NBA: Yao Ming at his peak returns to his rookie season

"brush!"

Goal!

Yao Ming scored 10 points in the first quarter.

"Great play! Did you see that? That back-to-the-basket move, that style of play—it's the finesse of a small forward, the athleticism of a power forward, and the height of a center! He's fantastic! This is Sir Charles's personal instruction; he must have been practicing on my videotapes!"

"Oh yes, yes, yes, it would be great to let you kiss a donkey's ass!"

Kenny Smith and Barkley started arguing in the TNT commentary booth, mainly with Kenny Smith bringing up his past mistakes and embarrassing moments.

But now Barkley is lying flat, shrugging, and chuckling to himself.

If Yao Ming can't even kiss a donkey's ass, then that's considered a dark history.

If Yao Ming makes a name for himself, then sorry, Sir Alex Ferguson Barkley will go down in history.

Michael Jordan was targeted and cried back then.

What's wrong?

He was targeted by Magic Johnson and the Smiling Assassin, both of whom were famous throughout the world, while the one who was bullied to the point of crying was the basketball god!

Breaking through the blockade and shedding tears in the locker room, Jordan once captivated countless supermodels!

Yao Ming played the entire first quarter.

This made the Jazz grit their teeth.

Although Kirilenko's presence greatly alleviated the damage caused to the Jazz by Francis's off-ball movement, they still couldn't stop the ball from going to Yao Ming.

That big guy is so annoying! It's so inconvenient to play with him standing under the basket!

Why is a newcomer so difficult to deal with!

Sloan remained silent for a moment.

In reality, a superstar center wouldn't leave Sloan completely without ideas.

but!

This is the regular season. If he plays like he would in the playoffs, then winning this game would be considered a loss, and losing would be even more embarrassing.

He doesn't want to do it until it comes to that point.

"Coach, think of something," Stockton sighed. "It's not just this game; even if we make it to the playoffs, we could very well face the Rockets in the semifinals."

Stockton was Sloan's star pupil.

Compared to Karl Malone, Stockton is actually his more perfect work.

The student's meaning was very clear.

Sloan paused for a moment before continuing, "Then Greg will rest, and Mark will fill in. Karl, push that big guy out of the paint and don't give him the chance to post up and shoot."

Sloan spoke in a clear and concise manner, but everyone on the Jazz team could understand him.

This is forcing Yao Ming to play 1v1.

The defender is Karl Malone, so it's time to use your skills!

Back to the game

Midway through the second quarter, Jazz center Ostertag went off the bench, and Karl Malone stepped in, giving Yao Ming a two-minute rest.

Despite their best efforts on defense, the Jazz easily closed the gap to 6 points.

Malone's iron elbows were virtually unstoppable.

Most people don't have such an iron will.

This is also the Rockets' current weakness: their rotation is too poor. Without Yao Ming in the paint, they immediately collapse without any room to struggle. They are good at being the offensive core, but their backup center simply cannot stop Karl Malone.

Two minutes later, he returned to the bench, rubbing his chest in pain.

He's happier playing while floating.

It's better to be submissive than to get beaten up.

Being scolded is better than being beaten.

After spending some time with the Rockets, their mentality has become much more relaxed.

Seeing Yao Ming, you'll know what a true genius is; even the little brother from back then has developed into such a person.

Most people are now looking forward to playing in the World Championships with Yao Ming.

When Yao Ming returned to the court, the fans immediately called for a double-team. The old Jazz fans know basketball, but unfortunately, the Jazz are not at their peak anymore.

The current Jazz team relies on veterans to hold them up, and their players' stamina is being depleted.

Karl Malone unleashed his powerful elbow, using sheer force to push Yao Ming out of the paint. It's undeniable that the kid has good footwork, but his lack of strength is a major weakness!

The NBA isn't that easy!

In the end, Francis passed the ball to Yao Ming.

This is a clash of the two sides' trump cards.

It's not about winning or losing, but about morale.

The two sides reached a tacit understanding.

Yao Ming dribbled the ball steadily, but the position was very unfavorable, as Karl Malone made a lot of dirty tricks there.

Pulling jerseys, using sharp fingers, stepping on someone's foot, and ramming into someone.

He's done all of those things!

If it's about flagrant fouls, Karl Malone was even more outrageous than Bowen.

Based on Yao Ming's experience, he judged that this guy was up to no good.

So Yao Ming didn't hold back. The moment he felt the fingers on his waist, he turned around and forcefully attacked.

Karl Malone lived up to expectations and pushed the ball hard!

Yao Ming swayed slightly.

The referee didn't call the whistle, DUANG! The basketball missed.

Karl Malone immediately turned around to collect the rebound.

But Francis suddenly rushed over, grabbed the rebound, and then made a running layup.

Francis's athletic ability is truly impressive.

Score!

Karl Malone was momentarily stunned when the Rockets retreated on defense.

His long professional experience quickly turned Malone's expression grim.

Because experience told him that Yao Ming had very likely missed that shot intentionally, and the bounce off the ball was too favorable for Francis.

It doesn't look like it was lost at all.

Karl Malone is now taking Yao Ming, a newcomer, very seriously. He is analyzing Yao Ming and devising tactics to the highest degree.

The game continues.

The Jazz's pick-and-roll remains incredibly strong, allowing the aging Stockton and Malone to maintain top-tier offensive capabilities.

However, Stockton is having a very difficult time running right now.

He rested for a full four minutes, but he still hasn't recovered. Stockton doesn't dare to initiate attacks now, only sneakily throwing up three-pointers and passing the ball around. He's being played very frustratingly by Francis.

The competition has entered a state of attrition.

Malone was messing with Yao Ming, while Francis was pulling Stockton along at full speed. Both sides were strong offensively but weak defensively, so it was a matter of who would give up first!

The score at halftime was 55-50!

大姚独自砍下19分5篮板2助攻3盖帽1个抢断，虽然伴随着半场比赛就4个失误的代价。

But this data is just too shocking.

One person almost held up the entire attack line.

Yao Ming was elbowed twice by Ma Long and also received several "Diamond Finger" blows. Ma Long is also very experienced and cannot completely avoid the details.

However, Yao Ming also committed two fouls against Malone.

He even elbowed him on the way out.

The Rockets didn't lose out by having Karl Malone pick up three fouls.

It was just that Coach Tang felt so sorry for Yao Ming, and he was silently cursing the team doctor and Cato in his heart. If Cato were still here, Yao Ming would be able to rest more now!

Since Cato's injury, Yao Ming's playing time has been gradually increasing.

It's very common for players to come on around 37 or 38 minutes now.

For a center of his size, this level of intensity is not a good sign.

In the third quarter, Coach Rudy suppressed Yao Ming's entry into the game, letting Wang Zhizhi go up and shoot mid-range shots. In fact, Coach Rudy was still limited.

If Yao Ming can decide the outcome of the game.

That's probably not a mid-range shot, it's a three-pointer.

They're all very difficult to throw away anyway.

Let's just find one that scores more points.

Yao Ming didn't hide his thoughts. In fact, he has been increasing his training in three-pointers recently. The training menu for centers does not include long-range shooting and three-pointers.

This shooting training volume is definitely the highest among centers in the league.

The person who appeared was extremely excited.

This time he wasn't the center. The Rockets' backup center was Eddie Griffin, followed by Glenn Robinson, Wang Zhizhi, Aquin, and Kenny Thomas.

Apart from the high-scoring players Da Gou and Da Zhi, the rest of the team possesses CBA-level combat capabilities.

They gave Dazhi a chance to make a huge mistake!

The Rockets are resting, and the Jazz are also temporarily substituting three of their key players.

I've just received the ball at the three-point line. The opposing defender is a tough, lean, and hardcore man, AK47 Kirilenko!