Butler was fired up after making that shot. He rushed over to Walker and shouted.
Walker was much calmer. After high-fiving Butler, he turned and glanced at Rozier, who had just gotten back up.
That expression made it seem as though he had done something completely ordinary.
Tang Tian silently gave a thumbs-up.
Sure enough, they had both come out of UConn. Even their showing off was exactly the same.
Walker calmly made the and-one free throw, scoring the Pelicans' first 3 points.
The Hornets went on offense, with Rozier handling the ball outside.
He glanced at Batum. He was preparing to run a play.
But just then, a sudden commotion erupted from the crowd.
Because Butler made the exact same gesture at Rozier.
He stretched out his hand, palm up, and beckoned.
Come on over!
Rozier had provoked Walker, and Butler was standing up for his brother!
Rozier's face instantly flushed a dark red.
He was only a third-year player, and compared to Walker, his mentality was clearly far more prone to wavering.
He abandoned the idea of running a play and looked up toward the VIP suite in the stands.
He knew Jordan was watching him from there.
During yesterday's training session, Jordan had spoken with him privately and said he would be watching his game all night.
He could not back down!
And he would not. Setting ability aside, his confidence was League First!
He signaled for everyone to clear out, lowered his center of gravity, and prepared to drive.
Although Butler was a swingman, he weighed nearly 110 kilograms and mainly played small forward, giving him an advantage in speed.
He used crossover steps from side to side, looking for a chance to break through.
But the moment he took a one-step dribble, Butler stuck right