The invincible kryptonite of basketball

But now that two games have been played and both away games have been won, the mentality of the players is naturally relaxed.

Tang Tian didn't show up at the training ground. After returning to New Orleans, he rushed home.

He went to play away games two days after the baby was born, which was really torture for him.

After a two-day break, Game [-] of the Pelicans-Spurs series kicks off in New Orleans.

The arena in New Orleans was packed, and the fans were more enthusiastic than ever in the season.

Not only the players, but also the fans are more confident than ever.

You must know that the opposite is the Spurs led by Leonard George and Popovich.

But the Pelicans not only grabbed the home court advantage, but also won two away games in a row.

That means they have a chance not only to win the series, but even to sweep the Spurs.

Sweeping the 70-win Spurs sounds like a cool thing.

And be more proud, and if you think about it a little deeper, if you sweep the Spurs, it will definitely not be a problem to beat the Lakers.

This Pelicans team is not a little underrated, it's totally underrated.

Although their strength is not as good as when they won 80 last season, they are still the number one team in the league!

So from the players to the fans, the faces are full of confidence.

In such an atmosphere, the game between the two teams officially kicked off.

Popovich changed his lineup this time. He replaced Baines with Bertans, who was strong in offense and weak in defense, as the starter, playing a lineup of one big and four small.

Davis blasted Aldridge in the first game, and Popovich's change of formation is equivalent to making the two match up again.

And the inside combination of Bertans and Aldridge, this defense will be a huge problem.

Fans are even more excited to see this.

Stevens was also surprised, and there was a look of self-confidence that couldn't be hidden in his eyes.

The Pelicans won the first two games, and even Popovich was a little confused.

For the Pelicans, Gasol came to the scene, but he still couldn't play in a suit. Stevens continued to use the lineup of one big and four small in the previous game.

Amidst the cheers of the fans, Davis dialed back from Aldridge's head back to the Pelicans halftime, officially kicking off the game.

Tang Tian's emergency stop jumper after a breakthrough in the frontcourt gave the Pelicans the lead.

Everything is developing as expected by the fans at the scene.

But as the game progressed, the situation became unsatisfactory.

The Pelicans seem a bit overconfident, and their offensive performance, especially the handling of details, is obviously not as good as the previous two games.

There were several mistakes in offensive coordination, and the Spurs caught them and played a defensive counterattack.

And as the game deepened, the reasons for Popovich's lineup adjustments were also revealed.

Gasol was injured and couldn't play, Stevens used one big and four small, and Davis played center.

Davis' offensive flexibility has an advantage over Aldridge, but he suffers from a defensive weight loss, and Siakam's defense is key.

The Pelicans could limit the Spurs to only 88 points in the last game. Siakam's performance on the defensive end is very important.

But Popovich used Bertans to start this game, and the latter also lived up to it, scoring a three-pointer at the beginning.

Now that the space on the offensive end of the Spurs came out, Siakam's defense effect was significantly weakened.

The Spurs took advantage of this and kept hitting the basket.

Davis quickly made two fouls, and the Pelicans' defense was a little overwhelmed.

There is a problem with the offense, and there is a problem with the defense.

The difficulties faced in this match made Stevens and Tang Tian a little unexpected.

Despite his efforts to score points, the Pelicans have never been able to regain this momentum.

In the end, the Spurs defeated the Pelicans 103-91 away, tying the score to 1-2.

Leonard and George scored 58 points together, which was the number one contributor to the Spurs' victory. Aldridge also had 17 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists.

Tang Tiantian scored 51 points, 11 rebounds and 6 assists.

Although he became the second player after Jordan to score 50+ in two consecutive games in the playoffs, the loss made this record bleak.

After the game, there was a lot of discussion among fans on social media.

"In the history of the NBA, it is not uncommon to win two away games first and then lose the series. The most recent one was the Rockets in 2005, Yao Mai's team."

"Huo Mi, please don't mention it, it will hurt your heart!"

"Ginger is still old and hot. Popovich's tactics completely suppressed Stevens."

"The disadvantages of Gasol's absence have also emerged. The Pelicans are too weak inside. Davis can't bear to play like this, and Harrell is too short."

"Arrogant soldiers must be defeated. I am at the scene, and I can feel that kind of excessive self-confidence from all directions. This is really fatal!"

"Yeah, I heard the home commentator analyze how to play the Lakers in the next round before the game!"

"This loss is really fatal. At first, the Pelicans had a great chance of winning. Now that the series is dragged on, the Spurs' advantages will gradually be manifested."

"In the past, the Spurs were dragged down by others, but now they are strong and strong. Popovich likes to play protracted games the most!"

"Don also did everything he did, I hope Gasol will come back soon!"

……

The Pelicans locker room after the game was a bit dull.

Playing with a relaxed mood, but suffered a sap, from the coaching staff to the players, it may take some time to recover.

And they internally know that Gasol's ankle is a bit serious, and there is at least a week before his comeback.

At that time, it was unknown what the outcome of the game would be.

When Tang Tian came back from the press conference, he saw that the team members hadn't left yet.

It seems that losing such a game really made them depressed.

"I have to apologize to everyone."

Walking into the locker room, Tang Tian's first sentence made everyone look up in surprise.

Everyone's performance in this round was not good, except for Tang Tian.

Without Tang Tian's crazy scoring, with their performance, the game might have been spent in three quarters.

But Tang Tian is apologizing to them now?

The first thousand 260 chapters line up to apologize

"Because my child was just born, I put all my thoughts on that aspect. I am responsible for the loss of this game."

Tang Tian explained what he said next.

It is human nature to care about family members.

But as the boss of the team, the due date is set before the due date, so he should plan ahead.

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

If he can participate in training, not only can he keep his hand feeling good, but he can also perceive the overly relaxed state of his teammates during training, and remind him in time, the Pelicans will not lose tonight.

It sounds harsh, but he is the boss of the team 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 followed suit to take the blame.

Tang Tian was fighting alone tonight. As the second leader of the team, he failed to give enough support.

"It's because I didn't do a good job in co-defense. It's my problem to let AD fight alone in the paint."

Siakam followed suit.

"No, boss, I missed the shot."

Brogdon said hurriedly.

"Don, we didn't do a good job. You have already done what you can."

Green also looked at Tang Tian and said.

The other team members also spoke one after another.

They had been holding it in their hearts before, but now they had the opportunity to speak up, and they all vented that negative emotion.

Although it was a way of self-criticism, I have to say that after speaking out, their spirits improved a lot.

Seeing the reaction of the team members, Tang Tian was very relieved.

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

It's not terrible to make mistakes, the key is what to do after you make a mistake.

"Tonight we are arrogant soldiers, and arrogant soldiers will be defeated, but fortunately it is not too late, we still have a chance to prove ourselves, just two days later, right here."

Tang Tian's next words were very calm, but what he said was that the blood of the Pelicans was boiling.

Although they lost their first home game, they still played at home in the next game. They won this game with a big score of 3 to 1.

Their advantage will still be great, and the big lead will not make them feel psychologically burdened during the game.

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

"Yay! Get rid of them!"

Kuzma was the first to yell.

After all, he is a hot-blooded boy.

"We can do it."

Siakam also echoed. Although he entered the league a year earlier than Kuzma, he is actually one year younger than Kuzma.

Robinson and Brogdon also shouted.

Soon there was shouting in the locker room.

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

Davis didn't speak, but raised his hand secretly, but his eyes were firmer than ever before.

They are already on the road to four consecutive championships, and they have covered the thorns in front of them, and there is no reason to go back.

Green, on the other hand, couldn't help laughing as he looked at a group of encouraged teammates and Tang Tian.

Back then, Tang Tian was a top-notch "multilevel seller" in the Spurs, but now he's even more proficient in the Pelicans.

However, I have to say that Tang Tian has his ability, and everything he said hits the point, and the fighting spirit of a veteran like him is also ignited.

After shouting, the team members took a shower excitedly.

After a while, the door of the locker room was pushed open.

It's Stevens.

He came in with a serious face, but when he saw the high spirits of the players, he thought he had entered the wrong locker room.

After stepping back and looking at the home team logo on the top of the door, and then at those familiar faces, I was sure that I had gone the right way.

Turning back and closing the door of the locker room, Stevens put the tactical board aside first, and then spoke.

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

The first thing Stevens said was an apology.

There is nothing wrong with what he said. In addition to the performance of the players tonight, his tactics and strategies were suppressed to a large extent.

But after he finished speaking, the locker room burst into laughter.

This abnormal behavior made him unable to react for a long time.