— "Holy crap!!! Wang is too cool!"— "My brother Wang scored eight consecutive points!!"— "It's a three-pointer, a block, and a dunk! He's so tough today!"— "That's incredible!"
This offensive and defensive possession had truly thrilled the domestic fans.
— "Timeout!!!"
The Rockets Head Coach Rick Adelman angrily called a timeout. Their ten-point lead was now almost gone, with only four points remaining.
Kevin Martin walked back to the bench with his head down, looking somewhat ashamed.
Allowing a rookie to score eight consecutive points and force a timeout.
Adelman held up his tactics board and yelled at Martin:
— "Focus!!! Martin!"
Martin took a sip of his energy drink:
— "I know, Coach."
Shane Battier spoke up from the side:
— "How about I switch to guard that rookie kid?"
Martin said, somewhat displeased:
— "No!"— "Can't I even defend a rookie?"— "I won't let him score another point."
Battier looked at Martin's confident expression and said nothing more.
Yao Ming took a deep breath, looking at Wang's back, feeling both gratified and a little regretful.
He saw the hope of Chinese basketball in this young man, a rising star.
But he also felt a bit helpless; he was already nearing the end of his career...
On the other side, Wang and his teammates high-fived their way back to the bench.
Head Coach Monty Williams was the first to speak, praising Wang:
— "Kid, that's it!"— "Your touch is great today! Keep playing like this later!"
Williams was very surprised by Wang's performance. He had originally just intended for him to play to complete the Chinese Derby mission and allow Belinelli to adjust his touch.
He never expected that Wang, for whom he had no expectations, would actually produce such a miraculous effect.
Such an excellent state certainly warranted more opportunities. His impression of Wang had improved significantly; Wang seemed to have adapted to the NBA rhythm!
Chris Paul sat next to Wang and said with a smile:
— "Rookie, that dunk was great!"
He had passed the ball to Wang three times and gotten three assists. He didn't need to rely on himself to catch up the score. Having a reliable shooter felt great as a point guard.
Trevor Ariza also smiled:
— "That block, it stunned me!"
David West gave Wang a thumbs up:
— "The three-pointer is very accurate!"
Wang showed a confident smile:
— "Everyone, pass me the ball more, and I'll put them all into the basket!"
Paul set an example:
— "I'll pass it to you whenever there's an opportunity!"
Everyone laughed and nodded.
Marco Belinelli watched his teammates, one after another, approach Wang, chatting and laughing.
He felt a bit uneasy and suddenly had a sense of crisis. He spoke to the coach:
— "Coach, I think I've adjusted!"— "If I get an open shot again, I'm sure it'll go in!"
Head Coach Williams merely glanced at him and patted his shoulder:
— "Wang is playing very well."— "We don't need you right now; you can rest a bit longer."
Belinelli hesitated, and in the time it took, they were already back on the court.
Wang returned to the basketball court. He had seen the conversation between the Head Coach and Belinelli on the sidelines.
The Head Coach had developed some trust and favor towards him, which was why he was willing to give him more playing time.
Wang believed that as long as he had the chance to play, he would definitely seize it and show his strength.
With the system and his own hard work, he would continue to grow! He would become stronger!
Becoming the GOAT in the future was not an unattainable thing. Since he had already come here and become a basketball player, he must do his best!!! To become the first person in this sport!
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. The current goal is to first stabilize his spot in the rotation, and then improve his strength to become a starter!
After the timeout, possession switched.
Kevin Martin had calmed down after resting on the sidelines.
Kyle Lowry dribbled the ball to the frontcourt and then looked for an opportunity to pass the ball to Yao Ming in the paint.
The tactic was to first use the inside to draw out the outside, and then pass to the outside when an opportunity arose.
Yao Ming received the ball in the low post, backing down Emeka Okafor, playing high and strong.
Okafor had a significant height disadvantage and could only brace against Yao Ming, engaging in physical confrontation.
Yao Ming shot a fadeaway over his shoulder; Okafor reached out to defend and hit his hand.
— "Beep!"
The referee's whistle blew! The basketball slipped into the net.
Two points valid, plus a free throw!
The score was 84:78.
However, Yao Ming, upon landing, looked extremely pained!
Zhang Weiping looked tense:
— "Big Yao is down! He's clutching his ankle!"— "Replays show his left ankle twisted upon landing."— "Oh my god! I hope it's nothing serious!"
Yu Jia also spoke:
— "Big Yao only recently returned from injury this season..."
The Rockets medical staff rushed forward to check Yao Ming's injury, and the results were not optimistic.
For someone as tall as Yao, who had also gained weight to 140 kilograms, with the NBA and national team games, his ankles were already extremely fragile.
Yao Ming could no longer continue the rest of the game. The Rockets players and fans were all worried.
Wang also quickly stepped forward to express his concern:
— "Big Yao, how are you?"
Yao Ming's expression was painful, but he forced himself to reply:
— "It's probably broken..."— "I'm afraid I won't be able to return to the court!"— "You work hard, for my part too."— "The future of Chinese basketball rests on you, young people."
Wang frowned. In his memory, this was indeed the case; Yao Ming retired after this injury.
At this moment, it felt like a generational transition, an invisible passing of the torch for Chinese basketball from Yao Ming's hand to his own.
He sighed softly and comforted him:
— "Don't be disheartened, Big Yao."— "Everything will be alright."
Yao Ming managed a faint smile, enduring the pain, and insisted on making the free throw.
Then, supported by the Rockets medical staff, he limped off the court.
Fans throughout the Toyota Center applauded Yao Ming, wishing him well.
Competitive sports are just that cruel, and injuries are part of the game.
Although Yao Ming's injury was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the fans, the game still had to continue.
The score was 85:78, and the difference was back to seven points.
The Rockets backup center, Chuck Hayes, was substituted in.
This 1.98-meter short center was clearly too far behind Yao Ming in height.
Yao Ming's injury exit undoubtedly brought greater trouble to the Rockets.
Charlotte Hornets' offense: Chris Paul dribbled the ball past half-court.
With Yao Ming no longer guarding the paint, the game became much easier.
Paul used a crossover to get past Lowry and drove into the restricted area.
After coming back on, Martin was guarding Wang very tightly, his focus highly concentrated.
But with the previous consecutive scores, his teammates also had confidence in Wang.
So David West proactively stepped forward to set a screen for Wang.
The pick-and-roll quality was high; West's sturdy body completely screened Martin.
Luis Scola was momentarily indecisive about whether to guard Paul or Wang.
He hesitated for a moment and finally moved to double-team Paul.
Wang once again ran into an open space, reaching the 45-degree three-point position.
There was no one in front of him who could pose a threat.
Paul saw Wang's open shot, without hesitation, and passed the basketball to Wang again.
Wang didn't hesitate at all; the three-pointer was a swift shot!
A textbook three-point shot appeared again!
The posture was incredibly graceful and smooth!
The basketball drew a beautiful arc in the air!
— "Swish!!"
It went in again!
85:81.
Wang extended his right hand, making an OK gesture, and waving it continuously.
The spectators on the sidelines initially didn't quite understand, but after a moment, they realized it meant: This was his third three-pointer tonight!
— "Another three-pointer!"— "Wang with three consecutive threes! His touch is red-hot!"— "So cool!!!"— "This rookie is amazing too!"
Fans at the Toyota Center all cheered for Wang! Some fans even screamed his name loudly!
Wang single-handedly shifted the fans' attention in this game to himself!
Tonight was destined to be his show!