Chapter 903 James I’m Smart Harden (Third Update!)

"The Pelicans can't guard Harden and Paul at the same time, just like they couldn't guard Durant and Curry at the same time in the last game."

Miller looked away for a while, but Tang Tian looked more excited. He still preferred the Rockets to win.

"I had a gut feeling they were going to do it."

McGrady did not refute directly, but expressed his views in a very tactful way.

Warming up and dunking before a game consumes a lot of energy.

And it's not just Tang Tian, ​​the entire Pelicans team looks very excited tonight.

This is his intuition.

Miller smiled and didn't say anything else. When commenting on the game, he relied on intuition. McGrady wasn't playing second place, but Barkley was second!

While they were talking, the players on the field had completed their warm-up and entered the entrance ceremony.

The starters from both teams came on stage one after another.

For the Pelicans, Ariza is back. Holiday and Tang Tian are still on the outside, and Davis and Jokic are on the inside.

The Rockets also have a regular lineup, with Paul and Harden on the outside, Tucker and Morris on the striker, and Cousins ​​at center.

After the two sides started playing, Cousins ​​beat Davis in the jump, and the Pelicans battle kicked off with the cheers of the fans.

The Rockets hit Cousins ​​first in the frontcourt, and Cousins ​​hit Jokic in the paint and scored.

Under the new penalty standards, Cousins ​​is really invincible in the paint.

Looking back, Tang Tian and Jokic pulled Cousins ​​out after a pick-and-roll, deceived Cousins ​​with a fake pass inward, and responded with a sudden stop and a pull-up hit.

Cousins ​​continued to hit the basket hard, and when Davis double-teamed him, he stepped up and caused a defensive foul on Jokic, and made two free throws.

But Tang Tian turned around and started a pick-and-roll with Jokic and then passed the ball back, assisting the latter and causing Tucker to foul under the basket. He also made two free throws.

The offense in the opening rounds became a microcosm of the first half of the game between the two sides.

Cousins ​​had some problems in the paint, but the Pelicans were in good shape tonight, and under the leadership of Tang Tian, ​​they were in a stalemate with the Rockets.

This quarter lasted more than 7 minutes, and D'Antoni replaced Cousins ​​​​for Capela.

Cousins ​​is heavy and his physical fitness is a problem.

The Pelicans also replaced Jokic with West. Jokic's physical exertion against Cousins ​​was not small.

With Cousins ​​off the court, the Rockets' offensive focus shifted from the inside to the outside.

Harden broke through Ariza with the ball, then converted and contested Ariza's throw to score two points.

Harden had also used this throw before, but instead of looking for a whistle when faced with a confrontation like before, he resolutely completed the shot.

He is the same as he showed when he played against the Jazz. He has become more stable than before.

Davis' shot at the basket missed, and Capela protected the defensive rebound.

Looking back, the Pelicans made defensive adjustments, and Holiday switched to guard Harden.

Harden didn't return the ball, but took a sudden step forward and then made his signature step-back three-pointer.

"Uh-huh!"

There was a crisp sound and the ball was scored again!

The Toyota Center instantly went into a boil.

Harden personally scored 5 points in a row, helping the Rockets build a 5-point lead!

Not only has he become more stable, but his touch was also very good tonight!

Tucker and Morris struggled to prevent Tang Tian's shots. The Pelicans had failed to score in three consecutive attacks.

The balance of victory began to tilt toward the Rockets.

"Let's.go! Rockets!"

The fans at the scene shouted excitedly.

The Pelicans are the defending champions and currently have the best record in the league. They are the standard public enemy.

The Warriors made a name for themselves by beating the Pelicans last game, and now they have to do the same thing.

Especially Cousins ​​​​who boasted so much before the game. If he really won, he would be showing off.

Thinking about that scene makes people feel so happy.

And this is indeed the Rockets' strongest team since the Olajuwon era!

Harden arrived in the frontcourt and was ready to continue asking for the ball.

Durant was unstoppable in the last game, and now he has to imitate his elder brother, play a game that no one can solve, and then lead the team to win, avenging the 4-1 loss last season.

This script is quite perfect.

Paul is also prepared to give the ball to Harden, Cousins ​​before him, and now Harden. Giving the ball to people in good condition is the instinct of a top point guard.

But as soon as Harden held the ball, he found that the defender in front of him had changed again. It was not Ariza or Holiday, but Tang Tian.

Just like in the previous game, Tang Tian was forced to block the hole of the gun again.

Harden did not return the ball to Paul. He was not Durant and did not have such a big psychological shadow on Tang Tian.

And more importantly, he understands basketball differently.

Just like he was able to use the rules to play before and adjust his style of play now, he is a player with a very high IQ and knows what is the best way to win.

As long as he continues to beat Tang Tian, ​​even if the efficiency is not high, consuming Tang Tian's physical energy is the best way to win.

In the last game, Durant didn't even try his best to beat Tang Tian, ​​but Tang Tian was very good at attacking and defending. In the fourth quarter, his physical fitness also became an issue.

If he fought with all his strength, Tang Tian would be beaten to the point of losing his energy even without going into overtime.

At that time, it was time for the Rockets to harvest the game.

He made up his mind, signaled his teammates to pull away, and prepared to beat Tang Tian forcefully.

D'Antoni sat up straight on the far bench. Harden's choice seemed unwise to him, but he didn't stop it.

His teammates pulled away, and Harden made continuous cross-steps, but failed to get past Tang Tian.

As a three-time Defensive Player of the Year, Tang Tian is not that easy to get past him.

But Harden's offense didn't stop, and he continued to accelerate and change directions without passing Tang Tian, ​​and then chose the iconic mid-range step back.

This is how he scored in the past to find form.

However, Tang Tian still didn't get past him.

Tang Tian is half a head taller than Harden and has an advantage in speed. After successfully predicting the shot, he puts enough pressure on him to save.

Seeing that Harden was about to be blocked, he was forced to adjust the arc of his shot.

"Bang!"

He dodged the block, but the shot was obviously short and hit the front of the basket.

This is a long backboard.

Tang Tian successfully predicted where the rebound would land. After landing, he turned around and grabbed the rebound, then turned around and started a fast break.

Harden took out a handful but didn't find anything. He could only turn around and look at Tang Tian's fast break.

Tang Tian went to the frontcourt against Paul's help, and Paul jumped up to counter the small moves in the air.

After the penalty scale was changed, his defensive method became aggressive, and the defensive effect doubled.

However, Tang Tian completely ignored Paul's little moves. With muscle sticks and turtles bombarding him, he was not afraid of aerial confrontation at all.

Paul's small movements had no effect, and his whole body was pushed backwards by Tang Tian's power.

"Bang!"

Amid the exclamations of the fans at the scene, Tang Tian smashed the ball into the basket through Paul.

The Pelicans' bench instantly erupted, and Forbes jumped up and flung his towel into the air.

This ball is awesome!

The referee was stunned for a moment before reacting, and then blew the whistle to signal Paul's blocking foul.

Paul got a little excited when he heard the whistle and turned to the referee to argue.

Under the new penalty standards, his defensive action just now can be called or not, but this is the Rockets' home court!

The referee ignored Paul's protest, even though he was the president of the players union.

But you can blow it or not. Tang Tian is now the number one player in the league. It would be inappropriate not to whistle for this kind of ball to a superstar.