The fall of youth is not a failure. The Rockets locker room has written a revenge code

The final whistle sounded and the door to the Houston Rockets locker room was pushed open, Ime Uduka did not hold the tactical tablet in his hand. The coach, known for his straightforwardness, looked around the young face shrouded in the loss and chose to convey the message in the most primitive way: "We had a chance to end the series. Remember this tingling feeling and let it be the fuel for next season."

Not long ago, the Toyota Center scoreboard was frozen at 103-89, and the Rockets, the second in the West, fell down in the tiebreak, and ended the season by the Warriors for the fifth time in ten years. But the air in the locker room is different from the past - when Stephen Curry celebrates with Draymond Green, the 24.3-year-old youth army is experiencing the pain of growth rather than the dusk of the dynasty.

From the bottom of the league to the No. 2 seed in the West, the Rockets completed the reconstruction puzzle in five years: the new generation of dual-core composed of Jaylen Green and Shin Kyung, a practical veteran led by Van Vleet, has tempered a 52-win record under the defensive system created by Uduka. In the first round of the playoffs, they lost their way in their home advantage - the first two home games were stolen by their opponents, and San Francisco's two consecutive losses forced the team into a 1-3 desperate situation. When everyone thought the series was about to end, this iron-blooded team won 18 points at home in G5, and G6 won another 15-point victory away, dragging the defending champion into the ultimate showdown. The tiebreaker of the Rockets became the cruel epitome of the Rockets' entire season: they dominated the rebounds (+14), crushed the penalty area and scored (+12), fought for a second offense (+15), but they lost the bitter fruit due to their 40.5% sports shooting percentage. Warriors veteran Buddy Hilde used 9 three-pointers to exterminate Houston hopes, hitting 3 more goals than the Rockets' outside firepower. "This is a math victory," Van Vleet wiped the sweat on his forehead, "Three points are always greater than two points, they force us to fall into the inefficient two-point trap. " On the other end of the locker room, Jaylen Green buried his towel deep into his face - the second-place winner who was once highly anticipated for 21st generation, handed over 8 points in the Warriors' double-team trap, winning 20.3 points. "Apart from home performance, it's all shit," he croaked his throat, "No excuse, I have to evolve. "

The bitterness of the loss still shines with hope. Shin Kyung continued to transform after his first All-Star season, becoming the most stable firepower point in the playoffs with an average of 21.8 points per game; Amen Thompson locked many All-Stars with his all-round skills, Van Vleet's three-pointer in life and death battle was like rain, and Tari Ethan fought for key frontcourt rebounds with a leg injury. "We always choose the hardest path," the three-year-old clenched his fists, "Last year, he fought to the edge of the play-offs, and this year he made an 11-game winning streak, this time he almost reversed 1-3 - these scars will become the nutrients for summer. "In the corner of the locker room, Steven Adams was whispering with Jeff Green, the contract between the two veterans was about to expire, but the New Zealand Tower's words were strong: "No one went back, we were all moving forward. "

When the Warriors were eating Texas barbecue in the visiting locker room, the Rockets players had already hurriedly left with equipment. Management faces a difficult choice: Will VanVleet's 44.9 million team option be implemented? How to renew Adams and other key puzzles? Uduka's eyes have been turned to the training hall: "The improvement of basketball IQ requires tempering, but we must achieve a qualitative leap." At the end of the corridor, Curry was hugging and whispering with Amen Thompson, sending respect to the young people. Draymond Green found Shin Kyung, and the two-week push and grudge turned into mutual appreciation: "They forced out the best me."

The Toyota Center in the night gradually became silent, but the story of Houston had just begun. When they dismantled the light bulb combination five years ago, no one expected the road to reconstruction to bear such fruit. Now the tactical board on the locker room wall still has the last reminder from Uduka before the game: "This is not the end, but the springboard." The lights in the dome of the arena went out one after another, and the runway leading to the future has already lit up.

(Text/Kong Yang)