Chapter 1 Preseason Is About to Start

The preseason was about to begin, and teams were starting to get into game shape.

The Pelicans and the Rockets boarded a plane together to China three days before the start of the preseason.

They would play two preseason games in China, which were known to fans as the China Games.

Three years earlier, Tang Tian, then playing for the Spurs, had also played in the China Games, when their opponents were the Mavericks.

Spurs versus Mavericks, Tang Tian versus Yi Jianlian, the attention those two China Games received was unprecedented.

But this time, it was even greater.

Because of the foundation laid during Yao Ming's era, the Rockets already had a strong following in China, and with the recent formation of their super Big Three, they were definitely second only to the Pelicans in popularity.

And the Pelicans, needless to say, the sold-out *Sports Illustrated* magazine showed their current popularity in the country, with fans hoping that Tang Tian could win a championship in the new season to prove himself.

The clash between these two teams was definitely the most anticipated game in China.

Not to mention the game was in China, and when the NBA officially announced the two teams for the China Games, tickets were already sold out.

And besides the two teams, another point of interest for fans was the contest between the two teams' head coaches.

Both strong teams had new coaches taking office, and everyone wanted to know what they could bring to their teams.

The first stop for both teams was at the Huanglong Sports Center in Hangzhou.

In the past, the China Games were mostly held in places like Shanghai, Beijing, and Guangzhou, mainly because those places had basketball stadiums large enough.

And this time, the Huanglong Sports Center, which hosted the China Games, could only accommodate about 10,000 people, even with temporary seating added.

But this time, it was Yao Ming and the Basketball Association's effort to secure the game, with the aim of promoting basketball schools.

Basketball schools needed students, and promoting them at such an event was the most appropriate.

On the day of the game, Yao Ming came to the locker room to find Tang Tian.

Davis, Jokic, and others went up to greet Yao Ming one after another.

Although Yao Ming had no championship in his career and only played for 8 years, he was one of the most successful overseas players and a historical center.

He had a large following among these inside players.

After greeting him, Tang Tian and Yao Ming talked at the door about the halftime promotion.

Tang Tian would help the Basketball Association promote basketball schools.

The two also talked about the content of the final part, where Tang Tian would also promote his own foundation on this occasion.

This was a China Game, but it was more than just a game.

Half an hour before the start of the game, the players from both teams came out of the players' tunnel one after another.

The scene was filled with deafening cheers.

The fans' enthusiasm was unparalleled.

For Chinese fans who could only watch two NBA games live a year, every opportunity made them crazy.

As with past China Games, the floor of the arena was shipped over from the United States, and this one, being a Pelicans home game, had the Pelicans' landmarks printed on the floor.

And with more and more Chinese advertisements appearing in NBA games in the last two years, even the rolling Chinese ads on both sides still gave people the feeling of being in an NBA arena.

Before the game started, both teams were warming up on the sidelines.

Tang Tian saw someone waving at him from the front row of the stands.

He looked closely and found it was Lin Huanyu, who had confirmed his fan status by not missing this occasion.

Because he had previously contributed 10 million to the Tang Tian Foundation, Tang Tian felt much more favorable towards him than before.

Seeing him waving at him, Tang Tian took the initiative to walk over and chat with him for a few words.

The two grabbed each other's elbows while chatting, appearing very intimate.

This scene was captured by the live camera, attracting a burst of envious jeers from the audience.

It was foreseeable that after this China Game, Lin Huanyu would be searched and exposed online.

After the warm-up, the opening ceremony began.

The visiting Rockets were introduced first.

The preseason was a game for testing and training lineups, especially for a team like the Rockets that had undergone a major trade.

D'Antoni put up a twin-tower lineup, with Capela and Cousins ​​inside, Brewer at small forward, and Paul and Harden on the outside.

On paper, this was also the Rockets' strongest lineup.

The Pelicans' side was the regular lineup, with Holiday and Tang Tian on the outside, Ariza and Davis on the front line, and Jokic at center.

When Tang Tian made his final appearance, the cheers from the scene were overwhelming, this was his real "home court."

Davis and Cousins ​​jumped for the ball, Cousins ​​dialed the ball back to the Rockets' half, and the China Game officially started.

Paul organized in the frontcourt, and Harden came out to catch the ball and hit a mid-range shot.

The Rockets scored first.

In 2011, Paul had a chance to join forces with Kobe, but the deal was eventually called off by Stern and the league.

But this time he and Harden were on the same team, and the combination of two super guards finally appeared in front of the fans.

From the first round, Harden's scoring was obviously easier than before.

For the Pelicans' offense, Jokic held the ball near the free throw line, Ariza and Holiday ran tactical positions on the outside, and Tang Tian seized the opportunity to cut into the basket.

The Rockets' defense was very good, and the Pelicans had not fully integrated the new tactics. Jokic's pass did not go through, and he chose to turn around and attack the basket himself.

Capela desperately defended the ball.

The Rockets played a fast break, Harden broke through to the frontcourt and passed back to Cousins, who followed up to the three-point line, and the latter's three-point shot missed.

Davis protected the defensive rebound, and the Pelicans fought back with a fast break. Tang Tian sent a wonderful pass, but Holiday's layup was quickly stolen by Paul.

The Rockets defended the Pelicans twice in a row.

The live camera gave a shot of the Rockets coaching staff on the sidelines.

In addition to D'Antoni, there was also Jeff Bzdelik sitting next to him, who was the Rockets' first assistant coach poached from the Grizzlies during the offseason.

The Warriors' success last season was due to the coaching combination of offense and defense.

Most fans only knew Kerr, but the management of each team also knew the Warriors' first assistant coach, Ron Adams.

Adams was the most senior assistant coach in the league, and his time in the NBA was even longer than Popovich.

He was also one of the strongest defensive assistant coaches in the league. It was he who brought the infinite switching defense tactics to the Warriors.

The Rockets' current combination of D'Antoni and Bzdelik was imitating the Warriors.

From the first two, the effect was very good.

The Rockets pressed to the frontcourt, and Harden hit a step-back three-pointer against Ariza.

The Rockets took a 5-0 lead.

There was a commotion on the sidelines, the Rockets' Big Three were indeed strong, and the Pelicans seemed a little overwhelmed.

Stevens reached out and called a timeout, this timeout came a little early.

But this was also because it was the preseason.

"Defense, pay attention to defensive response, don't give Harden a chance to play one-on-one, switching defenses must be fast, I won't ask you to do too well on offense now, but defense must be done well, even in the preseason."

Stevens' first words during the timeout were to emphasize defense.