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When Cassel announced the news, Griffin's face didn't change much, and it seemed that the coaching staff had communicated with him before.

Seeing this, Tang Shuai had to give Kassel a thumbs up, and let the team's main power forward substitute in the first game of the playoffs, which obviously requires courage, once he loses the game, he is likely to become the target of public criticism, even if he wins the game, I am afraid that saliva is indispensable, not to mention that this is likely to arouse the fighting spirit of the Rockets.

But in order to protect Griffin, Cassel did dare to do it.

On April 18, U.S. time, at the Staples Center, the Clippers welcomed their opponent in the first round of the playoffs, the Rockets, which was the first round of the contest between the two sides, and the Clippers had home-court advantage.

Before the start of the race, two important things happened.

The first one has nothing to do with Tang Shuai, but it is very meaningful.

After the end of the regular season, the NBA will not announce the attribution of major awards at a time, such as the heavy MVP and the best team, which will generally be announced after the second round of the playoffs, but there are some awards that are announced relatively early.

Like the previous 12th, the league has officially announced what may be the lightest fastest progress award, the Trail Blazers' McCollum beat Kemba Walker, Antetokounmpo, Will Barton, Crowder and others to win this award, in today's game between the Trail Blazers vs. the Warriors, this award was also presented before the game. And before the game on this day, on the field in San Antonio. The league awarded Leonard the trophy for Best Defensive Player.

This award can be said to be historic. Leonard's 2.01m became the first non-centre-forward player to win the award since Dennis Rodman (1989-90 and 1990-91).

In fact, Rodman is the power forward, and Leonard is the small forward, and it is not an exaggeration to say that there is no one before him.

The second thing is very related to Tang Shuai.

When Tang Shuai was changing his clothes in the locker room and getting ready to play, he received a text message of encouragement from two celebrities, one of whom had just become a celebrity.

One was sent by Bryant, while the other was sent by Iverson.

Kobe Bryant's is relatively simple, and the general content is to let him go and fight. Don't have stage fright.

Iverson's, on the other hand, is moving.

"There was once a young man who tried everything to win the game, but in the end he tried everything and found that he couldn't get what he wanted, and he thought that basketball was going to say goodbye to him, but in a game back to his hometown, a teenager caught his attention, and in the following games, he seemed to see himself yesterday. That teenager is playing his first career playoff game tomorrow, boy, come on. ”

After reading Iverson's text message, Tang Shuai's heart was touched. In a sense, the path he took was so similar to Iverson's, constantly being questioned. And then keep responding to those doubts with performance.

"Don, it's time to go!" That's when it happened. Smith shouted.

"It's coming!" Tang Shuai put the phone in the closet and took a deep breath. Then he walked out of the locker room with his head held high.

The NBA playoffs, a stage exclusive to strong teams, a real "Warriors" can laugh to the end of the series, in this series, you can see a lot of things that you can't see in the regular season, coaches, players, and even referees will be put under a big microscope, without the slightest hiding.

Just as it is difficult for a coach who fails to win in the playoffs to obtain the approval of the general manager, a star who cannot perform in the playoffs will eventually be labeled as a pseudo-star, this is a melting pot, a big stage, and only after his baptism can it be regarded as real growth.

The home court of the Clippers is red, and the home team has put red T-shirts on every seat before the start of the game.

It didn't take long for the players to arrive at the scene, and then it was the introduction of the players.

The difference is that because it was the first game of the playoffs, the home team introduced all the players.

At this time, the starting lineup on the scene has not been announced, and when Griffin was introduced early, many fans at the scene were stunned, and Bickerstaff had a ghostly expression, obviously the Clippers did a good job of keeping it secret, and such a lineup was obviously unexpected by the Rockets.

It's also part of the playoff game, and the Clippers clearly have the lead before the game begins.

The substitute was followed by the starter, as Griffin became the substitute and Tang Shuai became the penultimate player to be introduced.

"Don~~ handsome!!"

The DJ shouted Tang Shuai's name, and the audience suddenly fell into a boil.

As a rookie, although his scoring has dropped since Griffin's return, his average points per game have remained at 19.2 points and 3.6 assists per game, his scoring is the highest among rookies, and what is even more rare is that his shooting rate is 49%, a super efficient shooting rate, and what is even more terrifying is that his three-point shooting rate is 53%! First in the league! It's hard to imagine that this is just a rookie player, and a rookie player who is constantly improving.

At the trade deadline rumors, when Ballmer rejected the Celtics' decision to sign Tang Shuai with the first three picks, all kinds of doubts were overwhelming, but when Griffin was absent and Tang Shuai continued to help the team win with his super stable play, the doubts disappeared, and it was not until the end of the season that Tang Shuai became the only player who could compete with Towns in the best rookie of the year that people realized how discerning Ballmer was.

Just as the Hornets traded Kobe Bryant to the Hornets when they drafted him, Ballmer's vision and boldness are far greater than that of the Hornets' executive vice president, Bob Buss.

Anyway, Tang Shuai already has super popularity in Los Angeles. The deafening cheers on the scene are the best proof of this.

Tang Shuai took a deep breath and waved his hand to greet the audience.

The cheers of the scene suddenly went higher again.

After the player introduction. The players on both sides had a final warm-up before the game, waiting until the referee walked to the sideline with the basketball. The starters on both sides also followed.

Tang Shuai's first career playoffs officially started!

The Rockets, led by Marcus Morris and "The Monster" Howard on the inside, Ariza at the front and Harden and Beverley on the guard, were the starting lineup that helped them finish fifth in the West in the final stages of the regular season.

On the Rockets' side, after putting Griffin on the bench, it was still Jeff Green who started in his place, and the other positions remained the same as before.

The referee walked to the center of the field with the ball, signaled to Howard and Jordan Jr. who were jumping the ball, and waited for the information that both sides were ready. Then flick the ball into the air.

The scene suddenly erupted in cheers, and in the midst of the cheers, Jordan Jr. and Howard jumped up.

Although his form has declined greatly this season, Howard's physical fitness is still excellent, and he successfully turned the ball back into the Rockets' half.

Harden held the ball, said hello and pushed to the frontcourt, and then gave the ball to Beverley.

“defense！ defense！ ”

There was a burst of shouts from the fans at the scene, and even though the game had just begun, the atmosphere of the playoffs was already quite strong.

After Harden handed the ball over. Then he began to run around the bottom line.

Brewer followed closely behind, he had played for the Rockets for most of the season, and naturally he was very familiar with Harden's offensive style.

Speaking of which, Brewer is the X-factor in this series, and he is not only able to limit Harden. And he has been with Team Rocket for so long, and he has a very thorough understanding of Team Rocket's tactics, which is equivalent to directly owning a "spy" who penetrates the enemy's interior.

When Harden is running. Morris and Ariza both made pick-and-rolls for him, but Brewer saw it at a glance. They all dodged until he ran to the top of the arc to catch the ball again. The person facing it is still Brewer.

As soon as Harden received the ball, the other four points of the Rockets stood there stunned, without the next move.

This is equivalent to running down in a lap, except for wasting some physical strength on both sides, nothing else has played a role.

Cassel nodded on the sidelines, judging from the content "shared" by Brewer, the Rockets are indeed the same as it shows, a team that is highly dependent on three-point shots and rebounding, and the tactical system is simply Harden single, through Harden to contain the defense, and then choose to attack himself or create scoring opportunities for teammates.

So the defense against the Rockets is very simple, choking Harden, the Rockets' offensive firepower is basically broken, which can be said to be the biggest difference between the Rockets and the Warriors.

Harden saw Brewer, tried to dribble the ball a few times but didn't get rid of it, and directly stretched out his hand, and Morris quickly ran out of the interior to block and dismantle.

The quality of Morris's blocking is still good, and Harden followed Morris's blocking and picking, rushed directly in, and directly chose a layup against Green's defense.

Green didn't reach out until Harden was very good at making fouls, but just pressed Harden to prevent him from making an easy layup, but when Harden made a layup, he sent it himself, and the ball was thrown up, and the referee's whistle on the sidelines rang out.

Harden's free throws.

The fans at the scene were overwhelmed with boos.

Tang Shuai was standing outside the three-point line on the right wing at this time to guard Ariza, and when he heard the boos, he also smiled bitterly when he saw Green's innocent look.

This exclusive Harden touches the porcelain bag, and it still works in the playoffs.

Harden's free throws were still solid, and he made two free throws in the face of boos to score the opening two points for the Rockets.

The Clippers' offense.

“Let’go！ clippers！ The audience continued to shout under the leadership of the DJ.

After Paul held the ball to the frontcourt, he then reached out and made a "3" tactical gesture, and Tang Shuai and Brewer ran directly around the three-point line.

The person who blocked the demolition on Tang Shuai's side was Green.

Green has been training with Tang Shuai since he was traded to the Clippers, and a tacit understanding has been formed between the two, and at this time, a solid block blocked Ariza who defended him.

Tang Shuai ran to a 45-degree angle on the right flank, and Paul's pass followed.

To say that the Rockets' defense really sucks. Just this one block, Morris, who changed the defense, was stunned and didn't change it.

It's not on the same level as the Warriors at all. When I played against the Warriors before, I faced a tight defense. In order to get offensive opportunities, the speed of the Clippers' offense is to speed up, if this tactic is the Warriors, Draymond Green's help defense will definitely pounce, and Tang Shuai should consider the next tactic after receiving the ball.

But now, after Paul's pass, he has an open shot.

Tang Shuai raised his hand and shot, he had no reason to let go of such a simple offensive opportunity.

And what's even more exaggerated is that just when Tang Shuai made a move. Morris saw that he couldn't defend and didn't make a disturbing move, so he turned around and went to the basket.

"Huh!"

With a crisp sound, Tang Shuai hit a three-point shot steadily, and in the state of Novak's three-pack activation, he would definitely not waste the opportunity to vacate the position.

The scene burst into cheers.

This is Tang Shuai's first score in the playoffs, and it is much easier than expected.

Bickerstaff shook his head helplessly, not blaming the team, but shouted at the team, "Get moving." Move it! ”

The Rockets' offense, Harden carried the ball to the frontcourt, saw that the Clippers' defense was a little slower, and a cross step broke through directly.

Harden's breakthrough was aggressive. In addition, he has an exclusive porcelain bag, Brewer did not dare to make a move, and he kept pressing him inside.

I saw that I was about to go to the basket. If you don't guard again, you will be scored directly by Harden, and Brewer stops. Use your body to top Harden.

To say that Brewer is worthy of coming out of the Rockets, he knows how to avoid fouls when facing Harden. At this time, he raised his hands high and used his body to block Harden's breakthrough route.

The move quickly worked, with Harden's breakaway being topped off and the referee on the sidelines not blowing the whistle.

Harden had no choice but to turn around and step back for a jumper.

This is also one of his killer moves, and it is this move, which is also expected by Brewer, when Harden stepped back, he directly reached out and pressed it.

Harden's interference shot eventually deflected off the basket, and the rebound was grabbed into the arms of Jordan Jr. under the basket.

Harden gave him a helpless look, then turned and retreated to half court.

There was a burst of cheers from the audience.

The Rockets' offense didn't work, but looking back, the Clippers played the previous cooperation again, Tang Shuai ran out again with Green's blocking, and Paul's pass came immediately.

This time the Rockets learned to be obedient, and Morris pounced directly.

After receiving the ball, Tang Shuai noticed the Rockets' defensive changes, and after Morris pounced, he directly dismantled the ball to Green, who had already put the defensive Ariza behind him when he blocked the dismantling, and then under the guidance of Tang Shuai's advance pass, he rushed directly to the basket after taking the ball.

At this time, Howard was pulled to the left low post by Jordan Jr., and when he saw Green rushing in, he turned and pounced.

His judgment was correct, but his body was a little unable to keep up with his thoughts, and his speed was obviously much slower than when he was at his peak.

Green saw Howard come over and make a shot early on the board.

Howard had just arrived at the basket at this time, and he flew up and was about to block directly.

If this is changed to his peak, 100% cap, after all, he was also a man who led the team to the finals with a single core, but now his body is no longer what he used to be, and the height of his jump is long gone.

The basketball flew past his fingertips, "thud" onto the rebound, and then bounced into the net bag.

The Clippers score again!

Howard, who landed on the ground, looked very annoyed, and angrily punched his palm.

In this round alone, you can see the big problem with the Rockets' defense.

The Rockets' players know Howard as he was at his peak, and they rarely think about the problem of defense when defending, but think that he can solve all defensive problems, but the reality is that he is no longer the same person.

The Rockets' offense is still playing Harden, this time he used Morris's blocking, and after the pick-and-roll, he returned the ball to Morris, and Morris made a tough layup after the move.

This small combination is very skillful, and it is also a change to the Rockets after Morris's arrival.

The Rockets' offense was fine at the start, but the defense was as sloppy as ever.

Paul organized the attack. A simple pick-and-roll led to a shooting opportunity, and he scored 2 points straight away.

The Clippers made all three of their first three shots. 100% hit.

The cheers at the scene were deafening, and some fans held up the big-headed dolls of Paul and Tang Shuai. Cheer for the home team.

The on-site commentators were home commentator Mike Smith and guest commentator Reggie Miller.

"The Rockets' defense is like an early morning road, and it's not a problem to get 20 points when I come on the court." Miller couldn't help but say with emotion, in fact, it is not a rare thing to score consecutive points in the opening game, but it is rare to score so easily, you must know that this is a playoffs.

"I think 20 points may be a little less, 30 points is a more optimistic estimate." Smith laughed and said that as the home commentator of the Clippers, he naturally caters to the fans as much as possible.

Miller was amused by Smith's words.

The comments of the live commentators are a reaction to the situation on the spot. From their conversations, you can see how bad the Rockets' defense is.

Rockets head coach Bickerstaff and his teammates have heard all of this, but their performance hasn't changed at all.

Harden's desire to attack tonight is very strong, and he wants to take the ball and rush Brewer, but Brewer is too familiar with him, he didn't go in for a long time, and in the end there was really no way, seeing that the offensive time was approaching, he threw the ball to Beverley next to him, and Beverley threw a three-point before the whistle.

Beverley's shooting percentage was mediocre. The shot in a hurry was naturally impossible to score, and the rebound bounced into Green's hand, and Green gave it to Tang Shuai on the outside, and Tang Shuai gave it to Paul who was fast breaking.

Paul rode the dust. Seeing that the defense was hopeless, the Rockets players all gave up on the defense and watched Paul score on a layup.

Paul scored the Clippers' fourth goal of the opening game!

All in the opening! Fantastic start!

Paul looked a little excited after the goal. When he retreated, he spread out his hands and kept waving upwards, and the cheers on the scene were even worse.

Bickerstaff reluctantly called a timeout.

"Guys. We need more movement, more energy. We're in the playoffs right now and we're going to give everything we have to beat the opponents! Bickerstaff was constantly trying to boost the morale of the team, but with the exception of a few starters, everyone else turned their heads to look at the side from time to time, seemingly absent-minded.

From this detail, it can be seen that the problems within the Rockets are huge, and the players are not as united as Beverley said.

After the timeout, the Rockets finally did not let Harden go to attack again, but played a small tactic, Morris borrowed Howard to block without the ball, received a pass from Harden and shot a mid-range shot at the free throw line.

Morris is an atypical forward player, his strongest point is his positional sense on the court, and his ability to go down after blocking is his specialty, and such a player prefers to attack the basket rather than the mid-range.

Bickerstaff clearly has a little bit of a lack of knowledge about his players.

"Bang!"

Morris jumped out of the basket from mid-range, but fortunately this time Howard got stuck in position, grabbed the rebound, and turned to put the basket.

However, little Jordan is obviously not a vegetarian, and when Howard turned around, he had already used his body against him, and when he made a move, he reached out to block it.

In order to avoid the block, Howard's adjusted shooting angle was obviously off.

The basketball finally came out of the basket and was grabbed into his arms by Jordan Jr.

Once again, the Rockets' offense was in vain!

Howard shook his head in annoyance, if he was at his peak, he would have turned around and would be a violent slap, how could there be so many troubles behind, but obviously he was no longer at his peak.

Jordan Jr. grabbed the rebound and gave it to Paul, who advanced to the frontcourt, and was about to call his teammates to block and dismantle, but when he saw Beverley take a big step back, as if to prevent his breakthrough, he directly raised his hand and threw a three-pointer.

Paul, as a representative of the conservative point guard, rarely shoots three-pointers in games, and once he chooses to shoot three-pointers, it shows that he has a fair amount of certainty.

That's what the ball is, and Paul's shot gives the feeling that it's going to be there.

"Huh!"

A crisp sound, three-pointer, in!

The Clippers made all four of their first four shots, including two three-pointers!

"Chris~~Paul!!" The DJ shouted Paul's name loudly, and the cheers rose by another decibel.

With Paul's three-point shot, the Clippers took a six-point lead at 10-4!

"Go up! Go up! Bickerstaff couldn't hold his head, he couldn't call another timeout immediately after calling a timeout, he could only yell at Beverley.

The Rockets' offense, Harden's shot under Brewer's defense jumped out of the basket again, and just the first few minutes of the game, it was clear that this series would be an absolute nightmare for him. (To be continued.) )