Bab 60: Chapter 60: The Holiday Hustle
After an electrifying All-Star weekend, Andrew had become the undisputed talk of the town. Not only had he coached the Western Conference team to victory, but he was also publicly confessed to by Swift and showered with praise by Tracy McGrady. For a man who'd done nothing but his job, Andrew was suddenly the league's most sought-after name.
That night, media headlines exploded with stories about Andrew. The New York Times dubbed him "the prodigy coach," while LA Weekly declared him "the hottest topic in basketball." Houston's own press went a step further, labeling him "the godfather of the new generation of basketball."
Fans in China couldn't contain their admiration. At just 23 years old, Andrew was living the dream: coaching at the highest level, making bank, and apparently winning over the hearts of rising stars like Swift. "He's the man who's going to bag Bai Fumei and take his game to unimaginable heights!" fans joked online.
Yet, amidst all the attention, Andrew remained unfazed. For him, the All-Star Game was just another checkpoint. The real battle? The second half of the season, and that meant playoff preparation.
One week later, as the league's trade deadline loomed, the NBA world remained eerily quiet. Unlike past years, there were no massive shake-ups. The Iverson trade to the Nuggets and the blockbuster Golden State deal were already old news. By deadline day, the trades were just minor moves, more whispers than roars.
The Rockets? No major changes. The squad was solid, and there was no point guard on the market better than Steve Blake. As for the veterans, no team wanted them at their current price tags, so Andrew kept his core intact. In a way, this consistency gave them an edge—continuity bred chemistry, after all.
February 24th marked their first game post-All-Star break, and the Rockets were out for blood. Taking on the Lakers, they cruised to a 106-93 win, despite Kobe Bryant's heroic 51-point effort. The very next game on February 26th saw Houston light up the Bulls at home. Blake dished out 11 assists as the team buried the Bulls with 16 three-pointers, winning 121-87.
February 28th, the Rockets rolled into Detroit with something to prove. They handed the Pistons a 116-97 loss, in a game that would be remembered for their insane 41 assists—a near-breaking record in NBA history. The last time a team came close to this level of unselfish play? The Suns back in '91 with 47 dimes.
Houston was on fire. In ten games, they went 8-2 and topped the league rankings. For the first time, the Rockets eclipsed both the Mavericks and the Suns, taking the top spot in the power rankings.
The playoffs were fast approaching, and Houston was ready to take it all the way. But as always in the NBA, drama wasn't far behind.
In a game against the Warriors, disaster struck. McGrady went down hard after stepping on Stephen Jackson's foot during a drive. The Toyota Center went silent as he crumpled to the ground, clutching his leg in pain. Andrew shot out of his seat, the old fear creeping back into his gut. Injuries had crushed the Rockets in his past life, and now here it was again, threatening to derail everything.
Thankfully, McGrady was helped off the court, and the medical report showed it was just a sprain. After a week of rest, he'd be back. Crisis averted—for now.
But that scare set off a chain reaction in Andrew's mind. Injuries had ruined too many careers, and he wasn't about to let that happen on his watch. Without wasting any time, he stormed into General Manager Dawson's office with a radical idea.
"Rest the starters," Andrew stated bluntly, as Dawson looked at him, shocked.
"Rest them? Now?" Dawson repeated, eyebrows raised in surprise.
Andrew nodded firmly. "The schedule is brutal. Too many games in too little time, and these guys are gassed. McGrady's injury was a wake-up call."
Dawson considered it, skeptical. "We could just cut their minutes, rotate more…"
Andrew shook his head. "That won't be enough. Back-to-backs, long road trips—those are where they need the rest most. We need them fresh for the playoffs."
Dawson stared at Andrew for a long moment, finally nodding. "Alright. I'll handle management and the fans. But this is risky…"
It was indeed a risk. But with Houston poised for a deep playoff run, Andrew wasn't taking any chances. In the end, Dawson gave Andrew full backing. As one of the league's most respected GMs, with two championship rings to his name, he trusted Andrew's vision.
March rolled around, and with it came the subtle shifts. On March 13th, the Rockets faced the bottom-dwelling Celtics. Yao Ming mysteriously missed the game for "personal reasons," though Houston still crushed Boston 98-86.
Two days later, the Rockets faced the Cavaliers. Yao returned, but Shane Battier suddenly fell ill before the game. Missing both Battier and McGrady, the Rockets fell to the Cavs, 96-101.
By March 16th, Andrew's plan was in full effect. The Rockets took on the Mavericks, but this time, none of the starters played more than 25 minutes. The team lost badly, 90-116, but Andrew didn't care. His eyes were on the prize: playoff health and glory.
Fans weren't blind to what was happening. With key players frequently sitting out games for "mysterious" reasons, speculation was rampant. Social media was ablaze with discussions about the Rockets "holiday" strategy.
The league took notice too, but with no explicit rules forbidding rotations, the Rockets slipped through the cracks.
By late April, the grueling 82-game regular season came to an end. The playoffs loomed large, and Andrew's carefully crafted rest plan had kept his stars in peak condition. Now, as the door to the NBA playoffs slowly creaked open, one thing was clear: the Rockets were ready for war.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone