warrior godfather

The Warriors and Rockets' G2 is no different from G1.

In Zhang Yu's previous life, Curry was accidentally injured in the first game, and then Clay led the team alone, easily eliminating the Rockets.

Now, the Warriors have a neat lineup. The core five-man team composed of Curry, Clay, Leonard, Green, and Antetokounmpo is top-notch in offense and defense, and the Rockets have no way to fight back.

The Warriors in the playoffs are not as relaxed as they are in the regular season. Zhang Yu's rest policy in the last month has allowed the main players to accumulate sufficient physical strength, and now is the time to exert their strength.

Unfortunately, the Rockets became the first victim on the Warriors' way to defend their title. They lost to the Warriors 95:109 and fell behind by a big score of 0:2.

Although Harden spent a night in the nightclub, he was physically exhausted, but he was much more excited mentally. He was in a much better state than the previous game. He scored a double-double of 24 points and 11 assists, only under the high-pressure defense of the Warriors. , sent 7 turnovers.

Jason Terry and Josh Smith became surprise soldiers. They made a total of 6 three-pointers. When Harden and Howard were pinched, they seized the open opportunities on the outside, so that the point difference was not widened. too much.

But this is just a needless struggle. Howard only scored 12 points. Ariza scored 10 points on 3 of 7 shots. Beverly scored 9 of 2 points and scored 4 points. A few three-pointers from the bench only slightly delayed the Rockets' failure, and they still couldn't escape the fate of failure in the end.

It is worth mentioning that in this game, Beverly provoked Curry several times. If he wanted to annoy him, it would be best to exchange one with him. For this reason, he did not hesitate to receive two unnecessary fouls.

But Curry was very calm, and he didn't even quarrel with Beverly. No matter how provocative Beverly was and how rough his foul actions were, he just watched Beverly's performance with cold eyes, as if watching a barking wild dog .

In the last game, Curry was still irritated by Beverley, but he then scored 17 points on Beverley, and the anger dissipated.

The two were not on the same level at all, and he couldn't afford to get angry with Beverly, affect his mood, and even pay a technical foul for it.

On the basketball court, everything speaks with the ball.

今天晚上，库里出战34分钟，21投11中，三分13中6，罚球4中4，砍下32分4助攻4篮板1抢断，在贝弗利头上拿了13分。

Facing Beverly's provocation and trash talk, he didn't reply a word, but his performance was the biggest mockery of Beverly.

Beverly also slowly shut up later, he has no face to provoke Curry again, is he going to tell Curry, you are such a waste, I prevent you from only scoring 32 points?

He doesn't foul anymore. In order to limit Curry's performance, he has committed five fouls, including two unnecessary provocative fouls.

If time could be turned back, Beverley would never challenge Curry with rough and useless fouls.

Originally defending Curry was a nightmare. He had to stay focused at all times and run the whole game with Curry. If he didn't pay attention, he would be thrown away. For this reason, he had to go to bed at [-] o'clock the night before to replenish his energy and energy. However, he wasted two precious foul opportunities in the game, which is simply reckless.

Relying on Beverly's defense in the league, he can't defend Curry at all, let alone the rest of the Rockets.

Watching Beverly deflated again and again in front of Curry, Bickerstaff was frowning and kept stroking his bald head.

Not long after the start of this season, McConhale was fired by the Rockets because of his poor team record. He temporarily took over as the head coach of the Rockets, but he has not yet signed a formal contract with the Rockets. Now he is only an acting head coach.

If the Rockets are out of the first round of the playoffs, he will definitely not be able to keep the position of Rockets head coach.

But what could he do?

Bickerstaff wants to win more than anyone else. He has been an assistant coach in the league for 11 years, and finally got the opportunity to coach an NBA team. He only wants to become a regular.

But the game will not change because of his will, just like Harden has been defending with his eyes this season, and Howard is reluctant when he hits a pick-and-roll. He can't control this team.

Bickerstaff seems to have seen the scene where he is sadly dismissed from get out of class, no, he will not dismiss get out of class, because he is just an acting head coach, he just returns to the position where he should be-an assistant coach.

But Bickerstaff has decided that if the Rockets don't give him a regular, he will leave Houston and go to another team.

Although he has been in Houston for five years and is used to life here, moving will be troublesome, but he has finally experienced the taste of the head coach, and it is impossible to face the Rockets as an assistant coach.

They are all assistant coaches, where should they not be?

And maybe a team can spot his talent and give him a job as a head coach.

Bickerstaff had made up his mind, and his mood became lighter. Seeing the Rockets' trailing score and the chaotic offensive and defensive performance of the Rockets players on the court, he was not so irritable.

He made adjustments very actively, called a lot of timeouts, arranged tactics, and made substitutions... Regardless of whether he can win or not in the end, he must perform well in front of the defending champion, so that the entire league can see his ability.

Although the Rockets lost the game in the end, Bickerstaff was calm.

In his postgame interview, he praised the Warriors' performance:

"When we needed to step up the intensity of the game, we didn't, and the Warriors have been playing at a high level. You can see the difference between the two teams from the way they fight every floor. You can see the ambition in their eyes, they lead by a big score, but they are still extremely eager to win, this desire and fighting spirit to win is exactly what we lack..."

He didn't criticize Harden and other Rockets players by name, but euphemistically pointed out that the team's lack of fighting spirit was the main reason for the loss.

If possible, he still wants to become a full-timer and stay in the familiar Houston, but he can't tear himself apart from the stars in the team, dare not blame the lineup built by the management, and he doesn't want to take this responsibility himself. Push it to the spiritual level.

This is the way of survival that NBA head coaches must learn. Although Bickerstaff has only been an acting head coach for less than a season, he has also mastered this trick very skillfully.

The entire league may only have his opponent tonight and the old man in San Antonio. He can say whatever he wants without worrying about being fired.

……

Two days later, the Warriors and Rockets moved to the Toyota Center in Houston for Game [-].

Bickerstaff didn't have much hope for this game, but he still did his best to study film, set up plays, and deploy lineups for his next possible head coaching job.

This round of the series is his best resume, and he wants to dress up this resume more gloriously.

But after the game started, Bickerstaff slowly saw the hope of winning.

The Rockets are behind by 0:2, and they are still playing at home. Xiao Hua is kind-hearted. He can't see the home team falling behind by 0:3. Let the referee take action quickly, and use a victory to soothe the injured hearts of the Rockets fans, lest they not buy tickets for the next game By the way, let the broadcasters and advertisers also be happy.

This kind of good thing that kills many birds with one stone is done to everyone's satisfaction, but it only requires suffering for the warriors. There is no more cost-effective business than this.

As the president, Xiao Hua naturally considers issues from the strategic height of the alliance. In his eyes, a game is a business. How to maximize the benefits is what he values ​​most.

From the perspective of doing business, Xiao Hua is definitely a genius. Stern handed over the position of president to him, which can be regarded as discerning to a certain extent.

But Zhang Yu is an ordinary person. He has a limited structure and only sees the gains and losses of the first team of the Warriors. He can't think about issues from the perspective of the entire league like the far-sighted President Xiao Hua.

In the face of the referee's biased penalty, not only did he not lie down obediently, sacrifice his ego, and achieve the greater ego, but he redoubled his resistance and fought the Rockets, no, and the referee to the end.

After 3 minutes in the first quarter, the referee gave Green 2 fouls. Zhang Yu replaced Antetokounmpo, and the Warriors' offense became more ferocious.

The referee gave Leonard 2 more fouls. Zhang Yu replaced Wiggins and Covington, pushed Antetokounmpo to the center position, and played the fifth in the first quarter.

After Covington renewed his contract with the team last summer, he got a lot of playing opportunities, shared the rotation time with Wiggins, and had a lot of playing time during the main rotation. , Garbage time is indispensable for him.

本赛季，考文顿替补出战68场比赛，场均14.5分钟，能得到6.5分3.2篮板1.1助攻1.4抢断0.6封盖，三分命中率36.5%。

His talent is average, his ability to finish at the basket is poor, but he has a three-pointer and dares to shoot. From the overall production efficiency, the long-range threat cannot be ignored. He has a good defensive awareness and is reliable in single defense. Swinging in the third and fourth positions is a very good 3D player.

It's just that the Warriors' center line resources are too rich, Wiggins and Antetokounmpo are both iron men, and Covington's opportunities to play are limited.

But in this short period of time, his performance was very eye-catching, leaving a very reliable impression on people, and he has a lot of popularity among Warriors fans.

In the first two games against the Rockets, the Warriors established an early lead. Covington played 21 and 16 minutes respectively, more than in the regular season.

他的表现也很不错，G1拿到8分5篮板1助攻3抢断1封盖，G2拿到6分4篮板2助攻2抢断，得分虽然不多，但在攻防两端都有贡献，防守端的发挥尤其出色。

Today, the Warriors striker was in foul trouble. In a rage, Zhang Yu formed a five-small lineup consisting of Curry, Clay, Wiggins, Covington, and Antetokounmpo.

The referee on duty today is also Xiao Hua's queen referee Scott Foster. Seeing that even Covington has played, he finally relaxed his whistle on the Warriors.

Xiao Hua has told him to help the Rockets, but not too much, otherwise Zhang Yu may cause trouble, and he will accept it when he sees it.

Foster can only play an auxiliary role, and whether he can win in the end depends on the Rockets' own performance.

Bickerstaff was overjoyed to see that both Green and Leonard were blown off, and that Zhang Yu even sent the third striker substitute on the field.

The opportunity he has been longing for, isn't it here?
Last year's playoffs, the Warriors were undefeated in the Western Conference. If they can win a game against the Warriors today, regardless of the outcome of the final series, Bickerstaff will be able to deal with the management and fans. This resume says , can also add a rich touch.

Bickerstaff, who was burning with hope in his heart, suddenly became excited. His round bald head was sweating excitedly. The lights of the Toyota Center shone on it, reflecting a burst of oily light.

He called a timeout, and the right hand holding the marker trembled slightly because of excitement, and drew the tactics forcefully on the tactical board, making a screeching sound:
"Guys, here's our chance! Both Green and Leonard are in foul trouble, the Warriors have no front line available, put on the third substitute, and put Antetokounmpo as the center five. This is our best chance to overtake! Later, we need to hit the inside more, Dwight, you need to attack more in the low post, James, you need to look for opportunities to break through..."

Bickerstaff talked endlessly, and the Rockets players who were listless in the first two games were also inspired with passion and fighting spirit.

This is the home court of the Rockets. They have home court advantage. The referee is on their side today. This kind of good opportunity must be seized. As long as they can win the defending champion, they will not lose money!
After the timeout ended, the highly motivated Rockets players returned to the court and, according to Bickerstaff's arrangement, attacked the Warriors' penalty area.

Can't beat the main players, can't we still beat the substitutes?
They looked at Antetokounmpo, Wiggins, and Covington with a sense of superiority in their hearts, but they forgot that Antetokounmpo was the best sixth man last season, and Wiggins was the No. [-] pick , How brilliant Covington's performance in the limited time in the first two games was.

Soon, the rocket hit the south wall.

Howard made a low-post attack, but fell into the strangle of the Warriors' front line. Wiggins no longer needed to worry about the timing of the defense. Covington was the poor version of Green on the defensive end. The timing of the defense was very accurate. He only needed to be on the outside When there is a vacancy, it can be filled by rotation.

Harden wanted to break into the paint, but found that the Warriors' defense hadn't weakened at all.

The old opponent Clay is difficult to deal with, and the newly replaced Covington of the Warriors is also difficult. He always comes up to help defend him when he is most uncomfortable, forcing him to give the ball to his teammates.

Let's switch defenses and play Wiggins. He doesn't reach out, doesn't jump, and waits for Harden to make a move first, and then interferes, but he can still keep up, which makes Harden feel extremely tricky.

Harden's talent is already at the top of the league, otherwise it would be impossible to be selected by the vicious Presti with the No. [-] pick.

But today, he met a Wiggins who was talented enough to crush him.

Harden's first step is fast, but Wiggins is faster, and his strength is very strong, but Wiggins is not vain in physical confrontation.

Harden couldn't easily get rid of Wiggins' defense, and could only rely on technology and rhythm changes to create shooting space, and this gave the Warriors time to help defend against pincers.

Wiggins didn't do anything, just stuck to Harden, didn't shoot, and drove him to the inside, with Clay, Covington, and Antetokounmpo behind him to help defend.

The same is true for Harden playing other people. The Warriors set up a net and invite Harden to enter the urn. If Harden does not want to fall into the Warriors' defensive trap, he can only forcefully shoot three-pointers, but the efficiency is very low, and it will not last long. count.

Under the influence of Curry, Harden practiced a step-back three-pointer early, but he was not particularly proficient.

Silas, McHale, and Bickerstaff are all more traditional head coaches. They all require Harden to finish in the middle distance, and they are not very interested in the magic ball.

And no one in the league knows better than Zhang Yu how to defend against Harden's step-back three-pointer. The Warriors players are very tight, standing to the right, and strictly guarding against Harden's left hand, which makes him very uncomfortable.

After the first half, Harden scored only 10 points. The Warriors led the Rockets by 67 points 56:11 and entered the intermission.

During the intermission, Zhang Yu emphasized Covington's praise.

He was ordered in a crisis, scored 2 three-pointers, scored 6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. He successfully interfered with the opponent's shots in several assist defenses, and his performance in swinging to the fourth position was very good.

In the third quarter, Curry, Clay, Leonard, Green, and Antetokounmpo made their debut.

Leonard didn't return to the court until 4 minutes into the second quarter. His rhythm was completely disrupted by the referee, and he was simmering with anger. As soon as the second half came up, he fired with full firepower. He succeeded in two consecutive singles with the ball and further opened the Points difference.

At this time, it was Foster who stood up.

He found that he had made a mistake in his judgment in the first half, and his blow was still light. The gap between the strength of the Rockets and the Warriors was too large. He had to give the Rockets more help so that they could have the hope of defending their home court.

This time, he was no longer obsessed with who was blown off, but treated everyone equally, and whoever defended Harden would call him a foul.

It just so happens that Harden also rushes to make fouls every time he makes a ball, giving Foster a chance to make a move, otherwise he really wouldn't be able to give Harden a free throw, and he couldn't call the Warriors an air foul in the halfcourt, right?

With the help of Foster, Harden began to stand on the free throw line continuously. It doesn't matter if he makes a shot or not. As long as he breaks into the inside line, leans on the opponent, and raises his hand, he will get two free throws.

Harden is also very smart. He is best at using the rules. After he felt that the referee's scale was biased, he reduced his three-point shots and tried every means to break through to the inside and draw fouls every round.

Under such whistling, no matter how good the Warriors' defense is, it is useless. A touch is a foul. Green, Clay, and Leonard quickly fouled 4 times.

Harden played the entire third quarter, making 6 of 2 shots in a single quarter, 4 of 1 three-pointers, 13 of 12 free throws, and scored 17 points, helping the Rockets narrow the point difference to 5 points.

During the intermission, Bickerstaff decided to make persistent efforts and must seize this great opportunity. In the fourth quarter, Harden was only allowed to rest for 3 minutes before replacing him on the court.

Harden scored mainly through free throws in the third quarter, had a lot of rest time, and did not consume much energy, which was enough to support the next game.

At this time, the Warriors' rotation lineup has opened the point difference to 7 points, but Harden played, and the effect was immediate.

He quickly caused 2 fouls by Wiggins and made 4 free throws. At 92:95, the Rockets trailed by 3 points.

Zhang Yu stood on the sidelines, watching Harden make free throws again and again, and Foster's wrinkled, serious old face,

He kept clapping his hands and shouted:

"Okay! That's great! Just brag like this, this penalty is too fair!"

He didn't control his voice, and it reached Foster's ears.

Foster glanced at Zhang Yu, his eyebrows frowned, and the wrinkles on his forehead became denser, but he ignored Zhang Yu.

He himself is a bit guilty, the Warriors are too strong, in order for the Rockets to catch up with the Warriors, Foster put in a lot of effort, trying his best to brag about the Warriors' fouls, but he can't be too obvious, otherwise he will lose control of the game, personally The medium scale cannot be mastered by referees without 20 years of experience.

And he will have to find some whistle for the Warriors later, lest the two teams have too much difference in the number of fouls, otherwise the public opinion after the game will be too ugly.

Zhang Yu just mocked, and didn't point to his nose to scold, Foster just endured it.

After Harden's free throw was over, the Warriors attacked. Bogdan came out with Looney's cover and missed a three-pointer. The rebound was protected by Motiejunas.

Looking back, Harden and Motiejunas picked and rolled and used the cover to break through to the inside line. Looney came to help defend. Harden raised his hand up. Looney hurriedly raised his hand to avoid it. Harden made an easy layup, 94: 95.

In the next round, Dinwiddie and Olynyk picked and rolled and passed to Olynyk who went down, Olynyk missed a layup.

The Rockets attacked, Harden singled out Wiggins, Wiggins had 4 fouls, afraid of being called a foul, and dared not make a move, Harden rushed in and succeeded in a one-armed dunk, 96:95, the Rockets overtook the score for the first time since the opening .

The atmosphere at the Toyota Center also became lively. No matter how the fans overtook them, they only cared about the result, not the process.

"Di-"

Zhang Yu couldn't bear it anymore and finally called a timeout.

He slapped the tactical board with his left hand, glanced back and forth on everyone's faces with sharp eyes, and said loudly:

"You have all seen how that bastard Foster blows. We are in a very disadvantageous situation now, but we must not let him succeed! Want to use the whistle to make us submit? What are you kidding! Today I just want to win! Wait Don't be afraid, you can defend as you want, let that old guy blow it up, I want to see if he dares to stick to the end, whether he is afraid of the backlash of public opinion, and whether the alliance will lose face at all! "

"The boss is right, let's fight them!" Green responded first as always.

"I have to win today, I don't want to see that crazy dog ​​Beverly look proud!" Curry shook the towel vigorously.

"Falke...I have to kill him!" Leonard said uncharacteristically, gritting his teeth.

No matter how bad the game is, Leonard will not be angry, but today, he was irritated by the referee's call.

Filled with anger, the Death Five returned to the field.

Klay made a sideline kick, Curry and Green played a pick-and-roll, and Josh Smith switched in front of Curry.

Curry singled out Josh Smith and hit a three-pointer with a step back. 98:96, the Warriors overtook the score.

Looking back, the Warriors changed the timidity of the substitute players on the defensive end. Harden wanted to break through, but Clay went straight up to block Harden's breakthrough route.

Harden threw the ball into the sky, yelled in pain, and waited for Foster to blow his whistle.

He has tried this trick repeatedly today, and has scored more than a dozen free throws, and he used it habitually this time.

But this time, Harden waited for a long time, but did not wait for Foster's whistle.

The basketball that flew into the air fell into Clay's hands, and the Warriors took advantage of the situation to launch a counterattack.

The other players of the Rockets were also waiting for Foster to blow the whistle. No one backed up. Clay took the lead and dunked quickly, 100:96.

Harden spread his hands and looked at Foster, with a puzzled look on his face and a little anger.

He had taken the breakthrough and then the free throw line as a matter of course, and suddenly he didn't get the whistle, and instead blamed Foster.

Foster ignored Harden and signaled the game to continue. Harden had no choice but to turn around and take the baseline ball from Jason Terry and dribble to the frontcourt.

Harden singled out Clay, and broke through to the inside after he was free. Leonard came to help defend. Harden raised his hand, but he failed to reach Leonard. Instead, Leonard pressed the ball on the ball. Slapped the ball off.

"Ah!" Harden yelled, raising his hands, his expression was very painful, as if he had suffered a very serious violation.

But Foster's whistle still didn't sound, the Warriors switched from defense to offense, Leonard dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, passed the ball to Curry who followed up on the weak side, Curry caught the ball and made a three-pointer. 103:96.

Harden quit this time. He was used to free throws when he raised his hand. The sudden disappearance of this kind of treatment made him unacceptable.

Before he could walk up to Foster, he spread his hands and complained:

"Hey, he fouled, he hit my hand!"

Foster hesitated and shook his head:

"No, that's a nice hat."

"But..." Harden stopped suddenly. He wanted to say that you would blow the whistle as soon as I raised my hand before, but he suddenly remembered that this kind of words cannot be put on the surface, so he can only walk away resentfully.

Foster watched Harden shake his hands and leave in dissatisfaction, feeling very entangled in his heart.

The task that Xiao Hua gave him was to provide the Rockets with the home court advantage to the maximum extent, but he could not blow it too far, like last season's finals, causing public opinion to backlash.

He has been very biased towards the Rockets before. Harden's free throws have exceeded 20. If he is given free throws again, it will be a jaw-dropping number, which will definitely cause great controversy after the game.

But if he doesn't give Harden a free throw, the Warriors will overtake the score again. Seeing that the point difference will widen, the Rockets are likely to lose.

After much deliberation, Foster finally decided to stop here.

He has tried his best, and it would be too much to be biased towards the Rockets. Xiao Hua's order is not to let him help the Rockets win G3 no matter what, and he also has to take his own image into consideration.

Who made the Rockets so disappointing?You can't grasp the opportunity even if you are given, it's really mud that can't support the wall!
……

After the first two fierce defenses were not called fouls, the Warriors players were completely relieved, their actions became more and more bold, and the game returned to the intensity of the playoffs.

Losing the key skill of "Foster's Blessing", Harden immediately languished.

For the rest of the fourth quarter, he just went against the defense, forced two [-]-pointers, and then never scored again.

Although more than 20 free throws helped him develop his touch, the Rockets' overall lineup was so poor that Zhang Yu could use most of his defensive resources to block Harden and stare him down.

The Warriors flanked Harden in the first two rounds, then defended two more times and stared at the quadruple, and suddenly delayed the flanking again, constantly changing defensive tactics. There was only one purpose, and that was to prevent Harden from scoring.

This unpredictable defensive method has played a very good effect. There is no second team in the league that can make tactical changes like arm and finger, but the Warriors players have shown superb tactical execution and resolutely implemented Zhang Yu's intention caused Harden to fall into a defense that was as flexible as a warrior's net and as tough as a copper wall.

After the Warriors caused Harden's mistakes in two consecutive rounds, their morale was greatly boosted. Curry turned on the attack mode and singled out Beverly twice in a row. Finally, he held down half of Beverly, broke through to the free throw line, and succeeded in throwing under Beverly's interference, scoring 2+1.

Foster began to look for whistle for the Warriors, and he could see that the Rockets' general situation was over, so he simply seized the last minute and gave the Warriors free throws to narrow the free throw difference between the two teams, so as to avoid too ugly public opinion after the game.

This is when the wall falls and everyone pushes it, and the drum breaks and everyone beats it.

In the end, the Warriors defeated the Rockets 119:107, leading 3:0 and getting the match point.

哈登是两队得分最高的球员，他出战42分钟，25投10中，三分14中5，罚球24中20，狂砍45分8助攻5篮板1抢断6失误。

But anyone who has watched the game knows that Harden's impact on the outcome is far less important than the statistics show.

In the first three quarters, he got 19 free throws. In the first 6 minutes of the last quarter, he got 4 free throws. In the last 5 minutes, he didn't get 1 free throw. The Rockets never narrowed the point difference to less than 8 points.

库里全场出战39分钟，22投10中，三分12中6，8罚8中，砍下34分8助攻3篮板2抢断4失误，得分比哈登少一些，但他在最后5分钟砍下12分，是哈登的一倍。

Five of these 12 points were free throws, but even so, Curry only made 5 free throws in the game, only one-third of Harden's.

Curry's two-point shooting rate was only 40%. He broke into the Rockets' restricted area several times and encountered fierce physical confrontation, but Foster ignored them. The Rockets players' movements became more and more rough. In desperation, he could only reduce the number of breakthroughs and increase three-point shots.

This makes the Rockets' defense easier. They only need to guard against Curry's three-pointers. Anyway, they can foul him if they rush in.

But Curry is Curry after all. He only needs a little space to complete the shot. The Rockets' unsystematic defense can't limit Curry's three-pointers at all. His three-point shooting percentage is actually higher than his two-point shooting percentage. Even being hit twice, he still made a three-pointer-of course, Foster didn't blow the two 3+1s.

But this does not prevent the Warriors from winning. Among all the teams in the league, the Warriors rely the least on free throws. Curry does not rely on free throws. Leonard's scoring method is mainly shooting. Get to the free throw line.

全场比赛下来，克莱16投7中，三分12中5，得到19分3篮板2助攻1抢断，伦纳德18投8中，三分9中4，罚球3中2，得到22分6篮板3助攻2抢断2封盖。

The Tsunami Brothers made 45.5 three-pointers with a shooting rate of 15%, which is four more than the Rockets. important reason for the score.

Only Antetokounmpo's style of play is hard and hard, and free throws account for one-third of his points, but he is not in the Warriors' offensive system. Even if the score drops, it will not cause much damage to the Warriors' offense Impact.

……

When the Rockets trailed the Warriors by 10 points in the last few minutes, Houston fans began to leave in large numbers. There was a large blank in the stands at the Toyota Center, and the dark red seats were like ugly scars, exposed.

Bickerstaff folded his arms and stood quietly on the sidelines, motionless.

His mood is complicated.

When Foster stopped giving Harden free throws, he knew that the game was going to be lost.

But immediately afterwards, Bickerstaff felt ashamed of the thoughts that arose in his heart. His team could only rely on the referee's deflected whistle to win. What a failure he was as a coach!

But after all, the Rockets lost to the defending champion Warriors. Thinking about it this way, the shame in his heart eased a lot...

Shame, resignation, helplessness, relief and many other emotions were mixed together, tumbling in Bickerstaff's heart, and the big score of 0:3 made him not know how to face the angry fans.

With his back to the auditorium, he stood there with his ears pricked up, listening to the disappointed sighs, angry cursing, and unwilling shouts coming from behind him, his body became more and more stiff.

It wasn't until the red light came on and the buzzer sounded long to announce the end of the game that he let go of his numb arms and walked to the technical stage. After shaking hands with Zhang Yu briefly, he followed behind the Rockets. Go into the player tunnel.

Behind him, the Warriors' bench players rushed into the field, hugged the main players, and celebrated this hard-won away victory.

After shaking hands with Bickerstaff, Zhang Yu also ran into the court with small steps. When passing by Foster, he waved his fist in relief, looked sideways at Foster, and snorted heavily.

Although Foster returned to the normal whistle-blowing scale at the last moment of the game, giving Curry 5 free throws, Antetokounmpo 2 free throws, and Green 2 free throws, this did not satisfy Zhang Yu.

How many whistles do you find, like calming down?no way!
……

On the other side, the Rockets players returned to the locker room, feeling very depressed.

They didn't have much hope of winning at first, but during the game, the referee's whistle made them feel that it was not impossible to win the Warriors. In the end, this hope was broken by the Warriors. The morale of the team is on the verge of collapse.

What's even more cruel is that this defeat made them deeply realize the gap between themselves and the Warriors-if they can't beat eight to five, what else can they do?

They seem to have seen the fate of being swept at home in the next game. At that time, Houston fans will abandon them mercilessly as they do today.

Bickerstaff noticed that his team was on the brink of collapse, but after a crushing defeat, he had nothing to say.

He was going to wait until tomorrow's training to enlighten his players, but he simply comforted everyone, and then took Harden, Howard, Motiejunas, and Beasley to the press conference.

霍华德今天12投6中，罚球5中2，得到14分13篮板1助攻1抢断2封盖的两双，攻防两端都有贡献，但更像一个蓝领球员。

Under the strangulation of the Warriors, he rarely got open space, and Foster gave him free throws, and he couldn't grasp the opportunity.

Motiejunas also had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds. Beasley made 10 of 5 shots, 2 of 0 three-pointers, 2 of 2 free throws, and scored 12 points. He is the best player on the bench. It can be seen that the Rockets The difference in the overall lineup.

The reporter's question was mainly aimed at today's defeat, and Harden's reaction was relatively calm:

"We fought the Warriors until the last quarter, and we had a chance to win the game, but in the end, the Warriors were the tougher team. We tried everything, but it didn't work. Unfortunately, we didn't. Successfully defended the home court, but the Warriors were the better team today..."

He may be the most peaceful person after the Rockets lost. More than 20 free throws failed to win the game, so he completely gave up the idea of ​​​​competing with the Warriors, and his mind has already flown to the nightclub in Houston.

"You got 24 free throws today, 3 more than the Warriors. Can you comment on the referee's penalty?" The reporter asked
"You should ask the referee this question. I just play on the court. If I have to say it, I think the referee's penalty is very good." Harden replied.

Bickerstaff was also asked this question, and he could only stand for Harden:
"James is very good at drawing fouls. He used this skill very well today to help us bite the score. It is normal for him to get so many free throws..."

When the Warriors were interviewed, the reporter relayed Bickerstaff's answer to Zhang Yu and asked Zhang Yu's opinion on the penalty in this game.

A sarcastic smile appeared on Zhang Yu's face, and said:

"I don't comment on today's penalty because I don't want to be fined. $25000 is not a small amount. But I have a question-Harden is really good at drawing fouls, but why didn't he use it in the last 5 minutes Is it? Or is this trick only effective in the first three and a half quarters?"

Zhang Yu didn't say anything, but he said everything.

After the game, there were overwhelming accusations against Foster on the Internet. Anyone who has watched the game knows how biased his calls are.

Although judging from the number of free throws, the Rockets only made 31 more free throws in 21:10, but the Warriors made nearly half of their free throws. Foster made up for the Warriors after the overall situation was settled in the fourth quarter.

And Harden's 24 free throws are too conspicuous. Even if he made every free throw by himself, fans would not like a star with so many free throws, not to mention that there are many body whistles among them.

Warriors fans were very upset to see Harden, and there was a saying before that Curry and Harden were the "09 duo", so they used this to mock Harden:

"Curry's scoring is very explosive, Harden's scoring is very explosive, and he deserves to be the 09 duo!"

"Curry is the top shooter from the three-point line, Harden is the top shooter from the free throw line, they both have a bright future!"

But the Warriors won in the end, so they didn't have much anger, it was more of a taunt from the winner, and this wave passed quickly.

In fact, Harden has nothing to do with free throws. He did foul on purpose, but that was because the referee's penalty was biased towards the Rockets. He couldn't take advantage of the favorable conditions. Do whatever it takes to win -- as long as it's not unsportsmanlike.

What should really be responsible for the whistleblowing scale of this game is the league that wants to make the game more intense and extend the series.

Most of the time, the goal of the league has been achieved, but this time, the Warriors' offensive firepower is too strong, they do not rely on free throws, and their lineup is very deep. There are many available strikers, which supported Green and Leonard into foul trouble Only in such an unfavorable situation during the difficult period of time, did we win against the trend.

However, it is impossible for the league to target the leading team in the series without restriction. Generally, it will only give the home team some help when it is 0:2 behind, and then it will not be so blatant.

On April 4, the Warriors and the Rockets launched their fourth contest.

Without the care of the league, the Rockets' regular home court advantage can't help much, and the morale and fighting spirit that collapsed in the last game have not recovered, leaving them with little resistance in the audience.

In the end, Curry scored 32 points and completely defeated Harden, who scored only 24 points. He led the Warriors to a 114:91 victory, swept the Rockets with a big score of 4:0, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.

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