After Dinwiddie's basket, the Pelicans also made a substitution, with Davis replacing Ariza.

Davis' return gave the Pelicans more flexibility in their rotation, and since he was in good form tonight, Williams wanted to use him more.

Boozer attacked to the frontcourt but didn't try to post up in the low post anymore.

He was confident against Aminu, but he knew his limits against Davis.

Price passed the ball to Clarkson, who called for a pick-and-roll with Boozer.

Clarkson was a rookie, but he was mentally strong and not stage-frightened, and he had a fierce drive to attack the basket.

The Pelicans' inside defense collapsed towards the basket.

But Clarkson looked back and, with a behind-the-back move, threw the ball directly to Boozer at the high post.

It was a very classic pick-and-roll play.

"Pa!"

But just as he passed the ball back, Dinwiddie, who had switched to defend Boozer, reached out and stole the ball!

This anticipation was perfectly timed, disrupting the Lakers' offense.

And after the steal, he immediately went on a fast break. Although his layup was interfered with by Young, who was chasing back, Aminu followed up and tipped the ball in.

The Pelicans had extended their lead to 16 points.

D'Antoni was forced to call a timeout.

When Dinwiddie went off the court, he received high-fives from several teammates.

Clearly, his performance in this stretch had earned the affirmation and recognition of his teammates.

But opportunity always favors the prepared.

Without preparation, even if Holiday were injured, Williams would have chosen the more experienced Scheved, and even if he were sent on the court, he would only run a few sprints and then be quickly taken off.

In this game, the entire Pelicans team was in excellent form, while Kobe was having a poor shooting night for the Lakers, so the Lakers didn't get many opportunities from the start to the end of the game.

In the end, the Pelicans easily defeated the Lakers 112-96 on the road.

Tang Tian played only three quarters, contributing 19 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Davis also played only three quarters, but he efficiently contributed 25 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks on 10-of-17 shooting, his best game since his return.

Dinwiddie also had his best game of the season.

Playing 20 minutes, he contributed 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals on 6-of-9 shooting, even outperforming Cole, who started tonight.

With the core players finding their touch and a surprise performance from the bench, it was definitely good news for the Pelicans, who were in a difficult situation.

After the game, fans on social media were constantly discussing.

"Why do I feel like the Pelicans have the ability to turn trash into treasure? Evans, Whiteside, these guys were unwanted, but they all play better in New Orleans; Jokic, Dinwiddie, these are all rookies that other teams didn't want, but it turns out they're all treasures!"

"I'm also wondering, Williams is just a young coach, not very well-known, I'd believe it if it was Popovich who discovered them."

"So this is unexplainable metaphysics, just like the Blazers' vets, the Cavaliers' lottery picks, and the Thunder's draft picks!"

"I think it's different, have you guys noticed that these people all went to the Pelicans after Tang did? Didn't the media expose that Tang interfered with the management?"

"It seems so, Tang entering the Pelicans' draft office was criticized as LeBron 2.0."

"So all of this is actually related to Tang?!"

"It should be like this, there's not so much metaphysics in this world, vets are about medical level, lottery picks are determined by the league, the Thunder have good scouting, these can all be explained."

"Wasn't there also news last offseason that Ariza was also signed at Tang's suggestion?"

"It's confirmed that Tang interferes with the team's management! ╭(′▽`)╭(′▽`)╯"

"Damn! After listening to you guys, I understand everything, Tang isn't LeBron 2.0, he's just being himself! As a Pelicans fan, I really hope he interferes more with the management!"

"Tang, can be a general manager but doesn't need to be."

…

Beating the Lakers was important for the Pelicans, but one game doesn't mean anything.

For Davis and the Pelicans, the upcoming games are even more crucial.

If they don't play well, they will be met with a storm of criticism.

After finishing the game with the Lakers, the Pelicans returned to their home court.

After experiencing a difficult schedule, they were about to usher in a sweet time.

For the next week, their games would all be at home.

Two days later, they welcomed their first challenge, the Toronto Raptors.

After trading away Gay last season, the Raptors now had a dual-core combination of Lowry and DeRozan.

Last season, they set a team record with 48 wins, and their performance this season has also steadily improved.

They were currently ranked fourth in the East, behind only the Hawks, Cavaliers, and Bulls.

It was a clash between strong teams, but the game was surprisingly one-sided.

Although Holiday continued to be absent, the Pelicans dominated the Raptors from the start.

By the end of the third quarter, the Pelicans had already led the Raptors by more than 20 points, and the game was no longer in doubt.

In the end, the Pelicans easily defeated their opponents 98-78, winning their second game in a row.

Tang Tian had 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, Whiteside had 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 blocks, and Cole had 6 points and 6 assists.

Davis continued his efficient performance, contributing an all-around stat line of 23 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks, and 2 steals on 9-of-15 shooting.

After two days of rest, the Pelicans ushered in a back-to-back set of games, in which they would play against the Wizards and the Mavericks in succession.

The Wizards failed to keep Ariza in the offseason, but they turned around and signed veteran Pierce.

His arrival made up for the Wizards' most lacking ability to make key shots, and the Wizards were now fifth in the East, with a good chance of entering the top half of the conference.

This game was also quite intense. Tang Tian's consecutive scoring in the first and third quarters once gave the Pelicans a double-digit lead.

But Pierce also stepped up twice at key moments to score crucial baskets, helping the Wizards to close the gap.

The two teams fought until the final minute.

In the end, Tang Tian assisted Davis on a mid-range shot and then stole the ball from Pierce on a fast break, allowing the Pelicans to narrowly escape with a win.

Tang Tian had a game-high 30 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals, while Davis efficiently contributed 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 2 blocks on 7-of-12 shooting.

Dinwiddie also had another bright performance, contributing 10 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists on 4-of-7 shooting.

"We knew he would come back."

At the post-game press conference, Williams was all smiles, praising Davis' performance after praising Tang Tian.

He certainly had reason to say so.

Starting from the game against the Lakers, he had scored over 20 points in three consecutive games, with a shooting percentage as high as 59%, and helped the team achieve a three-game winning streak.

If the game against the Lakers might have been a one-off, then after playing to this point, it could indeed be said, as Williams did, that Davis had returned.