After a short break, the players returned to the court, and amid the warm cheers of the home fans at Compaq Sports Center, the second quarter began.
Unexpectedly, the Rockets were caught off guard at the beginning of the second quarter. The Spurs' experienced head coach Popovich was even more experienced and took the lead in changing formations in the second quarter.
The tactics were changed from man-to-man to zone defense, focusing on limiting the performance of Russell, the Rockets' best sixth man. This sudden tactical change expanded the defensive area, and the Rockets' outside shooters collectively misfired.
The Spurs substitute players, led by the bench bandit Looms, hit an 8-0 spurt. The score between the two sides was 42:41, only one point behind the Rockets.
Rockets head coach Tomjanovich immediately called a timeout and arranged targeted tactics. After three and a half minutes of the second quarter, he replaced the main force.
The Spurs did not dare to neglect. David Robinson led all the starting stars to reappear, and the struggle for the strongest lineups of both sides began again.
Spurs head coach Popovich immediately changed his tactics and adopted a decisive double-teaming tactic against Olajuwon, trying his best to block the passing line, forcing Olajuwon to fight hand-to-hand with his opponent in the triangle area, making it difficult to get easy shooting opportunities.
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The Spurs would rather let the outside score go, but also resolutely want to contain Olajuwon, the team's central axis. Once the outside attack is not smooth, the Rockets' offensive rhythm will fall into a quagmire.
Popovich's gamble paid off, and the Rockets' offensive efficiency suddenly dropped to a new level.
Faced with the changes in tactics on the court, the main center was strongly double-teamed by the opponent in the interior, while the outside players felt cold and couldn't shoot when the opportunity came. The Rockets made one of six three-pointers, and their shooting percentage was simply pitiful.
In this crucial game, the defensive intensity on the field was abnormally strengthened. In the fierce physical confrontation, the players on both sides lost all touch and turned into blacksmiths for several consecutive rounds.
In the last minute of the second quarter, the Spurs' outside shooters hit two consecutive three-pointers to take the lead.
The two sides tied at 51:53, and the Spurs took the lead for the first time.
The halftime whistle sounded, and the Spurs players left the game amid cheers. On the other hand, the Rockets players were in a bad mood. Olajuwon took the lead and walked into the tunnel without saying a word, looking very serious.
The second quarter was terrible. Not only was the eight-point lead eroded, but they also lost two points at halftime. The Rockets players collectively fell into a low ebb.
No one wants this, that's the way the game is.
When the hand feels hot, you can shoot as hard as you want. When the hand feels cold, you will be defended like a blacksmith. Players' emotions greatly affect the competitive state.
In this regard, Wang Yaocheng had no countermeasures.
Professional sports competitions are divided very professionally. The team has a head coach to arrange tactics, there are assistant coaches for training, and there are locker room leaders to coordinate the team's chemical reaction.
Wang Yaocheng's existence is more symbolic, more like the grandfather of Christmas.
so;
As the richest team owner in the league, Wang Yaocheng bought more than 16,000 spectators at the Compaq Sports Center during halftime. Each of them bought a KFC meal plus Coca-Cola water. This move once again won the house's approval.
Poor! Rockets fans who have been waiting for more than ten years finally have a generous team owner.
Former Rockets owner Charlie Thoma is barely a multi-millionaire, but his total assets have never reached hundreds of millions. In more than ten years, he has never bought a KFC meal or Coke for the audience.
The key to the boss king's generosity is his wealth, which is one of the best among team owners in the entire NBA league.
Since Wang Yaocheng took over the Rockets, Rockets fans have enjoyed this kind of treatment no less than five times, becoming the happiest fans in America.
For Wang Yaocheng, spending more than 300,000 US dollars each time means that he is recognized by more than 16,000 Texans and can gain considerable favor. The reputation of being generous and friendly is indispensable.
The subtle expansion of influence is cost-effective no matter how you look at it.
Most people won't care about this huge influence, but Texas politics and big figures from both parties will not ignore it, because these fans hold crucial votes.
In a fierce and evenly contested election, Wang Yaocheng's tendency is very important.
In the upcoming 1996 mid-term elections, even if you don't support a certain party outright, you can just come out to step on a certain party's House and Senate members or gubernatorial candidates at critical moments in the campaign.
Haha, that would be a lot of fun, and it might change the outcome of the entire election.
The so-called influence of big figures is reflected in this aspect.
Soon, the players returned to the court again after the intermission. Wang Yaocheng saw the burning desire for victory in the eyes of Drexler and center Olajuwon, and he was determined.
These two veterans are going to go crazy. This game... is over.
On the field
The referee blew the whistle to start the second half and the game began.
Rockets guard Cassell advanced past half court with the ball. The Spurs players actively defended. The ball quickly passed to "Glider" Drexler. The Spurs players immediately followed closely and did not dare to be careless.
Hakeem Olajuwon struggled to get into position on the baseline, and defender Drexler made a clever behind-the-back pass while running, handing the ball to Olajuwon.
At this critical moment, Olajuwon truly demonstrated his role as the league's top center.
He caught the ball under the basket and exploded. David Robinson, almost all 190 pounds of him, was hanging on his body. He did not prevent the ball from being backhand dunked into the basket. Instead, he was beaten two plus one by the opponent.
After scoring a goal,
Olajuwon was like a crazy gorilla, tugging at his sweaty sweatshirt with both hands and roaring loudly, which aroused the passion of the fans present and cheers resounded through the sky.
Standing on the free throw line, the experienced veteran Olajuwon took a deep breath and made the free throw steadily, leading the score to 54:53 again, leading by one point.
After hitting the free throw, the Rockets quickly retreated on defense, giving the Spurs no chance to counterattack on a fast break.
The two sides were locked in a fierce battle, and the shooting rate in this kind of game was quite ugly. It was all physical confrontation with muscle sticks, and the sound of the people hitting each other was numb and full of the smell of iron and blood.
The Rockets are a team with a traditional center, and the same is true for the powerful Spurs in the Western Conference. This is an era in the MBA League where high centers dominate the field. All strong teams build their teams with traditional centers as the core.
New York Knicks center Gorilla "Ewing", Utah Jazz center Karl Malone, Magic center O'Neal, Spurs center David Robinson, Rockets center Olajuwon.
The only exception is the Bulls, whose core is shooting guard "Flying Man" Jordan.
During the game
After the Rockets opened the inside line, the offense immediately became smooth. Glider Drexler hit three consecutive three-pointers from the outside, extending the score advantage to seven points and leading the opponent into the fourth quarter.
As the most powerful regular season team in the league, the Spurs are not easy to deal with. David Robinson, a starter in the All-Star Game, finally showed his true strength and led the team to hold on to the score.
The suspense of the game never ceases
In the last 15 seconds, the Spurs outside player hit a priceless three-pointer to take the lead. The two sides battled to 109:111, with the Spurs leading by two points.
Rockets head coach Tomjanovich called a timeout, and the entire Compaq Sports Center was silent. Fans worriedly put their hands on their chests and silently prayed for the Rockets.
The situation faced by the Rockets is very dangerous. If they deploy tactics and waste time to score two points, the two sides will enter overtime. It is not known who will have the last laugh.
Overtime went against the Rockets;
The Rockets' lineup is dominated by veterans. The team's core center Olajuwon and guard Drexler have both entered the end of their careers. They fought on the court for more than 42 minutes, and their energy and physical strength were extremely exhausted.
The Spurs are a relatively young team. The main center David Robinson is 23 years old and has been in the league for four years. He has the upper hand both in energy and physical strength.
After the timeout, the referee's whistle sounded, and the last fifteen seconds of the game officially began.
Drexler served in the backcourt, and the Spurs suddenly turned into a full-court press and man-to-man defense, which suddenly disrupted the Rockets' rhythm.
Center Olajuwon had no choice but to return to the midline to catch the ball. Drexler eagerly sent the ball out, almost causing a three-second violation, which scared the fans into a cold sweat.
After Olajuwon received the ball, he steadily controlled the ball in his hands and passed it to the "alien" Hassel.
Hassell advanced with the ball, Olajuwon and Drexler crossed paths, causing the Spurs' defense to panic. Suddenly, Hassell passed the ball to center Olajuwon.
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At this time, center Olajuwon was not in a good position. He was in the two-point area on the right side, far away from the baseline triangle. The Spurs players still faithfully implemented the double-team policy.
Who knew that at this critical moment, center Olajuwon made a clever low pass in the crowd and found the outside shooter Holly in the left corner. It was too late for the Spurs to try to cover up the defense. The outside shooter Holly
Completely wasted.
Holly started shooting decisively, and the basketball drew a beautiful arc and hollowed into the basket, making the three-pointer effective.
At this time, the score on the court was rewritten to 112:111, with the Rockets leading with two seconds left.
The Spurs are completely pushed to the brink. If they lose this crucial game, the Spurs will go home and bid farewell to this season.
They did not give up the last glimmer of hope and still called a timeout. Head coach Popovich nervously arranged tactics and tried to make surprise moves.
The miracle did not happen, and the God of fate finally sided with the Rockets. Amidst the crazy noise of the fans in the audience, even Wang Yaocheng waved his towel desperately, trying his best to interfere with the Spurs pitcher.
When the Spurs got the ball, Looms took a hasty shot and made a missed shot.
With the head coach's long full-time whistle, the game ended. The Rockets defeated their opponents with a thrilling 112:111 and entered the finals with their heads held high, truly creating league history.
The Rockets, ranked sixth in the regular season with 47 wins and 35 losses, eliminated the second-ranked Jazz in the regular season with 60 wins in the first round of the playoffs.
In the Western Conference semifinals, the Suns, who finished third in the regular season and won 59 games, were eliminated.
In the Western Conference Finals, the Spurs, who had won 62 games in the regular season, were once again eliminated. This was the first time in the history of the league that they had defeated the Spurs three times in a row.
If they can overturn the new Eastern Magic team and win the league championship, the Rockets will defeat them four times in a row, win the league championship again after 1994, and win the O'Brien Cup again. How amazing this will be.
What a miracle!
Competitive sports are so fascinating because the fighting spirit of never giving up inspires people and is full of infinite charm.