"Because my child was just born, all my attention was focused on that, I'm responsible for the loss in this game."

Tang Tian then explained what he meant.

Focusing on family is human nature.

But as the team leader, the due date was set long ago, and he should have planned ahead.

And it did affect the team. He missed several training sessions, and the first thing he did when he got back to New Orleans was go home.

If he could have participated in training, not only would he have maintained his touch, but he would also have noticed the overly relaxed state of his teammates during training and reminded them in time. The Pelicans wouldn't have lost tonight.

It sounds a bit harsh, but he's the team leader, and these things are his responsibility.

"No, it's my fault, I didn't play well tonight."

As soon as Tang Tian finished speaking, Davis took the blame.

Tonight, Tang Tian was fighting alone. As the team's second-in-command, he didn't provide enough support.

"I didn't do a good job of helping out, leaving AD to fight alone inside. It's my problem," Siakam said.

"No, boss, I didn't make my shots," Brogdon interjected.

"Tang, it's our fault. You've done all you can," Green said, looking at Tang Tian.

The other players also spoke up one after another.

They had been holding it in, and now that they had the opportunity to speak, they all vented their negative emotions.

Although it was in the form of self-criticism, they felt much better after speaking out.

Tang Tian was much relieved to see the players' reaction.

No one is perfect, and everyone makes mistakes, including himself.

Making mistakes isn't scary; the key is what you do after making them.

"Tonight we were arrogant soldiers, and arrogance leads to defeat. But fortunately, it's not too late. We still have a chance to prove ourselves, in two days, right here."

Tang Tian's words were calm, but they made the Pelicans' players' blood boil.

Although they lost their first home game, they were still playing at home in the next game, and if they won, they would be up 3-1 in the series.

Their advantage would still be significant, and the lead in the series wouldn't put any psychological pressure on them during the game.

"So guys, winning that game is the best redemption for ourselves."

"Yeah! Beat them!"

Kuzma was the first to shout out.

After all, he was a passionate young man.

"We can do it."

Siakam also echoed, although he entered the league a year earlier than Kuzma, he was actually a year younger than Kuzma.

Robinson, Brogdon, and the others also shouted loudly.

The locker room was soon filled with shouts.

Tang Tian's words had reignited their fighting spirit and confidence.

Davis didn't say anything, just secretly raised his hand, but his eyes were more determined than ever.

They were already on the road to a four-peat, and they had cleared the thorns in front of them. There was no reason to retreat.

As for Green, he looked at the excited teammates and then at Tang Tian, and couldn't help but smile.

Back in the Spurs, Tang Tian was a top "salesman," and now he was even more skilled in the Pelicans.

But it must be said that Tang Tian had his abilities, and his words were all on point. Even an old player like him had his fighting spirit ignited.

After shouting, the players excitedly took showers.

Before long, the locker room door was pushed open.

It was Stevens.

He came in with a solemn expression, but when he saw the players looking so spirited, he thought he had entered the wrong locker room.

He went back to look at the home team logo on top of the door, and then looked at the familiar faces, before confirming that he hadn't gone to the wrong place.

Turning around to close the locker room door, Stevens first put the tactical board aside, and then spoke.

"The loss in this game is my responsibility. I didn't expect the Spurs' tactical adjustments, and I didn't make good responses during the game."

Stevens' first words were an apology.

What he said was also true. In addition to the players' performance, the suppression of his tactics and strategy was also a major reason.

But after he finished speaking, there was laughter in the locker room.

This abnormal reaction left him unable to react for a long time.

"Coach, Tang has already led us in self-criticism."

Davis didn't laugh, but he quickly explained to Stevens.

"Yes, we've turned the page. We will do our best in the next game to defeat them!"

Kuzma's blood was boiling again.

"Yes, we will win the next home game!"

"We will definitely win!"

…

As a result, the locker room, which had just calmed down, was filled with shouts again.

Stevens didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

He turned to look at Tang Tian.

He had originally prepared a lot of encouraging words, and even considered asking Tang Tian to say something if it didn't work.

Now, the middle process was skipped, and Tang Tian had directly taken care of it.

It must be said that being Tang Tian's coach sometimes really saved a lot of trouble.

He smiled and skipped this process directly, and then began to talk about the tactical arrangements for the next game.

"Mitchell, you'll be starting in the next game."

His first words startled Robinson, but the next second, he nodded vigorously, his eyes full of fighting spirit.

He hadn't played at all in the playoffs except for garbage time. It must be said that Stevens was very bold in his personnel decisions.

But this was the best response he could think of.

Gasol couldn't play, Harrell was too short, and Davis would be at a disadvantage playing center. Robinson was his only choice.

And a big reason he dared to do this was that Robinson wasn't like many rookies who had never played before.

At the end of the season, he vigorously trained the substitutes regardless of the record, and Robinson had a very bright performance. If he hadn't played enough games, he would have been this year's block leader.

"Remember, don't jump around, positioning and rebounding first."

Stevens still gave an extra reminder.

After all, Robinson was a rookie. Although he had a lot of blocks, he also had a lot of fouls. A big reason was that he liked to jump around.

"AD, Montrezl, Pascal, you still have to be prepared to play more."

After Stevens finished speaking, he turned to Harrell and Siakam and said.

Robinson was just a pseudo-starter, and it was unknown how well he would play. At critical moments, they still had to rely on the three major inside players.

"Mark will need some more time to recover. Our inside defense will be the top priority of the game, and this is also our opportunity. The Spurs penetrate too deeply, and their transition defense will be a problem. We must seize the opportunity to play more fast breaks."

Although he was a bit dazed tonight, it must be said that Stevens' tactical and technical abilities were truly outstanding.

In such a short period of time, he reacted, formulated targeted tactics, and emphasized the key points.

The Pelicans really made a profit when they followed Tang Tian's advice and poached him from Boston.