Oct. 21, 2021, Charlotte Spectrum Center. In the fourth quarter of the game, Charlotte Hornets point guard Ramello Ball glided between Indiana Pacers center Domintus Sabonis and guard Malcolm Brogdon.
He passed the ball in the air to Gordon Hayward, who was standing at the top of the arc, who was two steps away from the three-point line, arched his bow, "banged", and hit the board.
Lamelo Ball always delivers good balls. And so, game after game.
"But when Ball can shoot like tonight's season opener, the NBA is in his hands and the Hornets can beat anybody." The Sherlock Observer commented.
On the second game day of the NBA's 2021-22 season, this year's rookies have made their season debuts, and they are looking forward to making a name for themselves in the first NBA regular season game in their lives. However, the younger generation of star defenders – Bauer, Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards said no in unison, and the collective ushered in a big explosion.
Ball, last season's rookie, had 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 29 minutes to lead the team to a 123-122 win over the Pacers for their first win of the season. Ball thus became the youngest player in NBA history to cut 30+5+5 in the opener.
Witnessed by Hornets owner Michael Jordan, rap star DaBaby, father Raval Ball and a total of 15,521 fans, Ball exploded to his best. During the game, he shot 7-of-9 from three-point range (a career record), completely replicating Stephen Curry. He can't have hit a shot like this without playing, but just thinking he can shoot seven three-pointers in a game will only make it harder for him to defend.
"I just stayed in the training gym honing my playing skills and then came on and I was confident in every shot I made." Bauer said after the game.
Last season, Ball's three-pointers didn't hit the league average, averaging 5.1 shots per game and shooting 35.2 percent. After an offseason, his projection confidence was noticeably greater and his shots were accelerated.
At the beginning of the game, Ball couldn't wait to show off his training results, opening the Scoring for the Hornets with a three-pointer. But Sabonis completely pinched the Hornets' wings, and he wreaked havoc on the Hornets' interior line, cutting 22 points and eight rebounds at halftime. The Pacers' 13-picked point guard Chris Duterte scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half. At halftime, the Pacers led 75-59.
The Hornets were reluctant to give up the game in front of home fans. They erased the 23-point gap in the third quarter with a 24-0 offensive surge. Ball scored 12 points, five rebounds and two assists in the quarter, shooting two long-range three-pointers and mimicking another Melo celebration.
"We all know what they did to us in the game," Bauer said. "That's my attitude: 'We can't let that happen again.'" "Ball is talking about the playoffs for the 2021 playoffs. In the playoffs, the Pacers bloodied the Hornets 144-117, leaving the Hornets out of the playoffs for five consecutive years.
Hornets head coach James Borrego said of Ball: "When he tries to shoot, he takes his game to another level. ”
Of course, Ball wasn't the only star on this magical night. Gordon Hayward took over the fourth quarter and blasted 27 points and five rebounds.
Bauer said: "There's no doubt I like the fans. When they entered the game shouting slogans, they started shouting 'Defend!' defend! It's a blessing. I love being a part of that. Hayward added: "The fans brought us back to life and brought energy.
Equally excited players are Memphis Grizzlies' point guard Morant. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Morant blasted 37 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks to lead the Grizzlies to a 132-121 victory over the Cavaliers.
Warriors player Curry gave Morant this assessment last May, "He has extraordinary athleticism, he's very cunning and very confident, he's a competitive player." ”
Morant showed full aggressiveness in this game, staging 5 dunks, 7 hits 7 of 12 layups, and 17 of the 29 shots chose to hit the basket. The sky was azure blue, and the sky was full of Morant.
With Morant's 20-point half-time onslaught, the Grizzlies took a 16-point lead in the first half. Unexpectedly, Dalius Garland, who shot 1 of 9 in the third quarter, suddenly found his hand and hit three points in a row, and the Cavaliers once chased the score to 94-90. Evan Mobley also performed well this year on this year's flower hunt. He started 38 minutes and shot 7-of-13 from the field, with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists. Mobley proved his worth on both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, and in the crucial fourth quarter he had 6 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block. Mobly not only has to guard the basket, but also to make a plan, but also to open up space to seize the opportunity of the empty jump shot.
In his first game, he showed good adaptability and is likely to be a favourite for this season's Best Rookie Award.
The Cavaliers trailed 119-118 with less than two minutes left in the game, and the Grizzlies could be overtaken at any time. "Big Heart" Morant stepped forward, he didn't want to lose at home at all, and was robbed of the limelight by first-year students. Next, Morant scored twice in the penalty area plus a three-pointer to end the game.
The Grizzlies immediately sounded the MVP's call at home, and then Morant missed the free throw. After the game, he joked: these MVPs were too loud to let themselves lose free throws. Boy, this is your third year in the league, how can you make a lot of noise?
If Morant's speech had some Versailles, Edwards' post-match speech had only one word in its entire speech— madness.
Edwards was blunt in telling the media what he said during the game when he made a pause gesture to the Rockets bench. He said: "I told the Rockets' coach to call that damn timeout. Hurry up and call one, you need a pause. Seriously, I feel hot in the hand. ”
The minnesota Timberwolves and houston rockets' first game of the new season coincided with last year's leader meeting this year's charts, and Edwards, who has been practicing for a year, is ready to put a little pressure on the new students.
In the first quarter, Edwards received a pass from Beasley in a quick attack, drove full horsepower straight to the inside line, and staged a one-arm tomahawk dunk.
Isn't that called a young man? After that, Edwards' hands were hot, shooting 10 of 21 from the field, 6 of 12 from three-point range, and had 29 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
Jaylen Green, who performed well in the preseason, couldn't find North at all, playing 32 minutes, with only 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and 4-of-14 shooting. He set an embarrassing record: the Rockets' worst plus-minus for rookies in the past 20 years, and the rocket's fourth worst single-game plus-minus in the past 20 years.
The Timberwolves' youngsters seem to be repeating what the veterans did to them during their rookie season. After the game, Green said he was getting used to the intensity of the NBA's confrontation: "I'm 19 years old, I'm not a high school student anymore. I've come to the real alliance, the alliance of adult men. ”
Welcome to the NBA.
Speaking about the difference between the regular season and preseason, Green said: "It's completely different. The speed of the game, the pace, the physical confrontation, but that's not an excuse for me to play poorly. ”
During the same period last year, Edwards shot just 34.7 percent in his first month, delivered more turnovers than assists, and endured constant criticism from the outside world. After a full season, Edwards became a steady firepower output point within the Timberwolves. This is exactly the process that Green, who is also a high-ranking rookie, needs to go through.
"I put a lot of training into the jump shot myself and hopefully that will show up in the game, I just want to keep showing my progress. I don't even feel great right now, I just think that's what I'm supposed to do. I've been training every day for the rest of the season, and I think that's going to be shown in my game. Edwards said after the game.
The new generation of defenders who have been honed throughout the season have shown their growth over the past year and have become more and more mature in the opener. If you want to replace it, don't worry, because thick accumulation can make thin hair.