Butler had been defending with all his might since the start, and with him going off, the Pelicans were truly firing on all cylinders.
Fortunately, Oladipo regained some form at a crucial moment, scoring 7 points with a combination of drives and shots, helping the Thunder hold their ground.
With nine minutes gone in the quarter, the score was 33-16, with the Pelicans leading by a large margin.
Both sides began to rotate players.
For the Thunder, Westbrook went to the bench to rest, Griffin re-entered the game, and Sabonis and Felton were also substituted.
The Pelicans also made extensive rotations, with all the starters except Butler going to the bench to rest.
Brogdon, Bogdanovic, Siakam, and Harrell came on in succession.
During a Pelicans' offensive opportunity, Brogdon and Siakam executed a pick-and-roll, passing the ball back to Siakam on the three-point line, whose shot clanged off the rim.
Sabonis secured the defensive rebound.
The Thunder advanced to the frontcourt, where Griffin posted up against Siakam, and his turnaround shot drew a foul on Siakam's hand, resulting in two free throws.
The Thunder narrowed the gap to 15 points.
Donovan, on the sidelines, breathed a sigh of relief, his previously furrowed brow relaxing.
Griffin's poor performance at the start wasn't entirely bad; at least he could lead the team in chasing points during the bench rotation period.
Conversely, on the Pelicans' side, Stevens was too confident, taking off too many key players at once.
Players like Siakam, who performed well in the preseason, might not be as effective in the regular season, especially when matched up against Griffin.
This was an opportunity for the Thunder to close the gap.
"Swish!"
Just as the thought flashed through his mind, Siakam made a cut, drawing the defense, and Brogdon delivered a precise pass, assisting Bogdanovic's three-pointer.
The lead was extended to 18 points!
"Damn it!"
Donovan cursed himself, feeling like he had inexplicably jinxed the Thunder.
Griffin continued to attack Siakam in the frontcourt, shaking him off with a series of turns and scoring off the backboard.
Siakam had made significant progress on both ends of the court this season, but he still lacked experience against Griffin.
Butler went over to communicate with Siakam.
Tang Tian sat on the bench, feeling inexplicably content.
In his past four seasons with the Pelicans, he had basically played as a starter every game, and he also had to take care of the team's rookies. He wasn't tired because he was mentally strong.
But this season was completely different. It was as if he had suddenly transformed from a peasant to a wealthy farmer!
With Walker leading the charge at the start and Davis holding the line, all he had to do was sit in command like a resourceful general.
Even now, Butler was taking care of guiding the rookies.
For the first time since joining the Pelicans, he felt a sense of physical and mental ease.
Butler's guidance was indeed effective.
Bogdanovic's outside three-pointer missed, but Siakam's retreat was quick, stopping Felton's first fast break.
After settling into position, he also used his wingspan to disrupt Griffin when defending him one-on-one, successfully preventing a score!
One of the main reasons why a rough player can improve so much is their ability to learn. Siakam's learning ability, like Leonard's, was very strong!
By the end of the last three minutes of the quarter, the score was fixed at 40-20.
What Donovan had hoped for didn't happen. Not only did the Thunder fail to close the gap, but the Pelicans extended their lead to 20 points!
The situation was quite unfavorable for the Thunder.
"Our defense in the first quarter wasn't good. I believe they will put on a better performance in the second quarter."
During the break between quarters, Donovan analyzed the team's performance in the first quarter in front of reporters, and also showed confidence.
It was only one quarter of the game. The Thunder had a strong will and would not give up easily!
Back in the second quarter, the Thunder didn't make any personnel changes, but the Pelicans did.
Walker and Davis came on to replace Butler and Harrell.
Donovan was stunned when he saw this, and then couldn't help but sigh.
Comparing people is infuriating. Stevens was really fighting a rich man's battle this season.
In the Thunder's frontcourt offense, Griffin used his abilities as a big point forward, breaking through and delivering a precise pass to Sabonis, who made a layup under the basket.
"Bang!"
He had already shot at the first opportunity, but his speed was too slow, and Davis chased him down and delivered a big block!
Sabonis wasn't a traditional center, and neither was Davis.
Stevens' substitution to have Davis play center was truly inspired, and he really didn't intend to give the Thunder a chance.
Walker and Davis ran a pick-and-roll in the frontcourt. After the separation, Walker broke through to the basket and scored a 2+1 against Sabonis's defense!
From training camp to the preseason to the regular season, the pick-and-roll between Walker and Davis had become increasingly lethal.
This had become the Pelicans' second reliable scoring tactic besides Tang Tian's isolations!
Walker steadily made the extra free throw, extending the lead to 23 points.
With the second quarter just starting and the score difference already this large, the Thunder were at risk of collapsing in the first half.
Seeing this, Donovan had no time to think and substituted Westbrook back into the game.
After entering the game, Westbrook broke through to the basket, displaying his individual ability against the defense of Davis and Siakam, fighting through contact to put the ball in.
One in the first quarter and one in the second quarter, these two key goals were very important for the Thunder.
The Thunder's bench also erupted in excited shouts.
However, the Pelicans, like in the first quarter, didn't change because of this goal.
Walker passed to Davis, whose two-point shot from the free throw line also went in.
Tang Tian's smile grew wider as he watched from the sidelines.
Davis's offensive skills hadn't changed much compared to last season.
Even the low-post bank shot was something Davis could do last season.
But the biggest difference for Davis this season was that he had a higher success rate. He could make all the shots he should make.
This was the biggest improvement, and it could even be said to be the most crucial step from an ordinary All-Star to a superstar.
Having Duncan come to give Davis special training during this past offseason was really a great investment!
Westbrook's turnaround fadeaway jumper went in, his form clearly better since returning in the second quarter.
But over here, Davis posted up Sabonis and turned around for another bank shot.
The two sides were stalemated!
The score fluctuated around 23 points. When the quarter reached about four minutes, the score was 46-26, and the difference between the two sides was still 20 points.
At this time, the Pelicans made another series of substitutions. Walker and Davis went to the bench to rest, and Tang Tian and Butler were back on the court!
On the Thunder's side, there was no one to substitute!
Donovan: I'm tired, so tired.
I had only heard of people using a strategy of exhausting superstars with constant defense, but the Pelicans were using their own superstars to wear down the Thunder, leaving them with no power to fight back!
Tang Tian didn't show much in the first quarter, but he had a stronger offensive desire in this quarter, scoring 20 points with drives and shots.
Under his leadership, the Pelicans further widened the gap.
At the end of the first half, the score was fixed at 70-38, a 32-point difference in the first half...
The outcome was already decided.