Tang Tian is also tinkering with the team's tactics for the next game in the coach's office.

If you don't need an iron ankle, you have to find other ways to fill the gap caused by Maddie's injury.

As the media and fans said, Maddy's absence still has a great impact on the Rockets.

But there is always a way.

If it was the Rockets last season, Yao Mai would have been injured all of them, but this season's team's lineup configuration and depth are very hurt, but not fatal.

On May 14, U.S. time, after playing two games in New Orleans, the two teams returned to the Toyota Center in Houston after a week's interval to play Game 5 here.

Maddie's absence touched the hearts of fans and made media reporters pay special attention.

When warming up before the game, the reporter found Tang Tian for an interview.

"Coach, Maddy's absence will have a big impact on the team's offense, are you ready to deal with it?" The reporter asked questions that everyone was concerned about.

'yes, we've got a lot of depth in our squad this year and somebody will step up.' Tang Tian did not make a clear statement.

"Who? Or who? The reporter asked.

"There are people, you can see them when you get to the game." Tang Tian sold Guanzi.

The reporter was puzzled, but Tang Tian's words made him more curious, looking at Tang Tian's appearance, he seemed to be very confident, but who would stand up?

After the warm-up, it was quickly time to enter the starting introduction.

In Maddy's absence, Tang Tian put Battier back in the starting position, and the other starters did not change.

The Hornets also maintained their original starting lineup, losing three straight games to the Rockets, and the team's morale was originally poor, but with Maddy's absence, confidence can be felt back to this team.

The commentary for this game is still Brin and Jackson.

"The Rockets are back in three straight cities and back in the Toyota Center, which was supposed to be their chance to advance easily, but with T-mac's absence, the game is going to get confusing, Mark, do you think the Hornets have a chance?" Brin said, turning to look at his partner.

"There will definitely be opportunities, but it depends on the offensive adjustments of the Rockets, and the Hornets' defensive problems are still there, and it's like two people wrestling their wrists, and whoever adjusts better will have more chances." Jackson used a figurative metaphor.

"Yes, but at least, the absence of T-mac has brought the two sides back to the same level, and it is not easy for the Rockets to fill the 33-point scoring gap.

Just when the two were talking, the starters of both sides had already appeared one after another.

With the referee's whistle, the game officially began.

Chandler got the first offense for the Hornets.

Paul carried the ball up front, but he didn't take it straight on as before.

Although it was related to the Rockets' defensive set-up, the team's three-game losing streak made him realize that he couldn't win the game on his own, so he took the initiative to find Chandler to do the pick-and-roll, and after the ball was dismantled, Chandler went inside, and he followed a high lob ball.

Chandler catches the ball and wants to dunk it, but Billups gets stuck under him and can't jump.

A dunk turned into a layup, and Chandler managed to score the ball.

The Hornets took the lead.

After the goal, Chandler was a little excited, and turned back to Paul with a high-five.

Paul played these games alone, and they did hold back for a long time.

"It's a good start, and the Hornets have made a difference." Jackson of the commentary box opened his mouth to say that such a change was obviously a good thing for the Hornets, and he then looked at the Rockets' frontcourt.

The Hornets have made a change, and if the Rockets don't address Maddy's absence well, the situation could tip to the Hornets in the first place.

Billups drove to the front court with the ball, and the rest of the Rockets began to settle down.

When he saw that Yao Ming was still in the low post, Jackson couldn't help but shake his head, and it seemed that the offensive tactics of the Rockets had not changed much.

But just when he thought so, Team Rocket's next tactic made him stunned.

Petrus mentioned the three-point line and Billups made an outside pick-and-roll, and after the pick-and-roll, Billups' defender switched from Paul to Peterson, and Petrus pulled Paul directly to the other side of the half court after the block.

After facing Peterson, Billups did not call for a pick-and-roll, but directly began to change direction and break through.

Billups wasn't fast or flashy, but he was accurate, and almost as soon as Peterson's center of gravity shifted, he slammed his acceleration past his opponent and went straight to the basket.

The scene burst into cheers.

In the first few games of the series, Paul was on the show, and Billups finally started to move this time!

Billups broke through Peterson, West rushed over to help defend, and Chandler quickly shrank to the basket at this time.

Mid-range shots, and the routes to the basket were all blocked.

"It's a pity." Jackson saw this and said with a little regret.

Billups wasn't Maddie after all, and that kind of defense was enough for him to shoot.

The fans were also worried after watching it.

But at this moment, something that no one expected happened, and the moment Billups made contact with West, his right hand went around West's body and threw the ball back.

The ball slammed into the ground with a spinning arc.

"Bang!"

After a hit to the ground, the ball flew past West in front of him and Chandler under the basket, and flew directly to Yao Ming on the other side.

After Chandler contracted the basket, Yao Ming was directly empty.

"Huh!"

After Yao Ming received the ball, he hit a steady mid-range shot.

There was a burst of cheers from the audience.

Yao Ming slapped Billups with a little excitement.

The ball just now, separated by two people, ordinary players can't pass it.

The Hornets' offense, Paul also looked for Chandler.

However, this time Billups switched defenses and went straight forward, holding his hands high to deny Chandler a chance to catch the ball.

Paul took another look at his teammates, and Peja and Peterson were still tightly pressed by Millsap and Petrus, and West's off-ball pick-and-roll at the same time failed to create offensive chances.

Paul could only dribble the ball back to the three-point line and make a three-point stop after shaking.

"Bang!"

Yao Ming's steps were far from being as bulky as they looked, and although he was a beat slower, his height was still disturbing.

Paul's three-pointer went wide of the basket.

Battier jammed Chandler under the basket and Billups picked up a defensive rebound.

The Rockets' offense was the same as in the previous round, and Pieterson still failed to defend Billups one-on-one.

West returned to defense, Chandler recovered, and the change in the Hornets' defense was that Paul chose to make up for Yao Ming's point this time.

Billups burst to the basket and switched the ball from his right hand to his left, and then his left hand slammed the ball out like a gunshot.