ebookland Chapter 632 Continuing Passion
Chapter 632 Continuing Passion
Round-faced Deng faced off against Paul George and opted for a direct drive to the basket.
Although short, Roundface is incredibly tough and strong, and completely unafraid of confrontation.
Round-faced guy takes the lead against Paul George, and sinks a mid-range jump shot!
7-2, the Rockets have scored.
Beverley dribbled the ball over and passed it to Jia Fei.
Jia Fei plays center on defense, but on offense he can play any position. There's no rule that playing center means you have to post up and attack, nor is there a rule that you can't face the basket with the ball.
In modern basketball, every position should ideally have shooting ability. If every player can shoot and handle the ball, then the opponent will find it very difficult to defend against.
Gallinari came up to screen, his aim being to get Jia Fei to call out Harden.
Gallinari is very thick-skinned, and his screens were surprisingly good!
The Rockets had no choice but to switch on defense; their initial plan was to create a significant delay. The Rockets didn't want Harden exposed to Jia Fei and George, as Harden's defense has never been good, and he's not adept at guarding speedy players.
Jia Fei forced Harden to switch defense, then used a series of crossover dribbles, suddenly accelerated and changed direction, easily getting past Harden.
Harden wasn't exactly playing defense with his eyes open, but he simply couldn't keep up! He's never been a speed-type guard; Beverley used to do that job. Now, even Westbrook can't guard him. Both brothers are only good at defending power-type guards, and sometimes Covington has to step in to guard speed-type guards.
Jia Fei charged in, and Westbrook, baring his teeth, came over to help defend!
Jia Fei spun past Westbrook and jumped up for a powerful one-handed dunk!
The Rockets' interior defense was terrible; Jia Fei was practically unstoppable!
9:2, the score difference is still 7 points!
"Jia Fei's shot was amazing! He got past both Harden and Westbrook!" Wang Zixing exclaimed.
Su Qun explained: "The Rockets can't defend the paint without a center. Whoever drives in will either foul or score. They used to have Capela, but now they have Covington and Tucker playing inside, and neither of them can defend the paint."
The Rockets were on offense. Westbrook was backing down and calling for the ball, and Harden lobbed it to him!
Westbrook aggressively tackled Beverley, who didn't back down either, and the two engaged in a fierce physical confrontation!
To prevent the conflict from escalating, the referee called a defensive foul on Beverley!
After learning the result, Westbrook showed off his muscles to Beverley.
The ball was inbounded again in the frontcourt, and Westbrook sat with his back to Beverley, sitting right in, then turned and shot a jumper—this time he got it!
At 9:4, Westbrook didn't forget to show off his muscles to Beverley once again!
The Clippers are on offense. They set a double screen at the top of the key. Paul George brought the ball over, and Jia Fei made an off-ball movement. After using the off-ball screen, he received a brilliant pass from Paul George, took a step to the basket, and made a light floater!
11-4, the Rockets managed to score two points, but their defense easily gave them away...
It's proven that the Rockets' defense is vastly different from when they had Ariza, Westbrook, and Capela. While Westbrook's defense was a bit dirty, his ability and effectiveness were undeniable. Westbrook, on the other hand, is incredibly deceptive. He looks fierce, muscular enough to play the small forward position and even the paint, but defensively he's inconsistent, often leaving his man open, unable to defend fast guards one-on-one, prone to impulsive plays, and not smart enough at pick-and-roll defense.
This is why some players may not have impressive stats, but they can still hold important positions on a strong team and get contracts. Often, their defensive contributions are not reflected in the statistics.
Are Whiteside's block stats impressive? Are Love's rebound stats impressive? But everyone knows how good their defense is.
On the Rockets' offense, Westbrook continued his back-to-the-basket attack on Beverley, who then committed another foul!
Beverley committed two fouls in quick succession, and Westbrook flexed his muscles at him, which made Beverley's mentality somewhat explosive.
Beverley lost his composure and got up to fight with the other player, but the referee immediately gave him a technical foul!
Coach Buden immediately substituted him; otherwise, something serious was about to happen. Actually, Beverley is also prone to losing his temper; he's not much better than Westbrook.
However, Beverley isn't indispensable to the Clippers. The Rockets would be much better defensively with Beverley on the perimeter, but that's not the case for the Clippers; Beverley is no longer essential to this team. In terms of perimeter defense alone, both Bridges and Dillon are quite effective, and the bench also has two versatile combo guards, Hart and Bruce Brown.
The Clippers' perimeter talent pool is absolutely top-tier; their weakness has never been perimeter defense, but rather interior defense. However, it's clear the Rockets struggle to penetrate the paint when Harden is double-teamed. Westbrook can get into the paint, but his finishing ability has declined significantly; he can't drive in half-court sets and has to rely on post-up moves, demonstrating how slow his acceleration has become.
The Clippers brought in Bridges, and their five-forward lineup is now complete!
Harden stepped to the free-throw line and calmly sank the free throw!
11:5, a difference of 6 points!
The Rockets continue to inbound the ball in the frontcourt.
Harden receives the ball and initiates the offense from the top of the key.
Westbrook continued to call for the ball with his back to the basket, but this time he was no longer being guarded by Beverley, who is 185cm tall, but by Bridges, who is 201cm tall.
Harden lobbed the ball to Westbrook.
Westbrook sits down and beats Bridges!
While Westbrook is prone to getting carried away, this tendency has two sides, good and bad. On the positive side, he's incredibly brave and fearless, never lacking passion or confidence. It's important to remember that even star players sometimes experience setbacks, and in those moments, confidence is more precious than gold. Then there's passion, which is crucial; sometimes it can truly turn the tide. Running Man is a prime example of this; he easily gives up when hope is lost. Westbrook, on the other hand, is a master in this regard—he never gives up!
Passion!
Westbrook aggressively tackled Bridges. Although Bridges is tall, he is also thin. He struggled against the muscular Westbrook's powerful attacks and was forced to retreat.
Westbrook squeezed into the paint area, turned and gathered the ball, pushed past Bridges, and went straight for a layup!
However, Jia Fei's timely defensive support resulted in a huge block on him!
Round-faced Deng grabbed the ball and drove hard to the basket, but this time he was blocked by Paul George!
Westbrook grabbed the ball and went up again, but his skills were too rough, and he missed the layup despite being so close!
Jia Fei grabbed the rebound, but Roundface Deng committed a foul while trying to steal it!
Beverley was showing off his muscles on the sidelines, even though he didn't have much muscle, it was as if Jia Fei was helping him get back at him.
"Teacher Su, although neither side has a center forward, the intensity of the tackling is really high! The players' confrontations are really fierce!" Wang Zixing exclaimed.
Su Qun adjusted his glasses: "The Rockets can't score under the basket, they're in trouble. Jia Fei's defense under the basket is more effective than expected!"