Volume 5: Unrivaled

This was Zhang Yu's second adjustment to the rotation. Whenever Paul led the team, Zhang Yu switched to a small-ball lineup, with Antetokounmpo at center and Covington moved up to power forward, reducing mismatch targets and curbing Paul's ability to hunt big men. Harden's shooting had also declined after the All-Star break and carried into the playoffs. He was shooting just 34.4% from three and 30.4% on step-back threes, nowhere near his 38.4% and 44.6% marks from before the All-Star break. Antetokounmpo seemed to possess limitless stamina, relentlessly attacking the Rockets' interior throughout the first half, completely exceeding D'Antoni's expectations. "As for the Rockets, this is how they've always played. Either Harden has the ball or Paul has the ball. Paul had the opportunities in the first half, so he took charge of the offense. D'Antoni had no need to adjust, and no room to adjust." Still, that was enough for the Warriors to preserve their advantage. At the end of the second quarter, the Warriors led the Rockets 59-52, taking a seven-point lead into halftime. With Harden off the court, Paul could target Lopez with mid-range jumpers. Keeping him out there would have done more harm than good. Although Paul had expended a great deal of energy, he was mentally fired up and had a hot hand. His desire to attack was at its peak. Whenever he saw a scoring opportunity, he seized it without hesitation, refusing to let go of the ball, looking like the Paul from his Hornets and Clippers prime. Harden was used to having the ball in his hands and felt somewhat dissatisfied with Paul monopolizing possessions, but he also knew that Paul was fiercely competitive and perhaps even more desperate for a championship than he was. Given a chance to personally finish the game,