Chapter 792: Beating Harden

Harden didn't score much in the past two games, but he had a lot of assists. His role in the Rockets is still very important.

Tang Tian's idea is very simple. He wants to use the most brutal one-on-one method to beat Harden.

The Rockets with only Paul and Cousins ​​would be no match for the Pelicans.

And this is also a warm-up for the next round of competition.

If we meet the Warriors, we will definitely use a tactic to play Curry out of position. If we are facing the Thunder, we will also need to play Adams out of position.

In other words, this is a tactical adjustment and a warm-up for the next round of competition.

Stevens agreed.

The next game in New Orleans is the best time for the Pelicans to end the series.

If we lose again and go to Houston, the series will be dragged out for a long time, and it may even be overturned.

"I would put Jokic on the bench."

Stevens continued.

Tang Tian nodded.

Jokic's defense against Cousins ​​is average, and if he decides to go one-on-one with Harden now, his physical strength will be exhausted faster than before.

If he leaves the game early, Jokic needs to come on early to organize.

And Jokic is very professional. Unlike Whiteside before him, as long as Stevens makes it clear, he should not get emotional.

On game day, when the Rockets arrived in New Orleans, D'Antoni only arranged an hour or two of adaptive training.

The Rockets' mental outlook looks very good.

"I still have full confidence in the team and they will continue to perform like they did in the last game."

D'Antoni said the same thing before in front of the media.

As a head coach, he must show this confidence to the outside world.

That night, fans held up signs and poured into the arena shouting "Pelicans Championship".

It's a shame not to be able to sweep the Rockets, but it's also a very good thing to be able to end the series at home.

"Today, I think the Pelicans are likely to make adjustments again. Their tactics against Harden in the past two games were not that effective."

In the broadcast booth in the arena, Zhang Weiping began to explain the warm-up early.

"What does Director Zhang mean?"

Yang Yi on the side chatted.

"I think they will probably use Tang Tian to defend Harden."

After Zhang Weiping finished speaking, he immediately started explaining again before Yang Yi asked.

"Look, if you use Tang Tian to defend Harden, won't the others be freed up? Then Paul and Cousins ​​will definitely not be able to perform like they did in the previous two games. Wouldn't the game become easier?"

Zhang Weiping analyzed it for a while, then showed his trademark smile.

Yang Yi on the side laughed and laughed after hearing this.

It was obvious that he did not agree with Zhang Weiping's statement.

The offense of the playoff stars is too important, especially in the small ball era that pursues offense. Very few coaches will use the team's superstars to defend the opponent's superstars. That would outweigh the gains and losses.

Zhang Weiping's thoughts are still stuck in his own era and have fallen behind.

While the two were talking, the starting players from both sides had already appeared on the stage.

The Pelicans have made a starting adjustment, with Biyombo replacing Jokic as the starting center.

Biyombo beat Cousins ​​in the jump, officially kicking off the game.

Holiday held the ball for half the game, and Tang Tian and Ariza had a pick-and-roll with or without the ball.

When Tang Tian's defender was replaced by Harden, Holiday handed the ball over and then pulled the defender away.

This is an obvious singles tactic.

Tang Tian held the ball as a three-way threat and made a breakthrough after a tentative step.

Harden was too heavy and couldn't keep up with Tang Tian's speed. He only had time to look back.

Tang Tian scored an easy layup.

There were constant cheers.

Harden's outside defensive ability is not good to begin with, but in front of Tang Tian, ​​the nature of his eyes was revealed.

The Rockets' offense advanced to the frontcourt. Harden took a look in the frontcourt and found that his defender had changed from Ariza to Tang Tian.

Yang Yi's expression was obviously stunned when he saw this scene.

"Look, let me just say, the Pelicans made a reasonable choice."

Zhang Weiping said with a smile.

He was so engrossed that he didn't notice the embarrassed look on Yang Yi's face next to him.

Paul's breakthrough was deflected by Davis' defensive interference, and the rebound was grabbed by Davis.

The Pelicans did not need to spend heavy troops to defend Harden, and their defense against Paul and Cousins ​​was obviously better than the previous two games.

Zhang Weiping is not only a reasonable emperor, but with decades of commentary experience, he obviously also understands the game very well.

The Pelicans' counterattack failed, and Tang Tian continued to look for Harden.

The Rockets did not change, but not changing would give Tang Tian offensive space. He took Holiday's pass and took a shot.

"Uh-huh!"

Giving superstars such a large offensive space is tantamount to giving away points.

In the Rockets' offense, Cousins's breakthrough in the middle was blocked by Davis. After Biyombo protected the defensive rebound, the Rockets' offense once again came to nothing.

The Rockets retreated quickly, and the Pelicans fought positionally. After Tang Tian switched to Harden, he continued to change directions and break through.

Harden really couldn't guard it, and he didn't get it even when he reached back with an idea.

Cousins ​​came out to help defend, and Tang Tian passed the ball from close range to Biyombo, who dunked with unguarded hands.

These rounds became a microcosm of the two sides after the opening.

Harden never attacked after being marked by Tang Tian. Paul and Cousins ​​were heavily marked and were not efficient. The Rockets' offense was obviously not as smooth as the previous two games.

On the defensive end, the Pelicans have been using Tang Tian to beat Harden. Harden can't guard him at all. He has enough defensive eyes to make a highlight reel.

The rest of the Rockets didn't dare to guard, so when they guarded Tang Tian, ​​they just got an assist.

Although Biyombo's finishing ability is not as good as Jokic's, and he occasionally has a buttery hand, his defensive end against Cousins ​​is obviously better.

The Rockets were suppressed on both offense and defense. In less than half a quarter, the score was 8-20.

D'Antoni said several times that the team would continue the performance of the first two games, but things proved that what he said did not count.

The Pelicans' adjustments changed the situation again.

And D'Antoni's on-court response was as lagging as in the previous games.

Harden saw that the situation was not right and chose to attack on his own.

Continuously changing directions to break through and then step back, he fully utilized his offensive skills.

But Tang Tian followed suit completely, and his defense after the save put huge pressure on him.

Harden was forced to adjust the angle of his shot, and ended up making a three-pointer.

There was constant booing at the scene.

Holiday missed a three-pointer after receiving Tang Tian's pass, and Cousins ​​got the rebound.

The Rockets entered the frontcourt and Harden continued to beat Tang Tian with the ball.

This time he chose to break through and leaned against Tang Tian, ​​hoping to cause Tang Tian a foul.

But Tang Tian had already taken precautions. After dodging, he waited for his shot and then directly reached out to block the shot.

"boom!"

Tang Tian made a big shot and sent the ball flying out of the field.

After blocking the shot, in order to enhance the momentum at home, he reached out to the audience and made a finger-wagging gesture that he had not used for a long time.

There was constant booing at the scene.

Harden's face turned dark. He was almost one step ahead of Tang Tian, ​​but when he beat Tang Tian, ​​he either refused to do anything or was fooled. This was a real blow!

Many people had previously questioned Tang Tian's selection as the best defensive player this season, but it turns out that a keyboard warrior is just a keyboard warrior, and only the players who actually faced him on the court knew how terrifying he was.