Chapter 114 Showdown Before the All-Star Game

After the back-to-back games, the Pelicans welcomed two days of rest.

Tang Tian temporarily stopped extra practice in addition to the daily training.

The three-air-ball incident was a painful memory; he had to increase his attempts.

Olsen was exhausted every night. If it weren't for the good soundproofing of the villa, the neighbors might have thought there was domestic violence in their house!

But despite the exhaustion, Olsen was as well-behaved as a child after each session.

Although Tang Tian's core strength had increased so much that his combat effectiveness had soared, these few days had fully proven the truth.

There is no field that cannot be cultivated, only oxen that die from exhaustion.

Two days later, the Pelicans were back at home, welcoming their last game before the All-Star break.

The opponent was their old rival, the Spurs.

This was a high-profile battle.

The Pelicans were currently second in the West, and the Spurs were third.

The two teams were only 3 games apart, and such a direct confrontation would affect their rankings.

This was especially true for the Spurs, because they had lost both of their previous encounters.

Being in the same division, another loss would put them behind if their records were the same.

With their records so close, this was entirely possible.

This situation was the exact opposite of the Grizzlies before.

The Grizzlies had won both previous games against the Pelicans, making them the Pelicans' nemesis, but now, the Pelicans had become the Spurs' nemesis.

The Pelicans had already vindicated themselves in the last game, and it remained to be seen whether the Spurs could do the same against the Pelicans.

Moreover, both teams were now championship contenders, and a regular-season disadvantage would be a significant psychological disadvantage for the Spurs in the playoffs.

So, the Spurs had to win this game.

On the day of the game, the Spurs held an open training session.

Although the pressure was considerable, the Spurs players all wore smiles on their faces.

This was also the atmosphere of the team.

After training, Popovich was interviewed by reporters on the sidelines.

The questions focused on two main points: whether the Spurs could win tonight and Tang Tian, who had been on fire in the last two games.

"Yes, we will win this game, it's very important to us."

Popovich replied very seriously to the reporters' first question.

If this answer came from another coach's mouth, they wouldn't find it strange, but coming from Popovich, it felt odd.

But when he answered the second question, the reporters realized that nothing had changed, it was just a little later than they had expected.

"If you told me before I saw the news that someone would score 50 points over the Grizzlies, I would kick him in the ass and tell him to come back to me after he woke up."

Popovich started with a sideways compliment.

"Yes, he's the best player in the league right now, you can't stop him in single coverage, especially now that he's developed a consistent fadeaway, scoring thirty or forty points is as easy as drinking a glass of red wine for him, damn it, why didn't he have these skills when he was in San Antonio?"

His next words made the reporters burst into laughter.

The last time the two teams played, he promised Tang Tian not to praise him; this time he hadn't promised, so he could finally go all out.

"Do you think he can score 50+ points again tonight?"

A reporter asked, which was also a hot topic of discussion among fans on social media.

Popovich put away his smile and shook his head seriously.

Jokes were jokes, but such things couldn't be said casually.

"If my players let him get that score, I'll kick them all in the ass and not touch red wine for a month."

Popovich didn't answer directly, but the meaning behind his words was clear: no one had ever scored 50 points against the Spurs, and Tang Tian wouldn't either.

Before the game, Tang Tian read the news and couldn't help but laugh at Popovich's poisonous milk.

But Popovich was right about the last sentence. In reality, he wasn't thinking about scoring 50+ again.

He was no longer the scoring champion contender from last season. As long as the team could win, he wouldn't mind even if he only scored a dozen points.

That night, the game between the Spurs and the Pelicans officially kicked off at the New Orleans Arena.

Both teams had players missing from the game. Ginobili was out for the Spurs with a sore hip, and Holiday was out for the Pelicans with diarrhea.

In terms of the impact of the absent players, the two teams were about the same, a paper tie.

When Tang Tian appeared last in the opening ceremony, the cheers from the audience were exceptionally loud.

There were many factors involved.

There was the fact that Tang Tian was a former Spur, the fact that Tang Tian had been booed in San Antonio, the fact that Tang Tian had been scoring 50+ points in recent games...

Various factors were mixed together, making the cheers unprecedented.

Popovich couldn't help but look around. Such a fanatical home court was rare, not to mention compared to the past, but even in his memory.

Tang Tian's influence and changes in New Orleans in just over a year were too great.

After the opening ceremony, the starting players from both teams took the field one after another.

The Spurs still had their regular starting five: Parker and Green on the outside, Leonard and Duncan on the front line, and Gasol at center.

For the Pelicans, Cole replaced Holiday and partnered with Tang Tian in the backcourt, Ariza and Davis on the front line, and Whiteside at center.

Whiteside won the jump ball against Gasol amidst the cheers of the fans, giving the home team the first chance to attack.

As soon as Tang Tian received a pass from Cole in the frontcourt, Green and Leonard immediately double-teamed him.

Popovich had praised Tang Tian before the game, but a lot of those words were true.

He knew that both Green and Leonard would have a hard time guarding Tang Tian one-on-one, so he immediately gave Tang Tian a double-team package at the start of the game.

Tang Tian passed the ball to Ariza.

Ariza quickly shot a three-pointer.

Duncan's help defense rotation was a bit slow, and the interference wasn't great.

"Clang!"

But Ariza's shot hit the rim, and his first attempt ended in failure.

Gasol secured the defensive rebound.

The Spurs' hammer tactic in the frontcourt, Gasol received the ball under the basket and scored with a turnaround hook shot against Davis, giving the Spurs the first point.

The Spurs seemed to be in very good condition.

Tang Tian ran some off-ball movement in the frontcourt, and after receiving the ball, Parker and Leonard immediately double-teamed him.

Popovich had made adjustments on the defensive end, using a defensive method similar to nearby double-teaming.

This was a very extreme defensive method.

Even now, looking back at what he said before the game, he didn't want Tang Tian to score 50 points, he didn't even want him to score 20!

Tang Tian passed the ball to Cole in the double-team, and the latter shot a three-pointer.

The trajectory of the ball was very straight.

"Clang!"

But the basketball hit the rim.

Cole's three-pointer was also off!

The fans on the sidelines stirred.

The Spurs were on fire, but the other Pelicans players seemed to be in average condition!

This game tonight would be difficult!

The Pelicans' collective touch was poor, while the Spurs were on fire.

In the first four minutes of the first quarter, the Spurs already led the Pelicans by double digits, 12-2.

The fans at the scene were restless. The last time the two teams played, it wasn't like this!

Tang Tian ran off-ball movement to the mid-range in the frontcourt, and after receiving the ball, he pulled up and shot without waiting for his teammates to run their positions.

After a few minutes, he already knew that his teammates' touch was poor at the start of the game, and even if he was being targeted, he had to shoot.

"Swish!"

Tang Tian's first shot went in.

His teammates' hands were ice-cold, but his touch seemed to be good.

"Don't let Tang get the ball there!"

Popovich roared at Green.

He really wasn't planning on letting Tang Tian score.

Parker broke through to the basket and scored with a spinning layup, the Spurs were really in good shape tonight.

14-4.

Still a 10-point difference.

Tang Tian ran off-ball movement again in the frontcourt, but the ball couldn't get to him.

After being yelled at by Popovich, Green always stayed in front of him to prevent him from receiving the ball.

Moreover, the other Pelicans players had average passing ability, and they couldn't pass the ball to him in the first time when they were being tightly guarded.

Tang Tian had no choice but to signal his teammates to spread out, and then post up Green at the high post to ask for the ball.

Cole lobbed the ball inside from beyond the three-point line.

Parker directly shrank inside to double-team.

It was still the strategy from the start of the game, using nearby double-teaming to force the ball out of Tang Tian's hands.

But after Tang Tian received the ball, he didn't make a feint, but directly turned around and faded away towards the baseline.

Parker's double-team hadn't come up yet, and Tang Tian had already faded away and shot over Green's defense.

"Swish!"

Tang Tian's second shot also went in!

He had scored 50+ points in the last two games, his touch was hot!

The cheers at the scene didn't stop!

What is a core player? It's someone who stands up when his teammates are in poor condition, that's a core player!

These 4 points also greatly encouraged the Pelicans.

Davis blocked Gasol on the defensive end, and the Pelicans successfully defended the Spurs' offensive wave!

The Pelicans attacked to the frontcourt, and Tang Tian continued to ask for the ball.

This time, he broke through directly towards the baseline after receiving the ball.

Green was close to him, and Duncan in the paint also helped defend.

But Tang Tian didn't really want to break through to the inside. When he reached outside the restricted area, he suddenly stopped and faded away to the right.

His whole body was at a 45-degree angle to the basket, a large fadeaway shot.

The posture was as beautiful as a painting.

The fans at the scene were excited.

At this moment, they seemed to see jersey number 31, 8, and 24 overlapping.

The ball passed over Green's fingertips.

"Swish!"

It went in again!

Tang Tian scored 3 consecutive goals!

The cheers at the scene erupted, and many fans stood up with their hands raised.

Kill gods when encountering gods! Kill Buddhas when encountering Buddhas!

Tang Tian was like a sharp blade with all its sharpness, invincible.

When Popovich saw this, he shook his head unconsciously.

The Spurs let Tang Tian go, and after experiencing last season, everyone said they let go of a McGrady.

Now it seemed that they let go not McGrady, but Kobe!

And Kobe was the player with the most average points per game against the Spurs in the playoffs among all the superstars.

This bitter smile contained too many emotions. The next second, he put away his smile and turned to chat with Messina, the team's new first assistant coach, about defense detail.

Gasol's strong attack under the basket was interfered with by Whiteside, Davis collected the defensive rebound, and the Pelicans defended another offensive of the Spurs!

In this period, Tang Tian had what he wanted on the offensive end, and the two inside players provided him with the most powerful help on the defensive end!

Tang Tian received the ball again with his back, this time Parker double-teamed in advance, not giving Tang Tian a chance to receive the ball!

The meaning was obvious, Cole you can shoot if you want, anyway, the ball won't reach Tang Tian here.

After seeing this, Cole shot a three-pointer directly.

"Swish!"

It went in!

The three-pointer at the start was an opportunity ball, but this time it was a wide open.

After determining Tang Tian and Davis as the core, most of the other Pelicans players developed in the direction of 3D players.

Three-pointers were the core content of their usual training. Nash let them practice moving three-pointers, not everyone can practice well, but this kind of wide open.

If Parker really dared to let Cole go like this, Cole really dared to make it!

11-14!

The Pelicans launched a 9-2 offensive wave, chasing the point difference to only 3 points!

Popovich reached out and called a timeout.

"Kawhi, you go defend Tang, we will change to a 2-1-2 zone defense, do not double-team."

Popovich re-arranged the team's defensive tactics.

This was an old tactic for the Spurs.

Putting the defensive focus on the outside of the three-point line and the restricted area.

Limiting the opponent's three-pointers and layups, appropriately giving the opponent the mid-range.

The scoring efficiency in that area was the lowest.

The Spurs used to have Bowen, and now they have Leonard. One-on-one static defense was not bad, which could further reduce the opponent's mid-range efficiency.

To put it bluntly, this way of isolating the opponent's core, even if Tang Tian scored a lot of points, the Pelicans might not be able to win.

Popovich said harsh words before the game that he would not let Tang Tian score 50 points, but he was not a stubborn person, winning was the first goal.

After the timeout, Duncan scored a goal with a bank shot in the low post, breaking the Spurs' scoring drought.

The point difference was once again widened to 5 points.

The Pelicans advanced to the frontcourt, and Tang Tian saw that his defender had become Leonard.

Looking at the Spurs' defensive positioning again, he immediately knew the Spurs' defensive adjustment.

Not only because he was a coach in his previous life, but more importantly, he stayed with the Spurs for 2 years, and drank and chatted with Popovich about tactics too much.

This kind of defensive tactic was a bit extreme, and there were only two results.

Either he would beat Leonard, and the Pelicans would win; or he wouldn't beat Leonard, score high with low efficiency, and the Pelicans would lose.

Popovich used this method to deal with peak Kobe and that Lakers team.

He posted up for the ball, and then faced Leonard.

This defensive method would have help defense at the three-point line and in the restricted area, so the only offensive space left for him was the mid-range.

Leonard was slower than him, but because the offensive space was limited, his defensive role would be more obvious.

Popovich's adjustment was indeed the best adjustment.

Lowering his body and alternating his hands to dribble the ball left and right, suddenly taking a step to the right to change direction, and then suddenly stopping for a dry pull-up jumper.

Tang Tian used three skills in one round, and he also knew that to break this defense, he had to go all out.

Leonard kept up, he knew that Tang Tian would not break through to the inside, this ball completely blocked Tang Tian's shooting angle.

A look of joy appeared on his face.

He didn't pay attention to or have emotional fluctuations about whether he was successful or not in defending other people, but Tang Tian was different, every time he could defend, it was a huge encouragement.

But at this moment, Tang Tian changed the dry pull-up jumper into a fadeaway in the air!

Strong core strength!

Sister-in-law must be very happy!

A thought flashed through Leonard's mind inexplicably, and then he saw the ball fly over his fingertips.

"Swish!"

A crisp swishing sound came from behind him.

Tang Tian scored 8 points in this quarter with 4 of 4 shots!

Four fadeaways become three misses? That doesn't exist!

ps: Happy March 8th Women's Day everyone! Remember to give your wives and girlfriends gifts, if you don't have one, then buy a hand cream!