On December 23, the matchup between the Rockets and the Raptors can be said to make the fans' mood fluctuate, and it is a real thrilling and enjoyable game.
At the beginning of the game, the Raptors were like a hanging, with full offensive firepower, and the Rockets were eaten a bowl of poop in the first quarter.
Don't look at the momentum of the Rockets, before the quarter was over, the Raptors had already led the Rockets by a full 11 points at 35-24.
Team Rocket's side is like a big head son who has fallen asleep, and he has no power to fight back.
At one point, the Raptors made people feel that the Rockets didn't intend to win this game at all.
However, no one expected that the next counterattack of the Rocket team would be a beautiful counterattack.
The Rockets' counterattack came too suddenly, and after the start of the second quarter, Jalen Green seemed to be a different person, leading the Rockets to slowly find their rhythm.
Jalen Green's play is the kind of level that makes the opponent feel that this guy is definitely not a fuel-efficient lamp.
Several breakaways and pull-up shots scored to allow the Rockets to gradually narrow the gap.
Although the Raptors wanted to maintain the lead, the Rockets' offense became more and more fierce, directly weakening their lead in the second quarter, and the Raptors were obviously a little out of breath.
Entering the third quarter, the Rockets completely regained their rhythm, as if they had changed teams.
At the beginning of the third quarter, the Rockets launched a 33-26 super attack wave to overtake the score in one fell swoop.
You see, the Rockets in this section are really like taking strong drugs, and they are flying, and the Raptors have no tricks at all.
If you want to say that Jalen Green is doing well, you have to mention Alperen Shenjing.
Everyone may think that he will only make some small moves on the inside, but in fact, Shen Jing's performance in this game can be described as comprehensive, with scores, rebounds, and assists, just like an all-round white man everywhere on the court.
The outbreak of these two people directly led the rocket to complete this big counterattack.
Entering the fourth quarter, the Rockets had already taken a lot of leads, and their mentality gradually stabilized, and they even played a 15-8 offensive at the critical moment, obviously controlling the rhythm on the court.
Although the Raptors tried their best at the last moment to narrow the gap to 3 points, the mistakes at the critical moment completely deprived them of the opportunity to overtake.
On the Rockets' side, Dillon also showed his composure at a critical moment.
Although one of the two free throws from the free throw line was a bit of a chicken rib, it ultimately ensured the team's victory.
The Rockets finally narrowly defeated the Raptors 114-110 and won two consecutive victories, and this game also made many fans enthusiastic.
You see, the Rockets' ability to go from being suppressed in the first quarter to winning in the end is like a sports drama that breaks the rules.
Every moment on the pitch is full of drama, and every minute and second of the game, the mood of the fans fluctuates with the game.
This game is obviously also part of the battle for the West, and the Rockets are also making the Western Conference more competitive with this victory.
When it comes to the pattern of the West, the Thunder are firmly in first place, which is already a sure thing.
After all, the depth and overall strength of their squad are really not something that ordinary teams can shake.
The Thunder have a lot of talented players in the entire league, and when healthy, the Western Conference championship is pretty much in their pocket.
The next battle for No. 2 in the West, the Rockets, Grizzlies and Mavericks, is simply going to be life-and-death.
With this victory, the Rockets are closely behind the Grizzlies, just 0.5 wins away and one win ahead of the Mavericks.
The 2nd position in the West is really competitive.
Seeing that the Thunder is firmly occupying the first place, and the Rockets, Grizzlies, and Mavericks behind them, the difference in strength between the three teams is not large, and earth-shaking changes may occur at any time.
Everyone knows how capable the young players of the Rockets are, especially the new stars such as Jalen Green and Alperen Shinjing, which have brought great expectations to fans.
Although the Rockets' lineup is not perfect, judging from these games, their performance is enough to be eye-catching.
Coupled with the fact that their benches are not bad, substitutes like Amen and Whitmore can also help the team in key moments.
This makes people have to look forward to whether the Rockets will become the new hegemon of the West in the next few years?
Some netizens commented: The Rockets are really energetic, especially Jalen Green, the more they play, the more they feel, and they will definitely become the leader of the team in the next few years!
From his comments, it can be seen that everyone is full of confidence in the future of the Rockets, after all, their young players have shown great potential and strength in such a short period of time.
Another netizen said: Don't look at the Rockets winning today, but the Raptors are not soft persimmons, and the Rockets won this time, there is still some luck.
After all, in the final moments, the Raptors made some key mistakes.
This netizen's point of view is also very reasonable, after all, the result of the game does not always fully reflect the difference in strength between the two sides.
Sometimes, luck does make the difference between a game at certain crucial moments.
Another netizen mentioned: I think Shen Jing of the Rockets is really a hidden superstar, his performance on the court is becoming more and more comprehensive, and he must be the core of the team in the future.
This netizen has obviously seen Shen Jing's potential, after all, he not only contributes to scoring, but also can be seen in rebounds, assists, steals and blocks in the game, and he is really an all-rounder.
Some netizens also believed: This game was won, but the overall strength of the rocket still needs to be improved, and it can't just rely on a few young players, and the future game will definitely be more difficult.
This netizen's point of view is very realistic, although the Rockets currently seem to have a strong momentum, but after all, the season is still very long, and whether they can maintain a stable performance in the subsequent games is the biggest challenge.
This game is both a showcase of victory and a look forward to future potential for the Rockets.
The Rockets not only won the Raptors, but also made the race for the Western Conference standings more interesting.
In the face of the next challenges, whether the Rockets can continue to stay strong, or whether teams such as the Grizzlies and Mavericks can catch up, will be one of the most anticipated parts of the Western Conference.
And for the fans, the result of each game means different hopes and expectations, and everyone is waiting for the next great performance.