Butler's Clutch Shot

The Thunder weren't shooting well on those fifty-fifty, half-chance plays tonight. It was one of the main reasons they'd been locked in such a tight battle with the Pelicans.

Worse still, AD tried the same trick again, going for another offensive rebound, but his overly forceful move earned him a personal foul while fighting for the board.

That was AD's fourth foul.

And with the Pelicans in the bonus, Little Sabonis went straight to the free-throw line.

He calmly sank both shots, helping the team stretch its lead to five points.

For a moment, things were looking great for the Pelicans.

The Thunder didn't rush to call a timeout. Donovan, as usual, trusted his players to adjust on the floor.

After all, these guys out there were the ones who'd helped earn him the title of Championship coach~~

After Little Sabonis made his second free throw, Little Jordan stepped out of bounds and inbounded the ball.

Westbrook brought it across half court and looked for Chen Xi first, as before.

This time, Chen Xi took a different route. He cut along the free-throw line, used a double screen, and finally got the ball at the elbow, where he began another isolation play.

After switching hands with a crossover dribble, Chen Xi turned from facing the basket to backing down Horford, who'd switched onto him. Then he followed with two quick spins, dribbling toward the baseline before gathering the ball and faking a shot. He spun back around and went up for another shot.

The second fake got Horford to bite on the block attempt. Chen Xi tucked himself in to avoid Horford's body, then stepped inside and glided past him with a smooth up-and-under. He leaped beneath the basket and finished with a finger roll.

Two points. The lead was