dmims Chapter 81 The Happy Moment for Chinese Fans
Chapter 81 The Happy Moment for Chinese Fans
Li He and Yao Ming chatted before the game, and many media outlets captured photos of them together.
Two young geniuses from China, each carrying the future and hope of their respective cities, are about to compete on the same stage.
This is a very significant and important moment for Chinese basketball!
China's Chinese team was already the dominant force in Asia, but with the help of Li He and Yao Ming, they will surely become a world-class powerhouse in the future.
"Hanson!"
"Hanson!"
Listening to the shouts from fans all around, Yao Ming couldn't help but marvel at how popular Li He was in Portland.
He was even more popular than when he first went to Houston as the number one draft pick.
"This kid did a good job," Yao Ming thought to himself.
However, local Portland fans see Li He as the future of the team.
In their view, having endured the ordeal of being on the prison team, they were the fans who were truly blessed by God.
Because Michael Jordan retired, Portland has welcomed its own Michael Jordan!
Hansen Lee is an all-around guard with a flashy playing style and insanely accurate shooting, even better than the "Chosen One" LeBron James.
Although he didn't have the dazzling, explosive dunks of "Air Jordan," his rookie season performance was already astonishing.
The prison team's previously poor reputation has gradually improved under Li He's leadership.
The number of banners boycotting the team on the streets has decreased significantly. Sometimes when I walk down the street and hear people talking about the Trail Blazers, they no longer have the same negative evaluations as before. Instead, they seem a little proud of their second-place finish in the Western Conference.
These are all changes that Li He brought to this prison team.
The management team was watching everything closely and expressed their willingness to spare no effort in nurturing Li He and keeping him in the City of Rift.
And I believe that if anyone can bring a championship to Portland, it can only be Hansen Lee!
……
Soon, the competition officially began.
The Trail Blazers are sticking with their starting five. This starting lineup has a clear division of labor, is good at both offense and defense, can guarantee rebounds, and has strong shooting ability. It is the key to the Trail Blazers' second place in the Western Conference.
The Rockets' starting lineup is the same as in the preseason.
With Yao Ming as the core, the backcourt duo consisted of Steve Francis and Cardino Mobley;
The forward pairing consists of Maurice Taylor and Jim Jackson.
As the referee tossed the ball high into the air, the highly anticipated Hebei China Fortune derby officially began!
Yao Ming, taking advantage of his height, passed the ball to Cardino Mobley, who then passed it to Francis, giving the Rockets the first offensive opportunity.
The Trail Blazers players quickly returned to their positions, with Li He leading the defense against Francis.
Seeing Li He's focused defense, Francis was reminded of the guy's performance in the preseason and felt a surge of anger.
In this match, I definitely need to regain my pride in the matchup!
Francis suddenly accelerated with his crotch, trying to get past Li He and launch an attack.
Li He acted decisively, using his exceptionally long wingspan to touch the basketball. Although he didn't manage a steal, he startled Francis, who quickly adjusted his position.
"This guy... his wingspan is insane..."
Francis passed the ball high to Yao Ming, who turned and shot inside the paint, scoring two points.
Before the Rockets players could even celebrate, Zach Randolph quickly retreated to the baseline and tossed the ball long to Li He, who was sprinting down the court.
At this moment, only two Rockets players retreated on defense. As soon as Li He dribbled to the three-point line and paused, looking up at the basket, Francis instinctively lunged at him.
There was no way around it; Li He's 10 three-pointers in the preseason were too terrifying, and Francis was really afraid that this guy would just pick them up and throw them away.
But Li He didn't even shoot; he accelerated straight to the basket!
After a mid-air duel with Cardino Mobley, the whistle blows and the ball goes in!
2+1!
The fans inside the Rose Garden Arena erupted in cheers; that was a tough shot!
The Chinese fans who came to watch the game were even more excited. The first two attacks were led by Chinese players, and they successfully scored!
After cheering for Yao Ming, he immediately applauded and cheered for Li He!
They're both my flesh and blood!
Li He calmly converted the penalty, making the score 3-2.
In the next possession, Yao Ming received the ball and drove to the basket, drawing a foul from Rasheed Wallace and going to the free-throw line.
Yao Ming made both free throws with solid performance.
"When Yao Ming gets the ball in the paint, Rasheed doesn't have many good options."
"He's in pretty good shape today!"
Yao Ming is indeed strong in the paint, but the Trail Blazers have ways to counter him.
The little flying squirrel dribbled the ball past the halfway line, and Li He moved up to receive the ball on the outside.
He made eye contact with Rasheed Wallace, who immediately moved to the top of the key to provide cover.
This is the Trail Blazers' pre-game setup.
"Roaring Celestial" has strong mobility and a three-point shooting ability with a 34.1% success rate, which cannot be ignored. Once he pulls out to set a screen, it will be very difficult for a center like Yao Ming to handle.
If you come out to defend, it will create a situation where the smaller guard is outmatched, and the area under the basket will be lost. In the NBA, a smaller guard can almost easily beat a bigger guard in one step.
If you don't come out to defend, you'll give the opposing guards a chance to shoot after a screen.
When Rasheed Wallace was brought up, Coach Van Gundy's face darkened.
Fortunately, there was a pre-game arrangement: Yao Ming guarded the paint, and Maurice Taylor followed him out.
However, Maurice Taylor's defense was not good. After Rasheed Wallace set a screen, Li He pushed the ball and accelerated past Maurice Taylor.
A mid-range shot, and it went in without a doubt!
Two minutes into the game, the score was tied at 5-5.
Li He and Yao Ming each scored 5 points, meaning Chinese players have accounted for all of the team's points so far.
This is definitely the happiest moment for Chinese football fans.
They were already imagining just how strong the two would be if they teamed up in the national team.
When facing South Korea and Japan, shouldn't we win by 30 or 40 points?!
As the game progressed, the Trail Blazers' defensive strategies became clearer.
Yao Ming is indeed formidable when he receives the ball inside, but Rasheed Wallace's mobility allows him to front the defense and prevent Yao Ming from receiving the ball.
This is also a way to limit traditional center forwards.
With Zach Randolph constantly monitoring him, Yao Ming was effectively shut down by the Trail Blazers.
Fortunately, Francis was in hot form, hitting consecutive mid-range shots and helping the team score steadily.
However, on the defensive end, the Rockets still couldn't contain the Trail Blazers' 15 pick-and-roll effectively.
The offensive duo of Li He and Rasheed Wallace gave the Rockets a major headache.
After the first quarter, Li He had already scored 11 points and 3 assists, completely controlling the pace of the game.
With 6 minutes and 11 seconds remaining in the second quarter...
A very interesting scene unfolded on the field.
Francis's drive to the basket was followed by a missed mid-range jumper, and Yao Ming grabbed the offensive rebound.
With two fouls already in hand, Rashid Wallace hesitated to make a move, but Li He rushed into the paint and jumped to try and block Yao Ming!
boom!
With a crisp sound, Li He had just jumped up and reached out when he was met with a powerful dunk.
wow...
Chinese football fans were delighted.
Yao Ming dunked over Li He on the court!
"Woooooo..."
"Yao's dominance under the basket is still too strong!"
"He not only dunked on Hansen Lee, but also patted Hansen Lee on the shoulder, as if to say, 'Little bro, you still need to practice!'"