Budenholzer called a timeout to make adjustments, but after the Hawks scored a basket coming out of the timeout, they couldn't find many ways to score.

The opening minutes of the game for both sides almost became a microcosm of the entire match.

By the second half of the third quarter, the Pelicans had already led the Hawks by more than 20 points.

The outcome of the game had already been decided.

Seven Pelicans players scored in double figures, ultimately defeating the Hawks 108-89 in this battle between the top teams in the East and West.

They also fulfilled their pre-game "promise" to let Davis win this game effortlessly.

Both the process and the result of the game were unexpected.

This time, not only were the media and fans misled by the Pelicans, but even the always-stable gambling websites were taken for a ride.

After the game, Williams attended the press conference with Whiteside and Holiday.

"I must commend every player on the team. They put in 120% effort on the court and played absolutely first-class defense."

Williams praised the players' performance.

The significance of this game was even greater than the previous one against the Spurs, after all, they had overwhelmingly defeated the Eastern Conference-leading Hawks.

After the game, TNT even used the eye-catching headline "Offense Wins Games, Defense Wins Championships" to report on the game.

"The Pelicans showed us their resilience in the previous game against the Spurs. In this game, they showed us the intensity of defense they are capable of. They want more than just box office success; they want a championship. We can now list them as one of the contenders."

TNT's post-game summary was quite accurate, well-reasoned, and convincing.

...

Adam Silver had just returned home when he received a call marked as "private."

He seemed to care, cautiously answering the phone.

"Mr. Silver, the result of this game has caused us huge losses. I don't think this is quite in line with the agreement we reached earlier."

The tone of the person on the other end of the phone didn't sound too good.

"Yes, this game was indeed a bit unexpected. The Pelicans' performance was very different from what was expected."

Silver admitted.

"Will this kind of game happen again? Or can you have accurate information on the Pelicans' games?"

The person on the other end of the phone continued.

"I will try to provide accurate information."

Silver replied.

A burst of laughter came from the other end of the phone.

"Mr. Silver, the amount of money that flows through us every day is huge. It's hard for me to decide in the future to cooperate with you and the NBA with an answer like that."

"I am considering formulating new referee rules and relaxing the penalty standards. Then all the problems will be solved."

After a moment of silence, Silver replied.

"Hopefully, that will be the case, so that our betting company will really feel at ease cooperating with you."

After saying this, the phone hung up.

Silver also put down his phone.

In addition to television broadcast contracts, betting is also a huge aspect of the NBA's profitability.

Especially now that many states are opposing the league's ban, once betting is officially legalized, the income it brings to the NBA may not be less than the broadcast contract.

...

After finishing the game with the Hawks, the Pelicans successively played against the Knicks, Pacers, and Celtics.

ESPN was slapped in the face wildly this year, which also included their Knicks team, which was accurate with every prediction.

In order to cooperate with Howard, and to play the value of the big contract he just signed, Anthony lost weight like crazy this past summer.

He lost 9 kilograms in a summer, dropping from 107 kilograms last season to 99 kilograms, and returned from the power forward position back to the small forward position.

This solves the problem of space under the basket that ESPN predicted before the game.

The Knicks are currently ranked fourth in the Eastern Conference, after the Hawks, Cavaliers, and Bulls.

This game was also much more intense than expected.

The Pelicans' offensive firepower was obviously weakened without Davis, and Tang Tian's number of shots increased significantly compared to before.

He and Anthony once again scored against each other at Madison Square Garden.

In the end, Tang Tian scored his first 40+ points of the season, helping the Pelicans narrowly defeat their opponents 102-99.

The game against the Knicks was intense, and the game against the Pacers afterwards was relatively easy.

The Pacers' competitiveness has greatly declined after losing Paul George. They are currently ranked eleventh in the Eastern Conference, and it is very difficult to enter the playoffs.

The Pelicans ultimately defeated their opponents 97-81, ushering in a five-game winning streak in the absence of Davis.

After this game, ESPN announced a new issue of the power rankings.

The Pelicans have come after the Spurs and Cavaliers, surpassing the Warriors and Bulls behind them, and came to the third position in the league.

More than a month after the start of the new season, they admitted that they had been slapped in the face.

With this momentum, the Pelicans ushered in the last stop of their Eastern Conference road trip, Boston.

This is also the second and last time the two sides have played this season.

The last time in New Orleans, the Pelicans lost the game due to a bad performance in the last quarter. They definitely want to win back this second chance.

Moreover, they have just achieved a five-game winning streak and their morale is high.

However, in Boston, the rebuilding Celtics showed the Pelicans their iron-blooded tradition.

They were once behind the Pelicans by as much as 13 points in the first half, but in the second half, coach Stevens adjusted his tactics and frequently attacked the Pelicans' inside line.

Whiteside fell into foul trouble, and Jokic, who came up, was also targeted.

Of course, more importantly, the Celtics showed an all-out defense, making it extremely difficult for the Pelicans to score.

With one minute left in regulation, they managed to tie the score bit by bit.

Tang Tian made a key shot, and Jeff Green's tip-in tied the score.

Smart even stole Holiday's pass at the last moment. Although his last long shot didn't go in, the Celtics successfully dragged the game into overtime.

In the first overtime, Whiteside fouled out. Relying on Tang Tian's 5 consecutive points at the last moment, the two sides tied and entered the second overtime.

In the second overtime, Tang Tian's key three-pointer once gave the Pelicans hope of ending the game.

But Smart stole Ariza, and Bradley's fast break scored again, dragging the game into the third overtime.

In the third overtime, Stevens suddenly switched Smart to defend Tang Tian, and Tang Tian was struggling alone.

In the end, the Celtics won this protracted battle 114-110.

Tang Tian scored a season-high 46 points, but still failed to win the game.

Of course, what's even more exaggerated is that the two sides played three overtimes, and the score did not exceed 120 points.

Before playing the Hawks, the media used the phrase "Offense Wins Games, Defense Wins Championships" to describe the Pelicans' performance.

Now this word happens to be used on the Celtics.

This rebuilding team has created the past demeanor of the Green Shirts.

The coaching of Celtics' young coach Stevens is also quite outstanding.