After the timeout, Popovich changed his lineup again, replacing Bertans with Forbes, and returning to a lineup with one big and four small players.

However, this change allowed George and Leonard to swing to the small forward and power forward positions, weakening their defense against Tang Tian.

It was a clear signal that since they couldn't defend Tang Tian no matter what they tried, they simply wouldn't defend him and would go for an all-out offensive battle.

No matter how strong Tang Tian was, he only had one shot opportunity per possession.

Given the Spurs' form tonight, an all-out offensive battle might not be without its chances.

Popovich's strategy quickly paid off. The Spurs' offense was hot tonight, and they engaged in another offensive battle with the Pelicans for the next half-quarter.

At the end of the third quarter, the score was 90-94.

Although the Pelicans scored 40 points in the quarter, driven by Tang Tian's 27 points in the quarter, the Spurs were only 4 points behind.

The outcome was still uncertain.

In the crucial fourth quarter, amid cheers from the home fans, the Spurs, led by George, once again launched a surge and established a lead.

The situation in the third quarter was replayed in the final quarter, and the scores of the two teams remained deadlocked until the end of the game.

Although the Pelicans' form tonight was the same as in the previous game, the Spurs did play well tonight.

Especially Leonard, who had broken his previous playoff single-game record of 43 points and raised the record by a whole level, reaching 50 points.

On the other side, Tang Tian had also scored a season playoff high of 60 points.

The two sides were putting on a duel between gods.

With 30 seconds left in the game, Leonard made a difficult layup, scoring his 52nd point and helping the Spurs tie the score at 125.

Stevens called a timeout.

The fans felt their breathing stop.

This game was truly epic, and it was definitely a candidate for the best game of the year.

After the timeout, Brogdon held the ball on the perimeter to kill time. When there were about 10 seconds left, Tang Tian ran out to receive the ball and then accelerated to break through.

Spurs' White, George, and Leonard surrounded him.

Tang Tian didn't choose to pass the ball. He broke through from the right, creating a sliver of offensive space for himself, and then jumped up for his signature turnaround fadeaway along the baseline.

George and Leonard both lunged forward, their long arms crossing.

This shot was difficult.

Tang Tian's fadeaway was also very exaggerated.

After the ball was released, it passed over the fingertips of George and Leonard, in the unwilling eyes of the fans at the scene.

"Swish!"

The basketball went into the net cleanly.

The form was as beautiful as a painting!

127 to 125!

Tang Tian made the go-ahead basket!

Popovich reached out and called a timeout.

With only 9 seconds left in the game, the Spurs had to score on their next possession.

Either a game-winning shot or overtime.

It depended on what Popovich chose.

After the timeout, there were more lineup adjustments on the Spurs' side. Popovich brought Baynes in.

George passed the ball inbounds from the frontcourt, and Leonard ran out to receive it.

Popovich didn't resort to any tricky tactics in the end, simply giving the ball to Leonard, who was in the best form tonight.

But the next second, the arena was in an uproar.

Because the Pelicans clearly had a defensive strategy as well. Tang Tian was now defending Leonard!

Leonard didn't choose to pass the ball, taking the ball and attacking directly.

The two battled from the three-point line to the free-throw line. Leonard had the advantage in physique, but Tang Tian's defensive skills and abilities were top-notch, making it difficult for him to go any further inside.

With only 4 seconds left, Leonard chose a sudden pull-up jumper.

This sudden stop created shooting space for him, but Tang Tian pounced on him the next second to provide interference.

Leonard shot over the defense.

The fans at the scene held their breath, all looking at the ball in the air.

The ball passed over Tang Tian's fingertips, but it looked a bit short.

It was clear that the defensive pressure Tang Tian provided was too great, and Leonard wasn't able to get off a comfortable shot.

"Clang!"

The ball hit the front of the rim and bounced out!

Leonard's game-winning shot failed!

The eyes of the fans at the scene were full of despair.

The Spurs were eliminated!

But just then, Baynes used his height advantage to grab the offensive rebound, and then flicked it to George on the outside!

Popovich's last substitution was brilliant!

There were still 2 seconds left.

George took the ball and saw Green helping on defense. He hesitated for a moment and didn't shoot, then threw it to Leonard, who had run back to the three-point line.

Leonard received a hot potato, with no time to adjust, and shot directly.

As soon as the ball was released, the red light on the sidelines came on.

This time, more than just their breath, the fans at the scene felt like their hearts were about to stop.

This game was too thrilling.

"Clang!"

The ball hit the back of the rim and bounced up.

It was clear that the hasty shot at the last moment didn't give Leonard much room to adjust.

But the ball bounced up and then fell, sliding in along the edge of the rim.

That feeling was like saying you're just going to rub it and not go in, but in the end, it just slid in!

Leonard hit a three-pointer to win the game against the Pelicans!

The arena exploded in an instant, and the fans all jumped up from their seats and roared.

Leonard had pulled the Spurs back from the edge of the cliff!

The Spurs' bench was also in a frenzy.

Even Popovich waved his fist excitedly.

"Incredible!"

Kenny Smith exclaimed from the commentary booth.

Leonard's last three-point shot was incredible, and his performance of 55 points tonight was even more incredible.

The faces of the Pelicans' players were mostly helpless.

They were the ones who used to make game-winning shots, not the other way around.

Davis's expression at this time was even more self-blaming. If he could have secured the final defensive rebound, the Pelicans would have been advancing to the Western Conference Finals right now.

But the game was over, and Stevens's request for a video replay confirmed that Leonard's game-winning shot was not after the buzzer.

The two sides would return to New Orleans for the sixth game of the series.

Tang Tian saw Davis's frustrated expression, went over and patted him on the shoulder, and rubbed his head.

"Game-winning shots are luck shots. This should be their win. We'll win it back in the next game."

Davis nodded when he heard Tang Tian's words.

The final shot was indeed a luck shot as Tang Tian said, so losing this game was nothing. What he feared was losing momentum and losing consecutive games.

Most of the comebacks and upsets in the NBA playoffs came from this.

The Spurs were celebrating on the other side. Tang Tian pulled the players together and said some encouraging words to stabilize their morale.

After all of this was over, the celebration was almost over, and the two teams exchanged the final handshake.

Tang Tian shook hands with the Spurs' players one after another, including Popovich.

The old man was in a good mood. Winning this game was crucial for the Spurs.

When it was time to shake hands with Leonard, Tang Tian reached out and gave him a hug.

"I know, he will see it."

Tang Tian said while hugging him.

"Yes, he helped me."

Leonard also said.

Today was actually a very special day for Leonard because it was his father's birthday.

The final game-winning shot, as Leonard said, was his father helping him in the dark.