Chapter 1223: Arrogant Soldiers Will Be Defeated (Happy Teachers’ Day!)

2-0, and the Pelicans are leading. No one would have thought of this big score before the game.

Especially when Gasol was injured in the first game.

But the reality is this, and this also proves one thing: the playoffs are the stage for superstars.

The Pelicans have one of the strongest superstars.

Now the Pelicans' promotion situation is bright. As long as they win the next game, they can take a 3-0 lead with a big score.

No team in history has ever achieved a 0-3 comeback. Winning the next game basically means winning the series.

And this opportunity is great, because according to the schedule, the next two games are played in New Orleans.

The next morning, the entire Pelicans team flew back to New Orleans to prepare for the next two games.

In the afternoon training session, the players looked very relaxed, which was completely different from the seriousness before the start of the series.

This is also a reasonable change.

Even before the playoffs started, Stevens showed the Pelicans a live broadcast of the first-round game between the Spurs and Rockets.

Even through the screen, they all felt the pressure.

Therefore, when they played against the Warriors in the first round, including against the Spurs in the first two games, they tightened their nerves and gave their best.

Davis's explosion in the first game and his high-intensity defense in the second game were both the result of all-out effort.

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

Tang Tian did not show up at the training ground. He rushed home after returning to New Orleans.

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

After two days of rest, Game 3 of the Pelicans-Spurs series began in New Orleans.

The New Orleans Arena was packed and the fans were more enthusiastic than they'd ever been during the season.

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

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

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

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

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

And be proud, and if you think more deeply, if you sweep the Spurs, beating the Lakers will definitely be no problem.

This Pelicans team is not underestimated at all, but completely underestimated.

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

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

In this atmosphere, the game between the two teams officially started.

Popovich changed his lineup this time. He replaced Baynes as the starter with Bertans, who was strong in offense and weak in defense, and played a lineup with one large and four small.

Davis beat Aldridge to death in the first game, and Popovich's change of formation was like pitting the two against each other again.

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

Fans were even more excited to see this.

Stevens was also surprised, and there was a look of confidence 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 used the lineup of one large and four small from the previous game.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Davis returned the ball from Aldridge's head back to the Pelicans half, officially kicking off the game.

Tang Tian's pull-up jumper after breaking through in the frontcourt gave the Pelicans the lead.

Everything developed as expected by the fans at the scene.

But as the game progressed, the situation became uncomfortable.

The Pelicans seemed a little overconfident, and their offensive performance, especially the handling of details, was obviously not as good as the previous two games.

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

And as the game progressed, the reasons for Popovich's lineup adjustment also became apparent.

Gasol was injured and couldn't play, so Stevens used one senior and four juniors, and Davis played center.

Davis' offensive flexibility is a great advantage against Aldridge, but he suffers from weight loss on the defensive end. Siakam's defense is crucial.

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

But Popovich started this game with Bertans, and the latter also lived up to his expectations and made a three-pointer in the opening game.

This time the Spurs have more space on the offensive end, and Siakam's defensive role is obviously weakened.

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

Davis quickly committed two fouls, and the Pelicans' defense was unable to withstand it.

There's something wrong with the offense, and there's something wrong with the defense.

The difficulties faced in this game surprised Stevens and Tang Tian.

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

In the end, the Spurs defeated the Pelicans 103-91 on the road and tied the score to 1-2.

Leonard and George scored 58 points together and were the top contributors to the Spurs' victory. Aldridge also had an outstanding performance with 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+ points in two consecutive games in the playoffs, the loss made this record eclipsed.

After the game, fans on social media were also talking about it.

"In the history of the NBA, there are many teams that 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 if you mention it!"

"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 cannot bear to play like this, and Harrell is too short."

"Arrogant soldiers will be defeated. I was at the scene and I felt that excessive self-confidence from all directions. This is really fatal!"

"Yeah, I heard the home commentator was analyzing how to beat the Lakers in the next round before the game!"

"This loss is really fatal. Originally, the Pelicans had a very good chance of winning in one go. Now if the series is dragged on, the Spurs' advantage will gradually be reflected."

"In the past, the Spurs were brought down by others, but now they have a strong team and Popovich likes to play a protracted game the most!"

"Don has done everything he has done. I hope Gasol will come back soon!"

…

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

Playing with a relaxed mood, but got a slap in the face. From the coaching staff to the players, it will probably take some time to recover.

Moreover, they knew internally that Gasol's sprained foot was somewhat serious and that he was still at least a week away from his return.

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

Tang Tian came back from attending the press conference and saw that the team members had not left yet.

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

"I have to apologize to everyone."

Walking into the locker room, the first words Tang Tian said made everyone look up in surprise.

Everyone's performance in this game 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?