"You're picking on me, huh!"
Durant landed from his dunk just in time to hear Harden's desperate roar.
"Hey, you're the one who told me to play my best, Third Bro!"
Durant laughed heartily and jogged back on defense.
If this were Westbrook, he'd already be fired up and looking to go one-on-one to get back at Durant. But Harden was a different kind of player—calmer, more composed, more zen.
After Durant's provocation, Harden just took a deep breath, said nothing, and quietly received the inbound pass to start another attack.
As he crossed half court, Clint Capela—the Rockets' usual pick-and-roll anchor—didn't immediately set up for a screen. Instead, he followed behind Harden at a measured pace.
"What's going on?"
Jokić, guarding Capela, instantly sensed something off.
Capela didn't have a jumper, but his screens were elite. Jokić had to step up to prepare for help defense, which left him and CJ clustered near the top of the key while the other three defenders formed a triangle near the short corner.
Then, from the weak-side corner, Eric Gordon suddenly cut back along the arc toward the top of the key.
Booker, caught off guard, had to sprint hard after him.
At the same time, Capela, instead of setting a screen for Harden, spun around and set an off-ball pick in the opposite direction.
Since Jokić was focused up top, he couldn't see Gordon's cut behind him. By the time Booker shouted a warning, Capela had already sealed him off.
Gordon caught Harden's pass at the 45-degree mark, faced both a screened Jokić and an out-of-reach Booker, and pulled up from deep without hesitation.
"Swish!"
Nothing but net.
The Kings and Rockets had traded three full possessions, yet only one minute had ticked off the clock.
"They're way too fast!"
Chris Finch couldn't hold back his astonishment.
"That's pure D'Antoni basketball—run-and-gun all the way! From crossing half court to scoring, it's one seamless motion, no pause at all."
"That last play was just a simple stagger screen, but with their rhythm, it's lethal."
Finch's words made Malone tighten up.
The scariest thing about a run-and-gun offense is how it forces you to play at their tempo—wearing you out before you even realize it.
The players on the floor seemed to sense it too.
As Butler inbounded the ball, he muttered to CJ, "Slow it down."
"Got it," CJ replied, nodding as he dribbled slowly across half court before signaling a play.
This time, it was a two-man game between Jokić and CJ—Jokić setting a screen to open a lane for CJ to drive.
But once CJ broke inside, he didn't attack Capela directly. Anderson's attention in the paint was already fixed on him.
Meanwhile, on the opposite side, Durant set a clean off-ball screen to free Booker for a cut.
One quick inside-out pass, and the ball was in Booker's hands.
He caught it just a step inside the three-point line—no time to reset, so he went straight into his shot.
"Clang!"
The ball hit the rim and bounced out.
Capela and Anderson were already perfectly positioned on either side of the paint to grab the defensive rebound.
Capela secured it and immediately handed the ball off to Harden.
Harden caught it and looked to push the pace—but froze in surprise.
Jokić, who had been at the top of the key seconds ago, Booker who took the shot, and Durant who'd set the screen—all three had already sprinted back across half court, setting up on defense.
"They're dead set on stopping our transition."
One glance was enough for Harden to read the Kings' intent.
With the break thwarted, he slowed down and brought the ball past midcourt to run the offense.
He wanted to try another stagger screen play—but the Kings had already adjusted, anticipating Houston's pace. Butler had dropped from the top of the key down to the free-throw line, perfectly positioned to cut off Ariza's movement.
With the play busted, Harden grew impatient. He called for Capela to set a delay screen, then went into isolation mode against Booker.
Using the pick, Harden shifted laterally and pulled up for a jumper—but it was his first shot of the night, and his hands weren't warm yet.
The ball clanked off the rim.
Anderson tried to crash the boards, but a flash of purple streaked past him.
Durant lunged into the paint in two long strides, rose up, and snatched the rebound cleanly.
"CJ!"
He spotted CJ out of the corner of his eye and roared, launching the ball downcourt like a quarterback.
CJ, already two steps beyond the arc, caught the pass and accelerated straight toward the rim.
Gordon, caught off guard, immediately fell a step behind.
Booker, who'd been near the top of the key, sprinted forward in support.
In an instant, only Harden was close enough to recover—everyone else was a step too slow.
The Kings had a two-on-one.
CJ charged into the lane, seeing Harden waiting under the basket, daring him to shoot.
He took three big strides, feigning a strong drive to the rim.
Harden stepped forward to contest the layup—
—but CJ suddenly fired a bounce pass around his side, the ball skimming the floor and sliding perfectly beneath Harden's arm.
Booker caught it in stride from the opposite side and laid it in easily before Harden could even turn.
"Timeout! Timeout!"
Rockets interim coach Bickerstaff immediately called for a break.
"Weren't we supposed to be the ones running fast breaks? How did we just get burned on defense-to-offense?" he said, scratching his head in disbelief.
"It's the rotations," Harden explained, breaking down the problem.
"The Kings rotate insanely fast. No matter what play they run, it's always one-and-done—they take the shot and get back instantly."
"No one goes for offensive boards, no matter how close the shot is. That's why their transition defense is always one step ahead of us."
He pointed at Bickerstaff's clipboard.
"And the scariest part is how fast they switch gears—from half-court sets to fast breaks without even slowing down. One second they're set up, the next they're flying—just whoosh, whoosh, whoosh."
Bickerstaff let out a long sigh. His heart sank.
"This is going to be tough. They've not only dismantled our plays—they're using our own tactics against us!"
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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