Chapter 80 Not a Good Sign

Time wasn't on the Spurs' side anymore; no head coach could change that at this point.

Popovich brought Ginobili back in to try for a last-gasp three-pointer.

Ginobili's shot was straight, but too strong. The ball bounced high off the back of the rim, and Davis grabbed the defensive rebound.

The Spurs didn't foul, and both sides gave up.

Davis passed the ball to Tang Tian, who dribbled it past half-court and tossed it into the air as the final buzzer sounded.

The Pelicans won the second game, tying the series 1-1.

Tang Tian exploded for 24 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 45 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists, nearly dropping another 50+ on the Spurs.

Davis had a stellar performance with 15 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 2 steals, while Jokic hit 4 three-pointers, contributing a playoff career-high of 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

For the Spurs, Leonard, Ginobili, and Gasol all scored 20+ points, but it wasn't enough to secure the win.

After the game, the players exchanged handshakes.

When Popovich embraced Tang Tian, he gave him a meaningful look.

It seemed the old man would have to come up with new ways to deal with the Pelicans in the next game.

After the game, the players celebrated in the locker room.

Jokic was the unfortunate target this time, the shy player being held down and stripped of his towel by his teammates.

Tang Tian shook his head at the scene.

He didn't know when the Pelicans' atmosphere had started to develop in such a strange direction!

Whiteside didn't participate in the celebration, returning home shortly after showering.

He only played 25 minutes in the game, getting 6 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks, which was clearly not what he wanted.

But this was an unavoidable part of competition; after all, there was only one center position, but Whiteside and Jokic were two people.

With the first two games concluded, the Pelicans and Spurs would move to San Antonio for the next two games.

For the Pelicans, the worst they could accept was winning one of the two games.

That way, they would have home-court advantage whether they played a Game 5 or a Game 7.

Winning the second game was crucial, and they were confident they could do it.

After two days of rest, the Pelicans flew to San Antonio with confidence.

Tang Tian was very familiar with the city, and this was also the first time he would play a playoff game here as a Pelicans player, as a visiting player.

The feeling was indeed a little different.

During the opening ceremony, when Tang Tian was introduced, the San Antonio fans no longer booed him.

Having learned the truth, they cheered for Tang Tian.

Tang Tian waved to the fans.

The misunderstanding had long been washed away by time, and he held no hatred for the fans.

Now, he was back here as an opponent, and as a former Finals MVP who had contributed to the Spurs' two championships.

With the first two games tied 1-1, this game was crucial for both sides.

At the start of the game, both teams went all out, and the situation was the same as the first two games, with a stalemate from the beginning.

The first quarter ended in a 21-21 tie; other than the low score, it was a draw in every way.

In the second quarter, Ginobili once again became the game-changer off the bench, scoring 7 points and assisting 3 times in just a few minutes, helping the Spurs open up a double-digit lead.

He truly embodied the saying "old soldiers never die."

On the Pelicans' side, Jokic's touch was noticeably worse than in the first two games.

Back in the second quarter, Tang Tian continued to display his superstar ability, scoring consecutive points to help the Pelicans close the gap.

However, at a critical moment, Whiteside made consecutive defensive mistakes, abruptly halting the Pelicans' momentum.

When Tang Tian saw this, he didn't just feel anger, but also an uncontrollable disappointment.

When he visited Whiteside's home last time, he had thought Whiteside was the kind of player who could take on big responsibilities.

But now it seemed he had overestimated Whiteside.

Moreover, he was the one who had helped Whiteside get into the Pelicans and then helped him gain a foothold in the team.

That feeling of disappointment was truly overwhelming.

In the second half, thanks to the performance of Tang Tian and Davis, the Pelicans closed the gap to 10 points.

However, Jokic still hadn't found his touch in the crucial final quarter, and the Pelicans ultimately failed to catch up, losing the third game.

After the game, Williams once again spoke with Whiteside, but this time the conversation didn't seem to go well.

After two days of rest, the fourth game between the Pelicans and Spurs continued at the AT&T Center.

In this game, Williams made adjustments to the starting lineup, replacing the underperforming Whiteside with Jokic as the team's starting center.

The adjustment worked well.

Although Jokic's touch wasn't great, his passing and pick-and-rolls greatly helped the Pelicans.

For the first time, the Pelicans led 26-20 after the first quarter.

However, Whiteside really didn't have a good head on his shoulders; after being demoted to the bench, he didn't reflect on his performance and continued to play terribly.

The Spurs took the opportunity to tie the game and take the lead.

In the second half, Williams simply stopped using him, instead using McGee.

McGee was efficient in limited minutes, and the Pelicans trailed the Spurs by only 5 points at the end of the third quarter.

In the crucial fourth quarter, Tang Tian continued to score efficiently, adding 18 points and showing the demeanor of a "king of the fourth quarter."

But this time, someone on the Spurs stepped up to trade baskets with him.

Leonard, after being suppressed by Tang Tian for three consecutive games, finally broke out in this game, scoring 13 points in the final quarter.

His outstanding performance helped the Spurs stabilize the situation, and with Jokic still unable to find his touch, the Spurs ultimately defeated the Pelicans 103-95.

Tang Tian scored 30 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists.

With the win, the Spurs took a 3-1 lead in the series, securing a match point after four games.

The Pelicans failed to achieve their previous goal, failing to win a game in San Antonio.

Now, they were just one game away from being eliminated.

After the game, fans on social media expressed regret for the Pelicans.

"If the Pelicans hadn't been reversed in the first game, if Whiteside hadn't played so poorly, the Pelicans would be leading 3-1 now!"

"Popovich is really ruthless, he exploited one weakness of the Pelicans and turned the game into this; it can only be said that Williams is still too inexperienced!"

"Yeah, Williams called timeouts too late several times, his coaching level is indeed relatively poor on the playoff stage."

"Tang is really a pity, his performance in these games has been very outstanding, it's really too bad!"

"But I think the Pelicans shouldn't be discouraged, they lost to the Grizzlies last year and got their revenge this year, even if they lose to the Spurs this year, they will have a chance to get revenge next year."

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