Harden continued attacking Jokic in the frontcourt. This time, Holiday provided help defense, but Harden was in rhythm and immediately passed the ball to Gordon.
Gordon launched a three-pointer, and it was pure.
Swish!
The ball went cleanly through the net.
8-2!
The Rockets came out blazing!
Tonight, they had Gordon's Sixth Man of the Year boost, coupled with D'Antoni's Roster Adjustment, and it produced an unexpected effect.
"Defense! Defense!"
The Rockets' strong play on the court had energized the fans on the sidelines as well, and cheers swept through the arena.
An invisible pressure bore down directly on the Pelicans players.
It would definitely not be easy for them to take a win away from Houston tonight.
Holiday brought the ball up again, and Tang Tian reached out for it.
The Rockets did not immediately send a double-team. Tang Tian looked up at Houston's defense.
D'Antoni's brilliant move had erased Davis's mismatch advantage. With Jokic's offensive threat reduced under the new officiating standards, Tucker was not nearly as easy to get past as expected.
However, their pregame plan had never been to attack that spot.
Tang Tian gestured for the wings to clear out, while Jokic dropped into the post.
The Rockets switched assignments inside, with Cousins and Tucker switching back onto each other.
Buzdrik's defensive plan was very clear. When Jokic went outside, Tucker would guard Jokic. When Jokic went into the paint, they would switch Cousins back onto him.
In short, Cousins would not leave the Three-second zone.
After seeing that, Tang Tian motioned for Jokic to move to the free-throw line. As Jokic moved, Tang Tian used a crossover and burst past Gordon for the drive.
Gordon's defense was far worse than Tucker's. He had the build of a little tank, but his lateral quickness had