Chapter 1 Same Championship, But a Much Larger Point Differential Than in History

Napier dropped 26 points and 6 rebounds, Ryan Boatright had 16 points, and Niels Giffey had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Tang Tian's hard-training brothers training camp was clearly effective.

Napier also delivered on his promise to them at the training camp to restore glory.

After winning the championship, UConn fans rushed onto the court to celebrate wildly.

Tang Tian and Calhoun didn't move.

There were tears in the corners of Calhoun's wrinkled eyes.

Although he was no longer UConn's head coach, he felt that he had put a lot of heart into UConn in the past two years.

Tang Tian's inner emotions were also quite strong.

Although he had transmigrated, after experiencing the sensational championship journey, UConn was his alma mater.

That feeling had been implanted in his bones.

Watching his alma mater win the championship, he was as excited as everyone else.

UConn's championship night celebration was wild.

Tang Tian and Walker also went crazy with Napier for a while.

When he was about to leave, Tang Tian called Karl and asked him to prepare two gifts for Ollie and Calhoun.

Ollie received a BMW car. The former assistant coach had not been a coach for long, and his living conditions were average.

He and Walker had entered the NBA together, which was a bit of a setback for him, so this was considered a reward.

What Calhoun received was a pre-arranged global tour.

From chatting, Tang Tian knew that Calhoun was still quite lonely, so letting him go out and travel was a good choice.

Of course, whether he went or not was up to Calhoun himself.

After watching UConn's game, Tang Tian went back the next day to train with Davis and Holiday.

UConn's final night was a must-see, but for him, the Pelicans' upcoming playoffs were the key.

Playing the Clippers, it was hard to say that it wasn't going to be difficult for the Pelicans.

The Pelicans didn't have the strength of the Spurs, and they were mostly young players, so it would be difficult to play well in the playoffs.

Just like the NCAA final between UConn and Kentucky that had just ended, playoff-level games were about more than just the roster strength.

Experience would play a very big role in it.

And the Clippers, after Rivers took over, were no longer the team that had been ravaged by the Spurs for the past two years.

This would be a very intense series, and they would have to do their best if they wanted to upset.

The day before the game, the Pelicans boarded a plane to Los Angeles.

Because the Clippers were ranked third, the Pelicans would play the first game on the road.

The Pelicans players began training to prepare for the game after arriving in Los Angeles.

At this time, the first two series in the East and West had already begun.

The Heat defeated the Hawks 112-89 in the first game of the playoffs.

Fans who had watched the game could feel that this year's Heat team really had the look of a champion.

In another game, the Bulls also defeated the Wizards 90-79 to get off to a good start.

In the West, the Spurs and Rockets, and the Lakers and Warriors, had all started their series.

The Rockets gave the Spurs a lot of trouble in the first game. The two teams fought until the final moments, when Popovich's tactics prevailed.

This game also exposed their defensive problems. Neither Leonard nor Green were able to contain Harden well.

Although Tang Tian's departure gave them more playing time than before, they clearly still needed time to grow.

The first game between the Lakers and the Warriors was not what people expected. The Warriors had no resistance in front of the Lakers.

The score of 120-102 was also quite lopsided.

Obviously, the Warriors were a bit restrained by the Lakers in terms of style and experience.

Moreover, fans who had watched the game could also feel that the Warriors' offense always felt a bit disjointed.

After the first four games of the first round, fans were constantly discussing them after the game.

But at this time, a documentary released by the Pelicans' official website suddenly attracted the attention of all the fans.

It was a documentary about Tang Tian.

The documentary had background music, from the beginning of Tang Tian entering the training ground, to the physical confrontation on the court, the details of the locker room after the game, to the ice application, the recovery process of injuries, the extra training day and night, the comparison of performance before and after the injury, and the final 72-point night.

The whole thing was done very professionally, and Tang Tian's image was completely presented in three dimensions in the documentary.

Hardworking, strong, calm but not lacking in humor, full of positive energy.

It was hard not to like such a star!

"No one is born a superstar, the Godfather is the Godfather because he earns it with sweat every night!"

"I didn't think Tang was such a hardworking player before, and his mental attributes are really strong, he is the next Kobe!"

"We should all remember that he took the Pelicans from 27 wins to 52 wins, he definitely has the strength to compete for this year's MVP!"

"Yes, although the Pelicans' record is a bit weaker, but the MVP is to recognize those who can bring huge changes to the team, right?"

"I also support the Godfather. He completed the transformation from a role player to a core player in one season. This is not something ordinary people can do!"

"I hope the media can see this documentary. This is the real Tang. He deserves the name of MVP!"

……

The effect of this documentary was really good.

Although the MVP selection was still a month away, this effect would last for a long time, and the help it brought was visible to the naked eye.

Moreover, this documentary was released before the Pelicans played against the Clippers, which was also a big boost to the team's morale.

The Pelicans players were greatly encouraged, but the Clippers didn't feel it.

"I didn't pay attention to that, and it's not very realistic."

Paul's attitude was basically the Clippers' attitude.

"That's hilarious, I don't think he can even make the top five in the MVP voting, they're only ranked sixth in the West, and we'll eliminate them in the first round."

Griffin's attitude was much more aggressive than Paul's, and even dismissive.

"We swept them 3-0 in the regular season, didn't we? We'll do that in the playoffs too (sweep)."

Seeing the reporter's surprised eyes, Griffin emphasized it again.

The Clippers had been completely formed after Rivers took over. The team was aiming to win the championship this season, and their final ranking of third in the West also showed that they had the strength.

Moreover, because they had had only roster strength but had not been able to reach the Western Conference Finals in the past two years, they were all holding back this season to prove themselves, and at the very least, they wanted to reach the Western Conference Semifinals.

Griffin's words were an expression of this strength.

On the night of the game, the Pelicans players arrived at the Staples Center to prepare for the game.

At this time, news came from the front that the Thunder had been defeated by the Grizzlies at home, losing their home-court advantage in the series.

This was obviously not good news for Thunder fans. They had been black-sevened by the Grizzlies last year. Could it be that they were going to be black-sevened for two consecutive years?

Durant lost to Tang Tian for a season, and finally wanted to get revenge in the playoffs. If he was eliminated in the first round, it would be really funny.