Lu called a timeout.

If the game continued like this, the Cavaliers would be blown out in Game 7 before the end of the third quarter.

"MVP! MVP!"

As both teams' players went to the sidelines during the timeout, a unified roar arose from the crowd.

The MVP chants were, of course, for Tang Tian.

Tang Tian had already exploded for 44 points in less than two and a half quarters. This explosive performance was absolutely phenomenal.

The key was his accuracy. He hardly had any free throws; almost all of his points came from field goals.

In a game that felt visibly like a 5-on-8, it stirred excitement and trembling from the depths of one's heart.

Tang Tian heard the cheers from the home fans, but he didn't respond.

He knew his physical condition. He was holding his breath, and he would maintain this state until the end of the game.

After the timeout, Love hit a three-pointer off a pass from James.

Tang Tian's contested shot missed.

James drove to the basket and got another ticky-tack foul, but unfortunately, he missed both free throws.

Tang Tian's fadeaway shot under pressure missed. The Cavaliers had a fast break, and Irving made a layup.

Lu's timeout had disrupted Tang Tian's rhythm. The Cavaliers seized the opportunity to go on a 5-0 run, narrowing the deficit back to 15 points.

The camera focused on Lu.

Lu smiled slightly, hands on his hips, concealing his merit and fame.

This timeout had elevated him from a tactical trickster to a strategic genius.

Holiday dribbled the ball to the frontcourt again. Tang Tian signaled him to pass the ball to Jokic, and then he started running off-ball.

The Cavaliers were quick to double-team him. His touch wasn't as hot as before, so to pursue efficiency, he had to change his playing style appropriately.

Jokic received the ball and organized the offense, his eyes constantly watching Tang Tian's movement.

Tang Tian's off-ball movement was his specialty, and its threat was no weaker than his ball-handling.

He made a series of cuts and sprints towards the basket. Jokic cooperated perfectly, bouncing a pass inside.

Tang Tian had physical contact with Mozgov under the basket.

The referee still didn't blow the whistle, but Tang Tian still managed to put the ball in the basket after the contact.

46 points!

Even if his touch wasn't great, he didn't need to rely on three-pointers. Increasing his drives to the basket could still get him field goals.

James drove to the basket and drew a foul on Bojan, making one of two free throws.

The Cavaliers were constantly getting calls on the offensive end, and they were closely chasing the score. The difference was 16 points.

Back on offense, the Pelicans continued to let Jokic organize the offense.

The Cavaliers intensified their off-ball defense on Tang Tian.

But off-ball was even harder to defend than on-ball. For the Cavaliers to do this, they had to put in double the defensive effort.

Tang Tian's cutting and running disrupted the Cavaliers' defensive formation. Jokic suddenly turned and drove towards the basket, shaking off Mozgov for a layup.

The other players on the Pelicans were by no means just decorations.

Irving hit a three-pointer from the outside.

Back on offense, Jokic held the ball again, and the Cavaliers' defense was in a dilemma.

They weren't focusing on defending Tang Tian, but they weren't not focusing on defending him either.

Just as they were hesitating, Tang Tian ran out for an opportunity with Davis' screen, and Jokic passed the ball to him immediately.

Love reacted quickly and pounced on the ball, but his defensive ability was indeed lacking. Tang Tian faked him out completely.

After shaking off Love, Tang Tian took an open three-pointer.

"Swish!"

Clean and swift.

49 points!

The cheers at the scene were completely unstoppable.

Tang Tian's fire of fury was also unstoppable!

"God! No one can stop him, he's seeing red tonight!"

O'Neal continued to climax in the commentary booth.

Barkley and Smith nodded and smiled beside him.

Today's Tang Tian was indeed as unstoppable as Barkley had said.

When he had the ball, neither single coverage nor double-teaming could stop him.

Just when his touch cooled down a bit and the double-teaming started to work, he went to play off-ball.

Just when you thought his touch wasn't good, he scored consecutive points with drives and shots.

That's how Jordan played back then!

In this quarter, the Cavaliers tried everything they could to limit Tang Tian, but they just couldn't stop him.

He could drive, shoot, and pass. He could switch freely between on-ball and off-ball, and he had a high basketball IQ!

Unless Tang Tian's stamina bar ran out, they really had no other way.

With two minutes left in the quarter, Tang Tian had scored another 20 points in the quarter, bringing his personal score to 58 points.

Thanks to the referee's great power, the Cavaliers were only trailing by 20 points at 75-95.

Young's shot under the basket drew an air-hand foul on Harrell, giving him two more free throw opportunities.

He made both free throws amidst boos, and the Cavaliers narrowed the gap to 18 points again.

With this kind of officiating, it would be impossible to tell who would win until the last moment.

Neither team scored on the next few possessions, and the Pelicans had the last offensive opportunity of the quarter.

Everyone spread out, and Tang Tian held the ball one meter away from the three-point line.

He shook Shumpert with a series of crossovers and stopped for a three-pointer.

Shumpert reached from behind to slap Tang Tian's hand. He knew the referee probably wouldn't call a foul, but the foul was still significant.

Tang Tian was fouled after shooting, losing his balance in the air.

Thanks to his good hang time, he adjusted his posture in the air and slid backward after landing to avoid a hard landing and injury.

The referee couldn't turn a blind eye to this level of foul and called Shumpert for the foul.

"Swish!"

At the moment the whistle blew, the ball that Tang Tian shot also fell into the net.

3+1!

The cheers at the scene exploded.

Tang Tian got up and said nothing.

Bojan wanted to make trouble with Shumpert, but Davis held him back.

He knew Tang Tian's determination to win the game tonight, and he also knew Tang Tian's judgment.

If he really wanted to cause trouble, Tang Tian would have done it himself.

Tang Tian went to the free throw line, and the audience was instantly silent.

Before he took the free throw, the LED screen and the live TV broadcast displayed Tang Tian's stats for the game.

26 of 32 from the field, 6 of 9 from three-point range, 3 of 3 from the free throw line, 61 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 steal, and 2 turnovers.

Next to this data, there was also a note that read, "Ties NBA Finals single-game scoring record."

The original record holder was Elgin Baylor, who scored 61 points in Game 5 of the 1962 Finals.

The record that had been sealed for 42 years was now finally being unsealed by Tang Tian.

Moreover, as long as this free throw went in, he would break the record!

Tang Tian had already broken Jordan's playoff single-game scoring record against the Warriors, and now he was close to breaking the Finals single-game scoring record.

He was going to break all the records in the playoffs!

The referee signaled one free throw and then gave the ball to Tang Tian.

Tang Tian dribbled to adjust his rhythm, and everyone in the arena held their breath.

"Swish!"

An almost certain result, Tang Tian's free throw went in steadily.

The cheers at the scene exploded instantly. Fans stood up and cheered and screamed, as if they had already won the championship.

But this was indeed as exciting as winning the championship.

Tang Tian scored 62 points, breaking the NBA Finals single-game scoring record!

Moreover, he only used three quarters!