The Rockets lost to the Nuggets, Shen Jing and Durant were both restricted by their opponents

The Rockets lost to the Nuggets 109:112 at home, ending their five-game winning streak. Their ranking dropped from third in the Western Conference to fifth in the Western Conference. The Rockets were basically eliminated from Group C of the NBA Cup Western Conference and missed the chance to advance.

This is a focus battle between the second and third players in the Western Conference. So far this season, the Rockets have lost only to the top two teams in the East and West in the four games they have lost. This game is of greater significance to the Rockets. It is a direct display of the Rockets' strength. There is still a certain gap between the Rockets and the first-tier championship teams in the league.

In this game, the most direct feeling is that Shen Jing was beaten by Jokic. When Durant encountered frequent double-teams, Shepard and Jabari Smith Jr. tried their best, but when the two core members of the team were in a collective downturn, it was not easy to play until the last moment.

In this game, Shen Jing’s biggest problem on the offensive end is that he is very unconfident in his shooting. He is very hesitant after receiving the ball in the high post. Even if there is no defender in front of him, he does not choose to shoot, but more often sits with his butt raised and beats the opponent. This offensive choice is not only inefficient, but also prone to being flanked or sneak attacked by the opponent, and prone to mistakes. In this game, Shen Jing made 6 of 16 shots and only scored 14 points.

The biggest difference between Jokic and Shen Jing in this game is that Jokic is very confident in catching and shooting from behind the frame. In the Rockets' melee inside line, Jokic avoids reality and rarely goes to the Rockets penalty area to sit and fight. Instead, he relies on one-handed shooting to penetrate Shen Jing's defense.

Jokic's offensive choice is the result of Jokic's reading and judgment of the situation on the court. Uduka successively asked Shen Jing, Sea King, and Capela to defend Jokic alone. Uduka also put up a five-high lineup many times, which made it very difficult for Jokic to hit near the basket. Jokic avoided the hardest hit area of ​​the Rockets' defense and chose a more relaxed and labor-saving way to attack.

The defensive strategy deployed by Uduka was to let the Rockets' three centers retreat. After all, the Rockets set up a high lineup, and the center moved slowly to protect the frame and the basket. Faced with the Rockets' defensive strategy, Jokic showed MVP-level defensive capabilities throughout the game. 11 sports goals were scored in the game, 7 of which were outside the three-second zone. Jokic took whatever the Rockets gave him.

The biggest gap between the Rockets and the Nuggets is actually Jokic and Shen Jing. Shen Jing looks very immature in front of Jokic, and Durant cannot cope with the Nuggets' dynamic forward double-team defense. The two cores are suppressed by the Nuggets. In a desperate situation, the Rockets actually found Jokic through pick-and-rolls, and then attracted double-teams. The partial 4-on-3 lasted the entire game. Shepard and Smith performed far beyond expectations, but the Nuggets did not panic. After all, the Rockets' two aces were severely restricted.

From the beginning of the game, both teams were very targeted. Udoka continued to put together a five-strong lineup to match the height of Jokic and Gordon. However, Gordon retired injured after playing 3 minutes in the beginning. Nuggets coach Adelman put out a twin-tower lineup of Jokic + Valanciunas, which in turn matched the height of the Rockets.

Both the Rockets' Amen and the Nuggets' Watson have poor shooting range. The degree of constipation on the court can be imagined. No one in the first quarter of the two teams was comfortable. Jokic made 4 mistakes in the first quarter and was extremely unsuited to the space pressure brought by the Rockets' five-high lineup. The Rockets did not have a pure starting point guard and made constant mistakes. Both teams showed a situation of crazy mistakes. The Nuggets' offensive and defensive transitions were better and became the key to the lead.

During this period, in order to improve the constipation on the offensive end, Uduka replaced Adams and replaced him with Capela after scoring only 8 points in the first 10 minutes of the first quarter. He still formed a different form of twin-tower lineup and replaced Shepard.

When Udoka put out the five major lineups, the Nuggets left Amen open on the offensive end, choosing to target the Rockets' constipated offensive space and lack of starting-level point guards. The Rockets, who have the league's best offensive efficiency, only scored 12 points in the first quarter is the best proof.

In the second quarter, Udoka changed his strategy, abandoning the five major players and changing to a space lineup with a single center on the field. Sheppard helped the Rockets come back to life.

When the substitutes were connected and Jokic was resting, the Rockets chose to double-team Murray, forcing Murray to play the ball and test the level and ability of other Nuggets players to handle the ball. The Nuggets chose to retreat on the defensive end and did not look down on the Rockets' shooters.

At this stage, the Rockets specialize in Shepard's pick-and-roll at position 1 and 5, and Valanciunas's slow movement and inability to switch defenses, catching the Nuggets off guard. Shepard's outstanding performance made Udoka abandon the five major lineups and put up Shenjing + Durant + Ah The space lineup of Gate + Smith + Shepard, Shepard combined with the ball and without the ball, made 8 of 11 in the first half, 4 of 6 three-pointers, scored 20 points, single-handedly led the team to overtake, which not only surprised Nuggets coach Adelman, but also surprised Udoka. Shepard became the biggest surprise in the first half that affected the game.

Sheppard's outstanding performance won the opportunity to start the second half of the game, and the Nuggets also put up a single center lineup. The peak showdown between the two teams arrived early.

In the third quarter, Jokic defeated Shen Jing on the offensive end, putting the Nuggets back in the lead. On the other hand, Shen Jing frequently failed to defeat Jokic and made constant mistakes. Upon seeing this, Uduka immediately adjusted and used Adams to counter Jokic, but Adams did not move well and chose to retreat. Jokic was invincible in the mid-range shot. The Rockets had nothing to do with Jokic in the third quarter.

After Shen Jing was replaced, the Rockets' offensive focus was all on Durant. Durant and the Sea Kings picked and rolled, and called on teachers. The Nuggets chose to double-team Durant, testing the level and ability of other Rockets players to handle and control the ball. Shepard, Okogie, and Smith teamed up to rain three-pointers, which is the key to the Rockets' ability to catch up with the score..

In the final stage, the Nuggets double-teamed Durant continuously. Shen Jing, who had no confidence in shooting, kept sticking his butt out and being hit in the low post, and holding the ball in the frame, trying to draw a foul. However, such offensive choices led to continuous mistakes. The Nuggets' Jokic + Murray duo switched to close the game.

The Rockets implemented Uduka's game strategy most of the time, but there was no way to make up for the gap between Shen Jing and Jokic. Durant and Shen Jing misfired at the same time, while Jokic + Murray played and performed efficiently, giving the Rockets dual-core on-site teaching.

Although the Rockets lost in this game, the Rockets' biggest gain in this game was Shepard. If Shepard is given enough ball rights and space, and Shepard is allowed to enter the starting lineup in stages, the Rockets' imagination space may be better.