NBA's King of Talking

Chapter 552 Jia Zhongfeng Returns to the Scene

Coach Buden really needs Jia Fei's support. He knows better than anyone who, besides owner Ballmer, is the one who truly calls the shots on this Clippers team.

To put it bluntly, if Jia Fei wants someone to leave, that person has to leave, including Budenholzer. In fact, if Jia Fei hadn't given his approval, he wouldn't have been able to coach the Clippers; the Clippers even gave up a first-round pick to acquire him.

Fortunately, Jia Fei is a very knowledgeable person about football and respects him, which is why Coach Buden has always been happy working here. The head coach doesn't have much pressure because the team's record has always been good and there haven't been many upsetting things.

On May 5th, the Clippers held a practice session. After the practice, head coach Budenholzer personally approached Harrell and Lou Williams to inform them of the arrangements for the next game.

On the evening of May 6, at the Toyota Center in Houston, Game 4 of the Clippers-Rockets series took place.

The Rockets' victory in their last game brought the series score to 1-2. If they win this game, they'll travel to Staples Center with a 2-2 series lead, a perfect result. While the opposing team still has home-court advantage, two consecutive wins put pressure on them. If the pressure causes them to underperform in Game 3, a three-game winning streak would greatly increase the Rockets' chances of ending the series at home.

However, if the Clippers win this game, the series score will become 3-1, and it will be extremely difficult for the Rockets to win three consecutive games, making it virtually impossible for them to advance to the Western Conference Finals.

This is the current situation for both teams. The Clippers must win this game to avoid being forced into a Game 6 or a Game 7. This isn't the NBA Finals, so minimizing fatigue is the best option.

The away team's locker room that evening.

Coach Buden was explaining the plans and arrangements for the evening's game to the players, while Harrell and Lou Williams were busy organizing their lockers, completely ignoring what the coach was saying, which made Coach Buden feel quite embarrassed.

Coach Buden left after explaining the plan. In fact, he had intended to stay and say something to Lou Williams and the others, but Jia Fei's gaze made him decide to leave.

After Coach Buden left, Jia Fei walked to the center of the locker room, suddenly clapped his hands and said, "Everyone, listen to me for a moment."

Most of the players stopped what they were doing or talking. Even Lou Williams and Harrell, who had been ignoring Coach Buden, stopped what they were doing, but neither of them looked at Jia Fei.

Jia Fei glanced at the screen and continued, "We lost by 23 points in the last game, and everyone bears responsibility. As the captain, I bear the greatest responsibility. If we want to win this series, necessary adjustments are unavoidable. The coaching staff has developed a new game plan for this game, which involves adjustments to the rotation. If anyone is dissatisfied with their playing time, I hope everyone will prioritize the overall situation. Winning the series and getting the championship is our top priority."

After Jia Fei finished speaking, Harrell looked furious and was about to explode, but Art Mayor, who was next to Jia Fei, stared at him with his big, round eyes, which made him swallow his anger.

Harrell wasn't stupid. Everyone in this locker room was Jia Fei's man. If he were to get rough with Jia Fei, he would most likely get beaten up. He blamed himself for being too impulsive and actually thinking of making a move.

Compared to Harrell, Lou Williams was much more shrewd. He was also unhappy, but he didn't show it so openly. On this team, they could offend Budenholzer, but they couldn't offend Jia Fei, unless they wanted to get out.

After speaking, Jia Fei calmly returned to his locker and began preparing. Today, besides saying what he needed to as the locker room leader, he also made plans for the upcoming off-season. Some things still needed to be done; one must always plan ahead.

The Toyota Center was packed with Rockets fans, who were ecstatic. The Rockets' resounding victory in the previous game had instilled tremendous confidence in the fans, giving them every reason to believe that their home team could pull off another miracle.

Furthermore, judging from the last game, the Clippers are not invincible. The home team won by 23 points in the last game, and they can do the same in this one.

This match was broadcast live on Tencent, with commentators Wang Zixing and guest Su Qun providing commentary.

"Mr. Su, the Clippers lost by more than 20 points in the last game. Do you think they will change their lineup for this game?" Wang Zixing's voice was inevitably tinged with worry. He was also afraid that the Clippers would lose. The Rockets' last game was indeed too brutal.

Su Qun adjusted his glasses, nodded, and said, "A lineup change is certain. Their roster already had problems in Game 2 of this series. If Jia Fei hadn't scored 50 points in that game, they probably would have lost. Losing the last game wasn't all bad; it gives them a legitimate reason to change their lineup. I think the Clippers might also play a small lineup to counter the Rockets' small lineup's speed and shooting, and they'll also use a switch-everything defense."

The starting lineups for both teams have been announced. The Rockets, playing at home, will start with the same lineup as the previous game, with Tucker at center and Harden, 58, House, and round-faced Harden as the other four players.

The Clippers' starting lineup has been announced! The Clippers made a lineup change for this game!

Olynyk, who started in the last game, will not start again. Dillon will replace Olynyk in the starting lineup!

"Teacher Su, the Clippers have changed their lineup! Dillon is starting!" Wang Zixing exclaimed excitedly.

"Yes, they're still using a small lineup, that's the right approach!" Su Qun adjusted his glasses, looking like a master. He was right, he was indeed a prophet.

The Clippers' other four starters remain unchanged.

What surprised the fans at the scene was not only that the Clippers changed their lineup, but also that Jia Fei actually went to jump ball with Tucker near the center circle.

Is Jia Fei going to play center in this game?

It's not particularly new for Jia Fei to play center. He played center in the Western Conference Finals last season, but unexpectedly, he started playing center again in the crucial moments of the playoffs after just one season.

Although Jia Fei usually plays position 2, he stands taller than Tucker, who usually plays position 4.

Tucker may be short, but he's wide! Standing there, he's like a wall of flesh.

The jump ball began, and Jia Fei easily beat Tucker with a simple jump. In terms of speed, Tucker was no match for him.

The Clippers took the initiative, and Beverley dribbled the ball over.

Jia Fei plays center, but when he's on offense, he's still on the perimeter. When he plays center, he just stands inside on defense; he doesn't necessarily have to post up and play one-on-one in the low post.

Beverley passed the ball to Jia Fei, who was still being defended by the round-faced Deng.

The Rockets' defensive setup is as follows: Harden guards Jia Fei, 58 guards Beverley, House guards Gallinari, Harden guards Dillon, and Tucker guards Paul George.