Chapter 183 Semifinals

The Pelicans and the Trail Blazers were the last pair to be determined for the semifinals.

Before that, all the first-round games had already ended, and even the second round had already begun.

In the West, in another matchup, the Mavericks eliminated the Jazz 4-1, and the Warriors eliminated the Thunder 4-2. The two teams met in the second round.

Before the Pelicans and the Trail Blazers, their first contest had already concluded, with the Mavericks narrowly losing to the Warriors 103-106.

In the East, after the Cavaliers swept the Magic 4-0, they waited for a while and welcomed the Nets, who had won a Game 7.

Their game would be held on the same day as the Pelicans and Trail Blazers game.

In another semifinal matchup, the Bucks swept the Heat 4-0, and the Raptors defeated the Pacers 4-2. The Bucks and the Raptors met head-on.

The first game between the two teams had also ended, with the Bucks ultimately defeating the Raptors 108-91, continuing their strong performance.

If they continued at this pace, their Eastern Conference Finals against the Cavaliers would be highly anticipated.

If the Bucks really won, the Pelicans would be playing against this opponent they had abused to the point of existential doubt in the Finals.

However, the Eastern and Western Conference Semifinals had just begun, and it was still too early to say anything.

The same was true for the Pelicans; the Trail Blazers had been in great form since the All-Star Game, and they had taken it to another level in the playoffs.

To win the championship and complete a three-peat dynasty, this was the opponent they had to defeat.

Moreover, they had to defeat them with a complete victory, or rather, a sweep.

The first game of the semifinals was held in New Orleans.

The day before the game, the Trail Blazers, who had just finished their Game 7 battle a few days prior, flew to New Orleans.

And they started training soon after arriving.

This also attracted a lot of media attention.

The Trail Blazers' training lasted for two hours, with the first hour and a half closed to the public and the last half hour open.

After the training, reporters swarmed in, surrounding the Trail Blazers' coach Terry Stotts and the team's core player, Damian Lillard.

"Damian, some people say that the Rockets should have been on this court. You guys relied on luck to defeat them and get here. What do you think?"

The reporter who asked the question first was from FOX, and the question was quite aggressive.

"But we're the ones standing here now, aren't we?"

Lillard had a strange霸气 (bàqì, domineering aura) when he spoke.

"This is the NBA. Luck can help you get to the playoffs, but luck won't help you beat the Rockets."

Lillard's next words made the reporter not even dare to ask any further questions.

This momentum was exactly the same as what he showed on the court, something ingrained in his bones.

"Is the team confident in defeating the Pelicans tomorrow night?"

An ESPN reporter asked a more conventional question.

"Yes, but we have to go all out. We all know how strong the Pelicans are, but no matter how strong the opponent is, we have confidence."

Lillard's answer was neither arrogant nor humble, and he didn't talk big either. He really had personal charm.

"We all know that during the All-Star Game, Tang chose you to be on his team, or rather, he chose you over George. Will that experience affect your performance tonight?"

A TNT reporter asked a more interesting question.

"Yes, that was very interesting. He believed in me, and I repaid his trust with my performance in the All-Star Game. That kind of experience will inspire me, and I will play even better in tomorrow night's game."

Unlike Green and Whiteside, Lillard was really positive and full of energy.

This kind of answer also made fans look forward to tomorrow night's game even more, because it sounded like the kind of game where men would fight each other with real swords and guns.

The Pelicans also arranged daily training today, but it was completely closed off.

Stevens hoped that the players would get nervous before the game.

After all, they had rested for nearly a week after finishing the first round.

After training that day, Tang Tian was just about to drive back to the manor when he received a call from Karl.

The content of what Karl said was concise, but he paused for a while after hearing it.

Dan Fegan.

His agent had a car accident and died.

Although Fegan was relatively greedy, he hadn't crossed the line after Tang Tian had warned him a few times.

As his agent, he had been conscientious for 7 years and could be said to be the most trusted person outside of his team.

But now he had died in a car accident.

This news was really too sudden. Before, Benson was seriously ill and could die at any time, but Fegan was living well.

This was really like the saying that you never know which one will come first, tomorrow or an accident.

After hanging up the phone, Tang Tian said hello to Olsen and Stevens and drove directly to the airport.

Karl was already waiting for him there.

Fegan had the car accident in Los Angeles. His family was all there now, and he had to go and offer his condolences in person.

It was already past 9 p.m. when Tang Tian arrived.

Fegan's family was still at the hospital.

Seeing Tang Tian come, Fegan's wife was very surprised. Although her eyes were red and swollen, she still came over to thank Tang Tian.

Tang Tian also comforted them for a long time.

Besides Fegan, his 5-year-old son was also in the operating room undergoing rescue.

Money was not an issue for Fegan, as a well-known NBA agent, especially after becoming his agent.

Tang Tian asked Karl to contact some famous local doctors in Los Angeles. His team had a wide network of contacts in this area.

It was already past 11 p.m. when they left the hospital in Los Angeles.

There were no more flights back to New Orleans, so they planned to go back the next morning.

Tang Tian took a shower, changed his clothes, and called Karl to his room.

Fegan's death was very sudden, and the timing was also troublesome.

The playoffs had already reached the conference semifinals, followed by the conference finals, and after the finals, it would be the offseason.

The offseason was a time for players to rest, but it was the busiest time for agents.

Before that came, Tang Tian had to finalize the matter of the new agent first.

"I'm planning to have you be my new agent."

Karl was very surprised when Tang Tian told him this news.

Although he was already the most core member of Tang Tian's team, he had never been an agent before!

"Boss, I think from a benefit point of view, we should still look for a professional and well-known new agent."

Karl was originally just a college student who was spotted by Tang Tian because he was good at filming. Then, with his excellent work ability, he gradually became the core of Tang Tian's team.

He was very loyal to Tang Tian.

Becoming Tang Tian's agent meant a lot of commissions, but he still suggested that Tang Tian choose the most suitable person.

"I know your ability. It won't take long to start from scratch. I want you to become like Rich Paul."

Tang Tian's next words shocked Karl, but also excited him.

Rich Paul can be said to be the most special existence in the league. He is both James' agent and the core of James' team.

Even now, he is very popular in the league's agent circle, a typical representative of a poor boy becoming a rich man.

He is also called 富保罗 (Fù Bǎo Luó, Rich Paul) by many people.

Tang Tian now wanted him to become like Rich Paul, which was not only trust but also expectation for him.

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