Durant's consecutive scoring helped the Pelicans claw their way back into the game, but Vogel reacted quickly as well.
He raised a hand and called a timeout. When play resumed, James took primary defense on Durant, with Randle providing help.
That level of defensive intensity was immense. Durant was strong, but he was not Tang Tian, and his scoring efficiency dropped somewhat.
However, with less defensive pressure inside, Davis began finding opportunities to shine.
A turnaround bank shot after receiving the ball, Second Chance Points after grabbing an offensive rebound, even a direct soaring putback dunk.
With Durant under Focus Defense, Davis showed the fans how much he had improved.
And that improvement, to a certain extent, made up for the strength gap between Tang Tian and Durant.
The two teams remained locked in a stalemate on the scoreboard.
With one minute left in the game, the score was tied at 103.
The Lakers called a timeout.
Vogel set up an isolation play for James.
After weight loss, James's scoring had clearly increased. He had 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists so far, giving people the feeling that he had returned to his young self.
After the timeout, the Lakers took Simmons and Horford off, moved Randle to play center, and put shooters at every other position.
In the crucial moment, Vogel also went with a one-star, four-shooter lineup.
James held the ball at the top of the arc and drove hard inside.
The Pelicans did not double-team him. Stevens knew that James liked to pass.
But this time, James chose a Tough Drive. He scored through Durant and drew a defensive foul on him as well.
After scoring, James pumped his fist and roared at the crowd.
Although he had praised Durant before the game, that had been