NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 415 Treating Rockets Like Beef Skewers

The Clippers have chosen to pause!

With less than 40 seconds left in the game, theoretically both sides still have one more chance to attack.

The Clippers have run out of timeouts, while the Rockets have one timeout left.

During the timeout, Coach Li didn't devise any ingenious tactics. His strategy was actually quite simple: pass the ball to Jia Fei and then have the other players create space.

PS: Tyronn Lue: "I know this tactic inside and out!"

Harris inbounded the ball from the sideline to DeAndre Jordan in the high post.

DeAndre Jordan felt the ball was too hot to handle, so he immediately handed it to Jia Fei.

Jia Fei received the ball, and the other players immediately spread out.

"You're going to set a pick and roll again, aren't you?" Ariza taunted.

"No, I'm talking about you!" Jia Fei smiled slightly. "I told you to wait, and now is the perfect time."

Seeing Jia Fei's confident smile, Tieza felt a chill run down his spine. Tieza knew Jia Fei was formidable, of course. His mockery wasn't because Jia Fei was weak; he simply wanted to provoke him into attacking him instead of setting screens for Harden. After all, Harden's poor defense was known worldwide. Against speedsters, being blown past in one step was a well-known incident, best left unmentioned.

Tieza was very focused. He knew how strong Jia Fei was. It wasn't shameful to be beaten by such a star player, but in order for the team to have a chance to win, he needed to do his best to stop him.

With the ball in his left hand, Jia Fei used a dragging step after pulling the ball between his legs to shift Tie Zha's center of gravity and observe the opponent's defensive situation.

Tieza didn't rush to defend him. He knew that compared to his jump three-pointers, Jia Fei's drives were the hardest to guard. His speed was something even McGrady, Grant, and Hill would have to admit defeat to. A two-meter-tall player could be so fast and make such wide crossovers; it completely overturned his understanding of basketball.

Without many feints, Jia Fei takes a dragging step and changes direction to his right. His immediate and significant change of direction and rapid acceleration give him an advantage against most players.

Ironza's defense was indeed superior to Harden's. He wasn't completely shaken off; using anticipation and agile footwork, he managed to keep up with Jia Fei.

Jia Fei managed to get into position. He leaned against Tie Zha, drove towards the three-point line, slowed down near the free-throw line, and suddenly pulled the ball behind his back!

Tieza didn't expect that Jia Fei wouldn't feint or pull the ball back at this moment, but would actually control his body and pull the ball behind his back! He couldn't stop in time, and by the time he tried to block, it was too late!

Jia Fei gathered the ball near the free-throw line and suddenly stopped, leaping high into the air. At this moment, everyone in the stadium held their breath, because what would affect whether he could make the shot was not anyone's defense, but his own shooting touch.

No one wants to hand their fate over to someone else, but the Rockets had no better option at this point.

The ball went in perfectly!

102:100, 13.8 seconds! Jia Fei's attack took exactly 23 seconds.

The Rockets also used their last timeout!

Art Mayork was the first to rush over and give Jia Fei a big hug. That was a beautiful shot, a perfect basket. The Rockets didn't dare double-team him because they were wary of Beverley's three-pointer earlier. Jia Fei's passing was excellent; double-teaming him would only leave role players open for shots. It was better to hope that Tizzi could try defending him; perhaps that would have some good results.

The Toyota Center was deathly silent. The arena, which holds 2 people, was eerily quiet. Many fans were hoping for a miracle, but there was actually plenty of time left for the final shot.

The Clippers certainly couldn't afford to be careless. With only 13.8 seconds left and a mere 2-point lead, the opponent had every opportunity to tie or even take the lead. And they had no timeouts left. If the opponent hit a three-pointer, they would have to inbound the ball from the backcourt, making it difficult to launch a decent offensive attack in the remaining time.

Simply put, the Clippers can accept two points from their opponent, as this would give them a chance to go to overtime. They can accept not getting a three-pointer, two points, or a foul.

Tencent Studio.

"Jia Fei is amazing! Ariza defended him so well, you could say he was pushing the limits, but Jia Fei still managed to score. You can't ask Ariza to do any better. It's not that his defense is bad, it's just that Jia Fei is too strong!" Wang Meng exclaimed with great emotion.

“No one can stop Jia Fei one-on-one, no athlete can stop him, but you have to choose one of the two poisons. Beverley just hit a three-pointer, do you dare to double-team him?” Yang Yi said, twirling his pen.

After the timeout, the game resumed.

The ball is served out of bounds, and the round-faced player receives it.

Round-faced Deng immediately passed the ball to Harden.

Harden had the ball and faced Beverley, who was guarding him very closely.

Harden drove to the basket, looking for a three-point opportunity, but the opponent didn't give him the chance. He opted to drive in, but the ball slipped out of his grasp!

Harden desperately tried to get the ball, but couldn't get a shot off, so he passed the ball to the round-faced Harden in the corner!

With little time left on the shot clock, Roundface Harden immediately took a three-pointer...

Just when everyone thought the ball had either gone in or not, Jia Fei suddenly swatted it out of bounds...

Just then, the final buzzer sounded, signaling the end of the match.

The game is over!

The Clippers ultimately defeated the Rockets 102-100 on the road. Jia Fei's game-winning mid-range jumper and game-winning block completely extinguished the Rockets' hopes of a comeback.

Jia Fei appeared calm, as if this was all within his expectations. Beverley seemed even more excited than him; Art Mayork had already rushed onto the court.

"My God, Jia Fei didn't give the Rockets any chance. He completely killed their hopes with a block. He's too strong, he's really too strong!" Wang Meng exclaimed enthusiastically.

Yang Yi stood to the side, laughing, as if everything was under his control.

Losing in this way was too hard to accept, and the Rockets players left the court dejectedly. 58's expression was also complex; he couldn't accept the team losing to his former team, but his absence from the game highlighted his importance and indispensability. The series isn't over yet, and the Rockets certainly still have a chance to turn things around.

Jia Fei was very satisfied with securing a victory on the road. The biggest variable now is 58 (DeAndre Jordan). If he returns in the upcoming series, their defensive strategy will need to change. 58's playmaking and scoring abilities are a significant addition to the Rockets. He's very adept at shutting down centers, while DeAndre Jordan's switching ability is poor, which is a major concern for the Clippers.

But we can only take it one step at a time, and deal with whatever comes our way.

本场比赛贾飞出战40分钟，砍下45分11个篮板9次助攻3个抢断5个盖帽，差点拿到40+三双，表现极为炸裂。

45 points wasn't Jia Fei's highest single-game score in the playoffs, but his 5 blocks set a new playoff record. In this game, he transformed into the "King of Blocks," treating the Rockets like beef skewers.