Chapter 163 Same Script, Different End Result

Just like Tang Tian said before the game, their small goal was to win this one, so after the game, they only focused on this one.

The players didn't think about the games ahead at all after the game, and just celebrated the victory in the locker room.

Tang Tian felt pretty good seeing the players in this state of mind.

In this kind of 1-3 situation, constantly shouting about creating history would definitely put a lot of psychological pressure on them.

On the contrary, playing one game at a time, fighting for each game after another, might give them a better chance.

After the celebration, the players left one after another.

Tang Tian iced his fingers and was the last to leave the locker room.

He saw two FOX reporters still outside, and they interviewed him a few more times when they saw him come out.

When he went to the underground garage, he passed by the training hall and saw Whiteside doing extra training inside.

Whiteside didn't get a single minute of playing time in this game.

But his attitude after the game seemed pretty good.

Tang Tian didn't go in to talk to him; it wouldn't be good for him to say too much about Whiteside's current situation.

After taking one last look, he left the arena and drove back to the villa.

Olsen and his two unborn babies were waiting for him at home.

The Pelicans easily defeated the Spurs to win Game 5, but the outside world, whether it was the media or the fans, was still not optimistic about them.

"The Pelicans played respectably in this game, but Jokic can't possibly make six three-pointers every game."

"Popovich will definitely adjust his defensive strategy in the next game, and the other Pelicans won't get so many shooting opportunities."

…

Similar arguments were supported by many people.

But this was also to be expected.

The Pelicans only tied the score at 2-3 after winning the last game; they had to achieve a reverse sweep, a three-game winning streak.

This was also the biggest reason why so few teams in history had successfully reversed a 1-3 deficit.

If they could win three in a row, how would they have fallen into a 1-3 situation?

What's more, the Spurs hadn't suffered any injuries or conflicts.

However, the Pelicans players' mentality was still the same as before; they were now treating each game as a small goal, not thinking about what the outside world was saying.

The day before the game, the Pelicans team flew to San Antonio to prepare for Game 6 of the series.

It was at this time that an interview by FOX Sports caused a great deal of discussion in the outside world.

The protagonist of this interview was Whiteside.

"There's nothing wrong with my body, and there's nothing wrong with my ability, I should be getting playing time."

In the interview, Whiteside revealed his dissatisfaction.

This kind of attitude and reaction was not too surprising.

After all, just two games ago, he was still the team's starting center, but now he was sitting on the bench for the entire game.

Tang Tian only saw this news after training and returning to the hotel.

When he saw the news, he was stunned for a moment, and then he had the idea of dragging Whiteside in front of him and beating him up.

He could completely understand the feeling of loss from being a starter to a substitute to not being able to play.

He might even consider helping him to ask Williams to say something if Whiteside complained to him.

But saying these things to the media now was really stupid.

Moreover, the Pelicans were still 2-3 behind the Spurs, and this kind of news coming out would definitely have a negative impact on the team and would be a big blow to morale.

After Tang Tian's anger subsided, he didn't bother with it anymore.

He was really disappointed in Whiteside now.

"We will handle this matter internally."

Dempsey, who traveled with the team to San Antonio, responded to the media in this way.

And in the training session the next day, Williams announced that Whiteside would be suspended for one game by the team.

This punishment was a natural thing; whether it was the management or the coaching staff, they couldn't let Whiteside continue to act recklessly.

After being suspended, Whiteside didn't travel with the team to the AT&T Center.

Although both sides still had a contract, it could be felt that Whiteside's career with the Pelicans was basically over.

That night, Game 6 of the Spurs and Pelicans series continued at the San Antonio Arena.

Although the Pelicans had internally suspended Whiteside, the impact on morale was still obvious.

Although Williams had given the players a pep talk before the game, it had little effect.

The AT&T Center was packed, with crowds of people.

Regardless of whether there would be a next game in the series, this was the Spurs' last home game.

The fans also expected the Spurs to eliminate the Pelicans at home and end the series.

Returning to their home court with high morale, while the Pelicans were demoralized by the Whiteside incident, their chances of winning were very high.

Before the game even started, the TNT Big Three were already talking animatedly at the commentary desk.

This time, Barkley and Smith undoubtedly sided with the Spurs.

They really had no reason not to side with the Spurs.

Just like the outside world said, the Pelicans' easy win in the last game came from Jokic's sudden outbreak of outside shooting, and the strength of the two teams was actually still 50-50.

In addition, with the impact of Whiteside's suspension and playing on the road, the Pelicans really didn't have much of a chance of winning.

O'Neal stubbornly stuck to his Tang-praising persona.

"I know they're in a bad situation, but Tang will surprise us."

His words made Barkley and Smith laugh.

They obviously thought O'Neal was just stubbornly holding on.

Barkley was extremely excited; in the last game, he chose to join O'Neal and the others, and he didn't experience the joy of winning even though he guessed correctly.

But in this game, he was finally going to experience the feeling of winning.

Just as the three of them were talking animatedly at the commentary desk, the players from both teams arrived at the arena one after another.

However, the opening ceremony didn't start immediately; before that, the award ceremony for the Defensive Player of the Year was held.

The Defensive Player of the Year award was very prestigious, which was also the reason why Tang Tian was favored by fans and management of many teams in his second year with the Spurs.

Leonard received the Defensive Player of the Year trophy from Adam Silver; the trophy was a bronze statue modeled after Bill Russell.

When Leonard raised the trophy high, the cheers from the fans at the scene lasted for a long time.

The Spurs players also raised their hands and applauded.

From Tang Tian to Leonard, this was a kind of inheritance; for many Spurs fans, it was also a kind of replacement, as Holt said.

They missed Tang Tian, but now they had Leonard!

When it came time for the opening ceremony, the cheers at the scene reached a peak.

It was time to end the series!

After a brief warm-up, the starting players from both teams took the court one after another.

Both sides maintained their previous starting lineups.

Pau Gasol outjumped Davis, winning the Spurs the first offensive opportunity.

Parker attacked to the frontcourt and broke through to score under the basket after a simple pick-and-roll with Pau Gasol.

The Spurs had all the advantages of time, place, and people in this game, and they looked to be in very good shape.

For the Pelicans' offense, Tang Tian suddenly passed the ball to Jokic, who took a three-pointer from the arc.

Clang!

A miss.

Moreover, the shot looked obviously different from the last game.

The misses in the last game looked very straight, but this one was obviously off.

This subtle difference showed one thing: Jokic wasn't feeling good in this game.

Leonard made a three-pointer in the frontcourt, giving the Spurs a 5-0 lead.

On the offensive end, Tang Tian passed the ball to Davis, who played a pick-and-roll with Jokic, but the pass was a bit early and went directly out of bounds, resulting in a turnover.

The cheers at the scene didn't stop.

The two teams were in very different states.

"Shaq, Shaq!"

Barkley kept shouting at the silent O'Neal at the commentary desk.

The Whiteside incident had a bigger impact on the Pelicans than expected, and Leonard winning the Defensive Player of the Year brought a great boost to the Spurs' morale.

With the ebb and flow, he was going to win tonight!