On December 27th, Beijing time, the NBA regular season saw the Houston Rockets challenge the New Orleans Pelicans on the road.
The Rockets' starting lineup for today's game was Amen, Smith, Shen Jing, Jalen Green, and VanVleet.
The Pelicans' starting lineup was Jones, Murphy, Mi Xi, McCollum, and Murray.
There is a clear gap in strength between the two teams, and the Pelicans have opened their "supermarket," with Zion, McCollum, and Ingram all put up for sale. The Pelicans have confirmed that they will rebuild from scratch.
As long as the Rockets play normally today, winning should not be a problem.
The first quarter began with Green scoring five points in a row, feeling hot. Shen Jing fought for an offensive rebound and scored with his back, while VanVleet hit a three-pointer from outside, giving the Rockets a 10-4 lead and playing smoothly.
However, the Pelicans were attacking the basket one after another, targeting Shen Jing. Despite Shen Jing's best defensive efforts, he couldn't stop them. Everyone on the Pelicans could score, mostly driving straight into Shen Jing.
Is Shen Jing just a target?
Although the Rockets have a strong scoring ability, they can't hold off their opponents and can't further widen the point difference.
After half a quarter, the Rockets led by three points. During a timeout, Udoka replaced Shen Jing with Adams to protect the rim. Although Adams is slow-moving, he has enough power and can still protect the basket.
As soon as Adams came on, the Pelicans found it difficult to score. Several attempts to attack the basket were unsuccessful, unable to make any headway.
The Rockets gradually widened the point difference. Green was in hot form today, shooting 7 of 9 for 16 points in a single quarter, along with 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal.
After Whitmore came on, he also hit a three-pointer.
At the end of the first quarter, the Rockets had already built a 17-point lead over the Pelicans, 39-22.
In the second quarter, the two teams continued to exchange blows, and the Rockets quickly expanded the point difference to more than 20 points. McCollum hit a three-pointer to help the Pelicans stop the bleeding.
The two teams then engaged in a series of missed shots, repeatedly hitting the rim, both falling into a scoring drought.
After several consecutive rounds, McCollum hit another three-pointer, prompting the Rockets to call a timeout.
Returning from the timeout, Green returned to the court, missed a mid-range shot, but then came out to complete a steal and dunk, which greatly boosted morale.
However, the Rockets' offense was still struggling, completely lacking the feel from the first quarter. VanVleet kept missing shots, and the Rockets simply couldn't score in the second quarter.
In the last two minutes of this quarter, VanVleet continuously fed Shen Jing the ball, and Shen Jing scored twice in a row, finally allowing the Rockets to score smoothly. Little Jia also made a tip-in, and Amen scored under the basket, slightly widening the point difference.
At halftime, the Rockets led the Pelicans by 18 points, 61-43.
Amen contributed 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 blocks in the first half; Smith had 4 points and 4 rebounds; Shen Jing scored 8 points, grabbed 11 rebounds, and had 2 assists; Jalen Green had 21 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals; VanVleet had 10 points, 2 rebounds, and 4 assists; Whitmore had 7 points.
On the Pelicans' side, Murphy had 7 points and 3 rebounds; Herbert Jones had 6 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists; Mi Xi had 8 rebounds and 3 assists; Murray had 8 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists; McCollum had 12 points and 2 assists.
In the third quarter, Green hit a three-pointer as soon as he came on, instantly bringing the point difference to more than 20 points.
The Pelicans quickly responded, but the Rockets launched wave after wave of attacks. With VanVleet hitting two consecutive three-pointers, the point difference reached 24 points, forcing the Pelicans to call a timeout.
Returning from the timeout, the Pelicans started scoring points continuously. Their three-point shooting improved in the second half, quickly reducing the point difference to less than 20 points, adding a bit of suspense back into the game.
In the last few minutes of this quarter, after Whitmore came off the bench, he had another standout performance. Although he doesn't pass well, Whitmore's ability to attack the basket is truly impressive, with explosive physical talent.
The Rockets went on a scoring spree, and the point difference grew larger, heading towards 30 points.
At the end of the third quarter, the Rockets led the Pelicans by 28 points, 102-74.
In the fourth quarter, the Rockets played with an all-substitute lineup. After two minutes, they brought on Landale and veteran Jeff Green.
Shepard made one of two free throws, finally scoring.
In the end, the Rockets defeated the Pelicans 128-111.
For the entire game, on the Rockets' side: Smith had 6 points and 6 rebounds; Amen had 9 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists, and 5 blocks; Shen Jing had 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists; VanVleet had 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists; Jalen Green had 30 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals; Whitmore had 27 points and 4 rebounds; Tate had 10 points and 2 rebounds; Sheppard had 1 point, 4 rebounds, and 2 assists.
On the Pelicans' side: Herbert Jones had 10 points, 6 rebounds, and 7 assists; McCollum had 13 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists; Murray had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals; Murphy had 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists; Earl had 9 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists; Boston had 17 points and 6 rebounds; Javonte Green had 11 points and 5 rebounds.
After the game ended, the players from both teams were still friendly, embracing each other on the court. Ethan, who did not play in this game, also walked onto the court. He first high-fived his teammates to celebrate the victory and then embraced Murray of the Pelicans, exchanging a few words with him.
Ethan is expected to play against the Timberwolves tomorrow, having rested for a few games. We look forward to a great performance from Ethan tomorrow.