novelODS Chapter 72 The most exciting debut?
Chapter 72 The most exciting debut?
The Rockets' offense.
Alston dribbled the ball up the court, and after a series of passes, McGrady got the ball and went up against Zeng Zhen.
Unlike the talkative Alston and Artest, McGrady was quiet, his eyes drooping as if he had no desires. He didn't want to go one-on-one, but instead signaled for a pick-and-roll. Yao Ming and Landry moved up at the same time, and Zeng Zhen was double-teamed. Before Joe Smith's defense arrived, McGrady took a step to the middle of the free throw line and the three-point line, slowed down, and stopped for a jump shot.
"Whoosh!"
53:51.
At a crucial moment, McGrady stepped up to solve the problem.
The Thunder's defense has many weaknesses, forcing them to engage in high-scoring shootouts. Alston's defense is also weak, giving Zeng Zhen time to adapt to the pace of the NBA.
The Thunder launched their attack.
Westbrook then handed the ball to Zeng Zhen, who backed down Alston and passed it to Joe Smith, who cut in from the middle, for a layup.
For the next period of time, Zeng Zhen played a role in connecting the team, with Joe Smith and Westbrook scoring one after another, leading the Thunder's second unit to fight back and forth with the Rockets' starting lineup.
Although they couldn't stop the Rockets' offense, the Rockets also had a hard time stopping their attack. It wasn't that the Rockets' defense was bad, but rather that they were unfamiliar with how Zeng Zhen and Westbrook orchestrated the offense. Both of them are top-tier talents in the NBA. Not to mention Alston, even McGrady and Artest could easily be blown past if they weren't careful.
Both head coaches frequently made lineup adjustments. Durant came on after 5 minutes in the third quarter and immediately scored points. However, due to his poor defensive habits, Durant accumulated fouls very quickly.
The Rockets tried to widen the gap, but they couldn't. Their pace seemed a bit slow. Even when the Thunder were temporarily behind, Durant or Zeng Zhen would come over and each hit a three-pointer to bring the score back up.
Of course, the Thunder's weak defense and various basic mistakes also prevented them from establishing a significant lead.
By the fourth quarter, center Wilcox had fouled out after being fouled out by Yao Ming, and Durant also had five fouls.
With only 30 seconds left in the game, the score was 94-94.
The Thunder had possession of the ball, and Zeng Zhen dribbled it up the court to control the clock.
The fans at Ford Center stood up to watch the game, and in just one game, the 8th overall pick proved that he could stay on the court in crucial moments.
"Give it to KD!"
"KD, go catch the ball!!"
Carlesimo was shouting from the sidelines.
Zeng Zhen calmly executed the coach's tactical instructions and passed the ball to Durant.
Despite Zeng Zhen's outstanding performance, Carlesimo still trusts Durant more now.
Durant is in foul trouble, but with so little time left and the ball still in his possession, it shouldn't be a big problem.
Zeng Zhen gave up possession of the ball, but he didn't stay idle. Instead, he moved frequently between the left bottom corner and the left 45-degree angle.
Durant received the ball on the right side of the three-point line, showcasing his ball-handling skills as a big man against McGrady's defense. With a scissor step and a hovering ball, he made a sharp change of direction, bursting past McGrady on the right side and accelerating with a long stride to drive in!
Artest, Scola, and Yao Ming simultaneously double-teamed Durant, but Durant saw Zeng Zhen waving to him from the left baseline before the three-man defense arrived.
Durant slammed the ball to Zeng Zhen!
Zeng Zhen had a very small opening, and he received the ball and jumped to shoot without hesitation.
By the time Artest rushed in to defend, it was too late!
"Whoosh!!!"
A three-pointer piercing the heart!!
94 is better than 97
"Well done!!" Westbrook rushed over from the sidelines to high-five Zeng Zhen in celebration.
The Ford Center stadium was instantly filled with joy.
"Wow, Zeng Zhen, is he going to score the game-winning shot in his debut?"
"Haha, this plot is brilliantly executed."
"Well done."
"Durant's drive to the basket was largely responsible for that play; he basically drew all the defense away from the defense."
"That's a really strong heart."
"It's time to reveal my identity as a Zeng Zhen fan for the past two years."
Fans watching the live stream in China were very excited.
With 8 seconds left, if the Thunder win tonight, Zeng Zhen will have made the game-winning shot.
Alston received the ball, and Durant immediately tried to steal it, but failed.
"Bang!!"
Alston was knocked down by Durant.
"Beep beep!!"
The referee promptly called a foul on Durant, who fouled out of the game.
Durant was very unwilling. He high-fived Zeng Zhen and said, "I'm going down now. It's up to you."
Although Durant was unhappy with Zeng Zhen, he still acknowledged Zeng Zhen's abilities.
The good news for the Thunder is that they haven't reached the foul limit yet, so the Rockets can't go to the free-throw line. But the bad news is that the Rockets still have possession of the ball.
McGrady received the ball in the backcourt, dribbled it to the frontcourt, and Yao Ming came out to screen Zeng Zhen and Durant. McGrady dribbled to the side, took a step to gather the ball, and decisively stopped and launched a three-pointer.
"Whoosh!!"
"Buzz!!"
97-97, McGrady tied the game at the buzzer.
"ah!!!"
McGrady punched the air with his right fist towards the sky.
Yao Ming went over and hugged McGrady's head.
"The two teams were tied at the end of regulation time, so they went into overtime. Although the Thunder held the lead in the final moments, they did not win the game," Zhang Weiping said excitedly.
As McGrady hit the three-pointer, the excitement at the Ford Center turned into silence.
The camera focused on Zeng Zhen on the court. Facing a playoff-caliber Rockets team without Durant, would the Thunder still have a chance to win in overtime?
Thunder fans don't have much confidence.
The Thunder played exceptionally well today. Zeng Zhen and Durant gave it their all, but they still couldn't win the game. Will the Thunder have any energy left in overtime?
Westbrook, standing on the sidelines, clapped loudly to encourage his teammates: "Hey, hey, guys, cheer up! They're not that great. We're young, we have the physical advantage, we can beat them."
Westbrook was very passionate, but he didn't energize the team, and the team's overall mood was somewhat low.
Westbrook is currently just a rookie with little influence.
Zeng Zhen sat on the bench, panting heavily. Tonight's game was full of competition. Durant, with his eyes vacant, covered the court with a towel.
After entering the league, Durant discovered that the NBA was much harder to play in than he had imagined, and that beating Western Conference teams was extremely difficult, especially in the Western Conference.
Head coach Carlesimo frowned. Without Durant and Wilcox, the Thunder would have a better chance of winning in overtime against the experienced Rockets.
"Coach Zhang, which side do you think will have the advantage in overtime?" Yu Jia asked.
"The Rockets have a bigger advantage. Durant fouled out, and the Thunder's depth is far inferior to the Rockets'. Although A-Zhen is strong, he can't carry the team alone," Zhang Weiping said directly.
"What do you think of Ah Zhen's performance tonight, where he scored 27 points, 11 assists, and 5 rebounds in regulation time?" Yu Jia asked.
"These are rookie-level stats. Win or lose, it won't affect my evaluation of him," Zhang Weiping said earnestly.
As a rookie who came off the bench, he performed like this, so we can't ask for more.