Chapter 1 The Data Statistics

When the timeout came, the stats for Tang Tian were shown on the screen.

15 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 6 steals.

Tang Tian's stats were lackluster in the first half, but after a series of incredible plays, many people realized these numbers were heading in an unbelievable direction.

A playoff quadruple-double!

If you told someone that someone could get a quadruple-double in the playoffs, you'd be scorned.

"Are you out of your mind! Daydreaming!"

Getting a quadruple-double in the regular season was already incredible, but the playoffs?

Impossible!

Even someone as strong as Robertson couldn't do it!

But now, they realized that Tang Tian actually had a chance!

The fans at the arena belatedly realized this, and their emotions were mixed.

Witnessing a playoff quadruple-double would be lucky.

But seeing the Pelicans reverse and eliminate them was definitely not what they wanted.

Far away on the southern coast at the New Orleans Arena, the New Orleans fans were going wild.

At halftime, they thought that a Game 7 was inevitable, just like the fans on the online forum.

Even the first few possessions of the second half made them believe it even more.

Some of them had started to comfort themselves, saying that playing a Game 7 at home wasn't unacceptable.

But Tang Tian's series of plays made them realize one thing: the game wasn't over, and anything was possible!

Not just a win, but a quadruple-double!

When the timeout ended, the Warriors' offensive rhythm slowed down noticeably.

Tang Tian's three consecutive steals had made the Warriors wary. Kerr didn't want, and the Warriors players didn't want a fourth steal.

This patience had both good and bad points.

In an offensive play that went to the final seconds, Green, seeing Tang Tian suddenly cutting out from the side, flinched, and the ball went out of bounds...

The crowd stirred, and Kerr smacked his forehead.

Tang Tian's previous three consecutive steals had obviously put a lot of pressure on the Warriors.

In the Pelicans' half-court offense, Tang Tian ran a no-ball play, a fake screen, and suddenly cut into the paint from the three-point line, receiving a pass from Brogdon and scoring after a collision with Durant.

The referee on the side blew his whistle; it was an and-one!

The Pelicans' bench erupted.

Stevens clenched his fist secretly.

Tang Tian's offensive threat was definitely less without the ball, but Tang Tian was even harder to defend without the ball!

Because you didn't know what his next choice would be: to attack or not, to receive the ball or cut in!

This was why it was so hard to limit the Splash Brothers; their off-ball movement was almost impossible to completely shut down.

Tang Tian steadily made the free throw, and the point difference was now 9!

Kerr was really starting to worry at this point. The scene in front of him was too similar to Game 3.

Although the Warriors had a bigger lead and less time left in the game, the Pelicans were still catching up!

At the crucial moment, it was Thompson again, running to catch the ball on the outside and hitting his seventh three-pointer of the game despite the defense!

The entire Oracle Arena erupted as the ball hit the net.

Kerr cursed excitedly.

This basket was extremely important.

And on the next possession, Thompson showed his defensive skills, helping Green to block Davis's shot.

This offense and defense perfectly echoed the fans' nickname from the online forum.

G6 Thompson!

"Bang!"

But before the fans' cheers could die down, Tang Tian reappeared out of nowhere, suddenly turning back during a run and stealing the ball from Curry from behind!

Tang Tian's seventh steal!

This time he stole the ball from the outside in. After the steal, he passed the ball to Holiday, who rushed forward and scored 2 points on a fast break!

The point difference was back to 10!

But in the next possession, Thompson's alley-oop caused Davis to foul him.

After making both free throws, the point difference was back to 12!

G6 Thompson unleashed his power again in the third quarter, and the two sides fell into a stalemate for the remaining minutes of the quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 75 to 87, with the Pelicans still trailing the Warriors by 12 points.

Kerr had been tense for the entire third quarter, and by the intermission, his mental state had finally relaxed a little.

Although the point difference had been chased down from a maximum of 22 points to 12 points, if you calculated it by quarter, the Pelicans had only chased down 5 points in the third quarter.

As long as the Warriors stabilized and maintained the stalemate like in the second half of the third quarter, they would still have a good chance of winning G6.

At the start of the fourth quarter, Kerr took Thompson, who had played the entire third quarter, off the court to rest, and put Durant and Green on the court to lead the team.

This arrangement was quite steady.

The Pelicans also had two starters leading three substitutes, but it was worth noting that Tang Tian, like in the previous game, came on at the start of the fourth quarter.

The Pelicans attacked first in the fourth quarter, and Tang Tian changed his style from the third quarter, dribbling the ball from the outside and continuously breaking through the Warriors' defense to score a layup.

Back on the defensive end, he continued to lock down Durant. Green had no chance holding the ball at the arc, and his three-pointer bounced off the back rim.

Diaw grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Pelicans launched a fast break, with Brogdon receiving the ball and scoring a layup for 2 points.

Green assisted Livingston on an alley-oop, and the latter's turnaround fadeaway was textbook perfect.

But Tang Tian anticipated this shot, and interfered with Livingston's shot from behind. He didn't block the shot, but the dodged shot was an air ball!

The Warriors retreated quickly, and the Pelicans transitioned from a fast break to a half-court offense. It was Tang Tian again, breaking through and making a turnaround fadeaway in a double team!

The point difference was only 6 points!

Tang Tian's touch in the fourth quarter was a far cry from his slump in the first three quarters, and he scored consecutive isolation plays!

Kerr immediately called a timeout.

The crowd was in an uproar.

They had defended Tang Tian for three quarters, but Tang Tian had still exploded in the final quarter!

Tang Tian's eruption came suddenly, but Breen and Miller on the commentary table didn't find it strange.

The Warriors' defensive strategy tonight was very successful, but defense, apart from the system, also depended on who was defending.

Thompson, Durant, and Iguodala's wing combination was comparable to the Pelicans' Holiday, Tang Tian, and Ariza on the defensive end.

So the Warriors' strategy of targeting Tang Tian's only weakness at the start of the game had been successful.

But McCaw, Speights, and the other substitutes who came on were obviously not on the same level defensively.

The same strategy had different effects.

Including their effect in defending the Pelicans' fast breaks, it had also weakened.

This was why the higher the level of the NBA game, the less rotation there was.

It was difficult for a team to have so many players who reached a high level.

Kerr obviously knew this.

When the timeout ended, he was quite decisive. Except for Livingston taking Thompson's place, all four other starters came back.

After the starters returned, the game returned to a stalemate.

Tang Tian's offense was restricted again, and the Pelicans' momentum to chase points quickly stopped.

With five minutes left in the game, the score was 99 to 105, and the Pelicans were still trailing by 6 points.

Tang Tian had grabbed 3 rebounds in this period, including an offensive rebound, and also dished out 2 assists, but he only got 2 points.

24 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 steals.

The stats looked good, but the problem now was that the Pelicans couldn't further narrow the point difference.

Superstars had the ability to adjust themselves, and Tang Tian, as the superstar among superstars, had already shown this ability in the second half.

But the problem now was that he needed to do better.

"Come on! Warriors!"

As the point difference remained, and the time left in the game grew shorter, their chances of winning G6 grew bigger.

Amid the cheers, G6 Thompson showed his might again, hitting a 3+1 over Brogdon's defense.

The entire Oracle Arena erupted.

This 3+1 almost killed the game!

Thompson had a backward protective movement after landing, but he got up and roared the next second.

He had scored 41 points tonight; this was his night!

"Klay! Klay!"

Before Thompson went to the free-throw line, the fans chanted his name.

This scene had never happened before at Oracle Arena.

But it was a bit of a pity that Thompson missed the free throw, and Davis grabbed the rebound.

The Warriors retreated quickly. With a 9-point difference, they had a very big chance.

Davis's turnaround layup bounced out, and he tried to push the ball out, but Curry anticipated it and intercepted it in advance.

The Warriors defended another Pelicans' offense!

After the interception, Curry turned around and threw the ball to the frontcourt, where Durant was already on a fast break.

"Bang!"

But just as the ball left his hand, Tang Tian, using Iguodala's body as a screen, reappeared and stole the ball!

No one had reacted. Tang Tian had already completed the steal.

And just as Curry and Iguodala were about to pounce on him, he flung the ball back to Davis under the basket.

Davis dunked the ball with both hands, unguarded.

7 points.

The Pelicans still had a chance!

"Tang's offensive state tonight has been terrible, but his performance on the defensive end has been really dazzling."

Breen couldn't help but exclaim at the commentary table.

"Yes, he has put more energy and stamina into the defense. This is the strength of a four-time Defensive Player of the Year."

Miller chimed in from the side.

Tang Tian was now heading towards a quadruple-double, just like Jordan's 63 points in the playoffs before, the outcome was no longer the most important thing.

Thompson caught the ball again and missed a three-pointer, and Davis grabbed another defensive rebound.

The Pelicans launched a fast break, and Tang Tian's trademark behind-the-back pass went to Holiday, who followed up with a layup for 2 points.

For the first time since the second half started, the point difference was down to 5 points!

With more than 3 minutes left, the fans in Oracle Arena started to panic.

"Bang!"

Just as they were panicking, Tang Tian completed another steal, this time the target was his brother, Thompson.

He successfully anticipated the Warriors' off-ball tactics, and pounced to steal the ball when Thompson cut inside.

His ninth steal of the game!

This time, after the steal, he ran to the front court himself and scored a layup.

The point difference was only 3 points!

A one-possession game!

The Pelicans, after trailing by a maximum of 22 points, had managed to chase the score down to 3 points!

Kerr called another timeout.

Tang Tian's stats were displayed on the big screen again.

26 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, and 9 steals.

A playoff quadruple-double was really coming!

"Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"

Breen exclaimed repeatedly. This was a scene he had never encountered in his more than 20 years of commentating.

Tang Tian, while leading the Pelicans to narrow the point difference step by step, was also moving towards the unbelievable achievement of a playoff quadruple-double!

"It's possible that the basketball is a bit hot for the Warriors players right now."

Miller quipped from the side.

"Calm down, calm down, we're still leading by 3 points, we're still leading, look at me, we're still leading!"

Tang Tian's continuous steals had made the Warriors a bit flustered, and Kerr was trying to get the players' emotions back.

"We have to win, Kevin, Stephen, we have to win!"

Green shouted at Curry and Durant at this time.

Thompson had already overachieved his part, and now at the last moment, Curry and Thompson needed to step up.

When the timeout ended, the Warriors' continuous passing in the frontcourt led to Curry catching the ball, and shooting his trademark long three-pointer from a meter outside the three-point line.

The nerves of the fans on the scene tensed up the moment he shot.

They really needed this basket.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound, and Curry gave them an answer!

Curry the heavens! (Curry is God)

Oracle Arena was instantly ignited.

Curry made this crucial three-pointer!

The point difference was back to 6 points!

Stevens shook his head helplessly. This kind of three-pointer was really demoralizing.

"Defense! Defense!"

The shouts of the fans on the scene were unified.

Tang Tian was heavily guarded in the front court and had no chance at all, and the Pelicans were running out of offensive time.

The ball ended up in Brogdon's hands, an opportunity, not a very good one.

He chose to shoot, and Iguodala blocked the sky.

"Bang!"

It hit Brogdon's hand.

Brogdon showed superhuman mental qualities, and didn't dodge when he was about to be blocked, and the ball barely crossed Iguodala's fingertips.

"Swish!"

The ball went through the net at the same time as the referee's whistle.

3+1!

An unbelievable 3+1!

The fans on the online forum had gone crazy.

At the crucial moment, Brogdon stood up!

This basket seemed to be saying to everyone who had questioned him before: I'm a rookie, but I'm the best rookie!

"This is the most exciting game!"

Breen exclaimed at the commentary table.

"This is a game without losers!"

Miller chimed in from the side.

The excitement of the game had made the two old commentators put aside the outcome.

Brogdon made the free throw despite the interference, and the point difference was only 2 points!

With more than a minute left, the scene was so exciting that it felt like people's hearts were about to jump out.

The fans on the online forum were shouting that they couldn't watch anymore.

But like the fans on the scene who were covering their eyes with their hands, but separating their fingers, they had to watch a game like this no matter how scared they were.

Green continued to hold the ball at the arc, his trademark.

The Warriors ran an off-ball play on the weak side.

But at this moment, Stevens had a surprise tactical arrangement, and Holiday suddenly left Curry to double-team Green.

This double-team came too suddenly and unbelievably.

Green reacted quickly enough, and threw the ball in Curry's direction, but the temporary pass was a bit rushed, and Holiday's fingertips touched it.

The ball changed its trajectory and flew towards where Brogdon and Thompson were.

Thompson touched the ball first, and he exerted force with his other hand to completely control the ball.

But at this moment, a figure he was very familiar with entered his vision.

Tang Tian!

"Bang!"

A desperate sound appeared in his ears. Tang Tian ruthlessly stole the ball from his hand before he could completely control it!

Tang Tian's tenth steal of the game!

"No!"

Thompson shouted in his heart.

The fans on the scene also shouted in their hearts.

But no one could prevent or change what had already happened.

After the steal, Tang Tian rushed to the frontcourt, and no one could catch up with him.

"Boom!"

A heavy dunk with both hands, Tang Tian showed no mercy and slammed the ball heavily into the basket.

111 all!

With only 45 seconds left in the game, the Pelicans had tied the score!

The two sides were standing on the same starting line!

Stevens punched the air excitedly.

Tang Tian's steals tonight were unbelievable, and he was using this point, betting on this point.

If Green had successfully passed the ball to Curry, then his arrangement would have been a complete defensive failure, but the Pelicans' players on the court had finally done it! Tang Tian had done it!

Kerr didn't call a timeout. The Warriors only had one timeout left.

The ball was in Curry's hands this time.

"Come on! Warriors!"

The fans on the scene were shouting, and only this way could they completely vent the nervous emotions in their hearts.

The atmosphere on the scene was overwhelming.

The players on the court were all giving their all.

The Warriors' players were giving their all to run the tactics, and the Pelicans' players were giving their all to defend.

At this moment, something unexpected happened. Tang Tian was pulled by Green while running around a screen, and his shoulder felt a sharp pain.

But this action was just blocked by Green's body, and the referee didn't blow his whistle.

The Warriors didn't screen out the tactic in the end, and Curry gave the ball to Durant to isolate Tang Tian.

Tang Tian's arm was aching faintly, and Green's pull had hurt him a lot.

Durant posted up Tang Tian and made a quick turnaround jump shot.

Tang Tian couldn't lift his right hand, and tried his best to block with his left hand, covering Durant's eyes.

Durant shot entirely by feeling.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound!

The ball went in!

Durant had made the shot over Tang Tian's defense!

Curry one, Durant one, after Thompson had scored 41 points, they both stepped up at the most crucial moment!

With 29 seconds left in the game, the Warriors had taken the most crucial 2-point lead!

Stevens called a timeout.

"Warriors! Warriors!"

During the timeout, the fans on the scene started to shout Warriors in unison.

Although the 22-point point difference had been chased down, they now had the most lethal 2-point lead.

As long as they defended the Pelicans' last possession, they would advance to Game 7!

At this moment, no one noticed Durant frowning slightly.

When Thompson scored, the fans on the scene shouted Thompson's name, and when he scored, the fans on the scene shouted Warriors.

Plus Green's previous attitude, he always felt like he couldn't integrate into the Warriors and Oakland.

But he quickly shook his head. Maybe it was just his illusion. They had to defend this last possession.

"Are you okay?"

On the other side of the court, after calling a timeout, Stevens didn't immediately arrange tactics, but instead went straight to Tang Tian and asked.

The referee didn't see it, but he saw it, and he also shouted at the referee, but the sound on the scene was too loud, and the referee didn't hear it at all.

Tang Tian shook his head, and then signaled the team doctor to come over and check him.

Only the player knew his own body. His arm hurt a lot when he lifted it.

Stevens quickly called the team doctor over. He arranged the tactics while Tang Tian listened on the side and let the team doctor examine him.

After spraying some pain-relieving spray, Tang Tian moved around and continued to take the court.

The last 29 seconds, the Pelicans' ball from the backcourt.

"Defense! Defense!"

The fans on the scene shouted in unison, and the atmosphere was overwhelming.

Holiday dribbled the ball to the frontcourt, and the Pelicans were running tactics.

Trailing by 2 points, the key now was to tie the score first.

Tang Tian was still heavily guarded, and Brogdon ran out of an opportunity on the other side.

Holiday passed the ball over, and Brogdon caught it.

The Warriors quickly retreated, and Brogdon's previous 3+1 was still fresh in their minds.

Brogdon's reaction was also quick. Seeing Thompson pounce, he faked a shot and went straight inside.

They were now trailing by 2 points, and had been chasing points non-stop in the second half. No matter from what point of view, tying the score and going into overtime was a good choice.

"Under the basket! Under the basket!"

Kerr also realized this and shouted from the sidelines.

At this moment, there was an off-ball movement on the court that no one paid much attention to.

Tang Tian moved from the right to the baseline.

He almost never ran there during the season, because that was basically Ariza and Holiday's spot.

But this time he did, and Brogdon saw it too.

A long throw.

Tang Tian had a three-point opportunity.

He saw Durant pouncing over, and then jumped up.

I have to marvel at the development of modern medicine. In the past, injuries could only be treated with painkillers, but now sprays could achieve the same effect.

His pain was already very light now.

And this position, he rarely did it after coming to the Pelicans, but he often did it with the Spurs.

Everything around him seemed to stand still, and he seemed to be back in the Spurs era, hearing Popovich's almost roaring shout in the distance.

"Shoot it in!"

The ball was released.

Durant's help defense was still slow.

The ball swirled in the air, drawing an arc.

"Swish!"

A crisp sound broke the barrier of time, and all the sounds came back in an instant.

Tang Tian, hit the game-winning three-pointer!

With only 8 seconds left in the game!

The Pelicans, took the lead!

The online forum exploded.

Oracle Arena exploded.

All the fans in front of the TV exploded.

The Pelicans, who had been trailing for almost the entire game, had taken the lead with 8 seconds left!

An unbelievable game!

A magical Tang Tian!

The eyes of the fans in Oracle Arena were full of despair.

Including this three-pointer, Tang Tian had "only" scored 29 points tonight.

This score was really not high for him.

But this three-pointer was really lethal.

Kerr reached out and called a timeout.

The Warriors now had one last chance.

A 1-point difference meant there would be no overtime, and one basket would determine the outcome.

The fans on the scene felt like they couldn't catch their breath. Apart from the sound of their own heart beating rapidly, it seemed like they couldn't hear anything else.

When the timeout ended, the Warriors passed the ball from the frontcourt.

Curry caught the ball, and there was a screen on the weak side for the Warriors.

Durant used Green's screen to get rid of Tang Tian.

Curry passed the ball, and Durant caught it.

The last 4 seconds, the time was just right.

Durant turned around and shot.

Catch and turn, 3 seconds.

Shoot, 2 seconds.

But at this moment, he saw a big hand covering his shooting vision, and the angle!

Anthony Davis!

Four years ago, when Tang Tian first came to New Orleans, his trainer, Procopio, had instructed Davis.

The evaluation he gave at the time was that Davis had the opportunity to become a bigger Durant.

In fact, he was a bigger one. In recent years, his height had grown to 2.11 meters, and his build had also become bigger.

If there was anyone who could limit Durant after he jumped up, that person was not Leonard, nor was it Tang Tian, but Davis.

Durant completely lost his angle, and he could only increase the arc.

The ball was released, but it was obviously short.

The eyes of the fans on the scene were already filled with despair. This damn Davis.

The ball was released, an air ball, and finally landed in Tang Tian's hands.

The next second, the final whistle sounded.

114 to 113!

The Pelicans completed a 22-point comeback, eliminated the Warriors with a total score of 4 to 2, and advanced to the Finals!