Their defense was excellent, and every shot they took seemed forced.
and...
The Rockets always manage to block Wei Guo from receiving the ball. As soon as Wei Guo gets the ball, they immediately double-team him!
Gentry recalled a statement Wei Guo had made: the biggest uncertainty in this match was Gu Tao, because nobody knew anything about this player.
3 minutes and 57 seconds left in the first quarter!
Gu Tao received a pass from Mobley outside the three-point line and took a three-point shot with a standard posture.
"Whoosh!!!"
The basketball went into the net.
7:5!!!
The Rockets are leading by two points.
This was Gu Tao's first shot. His release point was very high, and Jefferson tried to block it but failed to touch the ball.
Thinking of Gu Tao's draft report, his comparison was Jordan?
Gu Tao's physical talent is unclear, but his jumping ability is quite impressive... However, Wei Guo knows that this kid definitely doesn't have a system. Wei Guo's system is already the worst in the system world, which makes Wei Guo invincible from the moment he appears.
[Cough cough...]
He doesn't have a system...
The system, which hadn't appeared for a long time, said something.
......
Since it was a defensive battle, Weiguo focused more on defense.
Defending the country is very fast!
Moreover, he knew Francis's passing habits too well. When Francis dribbled and broke through from the left, Wei Guo was like a cheetah waiting for its chance. As soon as Francis passed the ball, Wei Guo appeared in his passing lane.
*Smack!!!*
A successful steal!
The pass was intercepted, and Francis turned and ran back to the backfield. Gu Tao was a little faster than Francis, and the two of them double-teamed Wei Guo in the backfield!
Wei Guo did not rush the shot...
He often makes pull-up three-pointers, but that's not his regular scoring method. He can only make pull-up three-pointers when Wei Guo is on fire!
Wei Guo kept a steady pace, and Gu Tao was able to keep up with Wei Guo's every step!
"Young man, not bad at defense!"
Wei Guo praised him, then asked, "Do you think I'll break through from your left or right?"
Gu Tao remained calm, completely unfazed by Wei Guo's words!
The Rockets players retreated on defense, and Wei Guo passed the ball to Stockton, then ran to the basket to box out. However, Gu Tao intercepted Stockton's pass to Wei Guo!
After intercepting the ball, Gu Tao first held it close to his body, and only handed the ball to Francis after everyone had run forward.
"This kid plays very steadily!"
Gentry looked at Gu Tao with admiration.
The Rockets played a positional game...
After several passes, Gu Tao received the ball, dribbled one step, and jumped towards Wei Guo. His body kept rising higher and higher, and his body also arched!
"Kid!"
Wei Guo jumped up under the basket, caught the basketball with one hand, and shouted, "Welcome to the NBA!"
*Smack!!!*
Wei Guo delivered a powerful blow to Gu Tao, who fell to the ground!
The referee did not blow the whistle...
That was a beautiful block! Stockton grabbed the ball, and Wei Guo was already sprinting up the court!
Gu Tao got up and chased after Wei Guo!
Cato stood in the paint, and Wei Guo used a Euro step to get past him, intending to score with a reverse layup.
"grass!!!"
Gentry suddenly stood up from the bench, "Gu Tao has caught up!"
Wei Guo didn't expect Gu Tao to catch up. Gu Tao jumped up behind Wei Guo and slammed the ball onto the backboard with both hands.
The backboard wobbled slightly...
A spiked hat!!!
As the saying goes, "He who walks by the river will eventually get his shoes wet." It's not that Wei Guo has never been blocked; Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, and even Kobe Bryant have all blocked him, but very rarely. In his two years of professional league play, Wei Guo has been blocked less than ten times!
Moreover...
Gu Tao is still a rookie!
"Idol!"
Gu Tao, gripping the basketball, said, "Don't underestimate me..."
The stadium erupted in uproar...
Something big is about to happen! A rookie has delivered a huge block to Wei Guo! Even though we're all Chinese... Wei Guo has to do something about it.
"That's interesting!"
Wei Guo touched his nose and chuckled softly.
The next seven minutes were brutal. Both sides' defenses were watertight, and Wei Guo was too familiar with the Rockets' players. He could always predict the players' positions and the direction of the passes!
........
The first quarter is over!
17:19!!
The Nets lead by 2 points.
The offensive battles were exciting, and the defensive battles were suffocating. After a quarter, the fans could only catch their breath, as they seemed to be even more nervous than the players on the court.
Cummings looked at the technical statistics table.
Wei Guo: 7 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 6 steals, 3 blocks
The most terrifying thing is steals. Cummings thought for a while, and Wei Ge has never had a double-digit steal in his career.
Tonight's data...
Is a new record about to be set? A record never before achieved by a player in the league: a quintuplet!!!
As we all know, blocking shots is the domain of big men, while steals are the domain of small men. Just look at the statistics: the top five in blocks are all big men, while the top five in steals are four small men.
"I must keep a close eye on things tonight..."
Cummings made a silent vow: "I absolutely cannot miss a single piece of data!"
........
In the first three minutes of the second quarter, the players on the court were mostly substitutes.
Key players need to rest because defense requires more physical exertion than offense.
"Coach, let me play!"
Mourning sat anxiously on the sidelines, saying, "There's nothing wrong with my body."
Gentry said, "You don't need to play in these kinds of small games. Your role is... the playoffs!"
Mourning said, "Sitting like this... it's going to drive a person crazy!"
"Um..."
Gentry thought for a moment, "Go to China tomorrow and ask the boss to find you a reliable doctor. If the Chinese doctor says you can play, I'll let you play."
......
Three minutes later... the key players entered the field!
Cummings did not remind Wei Guo of his chance to get a five-double tonight. Except for a few games, Wei Guo does not deliberately create statistics. Cummings' biggest role is to remind Wei Guo when a certain statistic is 9, 19 or 29.
The Rockets are on offense.
Mobley missed his shot, Cato grabbed the offensive rebound, and took a jump shot under the basket... but Wei Guo was met with a huge block!
In the past, Wei Guo would have just let the ball go, but tonight Wei Guo's defense was too aggressive. He single-handedly erected an iron gate under the Rockets' basket!
4 blocks!!!
Cummings made a note of it.
Jefferson got the ball, but Gu Tao stole it while he was dribbling. Gu Tao lost his grip on the ball and stole it back from Wei Guo. Francis tried to take the ball from Wei Guo again, but failed!
This is probably a microcosm of the entire match...
The fact that the interception was completed in just three seconds, only to be counter-intercepted, is enough to demonstrate the intensity of the defense.
but...
Despite the intense defense, everyone played very civilly.
Most fans watched the game with tension. The arena was quiet, with only the sounds of basketballs hitting the ground, nets swishing, referee whistles, and shoes scraping against the floor. Even the DJ was silent.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com