Tang Tian's remarks about sweeping the series had surpassed the game itself once the media reported them after the game.
Fans were now eagerly awaiting the rest of the matchup between the two teams.
Knowing that a sweep might happen and actually saying it out loud were entirely different things.
In other words, since Tang Tian had said it, if the Pelicans failed to sweep the Warriors, his showing off would have failed.
It would surely be interesting to see someone stronger than Jordan fail at showing off.
But if he succeeded, he would become a figure in the world of show-offs comparable to Bird, the "King of Show-offs."
Amid the fans' expectant gazes, the second game between the Pelicans and Warriors tipped off in New Orleans.
This game drew unprecedented attention, with its ratings approaching last year's peak.
However, the added attention did not change the final result.
Just like in the first game, the Pelicans displayed absolute quality on both offense and defense from the opening tip.
Although the Warriors performed better than they had in Game 1, they still trailed the Pelicans by 13 points after the first quarter.
Then it was 18 points at halftime, 22 after three quarters, and midway through the Fourth Quarter, the gap had stretched beyond 25 points again.
With Tang Tian, the Pelicans' performance on the offensive end was absurdly consistent.
In the end, Tang Tian posted a 40+ point triple-double, leading the Pelicans to another victory, 122-99, and changing the series score to a 2-0 series lead.
The Warriors' fate was like their score: 99, and only 99. It was suffocating and depressing.
After two games, the fans had finally come to fully understand just how terrifying this Pelicans team was when it got serious.
Perhaps drawing with the Trail