Chapter 61

"Pfft!"

Tang Tian, who was drinking coffee in the hotel, spat out a mouthful of coffee when he saw the social media poll.

It was his suggestion to Durant to shut down social media.

He didn't expect Durant to say it at the press conference, and even more so that the fans would think it was Scarlett!

According to the conversion formula, that meant he = Scarlett!

But after wiping his mouth with a paper towel, he suddenly remembered what he had promised Durant before.

He had promised Durant to help him get a date with Scarlett.

This time, he would have to find an excuse to get the two of them to meet.

Frivolous young guys couldn't attract Scarlett; a mature one might have a chance.

But he had recently heard that Lin Yi and Scarlett were getting close, which surprised him a bit.

Logically speaking, Lin Yi should be a post-00s based on the time he transmigrated. Did he like older women?

That was a unique taste.

A day later, the Pelicans and Rockets' Game 4 of their series continued at the Toyota Center.

The Toyota Center was still packed, but there was a noticeable difference compared to the previous game.

There were clearly fewer local Houston fans. Those working-class white fans were quite realistic; they would rather not come if their home team was getting trashed.

Their spots were all taken over by Chinese fans, and many of them were holding up signs supporting the Pelicans.

The scene looked especially funny.

When Harden entered the arena and saw this scene, he was already overwhelmed.

He suddenly regretted agreeing to a contract extension with Morey and the Rockets.

Now that Morey had resigned, he couldn't leave.

After the warm-up, the pre-game introductions began.

The Pelicans used the same starting lineup as before, but the Rockets made a change, with Gordon replacing House in the starting lineup.

There was no news about this adjustment before the game, which was unexpected, but also made sense.

House's three-point shooting had been off, and he couldn't defend Durant one-on-one. He was almost a liability on the court.

In this case, it was better to simply abandon defense and go for offense, which was D'Antoni's consistent style.

Capela won the jump ball against Gasol, giving the Rockets the first chance to attack.

Gordon also received a pass from Harden's drive and hit a three-pointer at the start.

The cheers from the fans in the arena erupted, and D'Antoni was seen as the best coach in NBA history in their hearts at that moment.

Although his ability to adapt during the game was average, his adjustments between games were very effective.

But this optimistic mood was shattered in the next possession when Durant ignored Gordon and threw in a three-pointer right over his head.

Durant's form was already good this season. Although House couldn't defend him, he was still 2 meters tall. In contrast, Gordon was only a little over 1.9 meters.

The huge height difference allowed him to shoot right in his face.

The Rockets attacked again on the frontcourt, but Gordon didn't get another chance to shoot.

Westbrook tried a three-pointer from the outside, but still missed.

D'Antoni's lineup adjustment wasn't the problem; the fundamental issue for the Rockets was still Westbrook.

In the small-ball era, outside shooting was crucial. Westbrook, with his unstable outside shooting, was easily targeted in high-level competition.

This was also why the Pelicans had a chance to get DeRozan before, but ultimately chose to give up.

The tone of the game was no different from Game 3. Gordon's sporadic three-pointers couldn't change the situation on the court.

118 to 103.

The Rockets' offense had improved compared to the last game, but they still didn't get many opportunities.

With a single adjustment, the Pelicans won two consecutive road games against the Rockets, changing the series score to 3-1.

This result was shocking, especially for Rockets fans, who completely disappeared from social media.

Before, they thought the Rockets were likely to win two straight at home, but now, forget about winning two straight, they lost two straight, and were completely crushed!

Naturally, they were too ashamed to show their faces again.

Even on social media, Harden was the one being ridiculed the most.

The Pelicans were indeed no longer the same Pelicans, but the Rockets seemed to still be getting trashed.

It was like cat and mouse, natural enemies.

Two days later, the two teams moved to New Orleans for Game 5 of the series.

The Rockets fought with unprecedented toughness in this must-win game.

But their toughness ultimately proved the resilience of the Pelicans.

Despite pulling ahead several times and being forced to close the gap several times, the Pelicans always controlled the game.

Especially in the second half, when Westbrook found his touch from the outside and they were forced to switch back to man-to-man defense, Durant and Davis stepped up to stabilize the situation.

In the end, despite Westbrook and Harden both scoring 30+, they still lost to the Pelicans, who had seven players scoring in double figures.

101 to 106, the Rockets lost the game, and they were eliminated in the first round with a 1-4 series score.

Before, some fans on social media said the Rockets would advance 4-1, but the score was right, but the result was exactly the opposite.

The Pelicans also successfully entered the Western Conference Semifinals in the post-Tang Tian era.

Durant was undoubtedly the number one contributor to the team's advancement. He averaged 29.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists in the series, performing exceptionally well.

His two shooting percentages were as high as 50% and 41%.

It was no exaggeration to say that his performance was at least 70% of Tang Tian's.

At the post-game press conference, reporters couldn't contain their curiosity and once again asked Durant the previous question, and this time it was even more aggressive.

"We all want to know who that friend is? Is it Scarlett Johansson, as the outside world says?"

When this question was asked, the other reporters looked at each other in dismay.

Obviously, they didn't think this reporter would get an answer, and would even be roasted by Durant.

After all, Scarlett was a sensitive word in front of Durant.

"No, it's not."

But to everyone's surprise, Durant shook his head with a smile.

It seemed that he was in a really good mood after advancing to the semifinals.

"I know that if I don't say it, you'll guess everyone possible, okay, the fact is it's Tang, he gave me this advice."

After Durant answered, the audience instantly exploded.

So that person was Tang Tian!

In other words, Tang Tian and Durant were now friends?

Enemies turned friends?

This was definitely big news.

Sure enough, after the news was reported, social media instantly exploded.

"Damn, Tang can become friends with Durant, I suddenly feel like there's no conflict between people that can't be resolved!"

"Tang's personality is too charming. So many people used to dislike him because of his skin color, but now from the league president to coaches to players, even his nemesis treat him as a friend. Who else can do that?"

"I heard that Scarlett had been pursuing Tang for years... Oh right, and Emma Watson, so you have to add actresses to your list..."

"I found that I'm in love with Little Shuai. Although Little Shuai is unrefined and doesn't look great, and likes to secretly diss people online, he's really genuine!"

"Yeah, who did he pick first in the All-Star game? Curry! He's really the kind of person you can be friends with. He roasts whoever provokes him, and he's good to whoever is good to him!"

"Is this probably the most down-to-earth superstar?"

"Yeah, who can like an actress for 9 years these days? I think just that alone, Little Shuai deserves our respect. He's a billionaire!"

……