The Rockets beat the Cavaliers for 5 consecutive victories, Uduka changed the lineup to achieve miraculous results, and came off the bench as the savior.

The Rockets play against the Cavaliers away from home. Before the game, the Rockets ranked third in the Western Conference with a record of 9 wins and 3 losses. They have recently won four consecutive games and are in good shape. The Cavaliers are second in the Eastern Conference with a 10-5 record. The two teams are of equal strength and this game will be a head-to-head matchup. Rockets head coach Uduka changed the lineup again, and ranked the starting five of Shen Jing, Durant, Smith Jr., Amen Thompson, and Adams. This top five lineup has been abandoned after suffering two consecutive defeats at the beginning. Facing the Cavaliers today, they used such a lineup again, and the effect was quite good. In the first half, it can be said that the Cavaliers were beaten violently. At the same time, Shepard experienced another outbreak. After four fierce quarters, the Rockets defeated the Cavaliers 114:104 and won five consecutive games.

At the beginning of the first quarter, the Rockets quickly entered the state. Adams made a free throw to kick off the game. Smith Jr. hit the net with a three-pointer and made a free throw. The team launched a 7:1 offensive at the beginning. Not to be outdone, the Cavaliers hit a three-pointer from Mitchell and Hunter scored two consecutive three-pointers. They responded with a 7-0 run to tie the score at 7:7. Then the two sides scored alternately, and the Cavaliers once took the lead at 15:13. At the critical moment, the Rockets were on full fire. Durant made a three-point foul and made all three free throws. Smith Jr. scored a tip-in. Shepard ended the game with a layup, creating a 10-0 offensive wave to lead the score. At the end of the first quarter, Shepard hit two more three-pointers. The Rockets grabbed 17 rebounds in a single quarter and ended the first quarter with a 14-point lead at 33:19.

Returning from the second quarter, the Cavaliers launched a counterattack, and Mobley scored 5 points in a row to narrow the gap. Shen Jing quickly responded to the 4:0 offensive, stabilizing the situation and bringing the score to 41:28. After that, the Cavaliers set off another wave of chasing points, scoring 5 points in a row to close the point difference to 35:45. The Rockets immediately adjusted their status and hit a strong climax of 12:2, widening the point difference again. The offensive efficiency of both sides fluctuated in this quarter, but the Rockets always controlled the rhythm of the court. Shen Jing's support and Adams' rebound protection complemented each other. Although Durant's touch was not at his best, he was still able to contribute points by causing damage. The Cavaliers suffered from lack of efficiency on the offensive end, and many attacks failed. After halftime, the score was fixed at 57:40, and the Rockets firmly held the lead.

In terms of basic half-time statistics, the Rockets led the way in rebounding by 31:22, with a field goal percentage of 44% versus 34%, a three-point shooting rate of 38% versus 20%, and a free throw percentage of 86% versus 5%, all having a clear advantage. With 7:9 assists, 4:4 steals, 7:5 turnovers, and 9:7 fouls, the Cavaliers only had a slight advantage in assists and turnovers; the Rockets also expanded their advantage with 5:4 three-pointers, 12:6 free throws, and also led in blocks 3:1. The overall data showed a complete victory.

As the core of the Rockets, Durant still bears the important responsibility of both offense and defense in this campaign. He played 17 minutes in the first half. Although his shooting touch was not at his best, making only 3 of 9 shots and 1 of 3 shots from beyond the three-point line, he made all 6 free throws with his superb ability to create damage and steadily contributed 13 points and 3 rebounds. His plus-minus value was as high as +14, which tied for the team's highest half-time record with teammate Shepard. Facing the Cavaliers' targeted defense, Durant did not focus on personal offense. Instead, he disrupted the opponent's defense by constantly breaking through and drawing fouls, and stood on the free throw line many times to score steadily for the team.

The Rockets' inside combination became the key to winning this game. Shen Jing played 18 minutes in the first half and played a perfect offensive and defensive performance. He made 4 of 7 shots and 2 of 4 free throws. He contributed 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. In a direct dialogue with the Cavaliers' main center Allen, Shen Jing did not fall behind in the slightest. He can not only use flexible footsteps to complete low singles, but also connect the team's offense through precise passing, becoming the core hub of interior offense and defense. Adams, who partnered with Shen Jing, showed strong adaptability after being recalled to the starting lineup by Uduka. In 14 minutes of playing time, he handed over 4 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block. The inside trident he formed with Shen Jing and Smith Jr. relied on his height and strength advantages to firmly suppress the Cavaliers' two big inside players, Mobley and Allen. This also directly created the Rockets' absolute rebound advantage of 31:22.

Smith Jr. also performed well at the forward position. He played 16 minutes in the first half and made 3 of 7 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers. He contributed 8 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. As one of the team's outside firepower, Smith Jr. showed no fear when facing Cavaliers All-Star power forward Mobley. Not only did he hit key three-pointers many times on the offensive end to open up the team's offensive space, he also relied on his excellent mobility and confrontation intensity on the defensive end to successfully limit Mobley's performance. In contrast, Mobley only scored 10 points and 2 rebounds on 4 of 8 shots in the first half. He did not take advantage of the matchup with Smith Jr. The offensive and defensive strength of the Rockets' front line was undoubtedly demonstrated in this direct dialogue.

Amen Thompson on the back line shows the characteristics of a "defensive leader". Although his offensive efficiency still needs to be improved, with 6 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist on 3-of-8 shooting in the first half, his 2 steals highlighted his value on the defensive end. As the team's starting point guard, Amen Thompson was entrusted with the important task of guarding Mitchell, the core of the Cavaliers, and he also completed the task perfectly. Under his personal defense, Mitchell was in a sluggish first half. He made 1 of 7 shots in 17 minutes, only scored 2 points and 1 rebound on 0 of 3 three-pointers, and did not send a single assist. His plus-minus value was as low as -12, making him the worst core player in the game. Amen Thompson used extreme defense to establish an outside barrier for the team and became an important contributor to the Rockets' halftime lead.

The most surprising player in this game is undoubtedly Shepard, who came off the bench. Although he only got 13 minutes of playing time, he was extremely efficient. He made 4 of 6 shots and 2 of 4 three-pointers. He efficiently scored 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 block. His plus-minus value of +14 was tied with Durant for the first place on the team.. This season, Sheppard's condition continues to improve, and he has scored in double figures in many consecutive games. He has become more and more comfortable on the offensive end, showing strong confidence in whether he is catching and shooting or attacking independently. Such an efficient performance has also led fans to call on Uduka to give him more playing time. I believe that with the increase in playing time, Sheppard is expected to become an important firepower point on the Rockets bench.

In addition, the Rockets' role players also have their own contributions. Holiday contributed 4 points, and Capela came off the bench to score 2 points and 4 rebounds, providing stable support for the team's rotation. However, Ogeji performed poorly on the bench. After being demoted to the bench, he made no achievements on the offensive end in 6 minutes of playing time. All three major statistics were zero. Fortunately, he was still able to actively fight on the defensive end and provide the team with some defensive help.

Throughout the first half of the game, the Rockets exploded under Udoka's changes. Not only did they lead in core statistics such as rebounds, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage, but their integrity on both ends of the offense and defense was also fully demonstrated. Durant's stable output, the strong suppression of the inside trident, Amen Thompson's suffocating defense, and Sheppard's efficient explosion gave the Rockets an absolute upper hand in this powerful dialogue.

In the third quarter, the Cavaliers once hit an 18:2 offensive climax, winning by 13 points at 30:17 in a single quarter, and only trailed by 4 points at the end of the third quarter. But fortunately, Holiday's heroic performance helped the Rockets stabilize their position in the fourth quarter. After the final four quarters, the Rockets defeated the Cavaliers 114:104 and refused to reverse.

Shen Jing scored 28 points, 11 rebounds and 7 assists, becoming the biggest contributor to the win. Of course, Holiday, who came off the bench, made 5 of 7 shots, 3 of 5 three-pointers, and 5 free throws to score 18 points and became a surprise player in the fourth quarter. Durant's overall performance was poor. He made 6 of 18 shots, 1 of 6 3-pointers, and 7 of 8 free throws. He scored 20 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists. He also made 4 turnovers that almost caused the Rockets to lose.

Smith Jr. had 14 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists, Amen had 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shouldered the defensive burden very well, and his 4 steals were very crucial. Adams had 6 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 assists, Sheppard had 12 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists, and Capela had 4 points and 5 rebounds. They all provided some help to the Rockets, although the opposite core Mitchell scored 19 in a single quarter in the fourth quarter. points, but still to no avail. After this battle, the Rockets continued to consolidate the top three in the Western Conference with a record of 10 wins and 3 losses.