After the All-Star Weekend, Da Yao's average time per game gradually increased from the original 28 minutes to about 32 minutes, and the increase in average playing time per game was also reflected in personal data.

By the end of the entire March season, Yao's stats had gradually improved to 17.6 points and 8.5 rebounds, which was only slightly worse than Howard's rebounds.

This is still the reason why the previous regular season schedule data has dragged its feet, if Da Yao has a knee pad to provide health protection at the beginning of the regular season, it is not impossible to reach an average of 20+10 data per game.

The Rockets lost just one game throughout March, moving to 62-10.

The Rockets have 10 games left in the final April.

All the Rockets fans were on the move.

In the final 10 games, the Rockets have every chance to tie the Bulls' 72-10 record in the regular season and share the No. 1 spot in history.

With the Rockets already losing 10 games, it is impossible to break the Bulls' 72-win record, but even tying it is a very high honor.

Not to mention the fans of the Rockets, even the entire team of the Rockets has such thoughts.

Who doesn't want to make their name go down in history?

There are NBA championships every year, but the team that can achieve 72 wins and 10 losses in the regular season is only one team in the history of the league, the Bulls.

On April 1, the Rockets sat on the home court and beat the Magic 111-103, and then defeated the Kings, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets in the next three consecutive road trips.

The Kings and Trail Blazers are a little better, not very strong opponents in their own right, but the Nuggets have caused a lot of trouble for the Rockets.

As the last game of the three-game back-to-back, when he arrived in Denver, the Rockets, who had already played two away games, were already quite tired, and then they had to play with the track and field team in Denver, the home of the Devils at a very high altitude, and the current record ranked fourth in the West, second only to the Nuggets of the Rockets, Thunder, and Spurs.

The Nuggets, who ran like crazy, once pressed the Rockets to play, and the lead reached more than 15 points.

However, the Rockets still relied on their tenacious will to win and the rock-solid Wang Chao in the second half, struggling to catch up with the score and complete the reversal at the last moment.

The Nuggets were executed by shooter Gallinari for the final shoot, but under Wang Chao's personal marking, the shooter failed to hit, and the Nuggets also lost the game.

After winning the first game against the Nuggets, the Rockets' record improved to 67-10, and the remaining five games were against the Suns, Grizzlies, Kings, rematch with the Suns, and then the final game was against the Los Angeles Lakers on the road.

Five games, the toughest opponent is obviously the Memphis Grizzlies, but the Grizzlies happen to be one of the teams that are most afraid of the Rockets, because the Grizzlies' main reliance on the league is Mark Brown. Gasol Gazak. Randolph formed a black and white double brake combination on the inside.

These two interior partners can be considered one of the top interior partners of all teams, but there are still several groups in the league that are stronger than them, such as Howard + Gasol of the Lakers, and then Da Yao + Garnett of the Rockets.

Mark. Gasol has outstanding defensive ability and solid offense, but he is obviously very tender against Da Yao, especially Da Yao in a healthy state, not to mention Randolph, although he has an advantage in the tonnage of Garnett, but if he is at a disadvantage in the opposition because of his weight, Garnett has been in vain in the league for more than ten years.

On April 9, the Rockets defeated the Suns 106-89 at home. Nash's Suns have completely lost their former glory, and currently have the second-to-last record in the league, behind the Magic team who have also lost their key core monster, Howard.

Funnily enough, the Lakers, who sucked blood from the Suns and Magic and snatched Nash and Howard to form a super F4 combination, are also in a bad situation, and even more awkward than the Suns Magic, who have a chance to compete for the top pick.

The butterfly effect brought by Wang Chao has made the competition for the eighth place in the West, the last playoff ticket, more intense.

In the 12-13 season, the Lakers were seventh in the West with a 45-37 record, while the Rockets were eighth in the West with the same record.

But now, the Rockets are on their way to the Jordan-Bulls' 72-win record, with all teams in the West moving down one spot in the rankings, and the Lakers must compete with the Jazz and Mavericks for the final ticket to the playoffs for eighth place in the West.

What's worse is that because of the butterfly effect, Harden joined the Dallas Mavericks, and after partnering with Nowitzki, although it did not make a qualitative leap in the strength of the Mavericks, it also made it win a few more games than the original, and is currently temporarily ranked eighth in the West with a 40-38 record, while the Lakers are ninth with 39 wins, and then the Jazz with 38 wins.

While the competition is extremely fierce, it also forces Kobe Bryant to work harder than in his original history.

In 13 games in March alone, Kobe Bryant cut down two 40+ and six 30+, almost single-handedly dragging the Lakers forward, and the Lakers achieved an 8-5 record in 13 games, which is quite good compared to the previous Lakers' record.

After entering April, Kobe Bryant played an average of 44.6 minutes per game, leading the Lakers to come from behind, leading the team to a 5-1 record, and chasing the record to the extent that it was only 1 win away from the Mavericks, who were eighth in the West.

The Mavericks are almost scared to death by Kobe's crazy exaggerated state, and the entire league is also amazed by Kobe's recent super performance.

"As the strongest scoring guard after Jordan, the 35-year-old Kobe Bryant is proving to the world that as long as he wants to, he is still the best scorer in the league!"

"Will the Lakers be able to turn the tide of the playoffs with Kobe? However, even if they can complete the reversal in the last three games to overtake the Mavericks and enter the playoffs, in fact, the situation is not much better for the Lakers, ranked eighth in the West, they will face the Houston Rockets, the first in the West, the strength of the two teams is not at the same level at all, although the Lakers have Kobe, but the Rockets also have a Wang Chao who is not inferior to Kobe in scoring. ”

"Let's not talk about the playoffs, in the end, whether the Lakers can achieve the final corner overtake, it depends on whether the last game of the playoffs against the Rockets can be won, and the outcome of this game is very important for the Lakers."

People who are still eagerly discussing what kind of spark the Lakers and Rockets will burst out in the final game of the regular season never expected that with a lot of playing time and shots, Kobe's 35-year-old body is already on the verge of limit.

Fatigue is one of the most important factors that predispose to injuries and illnesses.

On April 12, the Lakers played at home against the Golden State Warriors, in order to win the game, Kobe Bryant played 45 minutes as always, 9 of 21 shots, 12 of 16 free throws, 34 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, especially 12 points in the final quarter, leading the Lakers to win the game 118:116 against the Warriors.

However, in the course of the game, Bryant himself had already been injured in the previous game, and at the end of the game, Bryant turned and broke through but stumbled to the ground, and then insisted on making free throws to help the team win before leaving the court.

After the game, after a review, the Lakers officially announced that Kobe Bryant ruptured his Achilles tendon and was reimbursed for the season.

For the Lakers and Lakers fans, this news is tantamount to five thunderbolts.

Kobe Bryant tried his best, did not hesitate to fight until the Achilles tendon rupture, and dragged the Lakers to their current position, retaining the opportunity to make the playoffs, but so what? Without Kobe, what's the point of the Lakers making the playoffs?

This season has ended early for the Lakers, and the rhetoric of forming Super F4 before the season now seems to be a joke, and the most criticized of the Lakers team is obviously Howard.

Kobe's injury made countless people point the finger at Howard, as the superstar second only to Kobe Bryant in the team, during the final sprint, Howard was not able to play a job as a giant to bear the pressure for Kobe on the court at all.

Now that Kobe Bryant is out for the season due to an injury due to fatigue, it's all over.

On April 14, the Lakers, who didn't want to let Kobe's efforts go to waste, stubbornly won 91-86 against the San Antonio Spurs, leaving the suspense in the final game.

But they will face the Rockets, who have already won 71-10 and are just short of tying the Bulls' 72-win record with their last victory.

The match between the two teams on April 17 will be even better than the first round of the playoffs!

If the Rockets win, they would tie the Bulls' 72-win record and become one of the best teams in history.

And if the Lakers win, they can also rely on the relationship between wins and losses to surpass the Mavericks to rank eighth in the West with the same record.

The battle of the spotlight unfolded at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, home of the Lakers.

Wang Chao is still quite entangled in this game, especially when he appeared on the court, seeing the expressions of Howard and others on the Lakers' side, he really thought about sending the Lakers into the playoffs and not letting Kobe's efforts go to waste.

Coincidentally, this is where it happens.

Wang Chao didn't expect that the Rockets' record this season would be so good, and they had a chance to tie the Bulls' record of 72 wins.

In fact, if you think about it, it seems that there is nothing wrong with it.

What lineup is the Rockets this season?

The outside line is a trio of Wang Chao, Butler, and Leonard, and the inside line is Garnett and Da Yao.

Although Butler and Leonard have not reached the peak of their careers, Garnett and Da Yao have passed the peak of their careers, but there is still a Wang Chao.

Wang Chao's current strength has surpassed Jordan at his peak at least on the offensive end, whether it is scoring or passing assists, his ability to respond is the top level in history, and although there is still a gap with Jordan in defense, the level is also quite high.

While the starters were impeccable, the Rockets bench lineup also featured Thomas Jr., Chandler. Parsons, the elderly Kidd, O'Neal Jr. and other players, there are young and energetic youngsters and experienced veterans, and the real combat power is only stronger than the Bulls with 72 wins.

Wang Chao knows very well that the 72-win record in the regular season is not so easy to achieve, just like the 70-win record he played when he was on the Magic team, it was completely achieved at the right time, in the right place, especially in the sprint stage after the All-Star Games.

Butler and Leonard will get stronger next year, but at the same time, Garnett and Da Yao's form will further decline due to age, especially Da Yao, after the effect of the knee brace disappears, it is difficult to say whether there will be injuries like last season.

So the opportunity to tie the 72-win record is precious, and you have to take it no matter what!

It's just that in this way, it is equivalent to the Rockets and Wang Chao personally knocking out the Lakers, and if they lose the last game, the Lakers can only rank ninth in the West with a 41-41 record, missing the playoffs in the 12-13 season, and Kobe Bryant has to fight everything until the Achilles tendon rupture becomes meaningless.

"There's no way, it's time to die......"

Shaking his head, Wang Chao threw a trace of sympathy out of his mind.

In the end, the current situation of the Lakers is not his problem, the Lakers team with the most luxurious Super F4 combination before the regular season are the biggest favorites to win the championship, if they can win a few more games in the previous games, or have other players to share the pressure of Kobe, they will not fall to the current point.

There's really not much to say about this game.

Even if Kobe Bryant is healthy, it will be difficult for the Lakers to beat the Rockets, let alone the situation that the Lakers are now without Kobe Bryant and led by Howard.

In this game, facing Da Yao in a healthy state, Howard's performance is not particularly bad, at least compared with Da Yao eating and sleeping and playing Warcraft in the past, the big double-double data of 16 points and 18 rebounds in the whole game definitely made a big contribution.

Unfortunately, this is not enough.

On the Rockets' side, Wang Chao scored 30 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists, and Da Yao had 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The Rockets defeated the Lakers 106-95 to reach a 72-10 record, tying the 72-10 record set by the Bulls in 1995-96 and leaving the league in history.

At the same time, the Lakers, who lost this game, also fixed their final record at 41-41, losing one more game than the Mavericks, who are ranked eighth in the West, and are sure to miss the playoffs.

After the game, Wang Chao stepped forward to hug and salute Howard.

"Congratulations."

Howard congratulated Wang Chao with a somewhat complicated expression.

When he and Wang Chao played the second-best record in history with 70-12, Howard thought it wouldn't be long before they could break the Bulls' 72-win record and rewrite the name of the all-time best record as the Magic.

Unexpectedly, time has passed, and Wang Chao has tied the record of the Bulls, but he is no longer the best partner of the other party, and he even missed the playoffs.

The strong sense of contrast made Howard feel mixed.

He knew that after the game, the Los Angeles media would definitely criticize him again.

Howard is a little tired of the City of Angels, whether it's the fans' excessively high standards for him, or Kobe's always high-minded behavior that criticizes his character and preferences, Howard has the idea of getting out of here.

It's just that...... Where will he go if he leaves here?

(End of chapter)