Pre-season is just around the corner, and teams are starting to get into the game.

The Pelicans and Rockets flew together to China three days before the start of the preseason.

They will play two pre-season games in China, which is known to fans as China.

Three years ago, Tang Tian, who was still playing for the Spurs at the time, also played in China, and their opponent was the Mavericks at that time.

Spurs beat Mavericks, Tang Tian PK Yi Jianlian, and the attention received by those two Chinese games was unprecedented.

But this time, it's more than that.

Because of the accumulation of the Yao Ming period, the popularity of the rockets in Chinese is not low, plus they have just formed a super three, which is definitely second only to the Pelicans in popularity.

Needless to say, the out-of-stock Sports Illustrated magazine is their current popularity in China, and fans are looking forward to Tang Tian being able to win the championship in the new season to prove himself.

The clash between these two teams is definitely the most watched game in China.

Not to mention that the venue of the game is still in China, when the NBA officially announced the two teams in the China game, its tickets were already sold out.

And in addition to the two teams, another point that fans will pay attention to is the battle between the managers of the two teams.

Both strong teams are new coaches, and everyone wants to know what they can bring to the team.

The first stop of the match between the two sides was at the Huanglong Stadium in Hangzhou.

In the past, most of the Chinese games were held in Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, and the main reason was that there were large enough basketball halls in these places.

And this time, the Huanglong Gymnasium, which hosted the Chinese competition, can only accommodate about 10,000 people, although there are temporary additional seats.

But this time, Yao Ming and the Basketball Association worked hard to win it, in order to promote the basketball school.

Basketball schools need students, and it is most appropriate to promote them on such an occasion.

On the day of the game, Yao Ming came to the locker room to find Tang Tian.

Davis, Jokic and others all went up to say hello when they saw Yao Ming.

Although Yao Ming has no championship in his career and has only played for 8 years, he is one of the most successful overseas players and a historic center forward.

In the eyes of these inside big men, their popularity is not low.

After saying hello, Tang Tian and Yao Ming went to the door to chat about the promotion of the intermission.

Tang Tian will help the Basketball Association to promote basketball schools at that time.

The two also chatted about the content of the final part, and Tang Tian would also promote his own foundation on this occasion.

It's a Chinese game, but it's not just a game.

With half an hour to go before the start of the game, players from both sides came out of the tunnel one after another.

There were deafening cheers at the scene.

The enthusiasm of the fans is unparalleled.

For Chinese fans, who can only watch two NBA games live a year, every opportunity drives them crazy.

As in the past China games, the floor of the game venue was consigned from the United States, this one is the home of the Pelicans, and the Pelicans landmarks are also printed on the floor.

And in the past two years, more and more Chinese advertisements have appeared in the NBA arena, even if the Chinese advertisements on both sides are now scrolling, it still makes people feel like they are in the NBA arena.

Before the start of the game, players from both teams warmed up on the sidelines.

Tang Tian saw that someone in the front row of the audience was waving to him.

He fixed his eyes and found that it was Lin Huanyu, this guy confirmed his identity as a fan and did not miss this occasion.

Because he had contributed 10 million to the Tang Tian Foundation before, Tang Tian had a lot more good impression of him than before.

Seeing him beckoning at this moment, Tang Tian took the initiative to walk over and chat with him.

The two of them also grabbed each other's elbows when they were talking, and they seemed very intimate.

This scene was captured by the live camera, which attracted a burst of envy from the audience.

It is foreseeable that after the game of this Chinese match, Lin Huanyu will be doxxed.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony.

The visiting team's Rockets introduced the game first.

The preseason is a game to experiment and sharpen the roster, especially against a team like the Rockets that has undergone a big trade.

D'Antoni has a two-tower lineup this time, with Capela and Cousins on the inside, Brewer on the small forward, and Paul and Harden on the outside.

On paper, it's also the Rockets' strongest lineup.

On the Pelicans' side, there is a regular lineup, with Holiday and Tang Tian on the outside, Ariza and Davis on the front, and Jokic at center.

When Tang Tian finally appeared, the cheers on the scene were overwhelming, this was his real "home field".

Davis and Cousins' jump ball, Cousins dialed the ball back to the Rockets halfcourt, and the China game officially began.

Paul organized in the frontcourt, and Harden came out to catch the ball and hit a mid-range shot.

The Rockets scored first.

In 2011, Paul had the opportunity to team up with Kobe, but the deal was eventually halted by Stern and the league.

But this time he and Harden are on the first team, a combination between two super guards, and finally appear in front of the fans.

Judging from the first round, Harden scored significantly more easily than before.

The Pelicans' offense, Jokic holding the ball near the free throw line, Ariza and Holiday running from the outside, and Tang Tian waiting for an opportunity to cut to the basket.

The Rockets did a good job defending, and the Pelicans didn't quite put the new game together, Jokic's pass didn't pass, and he chose to turn around and attack the basket himself.

Capela struggled to defend the ball.

The Rockets played a fast break, and Harden broke through to the frontcourt and passed back to Cousins, who followed up to the three-point line, and the latter missed a three-point shot.

Davis protected the defensive rebound, the Pelicans countered the fast break, Tang Tian sent a second pass, but Holiday made a layup and the ball was taken out by Paul's quick shot.

The Rockets defended the Pelicans twice in a row.

Live footage to the Rockets coaching staff on the sidelines.

In addition to D'Antoni, there is Jeff Bouzdrick, who was the No. 1 assistant coach the Rockets poached from the Grizzlies in the offseason.

The success of the Warriors last season was a combination of offensive + defensive coaching.

Most fans only know Kerr, but the management of the teams also knows Ron Adams, the Warriors' first assistant coach.

Adams is one of the league's most senior assistant coaches, having spent more time in the NBA than Popovich.

He's also one of the league's strongest defensive assistant coaches, and it's he who brings infinite switching to the Warriors.

The combination of the Rockets, now D'Antoni and Bzdrick, is the Warriors to emulate.

Judging from the opening two, the effect is very good.

The Rockets pressed to the frontcourt, and Harden singled Ariza for a step-back three-point shot.

The Rockets started the game 5-0.

There was a burst of restlessness on the sidelines, the Rockets' Big Three were really strong, and the Pelicans seemed to be a little overwhelmed.

Stevens reached out and called a timeout, which came a little early.

But that's also because it's in pre-season.

"Defense, pay attention to the defensive echo, don't give Harden a chance to play alone, change defenses quickly, I won't ask you to do well on offense now, but defense must be done well, even if it's in the preseason."

Stevens' first words at the timeout were to emphasize defense.