Halfway through the second quarter, the Celtics gradually closed the score.
Tomjanovic also called a time-out.
According to his plan, after the pause, he would let Dream and Glider reappear.
But before Tomjanovic could start laying out his tactics, he found it strange that Barkley was not in the right state.
He did not feel depressed or unhappy about being demoted to a substitute, nor did he feel bitter and resentful before the start of the game.
Instead, he welcomed them with a smile, looking as if he had a good time.
What was going on? Could it be that he had opened up his conception and governor meridians?
On the Celtics 'side, Auerbach continued with his strategy. Lin Long and Billups went down, and Walker took over.
He did not want Walker, who was no longer in his plans, to affect the team's chemistry, nor did he want Walker's unhappiness to affect the value of the deal.
Then the best way was to do it like now. One team, two lineups, try to separate and get what they needed.
For the rest of the second quarter, both sides continued their own style. The Rockets 'double stars slowly found their form and kept attacking the Celtics' paint.
In the absence of Barkley, no one in the Rockets could effectively limit Walker's output. Whether it was Mario Allie or Brad, they were beaten by him without any strength to fight back.
By the end of the second quarter, the Celtics had caught up to the score of 44:41, only three points behind the Rockets.
In the second half of the game, the Rockets took the lead in changing their formation. They brought Barkley back to the starting lineup to target Lin Long and Walker's forward combination.
The old Dream no longer saved his energy and began to show his dominance on the defensive end. His precise defensive positioning and natural sense of defense allowed him to successfully stop the Celtics 'offense many times in the third quarter.
Barkley once again found Lin Long to match up. Every time there was a chance to play solo, Barkley would point out some details that Lin Long lacked and needed to pay attention to.
Larry Bird, who was watching from the sidelines, was about to go crazy.
"What's wrong with this fatty? Was he trying to poach Linlong to Houston? I swear I've never seen Charles like this in my life! He was like a father! No, he had never cared so much about his own son, right?”
" Maybe he doesn't want to take Linlong away," Auerbach said with a smile." Maybe he can't stay in Houston any longer?"”
"Can't stay any longer?" Bord frowned and said in disbelief,""But Barkley went to Houston to pursue the championship with a basic salary. If the Houstonians sold him, it would cause dissatisfaction among the free agents! Perhaps no one would want to go there in the future.”
"Larry," Auerbach said,"it depends on the essence. Barkley played as a substitute today and did not participate in the team's warm-up. Have you ever thought about why?
Because he had been informed at the last minute!
Tomjanovic, Olajuwon, and Drexler did not treat him as one of their own, nor did they inform him in advance. That was why Barkley refused to warm up. This might be his last dignity.”
Larry Bird, who was on the sidelines, watched Barkley constantly match up with Lin Long on the field. He played with rare effort and detail. He even analyzed the details and key points of the ball for Lin Long after each attack.
Bord fell silent. Compared to him, Barkley was clearly a more suitable teacher for Linlong!
Their styles were similar, and they could learn from each other. More importantly, Barkley clearly liked Linlong!
If he could really get Barkley to the Celtics…
On the court, Barkley made another consecutive turn. After shaking off Lin Long's defense, he easily made a layup.
"Lin, you have to pay attention to your center of gravity. You have the potential to become a top defender, but your experience and positioning are still problematic.”
Barkley continued to guide him patiently.
Perhaps it was because he had been demoted to a substitute today that Barkley felt like a hero who had aged. It was this feeling that made Barkley feel that he should leave something on the field.
Otherwise, no one would be able to explain how the usually eccentric Barkley could teach Linlong like a mentor for the entire match.
When Lin Long bounced outside after another pick-and-roll and hit the ball outside the three-point line, Barkley smiled and said,"
"Your touch is really enviable! If I had your touch, I definitely wouldn't have lost to Jordan and the Bulls in 1992!”
Lin Long couldn't help but say,"If we had you on our team, I would definitely be able to improve faster!"”
Barkley was stunned for a moment. Looking at Linlong, who was very respectful to him, he couldn't help but have a thought.
Perhaps going to the Celtics was indeed a good choice.
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。