King of the Fourth Quarter

Roberson was not facing Tang Tian for the first time. Seeing Tang Tian assume a Triple Threat stance, he gave him an extra half-step of space.

Tang Tian feinted forward with his right foot, then dribbled back through his legs with his right hand.

He was going to shoot!

That was Roberson's first instinct. Tang Tian's pull-up jumper was quick and accurate, so he lunged forward immediately.

But his judgment was wrong.

After gathering the ball from between his legs, Tang Tian changed direction to the left and blew right past him.

After getting past Roberson, Tang Tian pulled up from the free-throw line before Kanter could rotate out from the paint.

Swish!

The nearly wide-open shot dropped cleanly.

That basket helped the Pelicans extend the lead back into double digits.

A stir ran through the arena.

Roberson had been beaten off the dribble in one step by Tang Tian!

Roberson's defense had improved tremendously this season. He was averaging 1.9 steals over four games and had done well in On-Ball Defense against opposing stars, making him the kind of player who could compete for Defensive Player of the Year.

Yet that first step had beaten him far too easily.

In truth, Roberson had not expected it at all.

His defensive improvement this season was not limited to his physical reactions. He had learned to anticipate opponents' offensive choices through their setup moves, even through the movement of their shoulders.

But he had been completely deceived just now.

He shook his head. Tang Tian was strong, but there was no way he should have been beaten that easily.

It had to be because he was not focused enough.

Kanter was double-teamed by Tang Tian on a post-up. When he kicked the ball out to a teammate, he turned it over