstrated his offensive arsenal.
As another center scoring leader in the new century besides O'Neal, Wang Zelin is also not a vegetarian. He explains very well what it means to score as easily as chopping melons and vegetables.
On the other side, Conley and Gasol are also firing on all cylinders.
Although they are playing away from home and are under great pressure, they still want to prove their strength and get the first blood of the defending champion in the new season.
The Grizzlies attacked, Conley organized in the frontcourt, and Barnes ran out without the ball to catch the ball and hit the ball from mid-range.
I have to admit that there are always some players who, although they have not won many personal honors in their lives and have never even seen an All-Star, their strength is no less than that of All-Stars.
Mike Conley is one of them!
In the Trail Blazers' offense, Wang Zelin received the ball in the high post and supported it. Lillard cut in to receive the ball and passed the ball to Wang Zelin at the free throw line.
Wang Zelin met the help of the defense, and after taking a move, the golden rooster became independent in the mid-range, facing the defender and taking a two-point shot.
The Grizzlies did a good job of defensive rotation on this ball. Randolph pounced on Wang Zelin, but the height gap between the two was too large, making it difficult for him to interfere with Wang Zelin.
"Whoosh!"
The basketball bounced into the net and the Trail Blazers scored two more points.
Come to the official timeout.
For most of the past quarter, Wang Zelin scored 10 points for the entire team, which shows how strong the offensive firepower is.
There were constant cheers at the scene. Facing the league's top defensive team like the Grizzlies, Wang Zelin was able to maintain ultra-high offensive efficiency while taking into account production. His strength was terrifying and had to be intimidating.
Back from timeout, the Grizzlies have the ball.
"To Mark!"
On the sidelines, Grizzlies coach Dave Joerger shouted loudly.
Now the team urgently needs to stabilize the situation, and as the team boss, Marc Gasol is undoubtedly the best candidate.
Gasol wanted to get into the basket to catch the ball, but Wang Zelin blocked him from the outside and couldn't get in.
He wanted to go around again, but Wang Zelin turned and moved faster than him. He wasted five or six seconds and couldn't get around.
Fortunately, he has now developed a good mid-range shot, and his offensive range is not as narrow as that of a traditional center.
After receiving the ball, he immediately swayed from side to side, preparing to shake Wang Zelin before turning around and shooting a short jump shot. This is his common offensive method.
But as soon as he swung upward, a big hand suddenly touched his ball, and the ball fell out of his hand.
As soon as Wang Zelin knocked the ball away, he immediately stepped forward and grabbed the ball with Gasol. Then came the battle of strength.
When it comes to strength, there is really no one who can compete with him in active service. The terrifying strength of up to 99 in the upper and lower limbs is not for nothing, and after integrating Zhang Dashuai's physical fitness, whether it is speed, agility, or explosive power, he has it all
Huge improvement, he can catch this kind of ground ball accurately.
"Beautiful! Wang stole Marc Gasol. As the No. 1 center in the NBA, he is using his strength to tell his opponents, 'Hey, man, the gap between you and me is beyond your imagination!'"
The home commentator couldn't help shouting.
The Blazers came down quickly, and Wang Zelin took the lead.
The current lineup of the Grizzlies on the court is not as strong as Wang Zelin in terms of physique, nor can it match his speed in physical confrontation. In the end, all the Grizzlies generals can only watch as Wang Zelin goes to the basket.
Lillard was in front, but he looked back and saw Wang Zelin rushing in, throwing the ball toward the backboard and bouncing into the air.
"boom!"
Wang Zelin jumped up, grabbed the ball with both hands, smashed his arms under the basket, and hit a super dunk that sent the Rose Garden into a boil.
"Oh ho!"
The whole audience cheered and thundered.
The home commentator shouted excitedly: "In front of the King, Gasol still looks too weak. There is no comparison between the two! The Grizzlies' defense was penetrated by him alone!"
Soon, after the first quarter, the Trail Blazers led the Grizzlies by 9 points.