Chapter 4 Like That

As Lue knew, teams that won Game 3 in a 1-1 series had a 78% chance of advancing.

This was the Finals, meaning the Pelicans' chance of winning the championship was as high as 78%!

But after this game, both sides experienced some unexpected changes in mentality.

Although the Cavaliers lost, they gained confidence.

The blowout loss in Game 2 had disoriented them, but in Game 3, even with James underperforming, they managed to fight the Pelicans to the final quarter, only losing because Tang Tian exploded for 25 points in a single quarter.

In other words, James couldn't be contained every night, and Tang Tian couldn't score 25 points in a single quarter every night. If the Cavaliers didn't blindly attack the Pelicans' interior, they had a good chance of winning!

That was the Cavaliers' change in mentality, and the same went for the Pelicans.

After Game 3, Tang Tian also realized that the Cavaliers' offensive talent was better than he'd imagined.

Not to mention James, who had evolved ahead of schedule; and Irving, whose strength had also evolved ahead of schedule because of the Kuminga brothers' training camp.

Both of them were better than their historical counterparts, not to mention the addition of Thaddeus Young as a strong player off the bench.

Once Irving and Love had their outbursts, coupled with the biased officiating that had been present throughout the series, the game would become as difficult as the last one, or even more so.

Before redeeming the legendary card, he couldn't truly go one-on-five for the entire game.

Game 4 of the Finals would still be held in Cleveland.

In the two days of rest in between, the Pelicans held daily training sessions at the local training facility.

Before the first day of training began, Tang Tian found Stevens.

"We may need to change our approach."

After thinking about it all night, Tang Tian made a subversive suggestion to Stevens.

He suggested that Stevens engage in an offensive battle with the Cavaliers.

Irving was on fire in the last game, ignoring the Pelicans' defensive system. There was no guarantee that Irving, or James, wouldn't do it again.

In terms of offense, both of them were superstar-level players who could ignore defense when they were in form.

Of course, more importantly, they couldn't change the officiating bias that had permeated the entire series.

Because they were wary of the referees and wanted to avoid getting into foul trouble like in the last game, their defensive intensity would naturally be weakened.

Instead of being forced to accept the foreseeable, it would be better to adjust their thinking and change their approach.

The referees could blow more whistles on the defensive end, but as long as the Pelicans could make their shots, the referees' influence would weaken.

Just like in the last quarter of the last game, Tang Tian won the game by playing one-on-eight.

The Cavaliers' defense wasn't strong to begin with, and it was even weaker after Lue took over. The Pelicans had a good chance of winning if they engaged in an offensive battle.

Stevens agreed. Tang Tian's subversive idea would change the current situation between the two sides.

Moreover, it would affect not only the next game but the entire series.

In the next two days, Stevens changed the team's training content entirely to offense.

Two days later, Game 4 of the Finals kicked off at Quicken Loans Arena.

The venue was packed with people, and the atmosphere was intense.

How much the Cleveland fans hated James when he left the Cavaliers, was how much they loved him when he returned.

They now had unconditional love for James and this Cavaliers team.

They were eager to see James complete his redemption and bring the city its first championship in the four major leagues.

To achieve this goal, defending their home court and changing the series score to 2-2 was something they had to do.

And the last game showed that it was entirely possible.

Before James took the court during the pre-game opening ceremony, his signature magnesium powder toss pushed the atmosphere to a climax.

The King has arrived!

The starting lineups were announced. The Pelicans made a change, with Bojan replacing Ariza as the starting small forward.

Amid the cheers of the fans, Mozgov tipped the ball back to the Cavaliers' half, officially starting the game.

"This game is crucial for both sides. We still need to see Tang Tian's performance and whether the Pelicans can continue to limit James."

Zhang Weiping had already begun commentating from the broadcast booth.

At this time, on the other side of the ocean, countless fans waiting in front of their TVs were already excited.

The Cavaliers' fans were looking forward to James bringing Cleveland its first championship, while hundreds of millions of Chinese fans were looking forward to Tang Tian winning his first championship as the core player!

James came up and ran a pick-and-roll with Love, breaking through Bojan to the basket after the screen.

Davis didn't shrink inside. Only Jokic was at the basket, and he came out to help defend when James broke into the heart of the paint.

The Pelicans' defensive intensity was noticeably lower than in the last game.

James took a three-step layup, finding a shooting opportunity after taking the third step, and sent the ball into the basket after a collision with Jokic.

The cheers at the scene were endless.

James was targeted and performed poorly in the last game. He was proving himself right from the start this game!

"The Pelicans' defense needs to be tougher."

Zhang Weiping analyzed after watching this possession.

Back on the other end, the Pelicans ran a play. Tang Tian broke into the basket, attracting a double team, and passed the ball to Jokic, who was following up.

Jokic's cut further compressed the Cavaliers' defense, and he passed it to Bojan in the corner, who caught the ball and quickly shot a three-pointer.

"Swish!"

The three-pointer was clean. Bojan's three-pointers were really solid.

On the Cavaliers' offense, Irving also called for a screen from Mozgov.

The Pelicans didn't switch. Irving seized the opportunity and shot from outside.

The shot was a good opportunity, but Irving's three-pointer hit the rim.

Irving had scoring bursts now, but his consistency was still lacking.

Jokic grabbed the defensive rebound, and the Pelicans launched a fast break. They pushed the ball quickly.

The Cavaliers couldn't get back in time. Tang Tian got rid of Smith and scored with a one-handed dunk.

James broke through to the basket and drew a foul on Bojan, making both free throws.

But back on the other end, Tang Tian assisted Davis with another basket under the rim.

The Cavaliers' offense was better than in the last game, but the Pelicans' offense was much better than in the last game!

"I understand. The Pelicans are going to engage in an offensive battle with the Cavaliers. The Cavaliers' defense isn't strong, so this is a reasonable approach."

Zhang Weiping said with an excited smile, belatedly realizing what was happening.

Before he could finish speaking, the Pelicans defended a Cavaliers possession, and Tang Tian and Holiday had a two-on-one in the frontcourt. Tang Tian faked a pass and then scored two more points with a jump shot.

7-4.

The two teams had combined for more than 10 points in just over a minute of play.

Lue also realized what was happening, but after realizing it, he didn't panic. Instead, he put his hands on his hips and had a confident smile on his face.

Offense was what the Cavaliers excelled at. For the Pelicans to engage in an offensive battle with the Cavaliers was simply courting death!