Volume 5: Unrivaled

After the Rockets lost to the Warriors, the internet erupted in applause, all of it mocking Harden's free throws. By the end of the game, Curry had gone 12-for-25 from the field, 5-for-12 from three, and 5-for-5 at the line, scoring 34 points with 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 2 steals, and only 2 turnovers. Zhang Yu got straight to the point: Riley nodded repeatedly after hearing this, indicating that he understood: So Zhang Yu once again considered strengthening the center position, and the thought had never been stronger. Playing alongside Curry and Antetokounmpo, Wiggins did not need to take on much of the scoring burden. He only needed to capitalize on his limited spot-up opportunities, isolations, and cuts, then focus his energy on defense. Paul's dreadful performance even made the trending searches. Many commentators who had doubted whether Harden and Paul could coexist took another shot at the trade for Paul, declaring the Rockets dead. But the Rockets' determination and fighting spirit were not shaken by this loss. In the postgame interviews, both D'Antoni and Harden expressed their support for Paul. Paul merely made a couple of self-deprecating remarks before reiterating their championship goal and his determination to regain his form as quickly as possible. Curry had taken on a heavy load of ball-handling offense today, but he had also played plenty off the ball. Whenever Antetokounmpo was double-teamed in the post, his first choice was to pass to Curry. The Rockets guarded Curry extremely tightly, but with his unpredictable off-ball movement, he always found gaps and slipped out of their encirclement. After watching the game, Riley had been about to go home when Zhang Yu called him over. Puzzled, he waited in his office for half an hour until Zhang Yu finished his interviews and summoned him into his