Chapter 696 Stevens' Debut (Third!)

The preseason is about to start, and all teams are starting to enter the game state.

The Pelicans and Rockets flew to China together three days before the start of the preseason.

They will play two preseason games in China, which is also known as the China game that fans are familiar with.

Three years ago, Tang Tian, ​​who was still playing for the Spurs at the time, also played in the China game. At that time, their opponent was the Mavericks.

The Spurs played against the Mavericks, and Tang Tian played against Yi Jianlian. The two games in China received unprecedented attention.

But this time, it's more than that.

Because of Yao Ming's accumulation, the Rockets' popularity in China is not low. In addition, they have just formed a super big three, which is definitely second only to the Pelicans in popularity.

As for the Pelicans, needless to say, Sports Illustrated magazine is out of stock because of their current domestic popularity. Fans are looking forward to Tang Tian being able to win the championship in the new season to prove himself.

The match between these two teams is definitely the most watched match in the country.

Not to mention that the venue of the game is still in China. When the NBA officially announced the two teams in the China game, its tickets were already sold out.

And in addition to the two teams, another point that fans pay attention to is the contest between the head coaches of the two teams.

The two strong teams are both new coaches, and everyone wants to know what they can lead the team into.

The first stop of the competition between the two sides is in Hangzhou Huanglong Stadium.

Most of the previous Chinese games were held in places like Shanghai, BJ, and Guangzhou. The main reason is that these places have large enough basketball stadiums.

This time, the Huanglong Gymnasium, where the China Games will be held, can only accommodate about 10,000 people despite the temporary increase of seats.

But this time Yao Ming and the Basketball Association worked hard to get it, in order to promote the basketball school.

Basketball schools need students, and it is most appropriate to do promotion on such an occasion.

On the day of the game, Yao Ming came to the locker room to look for Tang Tian.

Davis, Jokic and others saw Yao Ming and went up to say hello one after another.

Although Yao Ming has no championship in his career and only played for 8 years, he is one of the most successful overseas players and a historical center.

In the eyes of these inside big men, the popularity is not low.

After saying hello, Tang Tian and Yao Ming went to the door to chat about the promotional part of the intermission.

Tang Tian will help the Basketball Association to promote the basketball school together.

The two also chatted about the content of the finale, and Tang Tian will also promote his own foundation on this occasion.

This is a Chinese game, but it is not just a game.

Half an hour before the start of the game, players from both sides came out of the player tunnel one after another.

There were deafening cheers at the scene.

The enthusiasm of the fans is unparalleled.

For Chinese fans who can only watch two live NBA games a year, every opportunity drives them crazy.

Like the past China games, the floor of the venue was consigned from the United States. This game is the home of the Pelicans, and the landmarks of the Pelicans are also printed on the floor.

Moreover, more and more Chinese advertisements have appeared in the NBA arena in the past two years. Even the Chinese advertisements scrolling on both sides still make people feel like they are in the NBA arena.

Before the start of the game, players from both teams warmed up on the sidelines.

Tang Tian saw someone in the front row of the auditorium waving to him.

He fixed his eyes and found that it was Lin Huanyu. This guy was a real fan of him, and he didn't miss this kind of occasion.

Because he had contributed 10 million to the Tang Tian Foundation before, Tang Tian liked him much more than before.

Seeing him waving at this moment, Tang Tian took the initiative to go over and chat with him.

When the two were chatting, they grabbed each other's elbows, looking very intimate.

This scene was captured by the live camera, which attracted a burst of envious booing from the audience.

It can be foreseen that Lin Huanyu will be fleshed out after this China match.

After the warm-up, the scene entered the opening ceremony.

The Rockets of the visiting team were introduced first.

The preseason is a game of testing and training the lineup, especially for a team like the Rockets that has experienced a big deal.

D'Antoni played a twin-tower lineup in this game, with Capela and Cousins ​​on the inside, Brewer at small forward, Paul and Harden on the outside.

On paper, this is also the Rockets' strongest lineup.

The Pelicans have a regular lineup, with Holiday and Tang Tian on the outside, Ariza and Davis on the front, and Jokic at the center.

When Tang Tian played for the last time, the cheers were overwhelming. This was his real "home court".

Davis and Cousins' jump ball, Cousins ​​turned the ball back to the Rockets' half court, and the China game officially started.

Paul organized the frontcourt, and Harden came out to catch the ball and made a mid-range shot.

The Rockets scored first.

In 2011, Paul had a chance to team up with Kobe, but the deal was stopped by Stern and the league.

But this time he and Harden's team, the combination of two super guards, finally appeared in front of the fans.

Judging from the first round, Harden's scoring was obviously easier than before.

In the Pelicans' offense, Jokic held the ball near the free throw line, Ariza and Holiday made tactical moves on the outside, and Tang Tian waited for an opportunity to cut to the basket.

The Rockets' defense did a good job, and the Pelicans didn't fully adapt the new tactics. Jokic's pass didn't pass, and he chose to turn around and attack the basket.

Capela fought hard to defend the ball.

The Rockets played a fast break, and Harden broke through to the frontcourt and passed back to Cousins, who followed up to the three-point line, and the latter missed a three-pointer.

Davis protected the defensive rebound, the Pelicans counterattacked a fast break, Tang Tian sent a second pass, but Holiday's layup was quickly taken out by Paul.

The Rockets defended the Pelicans twice in a row.

The live shots were given to the Rockets coaching staff on the sidelines.

In addition to D'Antoni, there is also Jeff Bzdelik sitting next to him, who is the first assistant coach that the Rockets poached from the Grizzlies during the offseason.

The success of the Warriors last season was the offensive + defensive coaching combination.

Most fans only know Cole, but the management of each team also knows the Warriors' first assistant Ron Adams.

Adams is one of the most experienced assistant coaches in the league. He has been in the NBA longer than Popovich.

He is also one of the strongest defensive assistants in the league, and it was he who brought the Warriors infinite switch tactics.

The Rockets' current combination of D'Antoni Garbzdelik is the Warriors to emulate.

Judging from the opening two, the effect is very good.

The Rockets pushed to the frontcourt, and Harden singled Ariza's step-back three-pointer.

The Rockets started 5-0.

There was a commotion on the sidelines, the Big Three of the Rockets were really strong, and the Pelicans seemed a little overwhelmed.

Stevens reached out and called a timeout, which came a bit early.

But this is also because it is in the preseason.

"Defense, pay attention to defensive response, don't give Harden a chance to play singles, switch defenses quickly, I won't ask you to do a good job in offense now, but you must do a good job in defense, even in the preseason."

When Stevens paused, the first sentence was to emphasize defense.

Thanks for the reward of Heng Xin De Xing Xing.