Chapter 307 [You Are Going to Die, Cato-San! 】

That night, Guo Xu and Avril chatted on the phone for more than an hour and made an appointment to meet in Phoenix.

Avril showed a feeling of being late for meeting her, which made Guo Xu a little embarrassed because he was not a real musical talent, but a plagiarist who liked music, while the other party was a real talent.

Of course Guo Xu was interested in meeting this girl. He contacted her because he liked listening to Avril Lavigne's songs.

Avril Lavigne, who was born on September 27, 1984, is not yet 19 years old this year. She has a vibrant personality and innocent and natural beauty. Her voice is sweet and lovely, but also has a bohemian pursuit of freedom. She can control a variety of music styles and quickly won the love of netizens around the world.

Now, Avril has not yet won the title of "Punk Elf". She has just debuted. This year, like Guo Xu, she was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best New Artist.

Avril likes both rock and roll and the improvisational elements of jazz. The song Guo Xu wanted to sing with her had this feeling, and she liked it immediately.

On the 14th, the Suns began a road trip against the Rockets.

The two teams had previously competed at the Suns' home court. It was Frank who led the team and relied on Guo Xu's personal ability to defeat the Rockets. The Rockets currently have a good record, with 21 wins and 15 losses. They are eager for revenge in this game.

Yao Ming has been playing better and better recently. He is developing well in Houston and has a large number of fans.

Now it seems that Yao Ming was very lucky to be selected by the Rockets. If he had joined other teams, he might not have become famous so quickly and received recognition from all parties. Before his arrival, the Rockets' starting center was only blue-collar Cato, who lacked competition inside, so he was immediately reused.

It would be troublesome if he went to the Bulls. He would have to compete with Tyson Chandler and Eddie Curry for playing time. It might be better to go to the Warriors. The partnership between Yao Ming and Jamison seems to be very strong. The current point guard of the team is Arenas, but the Warriors coach may not arrange tactics for him. This is a fast-paced team.

In terms of geographical location, it is also a great choice for Yao Ming to join the Rockets. Houston is the largest city in Texas, the fourth largest city in the United States, and the largest economic center on the Gulf Coast. It has high exposure and is easy to promote.

The best thing is the gimmick. Not long after the Rockets lost "Big Dream" Olajuwon, Yao Ming became the successor, which is a kind of inheritance.

This game has attracted media attention, with TNT and cctv5 broadcasting live, Yao Ming vs. Stoudemire, Guo Xu vs. Francis, and there are matchups inside and outside that are very attractive to fans.

Before the game starts,

The ratings of Chinese TV stations reached a record high, and the attention far surpassed the Chinese derby match between Yao Ming and Wang Zhizhi, and also surpassed last year's one-sided finals.

Most Chinese fans want Yao Ming's Rockets to win, and they have strengthened their lineup through trades. Small forward James Posey, who was traded from the Nuggets, is now starting, and his substitute is experienced veteran Glen Rice. The team's only weakness is the power forward, whether Eddie Griffin or Maurice Taylor. , both offensive and defensive ends are not good enough.

When the players came out, Rockets fans booed Guo Xu and Stoudemire.

Zhang Lili explained: "The two teams have grudges. Yao Ming and Stoudemire are competing for the best rookie. Francis' popularity is currently ranked third among Western Conference guards. He cannot be a starter after Guo Xu and Kobe. The Suns are the Rockets' number one enemy. "

Xu Jicheng smiled and said: "I think Francis will definitely be selected as an All-Star this year. Based on his record and data, the substitute should also be selected."

Zhang Lili said: "Francis averaged 21+6+6 per game, which is very comprehensive. He averaged a career-high 7.5 free throws per game. As long as he plays evenly with Guo Xu today, the Rockets will definitely win."

During the warm-up, Guo Xu greeted Yao Ming and chatted for a few words, and asked him if he was used to coming to the United States.

Yao Ming said: "Eating and other things are fine, but my English is poor."

"How is it in the team? Are there any veterans bullying you?" The two spoke in Chinese, not afraid of being overheard.

Yao Ming smiled bitterly and said: "Some people like to instruct me to pour water and run errands. I heard that this is an unspoken rule of the NBA."

"Who?" Guo Xu asked.

"Cato."

You are going to die, Cato-san. Guo Xu took a deep breath and said sternly: "If it's Cato, you don't have to give him face. The unspoken rule is that the boss has a younger brother by his side, which is conducive to cultivating the relationship between the players. A waste like Cato simply refuses. If he dares to say one more word, his agent will put pressure on him, and he will have to get out before the season is over."

In Guo Xu's previous life, there was a very famous photo of rookie Yao Ming tying Cato's shoelaces on the sidelines. Cato had a very awkward expression, and those who didn't know thought his name was Olajuwon. After Yao Ming became famous, everyone felt that this blue-collar man was so bold.

Yao Ming smiled bitterly and said, "Isn't this bad?"

"Your All-Star votes are ahead of O'Neal. Popularity is status. Do you think O'Neal will do errands for Samaki Walker?" Guo Xu smiled and patted Yao Ming on the back. "You should act crazier. In fact, your backstage is bigger than anyone else's."

Yao Ming glanced at Cato and nodded vigorously.

Anyone with a bit of blood will not like to be asked to come and go as soon as they are called. There is only a teammate relationship between NBA players, not a subordinate relationship.

NBA locker room tradition is that veterans like to prank rookies. Guo Xu was pranked by O'Neal back then. Not long after the regular season started, O'Neal gave him a very cute cartoon rabbit backpack and asked him to carry it to the press conference. Lol A bunch of people died.

The short warm-up time ended, and the two teams started the game. The Suns' five players: Guo Xu, Joe Johnson, Kirisek, Marion, and Stoudemire.

Rockets five: Francis, Mobley, James Posey, Eddie Griffin, Yao Ming.

Even though the opponent has the tall Yao Ming, D'Antoni has no intention of strengthening the defense. Nene continues to sit on the bench. The Suns just want to attack the opponent and run and fight.

Yao Ming is now lighter and has good jumping ability. He beat Stoudemire in the jump ball with his height advantage.

The players spread out and the Suns defended in a 122 zone.

Francis played a pick-and-roll with Yao Ming in the middle. Yao Ming did not cut through the air, but stood high and waited for the return pass.

Francis took one step into the three-point line with the ball and was caught up by Guo Xu, blocking the breakthrough route. He passed the ball out to the outside. Mobley received the ball and made an emergency stop jumper. He hit the ball under Kirisek's interference. 0 to 2.

When the Suns attack, Guo Xu and Stoudemire play pick-and-rolls, and the Rockets also use zone defense tactics. Yao Ming is responsible for the low post area, and Griffin is responsible for guarding the pick-and-roll.

After watching the game video, the Rockets coaching staff led by Tomjanovich carefully studied the Suns' play style and did not dare to let Yao Ming guard him. It was a trivial matter for him to be passed by Guo Xu. If he was hit by a breakthrough and was fouled, he would soon fall into a foul. It's bad if it's troubled. The team's offense will be affected and it will be difficult to open up space.

It's definitely not possible to not switch defenses against Guo Xu at all. He will take action whenever he has a chance outside the three-point line. Arranging the 4th position to defend the pick-and-roll is much more maneuverable. The Rockets originally took a liking to Griffin because of his physical fitness and speed enough to keep up with many outsiders.

Guo Xu attracted a defensive switch and then passed the ball to Marion. A simple pass made the Rockets uncomfortable. Yao Ming stayed near the penalty area to defend, and Marion would have a mismatch opportunity when receiving the ball.

Yao Ming stood too close to the penalty area. Marion quickly took a shot from the left baseline and hit a mid-range shot.

2 to 2, Guo Xu made the first assist.

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