super heavy artillery

Chapter 457 Situation

To say that this year's Rockets are really strong!After they evened the big score in the fourth game, they returned to Houston and won the Tianwangshan duel in one go.This suddenly put the defending champion Warriors on the verge of death.

It was too difficult for the Rockets to win this game!So much so that Chris Paul was injured and fell to the ground at the last moment.But it is worth it.

In the last 32 years, the Rockets have only lost a series when they won the battle of Tianwangshan.That was ten years ago, when the Rockets faced the Jazz in the first round and won the fifth Tianwangshan battle 96:92.But then the Jazz played two consecutive games and eliminated the Rockets 4:3.Throughout the history of the NBA, the team that wins the Tianwangshan battle also has a very high chance of advancing.In the seven-game four-win series, the first four games were tied 2:2.And 83.5 percent of the teams that won Game [-] made the cut.

From this point of view, after the Rockets won the fifth game, the balance of victory in this series has begun to tilt towards the Rockets.Not only did they get the match point, but in this series, the Rockets have home court advantage.Even if the Warriors tie the score in Game [-] and the two sides enter the tiebreaker, the Rockets' home court advantage will have a huge impact on the game.

In the history of the NBA, the teams that have scored the tie-breaker in the series and have home court advantage have a total of 104 wins and 26 losses, and the winning rate of the team at home is as high as 80%.This gives people an illusion that as long as there is a tie-break, the home team will generally win.However, if the Warriors can drag the game to the seventh game, then this series will be difficult to say.The last time a team beat the Warriors in a Game 93 was the Cavaliers led by LeBron James.In the last game, they defeated the Warriors 89:[-] away and won the championship.Whether the Rockets have the ability of the Cavaliers back then depends on Harden's performance in the last two games.Chris Paul's injury cast a shadow over the Rockets.

Harden's performance in this game was actually not good.He made 11 of 0 three-pointers, which really made the Rockets very uncomfortable.If he hadn't scored 6 points at the critical moment of the fourth quarter, his sense of presence would have been too low.Compared to Harden, Paul behaved more like a leader.Although he was also sluggish in the first half, he made 7 of 0 shots on the offensive end.But he stood up in the second half, almost a replica of the previous game. He scored 18 points in the second half and scored 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists.

In addition to carrying the team with scoring, Paul is also the spiritual pillar of the Rockets on the court.

When on the court, Paul has been encouraging Harden, who is in a sluggish state.In the director's footage, Paul was seen interacting with Harden many times.This was originally what the Rockets needed Paul to bring.He didn't stay idle during the rest of the substitution, and kept encouraging his teammates.Talk to them one by one and tell them what to pay attention to.Until he was injured in the fourth quarter and limped off the court, there was a huge applause from the court.

But now the problem is coming, Paul was injured in this game!And it is possible to miss the next game.During the regular season, Paul missed several games due to hamstring soreness.Now, another hamstring injury.

Without Chris Paul, it would be difficult for the Rockets to play a favorable situation with a total score of 3:2 leading the Warriors.He averaged 21.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.8 assists and 2 steals per game, making him the Rockets' second scoring point.When Harden is not on the court, he can also shoulder the organization on the court.His presence greatly relieved Harden's pressure.And what's different from the Warriors is that Paul has always positioned himself very accurately when he arrived in the Rockets, and he came to assist Harden.In the Warriors, who is the first scoring point between Curry and Durant is always a question.Although the team basketball system created by Kerr can make up for this defect, once the critical moment comes, whether to hand the ball to Curry or Durant is really a big problem.In these two games, Kerr trusted Curry more.But Curry's response was to miss shots at critical moments in two consecutive games.

Especially this game.At the last moment, Green used a three-pointer to reduce the score to 1 point, and Curry got a chance to overtake the score.But one of Curry's layups didn't make the ball.Curry, who missed the opportunity, was very annoyed and kept his head down.

At the post-match press conference, he also had a look of silence.But his mood has adjusted a lot.Facing the reporter's question, Curry looked calm: "That's why we have to play seven games, and that's why we need to win four games in the playoffs to advance. We didn't lose! We still have a chance. We will win at home. Win and then fight them again in Game [-]."

When Cole talked about Curry's last layup, his attitude was very positive: "He did what he should do! They are all excellent! The players play according to the formulated tactics, and it is impossible to do it every time. Go in."

Compared with the Rockets, the Warriors' worries are a bit insignificant.Chris Paul's injury has a considerable impact on the situation in this series.It can be seen from his own emotions.With a melancholy look on his face, even the victory of the game did not make him happy.Chances are running out for Chris Paul, who turns 33 this month.Over the years, he has experienced many times in the playoffs due to injuries!
This year is undoubtedly the Rockets' best chance to win the championship, and the situation is also in their favor.But now a shadow is cast over it.After the game, the Rockets staff announced to the media: "Chris Paul has a hamstring injury in his right leg and will undergo an examination instead of participating in the press conference."

But judging from the expressions of the rest of the Rockets, the problem doesn't seem to be a big deal.Harden was listening to the song in the locker room while combing his beard in a leisurely manner.If Paul's injury is serious, he should not be so relaxed.

Also relaxed is D'Antoni.Of course, he never talks about player injuries at press conferences.When the reporter asked this question, he joked very humorously: "Is he injured? I didn't see it!" But then, he gave everyone an attitude on this question: "Paul is a tough guy! I'm sure he'll be fine. Of course, everything depends on the test results tomorrow. If he can continue to play, it's a great thing for him and the team. If not, we have enough Everyone else is fighting. Others should step up! We have a lot of physical players available, everything is under control!"

(End of this chapter)