Stevens looked desperate. He could only substitute Siakam into the game.
But without Davis drawing attention, Tang Tian faced noticeably greater defensive pressure.
Under heavy double teams, Tang Tian's scoring efficiency inevitably declined.
On the other hand, the Lakers' James-Durant duo was on fire. James in particular played with ease now that Davis was no longer guarding him.
The gap gradually widened. The Lakers held onto their advantage in the fourth quarter and ultimately defeated the Pelicans 108-96, taking the first game of the Western Conference Finals.
James scored 40 points by himself, while Durant added 25.
Tang Tian also scored 40, but he made only 15 of 30 shots. His efficiency was very low compared to his previous games.
The two sides had been evenly matched through the first half of the opening quarter, but Davis's injury directly changed the situation on the court.
After the game, fans naturally sparked a heated discussion on social media.
"If Gasol getting hurt was like being shot by a bullet, then losing Davis now is like taking a direct hit to the femoral artery!"
"Stevens: Seriously, this is too hard for me!"
"Pelicans: We just want to play basketball in good health. Please stop writing this kind of script for us!"
"Wasn't that LeBron with an ankle-breaking foul? Davis injury moment.jpg"
"How could My Emperor possibly commit an ankle-breaking foul?! You're deliberately smearing him!"
"Exactly! Does My Emperor need to commit an ankle-breaking foul with his ability? Didn't you see Davis step on his foot himself?!"
"People like you haters are disgusting. When you can't beat him, you call it an ankle-breaking foul! Trash! Garbage!"
"James ankle-breaking foul on Granger.jpg"
"James ankle-breaking foul on Ibaka.jpg"
"James ankle-breaking foul on Jimmy Butler.jpg"
"James ankle-breaking foul on Billups.jpg"
"James ankle-breaking foul on Curry.jpg"
"..."