Gentry wanted Wei Guo to jump, but Wei Guo refused.
This is an opportunity for Yao Ming to develop...
Yao Ming is under immense pressure tonight, as he will be matched up against Tim Duncan, one of the league's top centers. He is very likely to be outplayed by Duncan, but this is an inevitable step in Yao Ming's growth.
......
"Beep!!!"
The match began with the referee's whistle.
Duncan and Yao Ming jump for the ball.
Parker gets the ball, dribbles to the frontcourt, uses his speed to get past Francis, and takes a floater near the free-throw line.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
After scoring, Parker looked at Wei Guo, who praised him, saying, "Young man, you're growing up very fast."
Parker: ╮(╯﹏╰）╭
Parker also entered the league last year, and was selected by the Spurs with the 28th pick in the first round. Among the rookies in that class, Parker's performance was remarkable, but unfortunately he was in the same class as Wei Guo.
2001...
Whenever this year's rookies are mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind for all fans is Wei Guo; all the other players live in Wei Guo's shadow.
......
The Rockets are on offense.
Francis passed the ball to Wei Guo, who held the ball and drew the defense before lobbing it to Yao Ming.
Duncan blocked Yao Ming!
Yao Ming made a quick turn and took a shot under Duncan's tight defense.
*Smack!!!*
Duncan blocked Yao Ming's shot.
Bowen gets the ball, and Parker quickly dribbles it to the frontcourt and waits for his teammates to get into position.
"fine..."
Wei Guo patted Yao Ming's butt and offered a word of comfort.
Duncan established position under the basket, received the ball, faked out Yao Ming with two moves, and then jumped up for a one-handed dunk.
4-0!!!
The Spurs took an early lead.
Popovich sat calmly on the bench, the players were executing the tactics perfectly, and he was confident of winning the game.
Although...
So far this season, Wei Guo's average of 45 points and 11.2 rebounds per game is quite impressive.
This was Yao Ming's first time facing a top-tier center. On the Rockets' second offensive possession, Wei Guo received the ball in a mid-range shot.
He turned his back to Bowen, then turned and faded back for a jump shot.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went through the net cleanly.
"You're using too many dirty defensive tricks!"
After scoring, Wei Guo looked at Bowen with some disgust, "If you keep defending me like this, I'll beat you to a pulp!"
4:2!!!
Both teams started the game very steadily, with each attack being a positional battle.
Very few mistakes...
Fast attacks are rare...
However, its offensive efficiency is very high.
Popovich was also a little curious. The Rockets, a team that had been rebuilt, had such strong cohesion. It seemed that he had underestimated Gentry before.
......
After seven minutes of play in the first quarter, Gentry substituted Yao Ming with Posey.
Posey is a veteran, and he has much more experience than Yao Ming. He can use his experience to defend Duncan.
Just these seven minutes...
Duncan and Robinson took turns beating Yao Ming.
Sitting back on the bench, Yao Ming looked dejected. Cummings put his arm around Yao's neck from behind and said, "It's just Duncan and Robinson, right? Wei will get revenge for you!"
Within seven minutes, Yao Ming went 0-for-3 from the field and failed to grab a single rebound.
The Rockets are having a tough time because the Spurs' interior defense is too strong. Francis and Mobley failed to score on several drives, and their shooting is not very consistent. The point difference is not widening now only because of Wei Guo.
Under Bowen's tight defense...
Wei Guo scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, bringing the Rockets' total to 17 points.
The Spurs also made a substitution, with Ginobili replacing Jackson.
During the World Championships, Wei Guo faced off against Ginobili and was deeply impressed by the player. Ginobili's breakthroughs were like snakes, making him somewhat difficult to defend. In one game, Ginobili used his agile footwork to get past Wei Guo and score layups at least three times.
After Ginobili entered the game, he dribbled and broke through.
Step your right foot forward slightly, then quickly move your body to the left. Next, touch the ground with your left foot, and your body will be on the right side again.
The basketball was always held tightly in Ginobili's arms...
He easily got past Mobley and drove to the basket for a layup.
*Smack!!!*
Wei Guo appeared behind Ginobili and slapped the ball out of bounds.
"Your breakthrough was flashy, but the final layup was too ordinary."
Wei Guo gently shook his head. "I told you during the World Championships that you need time to grow."
Then give me room to grow!
Don't give me that big compliment right off the bat!
Don't I have any pride?
Ginobili really wanted to criticize Wei Guo, but he held back.
The Spurs inbounded the ball, Parker received it, Robinson set a screen, Parker drove to the free-throw line and made another floater.
*Smack!!!*
Wei Guo stepped forward and delivered another big block to Parker.
"What the hell..."
Parker's eyes widened. He had observed the distance between Wei Guo and himself before choosing to shoot a floater near the free-throw line.
But...
Wei Guo jumped way too high!
Parker even felt that the block should have been called goaltending.
The basketball flies towards the front court...
Mobley caught up with the ball and scored with a fast break dunk.
19:18!!
The Rockets lead by 1 point.
......
"Spurs call a timeout!"
Popovich called a timeout.
Wei Guo blocked Ginobili and Parker in succession, and Mobley's dunk even turned the score around, and the Rockets' momentum was on the rise.
"Attack inside as much as possible; the inside is our strength."
"Duncan, you're going to defend Weiguo. It'll be difficult for Bowen alone to limit Weiguo's performance."
Judging from these eight minutes... Bowen was indeed completely outmatched by Wei Guo.
......
The game resumed after the timeout.
Duncan received the ball near the basket, flicked Thomas away with a flick of his wrist, dribbled to the basket, and dunked the ball over Posey.
"Bang!!!"
This dunk wasn't violent, but it was very clean and decisive.
19:20!!
The Spurs have taken the lead again.
The Rockets are on offense. After Wei Guo receives the ball, Duncan moves up to defend him.
"They changed the person?"
Wei Guo scoffed, "Relying on that guy Bowen won't stop me."
I don't know why, but Wei Guo just doesn't like Bowen. This guy makes too many dirty defensive moves, and once Wei Guo stepped on Bowen's foot after landing from a shot. I don't know if Bowen did it on purpose.
Facing Duncan's defense.
Wei Guo gripped the basketball with one hand, his back against Duncan, and his teammates created space for Wei Guo to take on Duncan one-on-one.
The basketball bounced off the ground and back into Wei Guo's hands.
With a turn, then a crossover dribble, Wei Guo took a step back, gathered the ball, and made a shooting motion!
This entire combo is made using moves typically used by guards!
In the years that followed, this tactic was frequently seen on a player named Kyrie Irving.
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