NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 172 External Line First Choice

Jeremy Lin didn't have many offensive opportunities in the first quarter due to Jia Fei's defense, and didn't perform well on the offensive end.

The Hawks gained an advantage thanks to their excellent team offense. However, during the rotation, Brooks and Garcia were on fire, overwhelming the Hawks' second unit.

At the end of the first quarter, the Hawks trailed by 5 points, with the score at 25:30.

贾飞首节攻得并不多，得到3分3个篮板3次助攻1个抢断1个盖帽，算是填满了数据栏。

In the second quarter, the Rockets' second unit continued their hot streak, and by the time Jia Fei and the others returned, the Hawks were already down by double digits.

At 30-40, the Hawks' offense wasn't particularly outstanding, but it was still a normal performance. The key was that the Rockets' offense was too explosive. Garcia transformed into the Splash Brothers, making all three of his three-point attempts, and each one was more difficult than the last.

Schroder dribbled over and started an attack from the top of the key.

Horford set a screen, and Schroder drove and passed to Jia Fei on the right wing!

Facing Garcia's defense, Jia Fei received the ball and immediately broke through, using his speed to get past his opponent and drive straight to the basket. Facing Motiejunas' defense, he made a no-look pass to Horford, who was following up in the middle!

Horford catches the ball and dunks with both hands!

At 32:40, Jia Fei assisted Horford to narrow the gap to single digits!

Brooks dribbles over, and Garcia keeps making off-ball runs!

Jia Fei relentlessly followed his opponent, giving the veteran no chance to shoot. He knew very well that when a shooter was on fire, the best approach was to stick to him tightly and not give him any opportunity to shoot; otherwise, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Garcia couldn't shake off Jia Fei, so Brooks started to go it alone. Facing Schroder's defense, he pulled the ball back and then stopped abruptly for a mid-range shot!

Schroder is small but fast, and he wasn't out of position. Brooks missed that shot!

Horford gets the rebound, and the first pass finds Jia Fei in the frontcourt!

Jia Fei received the ball and drove hard, overtaking Garcia and reaching the basket. Facing Asik, he chose to attack the rim directly!

Asik gave him a push, but Jia Fei had already accelerated and put the ball in the basket before losing his balance!

"Beep beep beep—" The referee's whistle blew, 2+1!

At 34:40, with Jia Fei's layup, the Hawks narrowed the gap to 6 points.

Jia Fei landed gracefully and even gave a thumbs-up to the photographers behind the baseline!

Jia Fei wanted to add another penalty. At this time, Dwight Howard on the sidelines had finished warming up and replaced Asik, who was not performing well on either offense or defense.

Sports Channel Studio.

Yu Jia said, "It looks like Howard is coming back. After Jia Fei came on, the Hawks really improved in both offense and defense. Their bench players didn't play well in this game."

Su Qun added: "The Hawks' second unit has been like this all season, with mediocre offense and defense. The main reason for this game was that the Rockets' shooting percentage was too high, and they were caught off guard."

Jia Fei made the free throw, making it 35-40, narrowing the gap to 5 points!

Howard made his entrance amidst the anticipation of the fans in the arena!

Howard enjoyed this feeling, the sense of being relied upon as the savior he once was. Just like when he wore a Superman costume in the Slam Dunk Contest, he wanted to play fun basketball and be a hero. In Los Angeles, no matter what he did, he had no chance to become Superman. He was just a blue-collar worker next to Black Snake, and Black Snake only wanted him to do defense and rebounding, which wasn't what he wanted.

Brooks dribbled the ball across half-court and eagerly lobbed it to Howard!

Howard receives the ball, turns with his back to the basket, faces Horford, and forces his way inside!

As Howard drove to the basket, Jia Fei suddenly shrunk to double-team him!

Howard combined with the ball early and used a hook shot!

But his hand was too stiff; the ball spun around and came out again!

Jia Fei leaped to grab the rebound and immediately launched a fast break, which Garcia disrupted with a tactical foul!

The Hawks made a substitution, with Teague replacing Black.

The Rockets also began making substitutions, replacing Brooks and Casspi with Beverley and Gary.

Jia Fei throws the ball out of bounds, and Teague dribbles it over.

Jia Fei came out to receive the ball, facing the handsome and wealthy Horford, who came out to screen for him.

With the help of a screen, Howard didn't come out to delay him; Jia Fei immediately took a step back and hit a three-pointer...

The ball went in perfectly!

38:40, the score difference has narrowed to only 2 points!

Rockets call a timeout!

The Toyota Center fell silent as Jia Fei scored 6 points in a row, a sudden burst that caught the Rockets off guard, and head coach Refrigerator frowned.

Sitting on the bench in a floral jacket, Harden looked completely indifferent. He seemed utterly unconcerned, just like when the Thunder were defeated by the Heat in the Finals; he acted like an outsider, eating and drinking as usual. Jia Fei remembered that back then, this guy even had the mind to go to nightclubs—it was truly something else.

Yu Jia remarked, "Jia Fei is so much more confident on offense now than he was with the Thunder. He rarely took these kinds of shots before; he mostly passed them to his teammates."

Su Qun agreed: "He was a substitute and a role player with the Thunder. With the Hawks, he is actually the first choice on the perimeter. The team gives him that offensive authority."

The Rockets are on offense. Beverley dribbles the ball up the court to find Howard.

Howard once again attacked Horford in the low post, and Jia Fei double-teamed him again when he was dribbling!

Howard wasn't stupid either; he immediately passed the ball, the Hawks rotated, and Beverley unleashed a three-pointer from the outside—but it missed!

Horford fouled while grabbing a rebound under the basket!

Horford had already committed three fouls and had no choice but to leave the game.

Antić took to the field again.

The Rockets played a very simple and direct game: they just gave the ball to Howard.

Howard once again dominated in the low post, and Antić, unable to withstand the onslaught, had no choice but to foul!

Howard will go to the free throw line.

However, he only made one of his two free throws, and Milwaukee grabbed the rebound and passed it to Teague to push the ball over!

Teague looks for Jia Fei in the attacking third.

Jia Fei received the ball and faced Gao Fushuai. He made a crossover, accelerated and cut in, and faced Howard. He stopped abruptly and made a mid-range shot!

40:41, the score difference has narrowed to 1 points!

The Rockets fans in the stands felt a complex mix of emotions watching Jia Fei's unstoppable performance. They had a chance to acquire him this summer. If the team owner had been more generous and willing to spend more, they could have signed Howard and Jia Fei, forming a starting lineup of Howard, Jia Fei, Harden, and Beverley – a truly explosive lineup in the entire league!

The perimeter defense of Jia Fei and Beverley, combined with Howard's interior defense, undoubtedly constitutes a top-tier defensive lineup in the league. The offensive duo of Harden, Jia Fei, and Howard is also among the league's best; this is a true championship-contending combination.

What a waste! Damn boss, I gave you a chance and you were useless! All you know is Taobao, Taobao, Taobao my ass!