NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 111 Thunder vs. Rockets

"Jay, it's your contract year, so you'd better work hard in the playoffs and put on a good performance. A big contract won't be far away!" Kemba Walker kindly reminded him.

"Yes, that's right!" Jia Fei nodded with a smile. This was indeed the truth. This was the second year of his two-year contract, and after it ended, he would face two choices: renewing the contract or entering the free agent market. Only by performing well could he have the leverage to negotiate a big contract.

Kemba Walker exclaimed, "I'm really envious of you, Ja!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Jia Fei asked, puzzled.

"We entered the league at the same time, both in our second year. You've never missed a playoff game, while I've never played in the playoffs!" Kemba Walker said this with obvious envy.

“This doesn’t prove anything. I played in the playoffs, and even the Finals last season, but I barely got any playing time. You’re a starter for the Bobcats now, and you’ll likely be the team’s leader in the future. You can’t compare things like that!” Jia Fei said.

After Jia Fei said that, Kemba Walker felt much better.

"Are you staying at my place or Jeremy's tonight?" Jia Fei asked.

“We’re staying at a hotel, so we won’t bother you!” Kemba Walker said with a smile.

Jia Fei always felt that his smile was a bit strange. Did he have some kind of unspeakable activity at night?

The time is fast approaching the 22nd, when the Thunder's playoff journey this season will officially begin.

The Ford Center was packed to capacity that night. Tickets for Games 1 and 2 of the first round were already sold out, and many fans who wanted to attend the games in person had to buy tickets from scalpers at exorbitant prices.

Jia Fei also lamented that the profession of scalper seems to exist all over the world, which is truly bizarre.

Ford Center isn't the most famous arena in the NBA, or even one of the most well-known. Many fans might mention Staples Center, Madison Square Garden, TD Garden, American Airlines Center, Rose Garden, or Toyota Center, but most wouldn't know the Thunder's home arena.

Pre-match practice session.

Jeremy Lin was very friendly and took the initiative to hug Jia Fei.

"Jeremy, we finally have a chance to face each other in a series!" Jeremy Lin is a typical Chinese American; he can understand Mandarin, but he can't speak it. This is understandable, as he's what many Chinese people call a "banana"—yellow on the outside, white on the inside. He was born and raised in the United States, and if his parents hadn't been first-generation immigrants who frequently spoke Mandarin, he probably wouldn't have understood a word.

"Yes, don't go easy on me!" Jia Fei laughed.

"Haha, no way! We're opponents on the court, but we can be friends off the court!" Jeremy Lin is a sunny, genuine guy. This season, he's shed the "Linsanity" aura, played all 82 regular season games for the Rockets, and performed admirably as the starting point guard, finally establishing himself in the league.

However, based on the development trend in his previous life, he was later overtaken by Beverley. Of course, that's a story for later, and Jia Fei couldn't tell him about it. Even if he did, would he be able to avoid being overtaken? Obviously, the Rockets chose Harden as the core of their backcourt between Jeremy Lin and Harden, so it's clear that the 3D-oriented Jeremy Lin is more suitable to partner with Harden.

This match was broadcast live on the sports channel, with commentators Yu Jia and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Mr. Su, the playoffs have started, Thunder vs. Rockets, which team do you think will advance to the next round?" Yu Jia asked.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses and said, "Judging from the rosters on paper, the Thunder are obviously stronger. The Rockets are young, and the Thunder are young too, but they have just played in the Finals. So, considering the strength and experience of both teams, I think the Thunder are more likely to win the series."

"Before this series, everyone was talking about the rivalry between the Thunder's Big Three, the grudges between Harden and his former team, and the fact that Jeremy Lin and Jia Fei are the only two Asian players in the league right now. How much do you think their performance will affect their respective teams?" Yu Jia asked.

Su Qun said, "The two players play different positions on their respective teams. Jeremy Lin is the starting point guard, while Jia Fei is a backup forward. If Jeremy Lin doesn't play well, it will be difficult for the Rockets to beat the Thunder. If Jia Fei doesn't play well, the Thunder might get bogged down, but they won't necessarily lose the series."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced.

The Thunder fielded their usual lineup, while the Rockets' starting lineup consisted of Harden, Lin, Greg Smith, Asik, and Parsons.

With a game coming up, Westbrook was as excited as a little leopard.

Jia Fei suddenly remembered something and leaned close to Westbrook's ear to instruct him: "Russ, keep an eye on that guard on the opposing bench, Patrick Beverley. He's very aggressive on defense, often going straight for the player. He'll definitely be guarding you, so you'd better be careful!"

Westbrook nodded and said, "I understand, thank you, Jia. Don't worry, if he tries to hurt me, I'll blow his head off!"

Westbrook is indeed a good person to get along with. He is loyal and straightforward, and he gets a little carried away when playing basketball, but otherwise he really doesn't have any major flaws.

The game began, and for the Rockets, Harden was relentlessly guarded by Sefolosha, with frequent double-teams and help defense. His former teammates knew him too well; his offensive habits, his sweet spot—they didn't even need a game plan; it was all in their heads!

Furthermore, Harden's free throws became less easy to get in the playoffs. He had a lot of free throws in the regular season, but in the playoffs, with more physical contact, his free throw count dropped.

Jeremy Lin was also out of form, and the Thunder put a lot of pressure on the Rockets' two backcourt players defensively, while the starting two big men, Asik and Greg Smith, didn't have much independent offensive ability.

The Rockets immediately made personnel adjustments: Greg Smith was replaced by Terrence Jones, known for his ability to dominate weaker opponents. Jeremy Lin was replaced by Patrick Beverley.

Beverley immediately began to suffocate Westbrook with aggressive defensive moves, which Westbrook found unpleasant, and the two exchanged trash talk.

With 2 minutes and 10 seconds left in the first quarter, Jia Fei and Reggie came on as substitutes, replacing Durant and Westbrook.

At this moment, the Thunder's lineup consisted of Collison, Kevin Martin, Jafi, Reggie Jackson, and Fisher, a typical small lineup.

The Rockets also fielded a small lineup: Terrence Jones, Delfino, Garcia, Beverley, and Harden.

The score at this point is 15-19, with the Thunder leading by 5 points!

Reggie dribbled over and started the offense at the top of the key. Beverley's tight defense made it very uncomfortable for him to dribble.

Although Jia Fei disliked Beverley, finding his playing style too dirty, he had to admit that Beverley was quite skilled on defense, possessing both passion and intelligence, and not the type to blindly charge forward.