Chapter 31: Redemption
At half-time, the starters from both sides returned to the pitch one after another.
That's when they noticed the Rockets' starting lineup for the second half.
Harden, Suho, Ariza, Tucker, Capela!
Team Rocket, change formation!
"Ariza?"
When seeing the Rockets bring on Ariza, Barkley and Kenny Smith in the commentary bench expressed their doubts almost in unison.
If it's Ariza in normal form, this lineup is fine, and even the defense is a bit strong.
But the problem is that Ariza hasn't played tonight!
If it weren't for D'Antoni being kicked in the head by a donkey, it would be pure self-deception!
However, this kind of change also made them full of curiosity.
They really want to know what kind of medicine is sold in the gourd of "mustache"!
Not only the two people in the commentary seat were surprised and curious, but so was the coaching staff on the Cavaliers' side.
Tyronn Lue didn't even quite understand what D'Antoni was up to.
However, after being stunned for a while, he felt that this was an opportunity for the Cavaliers.
With Ariza on the spot, they might have a chance to pull away quickly.
He called James to his side and admonished him.
Before the game officially started, the game between the two teams had already started in advance.
Come up, the Rockets attack first, and Harden is in control.
The Cavaliers were very targeted, and directly let Ariza flank Harden.
Harden showed his ability and fed Ariza a beautiful shot after being caught in the pinch and the latter got a 45-degree three-point opening.
The performance of the fans at the scene was relaxed, and some even couldn't help but laugh.
Ariza didn't play at halftime, and let him shoot as soon as he came up?
Team Rocket: This wave is okay!
Ariza took aim after receiving the ball, and what came to his mind at the moment was a sentence from Stephen King in "The Shawshank Redemption": Cowardice imprisons the soul of man, hoping can make you free, and the strong can save themselves.
His salvation can only be on his own!
At this moment, his heart was never calmer, as if everyone else in the entire arena had disappeared, leaving only him and the basket in front of him.
This is his last chance!
The moment he made his move, he felt more confident than ever!
That kind of self-confidence is also attached to the basketball like a flame.
The basketball whirled towards the basket with a tail flame.
"Huh!"
A crisp sound came, and Ariza hit a three-point shot in the open position!
The Rockets' bench was boiling, and D'Antoni got up from the bench excitedly.
Disappointing! Ariza's three points are too competitive!
After the goal, Ariza also roared catharsis, and then Harden, who retreated and passed the ball, came to a hard high-five!
Lu opened his mouth wide and contributed another emoji, Ariza's three-point goal is unreasonable!
It doesn't matter if Su Hao plays so well on the defensive end, if Ariza, who has been absent from the battle for a long time, is in this state tonight, then the Cavaliers will be hanging tonight!
Switching offense and defense, James went to the front court and saw that it was Ariza who defended himself, and after he asked for the ball alone with his back to Ariza!
Originally, if Su Hao defended him, he would have to consider his physical fitness and decide which round to fight and which not to fight.
But in the case of Alizafang, the pressure on him became less at once.
Although Ariza scored a goal, the sluggish state is definitely not so easy to come out!
James received the ball and turned to attack with the ball, and then he soon found out that his judgment was wrong again!
Ariza didn't know what medicine she was taking, and her defensive enthusiasm was full, like a mad dog!
Although in the end, he relied on the confrontation to forcibly knock Ariza away, but Su Hao's assistance defense will arrive immediately!
His reluctant shot in the end was almost covered by Su Hao.
"Phew!"
The ball was obviously short, and it slammed into the front of the basket and smashed out of the frame!
Capela protected the defensive rebound, and the Rockets stopped James on the first round of the second half!
And this ball The Rockets played a fast break, and Harden scored a fast break layup after receiving a pass!
63 to 58!
After the Rockets adjusted their starting lineup, they gave the Cavaliers a wave of 5-0 as soon as they came up in the second half!
Lu couldn't sit still, got up and walked to the sideline.
He began to realize that this change of formation of Team Rocket was not an opportunity for the Cavaliers, but could be a talisman!
The Cavaliers' offense, James did not continue to play singles, but changed the top of the arc organization!
Ariza's mad dog-style defense, coupled with Su Hao's assisted defense, it is not so simple for him to break through easily.
It was at this time that he found that the Rockets' defense on the court was airtight!
This lineup, except for Harden, is full of defensive strengths on the court!
He finally called Thompson to the three-point line, and after blocking and misaligning with Capela.
This is the most classic tactic of the small-ball era: military training.
Capela's flexibility is a standout among the big men on the inside, but he still has a hard time keeping up with James.
James managed to get past Capela in the end.
It's just that he was about to speed up when Ariza got entangled like a mad dog again.
He cursed inwardly and turned around Ariza with a beautiful turn.
It's just that as soon as he turned around, a black shadow suddenly came out of the oblique side.
"Bang!"
His shot was directly covered by the black shadow on the rebound!
Because this figure came out too suddenly, the camera didn't catch up until the cap was completed.
And that person is clearly Su Hao!
In the first half, he had a block like this to show his ability to help defense, but it was blown away by the referee.
But if you can't hide from the first day of junior high school, you can't avoid fifteen, and James is still hatted by the nail board!
Moreover, the referee has not yet blown the whistle!
In the agitation of the audience, the Rockets played a fast break, and Harden's fast-break layup scored directly.
65 to 58!!
The score difference has come to 7 points!
Lu couldn't stand on the sidelines, looked at the score, and couldn't help pacing back and forth on the sidelines.
The Cavaliers are going to be flooded!
It's really a talisman!
The Cavaliers pushed to the frontcourt, and James gave the ball to Hill and played it off the ball.
He's trying all the ways he's tried in the first half.
And the Cavaliers also played a beautiful match, and after James' running contained the defense, Hill successfully gave the ball to JR Smith who came out of his pocket!
A good three-point opportunity.
But at the moment when he made a move, looking at Su Hao, who was rushing over to help defend him, his heart was obviously empty.
"Phew!"
Smith's three-pointer still didn't make it!
James spotted the basketball and was about to grab the rebound, but a figure had already jumped to the ball before he could grab it.
Ariza!
And he threw the ball to Harden in the first place!
Harden played a little excitedly, and quickly attacked the frontcourt three-point line for a quick stop, shaking off the chasing JR Smith and shooting a three-point shot.
"Huh!"
Basketball hollow into the net!
68 to 58!
The score difference has come to double digits!
Cavaliers, call a timeout!
Within two minutes of the start of the second half, the Rockets directly beat the Cavaliers with a wave of 10-0 and stopped the Cavaliers!
"Incredible! Incredible! ”
On the other side of the commentary seat, Kenny Smith sighed repeatedly.
Before the game, they thought of many possibilities, but they didn't expect Ariza to play such a bottoming game!
It's not just a matter of ability, it's a desire to compete!
Ariza was also warmly welcomed by her teammates when she came off the field.
The first few minutes of the second half, like the book Ariza himself read at halftime, were his Redemption!