Durant s 30+5 set a record first, and the Rockets won 8 of 9 games! Houston welcomes four major transformation champions

Durant easily hit 30+5, setting a first in history, and the Rockets advanced with 8 wins in 9 games! The unexpected injury and retirement of forward general Ethan will not stop Hugh City from facing four major transformations in one go to strive for the championship.

The Rockets have 8 wins from 9 games

After easily defeating the Wizards in the previous game, the Rockets faced off against the Trail Blazers. In the end, the Rockets once again defeated the Trail Blazers 140-116 and won 3 consecutive victories.

In this way, after a difficult 2-game losing streak at the beginning of the season, the Rockets have achieved an impressive record of 8 wins and 1 loss in the past 9 games, improving the overall record to 8 wins and 3 losses.

Compared with the strong rebound in record, even though Ethan suffered a left hip contusion and retired early from the game, the Rockets still strongly demonstrated four major transformations that were completely different from last season and continued to attack the championship dream.

The first major transformation: Upgrading of key scorers

The biggest change for the Rockets this season is the upgrade of key scorers from Jaylen Green to Durant. Even though the latter is 37 years old, he still proves with his performance that he is always trustworthy.

Durant exerted his strength slightly in this game, scoring 30 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal on 12-of-19 shots. His plus-minus value was +37, the highest in the game. This game was also his 30th consecutive game with 20+ points against the Trail Blazers. This data set a record for the first time in history.

While continuing to deliver murderous and unsolvable individual singles, Durant's performance in off-ball pick-and-rolls and transition ball is also eye-catching. He has proved with actions that as long as he is on the court, whether he has the ball or not will change the opponent's defensive focus, and he is a true offensive killer.

The second major transformation: more blossoming

The addition of Durant has completely activated the Rockets' offense this season. Whether it is points per game or offensive efficiency per 100 rounds, the Rockets rank first in the league. They scored another 140 points in this game, showing a terrifying lineup depth.

7 players in the team scored in double figures, 4 players scored 19+, and 3 players scored 20+. The situation with many internal and external points made the opponents completely unable to parry.

As Durant said after the game: "I just like this feeling of more flowers. Everyone has become more confident in offense, so we easily scored 140 points. Our offense was like a storm."

The third major transformation: Shepard proved himself

The reason why the Rockets were able to perform more blossoming performances was that Shepard, the rookie, proved himself. He provided the high-volume three-point finishing ability that the Rockets badly needed from the outside.

In this game, Shepard scored 13 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals on 5-of-12 shooting. This was his fourth consecutive impressive performance. In the past 4 games, Shepard averaged 16.5 points, 3.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 1.5 rebounds per game, shooting 58.1% from the field and 53.3% from the three-point range.

Uduka, who has always had high demands on young players, also couldn't help but publicly praise Sheppard after the game: "When he doesn't hesitate, he doesn't lose to any opponent. We need his performance like this. We don't have to succumb to others. His offensive threat can provide Teammates create more opportunities."

Shepard's rapid improvement is closely related to Durant's help in building his confidence. Durant has previously publicly stated that everyone is trying to give Shepard advice, but he tries not to criticize him, but encourages him more.

This is still the case in this game. Durant frequently encouraged Shepard after he hit the shot. Rockets reporter Jackson Gatlin posted: "Watching Durant continue to encourage Shepard has become a highlight of the Rockets' games this season."

Shepard, who has performed brilliantly one after another, actually represents a group of fringe players in the Rockets who cannot get enough opportunities to play. It is not that they lack ability, but that the depth of the Rockets lineup is too exaggerated to temporarily provide them with opportunities.

The third major transformation: Shen Jing continues to make great strides

While a number of substitute players are eagerly seeking opportunities to play, the core players who feel the pressure are also delivering better performances in the fierce involution, and the core insider Shen Jing is one of them.

After being selected for the All-Star Game for the first time last season, Shen Jing has continued to make great strides this season. In this game, she scored 25 points, 10 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 steals, and 3 shots on 9-of-13 shooting. She has provided at least 5 assists in 11 consecutive games. Since the beginning of the season, only two centers, Shen Jing and Jokic, have done this.

Not only has the organization made great progress, Shen Jing's three-point shooting rate has also soared to 46%, with a total of 17 of 37 shots. Last season, Shen Jing made 21 of 90 three-pointers, with a shooting rate of only 23.3%.