Chapter 1 Thanksgiving Battle

Thanksgiving is a very important holiday in the United States.

Counting his time in the NCAA, this was his eighth Thanksgiving in America since he transmigrated.

Of course, it wasn't his first time playing on Thanksgiving.

But unlike in the past, Olsen had brought the two kids to Dallas.

The two children were almost two years old and were already quite handsome and charming.

Olsen even posted photos and updates of them on Twitter, and the number of likes and retweets was considerable.

It was foreseeable that when they grew up, they would definitely be the new generation of internet celebrities.

The media hyped this Thanksgiving battle into a battle of the century, making it feel like Mars colliding with Earth.

But when Olsen appeared on the scene with his two children, it brought a different feeling to this heated game.

The American Airlines Center was already packed to the rafters.

Olsen and Tang Tian's two sons attracted a lot of attention from the fans.

NBA President Adam Silver also came to the scene, and his appearance also attracted the attention of some fans.

But when the players entered the court one after another, most people turned their attention to the inside.

This long-awaited battle was finally about to begin!

In the commentary booth, the TNT Big Three were already in place, and in the broadcast booths, commentators from various countries were also ready.

The attention paid to small-market teams continued to decline, but the collision of these super teams, especially with the Pelicans involved, was explosive.

The game was about to begin, and the players from both teams were doing their final warm-up drills on the court.

The camera constantly gave split-screen shots, and also highlighted the big trade between the two teams in the summer.

All the groundwork had been laid, and the air seemed to be filled with the smell of gunpowder.

However, in the tense atmosphere, there was a very interesting scene.

Jokic and Holiday, as former Pelicans players, wanted to go over and say hello to Tang Tian, but they were stopped by Embiid.

This made the already dramatic game even more interesting.

The opening ceremony soon began, and the starting players from both sides entered the court one after another.

Both teams were missing players in this game. The Pelicans were missing Rose (injury), and the Mavericks were missing Pachulia (suspension).

However, the absence of role players did not have a significant impact on the strength of either team.

The starting lineups for both sides were their strongest.

For the Mavericks, it was Conley and Holiday in the backcourt, Harris and Jokic on the front line, and Embiid at center.

For the Pelicans, it was Walker and Tang Tian in the backcourt, Butler and Davis on the front line, and Dedmon at center.

The game was about to begin, and the fans in the arena let out a burst of excited cheers, showing the enthusiasm of the cowboys.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was also among them, wearing his signature blue t-shirt, his face flushed with excitement.

Since winning the championship in 2011, the Mavericks had returned to their peak, and their strength was stronger than in any previous year.

Amidst the cheers of the fans, Embiid's long arms tipped the ball back to the Mavericks' half of the court, officially kicking off this highly anticipated Pelicans-Mavericks battle.

Conley held the ball at the top of the arc to orchestrate the offense.

The Mavericks had continuous off-ball screens and cuts on the weak side, and Embiid also came up to screen for Conley halfway through the play.

Carlisle's tactical level was second only to Popovich, even better than Stevens on the Pelicans' side.

Last season, the Mavericks only had Harris as a reliable off-ball scorer, making it easier to target their weak-side plays.

But with the addition of Holiday this season, they successfully activated the Pelicans' defense.

Davis and Butler were both switched out to the perimeter.

Conley seized the opportunity to execute a play with Embiid, breaking through to the paint and passing the ball to the trailing Embiid.

Embiid caught the ball, took a step to squeeze past Dedmon, and sent the ball into the basket.

Embiid was a modern-traditional hybrid center with shooting ability, combining physicality and skill, making it difficult for Dedmon to defend him one-on-one.

The Mavericks drew first blood.

The cheers in the arena were incessant.

The Hornets' weakness lay in two points: poor offense and poor defense.

The Pelicans' strength also lay in two points: fluid offense and impenetrable defense.

But from this opening possession, the Mavericks had the ability to break through the Pelicans' defense!

In the Pelicans' set offense, Walker and Davis ran a pick-and-roll, and the Mavericks provided help defense and double-teams.

Walker passed the ball to Butler, who cut to the basket and drew a shooting foul on Embiid.

Butler calmly made both free throws, and the Pelicans also scored 2 points.

The Mavericks generated an open look on a broken play in the frontcourt, but Harris missed the shot.

Back on the other end, the Pelicans ran the Walker-Davis pick-and-roll again, but Davis didn't rush to attack even though he had an opportunity.

He took a step to draw Harris' help defense, then passed the ball to Butler, who calmly hit a mid-range shot over the contesting Jokic.

The Mavericks' offensive execution was impressive to start, but the Pelicans' tactical approach was also very clear.

Just like how they created opportunities for Walker against the Hornets, Stevens was also consciously giving Butler more touches in this game.

And judging by the results, it wasn't bad either, as Butler had already scored 4 points to start the game.

But the Mavericks weren't falling behind either. Jokic facilitated from the high post and executed an inside-outside pass with Embiid, who caught the ball, turned, and slammed it home.

Embiid roared and pounded his chest after the dunk, and the emotions of the fans in the arena were instantly ignited.

"Swish!"

But before those emotions could fully rise, Tang Tian extinguished them with a cold three-pointer from beyond the arc.

Tang Tian was indeed a new generation road-game silencer.

That three-pointer was crucial, and the Pelicans' defensive morale also rose with it.

Even as the fans roared under the lead of the DJ, the Pelicans' defense remained impenetrable.

Embiid didn't have time to shoot in the paint, and the Mavericks were called for a 24-second violation.

There was a stir on the sidelines.

With that one offensive and defensive sequence, the Pelicans displayed their dominance.

And on the next possession, Davis backed down his former teammate Jokic in the low post, displaying solid footwork and a smooth bank shot.

The ball kissed off the glass and swished into the net.

9 to 4.

The Pelicans were beginning to take control of the game.

"Even though they both have a 17-0 record, there's a big difference in their point differential and on-court performance."

Shaquille O'Neal said with a smile from the commentary booth.

Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith both nodded in agreement, as O'Neal had hit the nail on the head.

This wasn't boasting, but an undeniable fact.

The Mavericks were strong, but there was still a gap between them and the Pelicans.

"Swish!"

However, before O'Neal could finish speaking, the Mavericks executed a play in the frontcourt.

Holiday cut backdoor and made a beautiful reverse cut to shake off Butler, then caught a pass from Jokic and drained a three-pointer.

It was a play between former Pelicans teammates, and Tang Tian's help defense was already there, but Holiday showed a big heart against his old team.

Barkley couldn't help but laugh out loud, as O'Neal had given the Mavericks a boost.

But after laughing, he also realized something.

The Mavericks had the ability to fight the Pelicans.

And as the game progressed, and the two teams tied at 36-34 at the end of the first quarter, he raised his assessment slightly.

"They are evenly matched opponents."

He made a judgment.