Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the Playoffs were about to begin.
The Spurs arrived in New Orleans the day before the game and held a day and a half of closed-door training.
On April 15, U.S. time, the Pelicans and Spurs, the first matchup to tip off in this year's Playoffs, opened the 2017–2018 Playoffs.
New Orleans Arena was packed to the rafters.
TNT broadcast the game nationwide. Fans in New Orleans and the surrounding areas who had not managed to buy tickets could also watch it on FOX Sports.
Compared to TNT, FOX charged less, which gave it more subscribers in New Orleans and the surrounding region.
But no matter how cheap the broadcast was, it could not compare to buying a ticket and watching the game live.
Though this was only the first round, the Pelicans and Spurs had plenty of history between them now, and plenty of reasons to watch.
During pregame warmups, there was a great deal of interaction between players on both sides, as well as between players and coaches.
Walker and Parker, Ginobili and Tang Tian, Parker and Tang Tian, Tang Tian and Popovich.
Unfortunately, this was the Pelicans' home court. If it had been in San Antonio, Duncan would most likely have come to the arena to watch.
At that time, Davis and Duncan probably would have had plenty to talk about as well.
"Tony and I both want to play for you. If I don't retire next season, I'm definitely coming over."
Ginobili tossed out that cheeky line, and Tang Tian took the opportunity to rub his head.
The two had a good relationship in private, and Tang Tian knew this was Ginobili's final Playoffs.
Just as he had rubbed Duncan's head before Duncan retired, this might