After the pregame warm-up ceremony ended, the game quickly got underway amid fans' cheers.
The Cavaliers swept away their slump from the previous three games at the opening tip. From James to Wade, then from Wade to Love, they all showed a completely different state.
Clearly, the string of pregame events had pushed them into superhuman performance.
After the two teams got going, the lead kept changing hands.
Until three seconds before the end of the quarter, the Cavaliers trailed the Pelicans by only two points, 35-37.
And James was about to go to the free-throw line. He had a chance to tie the score before the quarter ended!
Although the Cavaliers were considerably weaker than the Pelicans, they had truly played with spirit tonight.
Xiao Hua's eyes had originally been vacant, but after seeing the situation on the court, a trace of hope appeared in them.
If the Cavaliers could really break the Pelicans' undefeated streak, there might still be some room to turn things around for him.
After all, if the betting websites did not lose money, they would very likely support him again.
And that would give him a huge bargaining chip at the league's regular meeting.
After all, Legalize Betting represented another massive wave of money and profit, precisely what the owners liked most.
James had a free throw opportunity.
His first shot went in steadily, showing a completely different state from usual.
Unfortunately, he failed to convert the second. The ball struck the front rim and bounced out.
But Smith reacted quickly this time. Amid the physical battle under the basket, he leaped up and grabbed the long rebound.
That gave the Cavaliers one more offensive opportunity.
If they could capitalize on it, it would be the first time in the series that they had