Previously hampered by injuries, Davis had been out while Green came off the bench. Now, they were starting together!
The Bucks had already been thoroughly crushed when neither of them started. Now, this Pelicans starting lineup had filled them with profound despair before the game had even begun!
Of course, this was not yet the most despairing part.
The most despairing part was that, at the very end of the Pelicans' pregame ceremony, Tang Tian once again patted the Pelicans players on the head, just as he had in the previous two games!
Faith was built through repeated success.
Fear was also born through repeated experiences!
No one knew whether this unprecedented ritual actually worked.
But the situation now was that the Pelicans believed it worked, and the Bucks, as their opponents, believed it worked too!
The game was about to begin, and both coaches were making their final tactical arrangements.
After gathering his players, Budenholzer tossed the tactics board straight onto the bench, then pulled his players close and spoke in his most impassioned tone.
"They're throwing a smoke bomb. They want to use this method to break down our psychological defense. We have to keep our confidence."
The words sounded somewhat timid, but they were exactly what the Bucks needed right now.
Their despair eased considerably.
What Budenholzer said made some sense. Outside reports had claimed that Davis would not return for another three days, while there had been no progress at all on Green's injury.
It was too much of a coincidence for both of them to start at the same time.
They would rather believe that things were as Budenholzer said, that this was merely the Pelicans trying to break down their psychological defense.
A short whistle sounded from the sideline. The game was about to