Olajuwon appears at the Rockets' home court every year in the playoffs. This Rockets famous player who taught Yao Ming's dream footsteps said when talking about the Rockets' next round: "Yao Ming's main problem is that it is difficult to break the front defense. He is too big, which has both advantages and disadvantages. In answering fans' questions, Olajuwon mentioned the question of Yao Ming being surrounded by defense, and gave three countermeasures to crack the front defense.

1. The Rockets passed the ball to the corner and attracted the attention of the opponent's players, and then quickly passed the ball to the inside to Yao Ming.

2. When the Clippers double-team Yao Ming, the Rockets player on the weak side can help Yao Ming cover. In this case, the players on both sides can pass the ball to Yao Ming who has escaped.

3. Players on the outside should also strengthen their accurate shooting from outside, so that the Clippers dare not double-team Yao Ming easily, and can also open up some offensive space for Yao Ming in the inside.

OK, Yao Ming himself knows these moves, but sometimes you don’t know how to do it, you can do it well in the game. Everyone knows that if you can limit the Clippers’ inside line, you can beat them, but after the whole season, it seems that only the Spurs did a good job, but in the playoffs, it’s still not sure. So Olajuwon probably thinks that Yao Ming may find it difficult to escape the animal brothers’ vicious hands. Not to mention Yao Ming, Olajuwon himself thinks that if he met two such opponents alone in the inside line, he would probably not be much better than Duncan last year. These two twins are in the same team in the same team.

On May 1, the Rockets conducted a targeted team training. However, core player Yao Ming did not participate in this training. He told reporters that his ankle was a little sore. In order to avoid worsening his injuries before the battle, he negotiated with the team doctor and made a decision not to participate in the training. However, Yao Ming said that he would not miss the first game of the Western Conference semi-finals at the Stamps Center.

Yao Ming said: "My problem is not very big, just my ankle is a little sore. It's safe to say that everyone thinks I'm still not participating in training, and giving my ankle some rest time. Today I came here and watched my teammate's training. This ankle injury has no effect on my semi-finals."

This may be the "smoke bomb" released by the Rockets in the current battle. Coincidentally, the Clippers also released "smoke bomb". Los Angeles media reported that the two leading players of the Clippers, the two inside dual-core animal brothers, missed the team training like Yao Ming because of the symptoms of flu. Although the official news given by the Clippers is that the two brothers are included in the "Daily Observation List", it is 100% certain that when the semi-finals begin, Yao Ming and the two animals will appear on the field in high spirits.

On May 2, the East side. Cleveland Cavaliers 3:3 Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics 3:3 New York Knicks. Orlando Magic 4:2 Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks 3:3 Miami Heat. Okay, both the Cavaliers and the Celtics actually played in the seventh game. The former was because Brand was injured, and the latter was not a strange thing. The Celtics were the same last year. They had to play seven games in each round before they could decide the winner.

The four Western Conference semi-final teams have received good luck from the Eastern Conference and have all received sufficient rest, which is more beneficial to the Spurs and the Rockets. As long as the four Spurs are not physically staggered, the Lakers have to worry about whether their usual casual attitude will be killed by the Spurs, which are like the army, in a sprint.

The Rockets also got a rest. Yao Ming needs this very much, but the outside world is still optimistic about the Clippers. However, the new ship of the Los Angeles Times, Da Bendan, wrote an article to remind the Clippers not to underestimate the opponent. Not only because there is a Stephen Marbury in the Rockets who refuses to give up, but also because of the history of this team, "Never underestimate the heart of a championship" comes from Rockets coach Rudy Tom Janovic in 1995. The Rockets, as the defending champion at the time, did not perform well that season and were not optimistic about most people, but they finally successfully defended their title.

Da Bendan reminded the Clippers not to forget Yao Ming's bold statement after defeating the Trail Blazers in Game 5, "I am not happy just after the first round of the playoffs. This is not the Clippers' goal, not the Lakers' goal, not the Celtics' goal, not the Cavaliers' goal, not our goal."

For the Rockets, it has indeed been a long time to pass the first round, but this also means a new beginning.

The Rockets once won two championships in 1994 and 1995. Looking back on their winning process, you will find that these are two almost impossible tasks. In 1994, the Rockets lost two home games in the series against the Suns, but they still struggled to win. In 1995, the Houstoners entered the playoffs with the sixth overall pick, reaching the top without a home advantage in the entire series.

During the two-year playoff journey, the Rockets won all the life-and-death battles that were eliminated after losing and were eliminated. Later, coach Tom Janovic's words still vividly remembered - 'Never underestimate the heart of a champion!'

While setting the team's most brilliant, the dramatic changes of the Rockets management also attracted attention. After taking over the team, Alexander had always wanted to be recognized by Houstonians, but the first thing he had done after he came on stage was screwed up. He fired Kevin Murphy, an announcer who was loved by local fans, and so much so that at the 1994 championship ceremony, Alexander heard a lot of booing. Alexander invited Murphy back, and because of his wife, he also printed the slogan of the animal protection organization on the uniforms of the cheerleaders, but these did not win Alexander the reputation he expected.

Alexander has been changing the Rockets. He invited Shuai Tang out of the team, letting the young Morey replace Carol Dawson's position, and in 2004 he exchanged Francis for McGrady.

But until now, Alexander's efforts to mark the Rockets' mark have been achieved. The team has achieved 50 wins and more than 50 wins in the past five seasons, and this year, he still won more than 50 wins while trading McGrady, and finally broke through the first round curse.

Jeff Van Gundy, who was fired with the record of winning the NBA, injected defensive traits into the team, which is now being continued under Adelman. In fact, in the past five years, Van Gundy and Adelman have become strong contenders for the league's best coach four times.

On May 4, the Western Conference teams are now impatient. Appropriate rest can restore the Spurs and the Rockets to 100% state, but excessive rest will make them more likely to lose their game than young players. When players get older, they will not only be tired, but also relax more easily. For example, the four Spurs now think that if they rest for a few more days, they may forget the rhythm of the playoffs.

The Rockets and the Clippers were even more embarrassed. The smoke bombs released by the two teams before the game seemed to be a little too early, but naturally they were of no use. They both slapped themselves, which made the Lakers and Spurs laugh at the side.

The Eastern Conference finally decided the winner today, with the Cleveland Cavaliers 4:3 Chicago Bulls. They finally eliminated the young Bulls at home. Derek Ross' performance in the playoffs is undoubtedly much better than Durant. It is hard to imagine that this is a first-year player.

Derek Ross led the team to seven games against the Cavaliers, and averaged 22 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals per game. This made the Bulls still honored even though they lost. Chicago fans seemed to have seen their team's second superstar rising.

The Boston Celtics 4:3 New York Knicks. Everyone has expected this result. As long as the Big Three is not injured, they can't lose their home court. Who knows why? Anyway, the Celtics lost all away this year, which is the same as last season. It's just a pity that McGrady and Tracy fell in the first round again, but the Rockets entered the second round, which completely made many McGrady's dark guys completely beat him.

Orlando Magic defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 4:2. They are the first team in the East to qualify for the last game. The Magic's defense this year is more stable than last year. They retained all the main players last season and added to role players, which has improved their outside strength somewhat compared to last season. The Magic are still a reasonable contender for the championship this year.

Atlanta Hawks 4:3 Miami Heat, Beasley is completely sorry for his identity as a Tanhua in the playoffs. He let Wade fight alone. O'Neal, who was traded, was injured again in the playoffs. The Heat can play with the Hawks for four games, thanks to Wade's performance like a god of war. But a god of war cannot win with a group of CBA teammates. Kobe and James have already had an example first, and the Heat's eliminated successfully. It's a pity that Dian Wei has not had a qualified helper to help him establish a dynasty in the past few seasons at his peak.

After the first round of the Eastern Conference, the league can't wait. On May 5, the second round of the playoffs will begin. The first game is the Los Angeles Clippers vs Houston Rockets; the Orlando Magic vs Boston Celtics, and both sides have strong dialogues.

The Clippers' second round schedule is released on the same day—

On May 5, the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Staples Arena, pm, 22:00.

On May 7, the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Staples Arena, pm, 22:30.

On May 9, the Los Angeles-class Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Toyota Center, pm, 22:00.

On May 11, the Los Angeles-class Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Toyota Center, pm, 22:00.

On May 14, the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Staples Arena, pm, 22:30.

On May 16, the Los Angeles-class Clippers vs. Houston Rockets - Toyota Center, pm, 22:30.
Chapter completed!