At the end of the first quarter, the score on the big screen became 26-20. The defending champions still have a six-point lead, thanks to Leonard and Ray. Allen's excellent scoring performance in rotation time.

The Rockets don't have as much bench depth as the Pacers, and Henson can safely make a 10 or even 11-man rotation. McHale, on the other hand, is used to a long-term eight-man rotation. It's not that the Rockets only have eight players playing every game, but those who play more than double digits usually only have eight. The Rockets' players are all resting in turns, and there are two outside and one inside players on the bench, which is enough for McHale to rotate the lineup.

As a result, the Rockets have little to no rotation lineup, with at least three starters on the court anyway. The only time they can be called a rotation is when Harden is resting.

And the Pacers, taking advantage of Harden's absence, took advantage of the period when the Rockets' offense temporarily stalled, from a 2-point deficit to a 6-point lead.

But Henson wasn't complacent, and the result of the first quarter didn't say anything. He still hasn't contained Harden, and if he hasn't contained Harden, he can't guarantee that he can save the victory in his hands.

"Bag clip, bag clip to be decisive! You don't have to make a steal, as long as two people can block his offensive line! On the pitchside, Henson was writing and drawing on the tactical board.

After previous research on the Rockets and observation of the first quarter of the game, Henson saw that McHale and Thibodeau had a very similar point, that is, they relied too much on the individual ability of the star on the offensive end. Throughout the first quarter, Henson didn't see McHale pull out any eye-catching tactics.

Originally, McHale was a low-post player when he was a player, and he also preferred to make the team focus on low-post offense when he coached. But right now, the Rockets don't have a single player who can meet his demands for a low-post offense. And letting the outside line go on offense is not what McHale is good at.

The Rockets' offense suddenly fell into a quagmire just after Harden went off the court, which is the best proof of this. So, Henson decided to be bold! As long as Harden, the strongest scoring point, is trapped, the Rockets' offensive advantage will disappear!

As soon as Henson closed the cap of the marker, an electronic beep sounded to indicate the start of the second quarter.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Before the players came on, Henson asked loudly.

Everyone nodded vigorously, and Henson waved his hand to let the players play! This is Henson's first change to Harden, but I don't know if it will work......

"The game restarted and the first quarter was a tight game. But it's clear that the Pacers' bench depth is really bottomless! They can win against the Thunder without Paul, which speaks volumes about how resilient Coach Henson's roster is. But now, James. Harden is back on the pitch, and with bench depth alone, he can't easily win the Christmas game. ”

In the second quarter of the game, the team that attacked first was replaced by the Rockets. Jeremy Lin handed the ball to Harden just after halftime, and it seems that the Rockets still want Harden to be the core of the offense with the ball.

The Rockets stretched their lineup as far apart as they could, and Harden faced George again from beyond the three-point line. Since George didn't dare to go up physically, Harden's breakthrough was still easy.

But this time, just as Harden was at the free throw line, he suddenly saw a black shadow rushing out, completely blocking the breakthrough route!

In the chaos, Harden actually lost the ball! George stretched out his long arms, controlled the basketball, and quickly pushed and counterattacked!

"Nice bag, the Pacers are on the bag! Danny. Green's pinch shot was very decisive and didn't give Harden time to react! George is unstoppable, one-handed violent buckle! Wonderful counterattack, the defending champion widened the gap to 8 points, and the Rockets are in danger! ”

Inside the Bankers Living Arena, Pacers fans make waves in the stands. Henson also shook his fist violently, and the arrangement worked!

There are still 2 points left, and the difference will become double digits! You know, the Pacers' ability to control the court is very strong, and any team wants to easily recover a double-digit point difference on the Pacers' head.

After the mistake led to the opponent scoring, Harden looked at the bench. No one noticed, and McHale nodded slightly at Harden.

Houston Rockets, is it really that easy to take off?

The Rockets are back, and it's still Harden, who almost gets unlimited firing and ball handling with the Rockets. And this time, Paul's flanking attack was just as timely. The Pacers' tactical execution is very strong, and Henson said that if he wants to wrap up, the players will not hesitate to take half a step.

Although he did not hesitate, Harden neither stopped the ball nor made a mistake this time, but sent the ball to Jeremy Lin at the moment when the bag was completed.

Jeremy Lin's three-point shooting percentage with the Rockets this season can only be said to be just passing, and he easily does not shoot. But in the face of such a big vacancy, the Chinese defender did not hesitate anymore and shot directly!

The reason why Henson dared to wrap up is because the Rockets don't have many three-point points. Even if Harden succeeds in splitting the ball, he won't necessarily be able to complete the assist.

But this time, Jeremy Lin got off to a good start. For the first three-point shot in this game, Jeremy Lin made it!

"Nice ball, James. Harden is definitely the kind of star who likes to share the ball. You know, this season he is averaging nearly 6 assists per game! ”

Henson pouted, and what the other players on the other side were most afraid of was shooting three-pointers. But scoring a goal doesn't mean anything. So Henson didn't change his strategy, still hoping that the players would use the bag to defend Harden.

This time, the Pacers players are learning smart. Green has been in front of Parsons from start to finish, after all, Parsons has shot 38 percent from three-point range this season.

And Paul is not easy to wrap up, Jeremy Lin may feel hot now. So this time, when Harden broke through to the mid-range position, the man who came up from the bag became David. West!

Lock up the Rockets' three-point threat, and the bag should always work!

However, it backfired. Harden's thinking was very clear, and he sent the ball between the gap between West and George and passed to Marcus, who was ambushed in the bottom corner. In the hands of Morris.

"No......" Henson's Adam's apple slid up and down, a little uneasy.

Marcus. It's true that Morris is an all-around forward, but Morris prefers to solve problems with mid-range shots rather than shooting three-pointers. But the Rockets seemed to have been prepared, and when they saw the Pacers on the pack, they all retreated beyond the three-point line.

By the time West rushed past Harden to Morris, the Kansas all-around forward had already made his shot.

The basketball flew in just the right arc, and Henson's heart was already cold.

Sure enough, in the next second, the Nets were "blown up" into a "white wave", and Morris raised his right arm high and compared three fingers!

After three points, the Pacers' bag clip had no way to implement it except for the first time they tasted a little sweetness! When the Rockets shoot their three-point shots, their offense is almost unstoppable.

"No, Henson." Vogel couldn't sit still, and if he continued like this, he would be killed sooner or later.

Henson nodded slightly, this time even he couldn't pretend to be calm anymore. On the other side, "Refrigerator" McHale was already smiling from ear to ear.

Last season's Coach of the Year, that's it!

"Neither will the bag, nor will the single defense......" Henson muttered to himself, and suddenly, he clapped his hands hard, startling Vogel and Stephenson.

"There it is! I've found a way to strip them away! Henson excitedly stood up and walked to the sideline, ready to call a halt......