Chapter 49: Playoffs begin

"Run faster! Faster!" In the Kings' training hall, Coach Malone crossed his arms over his chest, watching the players train with a mix of embarrassment and frustration.

"Don't stress about it. What can they really improve in two days? I think it's better to give the players a break," Jake's voice called from behind him.

Malone turned around, his frustration quickly turning to anger. "Look at what you're wearing! Do you even look like a professional manager?"

Jake had on a pair of oversized beach shorts and a bright, floral shirt. He sipped coffee casually as if he were on vacation.

"You came here for a holiday, didn't you!" Malone fumed.

"Relax," Jake patted Malone's shoulder. "This doesn't matter. Aside from Gay, almost everyone on the team is playing in the playoffs for the first time. We'll have plenty of chances in the future. Keep a cool head this year and go as far as we can. I'm still around." Jake thumped his chest playfully. "Just wait until this summer, and I'll blow your mind with what I've got planned."

"Hey, it's the playoffs—don't go saying things that disrupt the team's focus!" Malone quickly covered Jake's mouth to stop him from talking more. But Jake's carefree attitude lightened Malone's mood. With an unreliable colleague like this, it was hard to stay tense for long.

...

"Ladies and gentlemen! Welcome to Toyota Center!" The DJ's excited voice echoed under the soaring dome of the Rockets' home court. The arena was packed with a sea of red-clad Rockets fans, all wearing the same short-sleeved shirts in support of their team. From a distance, the entire Toyota Center looked like a sea of flames. Amid the red, there was a small but brave patch of purple—Kings fans cheering their hearts out for their team.

"Bro, I'm a little nervous," CJ admitted to Gay, his voice trembling as they stood in the players' tunnel.

Though CJ had some playoff experience, back then he was barely noticed and only played during garbage time. This was his first time entering the playoffs as a core player.

"Don't be nervous, just treat it like a regular-season game," Gay replied, staying indifferent. Cousins, on the other hand, was visibly hyped.

"Watch me blow up the other team today!" Cousins grinned, ready for action.

Lavine and the rest of the role players followed behind, watching their three leaders with a mix of amusement and concern—one too excited, one too nervous, and one too laid-back.

"Is our team really okay?" Ben mumbled from the back, suddenly feeling uneasy.

The Kings didn't use their regular-season lineup. Instead, they benched Casspi and shifted Cousins to the power forward position, starting Oden at center. This was a calculated decision—this year's Rockets were developing into an offensive powerhouse, and the Kings couldn't match them blow for blow, so they went with an unconventional lineup.

On the other side, the Rockets kept their usual starters, led by the bearded James Harden and Jason "The Jet" Terry in the backcourt, with Trevor Ariza and Terrence Jones at forward. Dwight "Superman" Howard commanded the paint.

As the players from both teams took the court, the crowd noise surged, threatening to blow the roof off the stadium. At the tip-off, Howard out-jumped Cousins, sending the ball to Harden.

Harden, already showing his superstar scoring potential, dribbled up to the top of the arc. Howard set a fake screen, and as CJ tried to get around him, Harden accelerated toward the basket.

The Kings were running a 2-1-2 zone defense, designed to protect their defensive rebounds and launch fast breaks. As Harden drove inside, the defense collapsed, attempting to limit his options. But Harden, with his sharp instincts, threaded the ball between defenders, sending it flying to Terry in the corner.

However, Gay, anticipating the pass, was already moving toward Terry. A simple pass would have failed, but Terry didn't hesitate. He put the ball on the floor, driving past Gay before he could get set.

But instead of taking the easier baseline route, Terry made a sharp left turn toward the middle of the court at a 30-degree angle. Ben, who was stationed at 45 degrees, saw Terry's move and shifted over to help defend.

At that moment, Terry whipped the ball across the court. Ariza, positioned at the 45-degree mark on the three-point line, caught it cleanly. With Ben still recovering from his help defense, Ariza rose up and knocked down the jumper.

"Swish!" The ball fell through the net cleanly.

"That's how you use double guards to break a double defense," Coach Malone muttered on the sidelines, watching the play unfold. Rockets coach Kevin McHale, a veteran, had orchestrated the play beautifully.

While many modern Rockets fans might criticize McHale for his lack of tactical genius, that wasn't entirely fair. Much of the tension in the Rockets' system came from the clash between their two stars, Harden and Howard. Harden needed a center who excelled at pick-and-rolls, protected the rim, and could finish lobs—qualities Howard didn't fully embody.

Howard's biggest problem is that his pick-and-roll execution is too poor, and he's a bit too arrogant. He's often unwilling to set good screens for Harden, which is why the Rockets performed better after they traded Howard and replaced him with Capela. Capela, though less skilled offensively, had much better screen quality, allowing Harden to thrive.

The camera shifted to the Kings' offensive possession. Coach Malone had implemented a twin-tower lineup with Cousins and Oden, which slowed down the pace of the game considerably. The Kings were forced into half-court sets, but this strategy was specifically designed to counter the Rockets.

With the exception of Howard, the tallest Rocket was Jones, who stood 6 feet 9 inches, only slightly taller than Rudy Gay. The Kings' game plan was simple: both Cousins and Oden had decent mid-range shots, and Cousins even had some three-point range. The idea was to pull Howard out to the perimeter with Cousins, allowing Oden to play one-on-one in the post. After Oden successfully scored on Jones, Harden went to work on the other end.

Harden, using a screen, first nailed a three-pointer, then followed up with a drive to the free-throw line for a layup. The Kings' perimeter defense was proving too weak. CJ and Ben were getting called out one by one by Harden, who was torching them. Jake, sitting on the Kings' bench, could only shake his head in frustration.

Though Ben had improved a lot this season, stepping back into his comfort zone and slowly evolving into a version of his role model, Ray Allen, he was still no match for Harden.

The game was starting to slip away from the Kings!