The Ball Had Eyes

Toyota Center was packed to capacity that night.

Facing the league-leading Pelicans made this game compelling enough on its own, not to mention what had happened the last time the two teams met.

The home team was fully stocked and in excellent form. They needed a win like this.

The Pelicans players were in great spirits as well.

Their winning streak after the All-Star Game had restored the momentum they had at the start of the season.

And with how the Rockets were playing now, there was a good chance the two teams would meet in the Playoffs. They needed this kind of win too.

At the Commentary Booth, Mike Breen and Reggie Miller were already in place.

"This will be a closely matched game."

Miller had set the tone for the matchup before the game even began.

"Yes, it will be. These are the two teams in the best form since the All-Star Game."

Breen nodded in agreement.

Like the fans, they were looking forward to this showdown between powerhouses.

The arena soon moved into the pregame ceremony, and the starters from both sides were introduced one after another.

For the Pelicans, Holiday and Tang Tian were on the perimeter, Bojan and Davis played forward, and Jokic was at center.

For the Rockets, Paul and Harden were on the perimeter, Tucker and Morris played forward, and Cousins was at center.

Cousins won the tip-off against Davis, officially opening the game.

Paul brought the ball into the frontcourt and looked up to see the Pelicans set up in a 2-1-2 defensive formation.

Having learned from the previous game, the Pelicans came out targeting them right away.

Paul signaled for his teammates to spread out after seeing it.

D'Antoni excelled at systems, but now that he had Paul, he could leave