Too Real

No sooner had O'Neal finished speaking than Jokic grabbed Love's miss, and the Pelicans immediately launched a Defensive Counterattack.

Holiday took Jokic's long backcourt pass on the fast break and drew a defensive foul from Irving, making both free throws.

On the way back, James drove to the basket with the ball again. This time, he shot through the double-team of Davis and Jokic, but the ball clanged off the rim.

Davis secured the Defensive Rebound, and the Pelicans struck in transition again. Tang Tian added another 2 points with a fast-break layup at the other end.

6-0.

Lue's strategy of attacking the Pelicans' interior had worked wonders in the previous game, but with Davis back, using that same strategy again looked rather foolish.

That was Lue's defining trait: a Tactical Genius, but not head coach material.

Those few possessions became a microcosm of the Cavaliers' half.

They were like infantrymen wielding long blades, launching a Death Charge at the Pelicans' position through a hail of bullets.

The result was that not only did they fail to take the position, they lost their own to the opponent's counterattacks.

At halftime, the Pelicans led the Cavaliers 60-40, a full 20 points ahead.

If James had not played the entire half and helped the Cavaliers gain some advantage during the bench stretches of the first two quarters, the gap would only have been larger.

When the second half began, nothing changed.

Lue did not seem stubborn so much as he seemed unable to adapt. The Cavaliers kept charging like that for the entire game.

As a result, the game was already over by the end of the third quarter.

In the end, the Pelicans crushed the Cavaliers 118-93 at home, tying the series at 1-1.

Tang Tian played only three quarters and