Chapter 122 Little Goal

Buford's decision to resign this time was a well-thought-out one.

With Tang Tian's continuous explosive performances this season, he was constantly being flamed and scapegoated online. He was even being stalked by fans, with a real risk of being 'blown out'. Who could stand that!

Holt didn't faint this time. After recovering, he tried his best to persuade Buford, emphasizing his importance to the team, and finally managed to convince him to stay.

The Spurs' management was currently in the eye of the storm. If Buford resigned, the fans' guns would definitely turn towards him.

He was already very angry, and he didn't want to be scapegoated again.

After two days of rest, the Pelicans hosted the Brooklyn Nets at home.

Nets owner Prokhorov had spent a fortune last season, only to see the team eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.

His understanding was that he hadn't spent enough money.

So, in a fit of billionaire extravagance, he put together a starting lineup of five All-Stars, paying a staggering $80 million luxury tax.

The Nets' current starting lineup: Deron Williams, Joe Johnson, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Brook Lopez.

If all five players were in their prime, the league could just hand them the championship trophy right then and there.

But even past their peak, they were still very strong, currently ranked third in the Eastern Conference, and full of confidence in their championship aspirations.

Having just played the Spurs, the Pelicans now had to face such a formidable opponent. It was a big test for them.

The game was incredibly tight from the start, with the two teams trading baskets and deadlocked until the final moments.

This time, it was Davis who stepped up. He first blocked Pierce's crucial layup and grabbed the defensive rebound.

Then, on the offensive end, he received a pinpoint pass from Tang Tian and scored a 2+1, directly sealing the victory.

He finished the game with 25 points, 15 rebounds, 3 steals, and 5 blocks, delivering his best performance of the season.

Tang Tian also continued his hot streak from the previous game against the Spurs, shooting 15 of 27 from the field, 2 of 7 from three-point range, and 8 of 9 from the free-throw line, scoring another 40 points with 5 assists.

After scoring 40 points, he extended his streak of 30+ point games to 6 and his streak of 40+ point games to 2.

If he scored 40+ points in the next game, he would not only continue to extend his own 30+ record but also become the first player in the league this season to score 40+ points in three consecutive games.

After the game, in addition to the usual praise for Tang Tian, fans raised a new topic.

With Tang Tian's consistently explosive performances and Davis's historical-level talent, who was the real leader of the Pelicans?

Statistically, Tang Tian averaged 27.9 points, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game, while Davis averaged 14.5 points, 12.6 rebounds, 1.1 steals, and 3 blocks per game.

Tang Tian's numbers were undoubtedly overwhelming.

But the stats came from shot attempts, and Davis was the team's own drafted and developed No. 1 pick, while Tang Tian came from another team.

This topic had actually been discussed before, but because Tang Tian's performance had been significantly better than Davis's, it wasn't very loud.

But with Davis also performing well in this game, the voices became noticeably louder.

The NBA was a business league, and various intrigues and betrayals were rampant due to interests. It couldn't be ruled out that competitors were deliberately creating these voices.

But regardless of the reason, the topic was very sensitive.

It was fortunate that Tang Tian had chosen the Pelicans, and that Davis had a mild personality.

If he had gone to the Rockets or the Lakers, locker room conflicts would have been a matter of minutes.

Amidst these voices, after playing the Nets, the Pelicans flew to New York the next day, where they would face the Knicks.

If they could win this game, they would move up from eighth to seventh in the Western Conference, which would be a season-first.

The Knicks basically retained their roster from last season, but the team's performance was vastly different.

After finishing second in the Eastern Conference last season, they were currently tenth this season, and might not even make the playoffs.

They desperately needed a win to boost team morale.

New York had a large Chinese market, and this game was highly anticipated by local fans.

Before the game started, many Chinese fans entered the arena holding Tang Tian's KT boards.

The sensation that Tang Tian was creating among the Chinese was even greater than the "Lin-sanity" that had swept New York.

During warm-ups before the game, reporters interviewed Knicks' core guard JR Smith.

"If Tang scores 40+ in this game, he will have the most consecutive 40+ point games this season."

After asking some routine questions, the reporter brought up the much-discussed topic.

"Really? That won't happen. We're a top-ten defensive team this season. We won't let him get that many points. And this is Madison Square Garden, man. It's not easy to score big here."

Smith's answer was direct.

Madison Square Garden was the "Mecca of Basketball," the site of many glorious NBA moments, such as Jordan's 40+ point games and the "Miller Time."

NBA stars also took pride in scoring high points here.

But like the chicken-or-the-egg problem, the Knicks naturally didn't want to be the backdrop for an opposing player's high-scoring performance.

That was why Smith said that.

Madison Square Garden was packed that night.

Because they often booed their own players, the fans here were known as the worst in the league.

But there was never a shortage of spectators because it was located in the most prosperous city in America, New York.

This was a nationally televised game, with ESPN sending Breen and Miller to provide commentary.

CCTV also sent Zhang Weiping and Su Qun to provide broadcast commentary.

The pre-game ceremony began, and the Pelicans' and Knicks' starting players were introduced one by one.

When Tang Tian, as a visiting player, was introduced second to last, it triggered cheers from the Chinese fans by the court.

His sky-high popularity meant that he always received this "special treatment" when playing on the road.

Tang Tian waved to the fans as usual.

As he lined up, he couldn't help but look up at the arena's ceiling.

When he was still playing in the NCAA, he and Walker had played a game against St. John's University here.

That was his first time here after transmigrating.

Walker had looked forward to it, while he had been filled with memories.

Two years had passed. Although he had been here several times before representing the Spurs, it seemed like there was a different feeling each time.

That was probably the magic of the Mecca of Basketball.

Everyone was talking about him scoring high points, and this time he had set a small goal for himself.

In addition to helping the Pelicans achieve a three-game winning streak and improve their ranking, he also planned to continue his 40+ point scoring performance in this game.

He needed popularity, and he also hoped to leave his name in the historical records of this arena, just like the other superstars.