Braised Eggplant with Minced Pork
Chapter 911 Good Food Isn't Afraid of Being Late
Tang Tian's stats after three quarters were 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks.
After three quarters, the score was tied at 75-75.
The Jazz had caught up!
"The Pelicans are too reliant on Tang's performance."
The commentator sighed at the end of the quarter.
Tang Tian being too strong wasn't a good thing either; the team usually had it too easy, and the anti-pressure performances of Davis, Jokic, and the other second and third options had weakened.
From trailing by 9 points in the first quarter to catching up to 5 points by halftime, and then tying it by the third quarter.
The Jazz's performance against the defending champions tonight was admirable, and they had a good chance of winning an inspirational battle.
At the start of the fourth quarter, they continued their performance, with bench players Diaw and Joe Ingles emerging as surprise weapons, leading the team on a 12-2 run, giving them a double-digit lead over the Pelicans!
Stevens called two quick timeouts but couldn't stop the Jazz's momentum.
It seemed tonight just wasn't the Pelicans' night.
"This might not be our night, but we have to put in a better performance. We can't let ourselves have any regrets."
During the timeout, Davis rarely used words to encourage his teammates.
Tang Tian's touch wasn't good, and he hadn't been able to stand up, so these words were for his teammates, but even more so for himself.
He had grown up under Tang Tian's protection for three years, and he should have become braver.
Tang Tian felt a burst of relief when he heard those words.
This season, Davis's personality, skills, and performance had all improved significantly compared to last season.
This was also why many Pelicans fans now called Davis Tang Tian's Pippen.
But in terms of mental fortitude and willpower, he was still far behind Pippen. This time, standing up was a sign of growth.
When the timeout ended, Stevens replaced all the starters, starting the final battle ahead of schedule.
When the timeout ended, Davis actively called for the ball in the low post in the frontcourt, backing up Favors. His turnaround shot was interfered with by Gobert's help defense and didn't go in, but he fought hard for the offensive rebound, drawing a defensive foul on Gobert on the second chance.
His eyes were full of fierceness, like he was ready to fight.
Davis made both free throws, helping the Pelicans narrow the gap to single digits.
Back on the other end, the Jazz played a set offense. Hayward delivered a pinpoint pass, and Favors turned to dunk with the ball.
"Slap!"
Before he could get up, the ball in his hand was gone!
Tang Tian's steal!
His 7th steal of the game!
Although his offensive performance was average due to the injury, his presence on the defensive end was considerable!
The Pelicans launched a fast break. Davis sprinted from the backcourt to the frontcourt, catching Tang Tian's long pass from the backcourt and scoring with a one-handed dunk!
Davis on defense, Tang Tian scoring, this was a typical Pelicans game, but tonight Tang Tian had assisted Davis more than once after a successful defense. The roles of the two had been reversed tonight!
"Foul! Draw fouls!"
Snyder continued to roar from the sidelines.
The Jazz fell into another scoring drought like they did at the start of the game.
During this stretch, the Pelicans' consecutive offensive possessions had built momentum. Amid the defensive cheers of the fans in the arena, Hayward's shot was interfered with and missed.
Gobert grabbed the offensive rebound and wanted to pass it to Hill on the outside, but Tang Tian anticipated it and made another steal!
And after the steal, he once again sent a long pass from the backcourt. This time, Holiday was the one who feasted.
He scored on a layup after catching the ball, and the Pelicans countered with a 6-0 run against the Jazz, narrowing the gap to 4 points in an instant!
Snyder was forced to call a timeout.
The Pelicans players received cheers from the fans in the arena as they went off the court.
When Tang Tian's touch wasn't good, others could step up. This was the kind of momentum a defending champion should have!
However, at that moment, a series of numbers displayed on the arena's LED screen drew whistles from the fans.
Tang Tian, 17 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists, 8 steals, and 2 blocks!
Before the game, the fans' attention on Tang Tian had been focused on his low score, but now they realized that Tang Tian was only 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals away from completing consecutive quadruple-doubles!
There were still more than 6 minutes left in the game, which made it entirely possible!
And if Tang Tian did that, he would leave all four other quadruple-double owners far behind!
Two quadruple-doubles, or even consecutive quadruple-doubles, and consecutive quadruple-doubles while playing with an injury, would make the fans reach fever pitch!
The fans were excited, but the players on both teams didn't pay attention to it, because the outcome of the game was still uncertain.
When the timeout ended, Hayward showed the true colors of the team's leader, hitting a step-back jumper over Ariza's defense, helping the Jazz stabilize the situation.
And back on the defensive end, the Jazz began to shrink inside.
Snyder still had a knack for defense. Since Tang Tian's touch was off, he might as well take a gamble!
But unfortunately, his gamble failed, because Tang Tian's three-point pull-up from the outside went straight in!
The fans' emotions were instantly ignited. Tang Tian had finally started to fire, and the atmosphere in the arena was finally ignited!
The Jazz's three-pointer in the frontcourt missed, and Tang Tian successfully judged the landing point of the basketball and grabbed a long rebound.
From defense to offense, the Jazz were defending Tang Tian's pass, but Tang Tian resolutely charged to the basket, forcing a defensive foul on Hill.
Injured people will feel a lot of pain when they first start playing, but after playing for a long time, the blood flow will speed up, and the pain will gradually disappear until it becomes numb.
Tang Tian had a passive skill, which reduced the pain by more than half. Now that the game had reached this point, his back was completely numb.
He was now in his own rhythm, just like he had taken a painkilling shot!
Tang Tian made both free throws, narrowing the gap to two points.
Hayward's driving layup went in again, and he began to lead the team forward in the final moments.
But Tang Tian's quick pass attracted a double-team, and he immediately passed the ball to Davis for another 2 points!
When Hayward drove again and was intercepted by Tang Tian, Davis caught Tang Tian's pass and scored on a fast break, and the Pelicans had tied the score!
And in the blink of an eye, Tang Tian's stats had increased to 22 points, 9 rebounds, 10 assists, and 9 steals!
As the saying goes, good food is not afraid of being late. Tang Tian's performance in the first three quarters was average, but in the last quarter, he completely showed his personal strength!
The score was still tied, but now all the pressure was on the Jazz.
"Defense! Defense!"
Amid the shouts of the home fans, the Jazz made a mistake on the court. Hood's pass to Hill was slow and went straight out of bounds!
It looked like a turnover, but at that moment, a figure flew out of the court, and a backhand slap managed to save the ball.
The ball flew into Holiday's eyes, and Holiday quickly grabbed it.
The turnover turned directly into a steal!
And the person who pounced out of the court to complete the steal was Tang Tian!
Tang Tian's 10th steal of the game!