Tang Tian calmly converted the and-one, and his defensive counterattack helped the Pelicans cut the deficit to 2 points.
D'Antoni rose from the bench and walked to the sideline.
Harden continued calling for the ball in the frontcourt. Although he had missed the previous shot, he felt his approach was right. If he kept at it, it would work.
He drove hard toward the paint after a series of crossovers.
Tang Tian held his defensive position and leaned into him, denying him an easy path inside.
Harden took a step-back in motion. He had mastered the step-back to an incredible degree.
But he still couldn't shake Tang Tian!
On the defensive end, Tang Tian was like gum stuck to the sole of a shoe—impossible to shake off!
Tang Tian's contest was overwhelming. Harden gave everything in the air just to barely avoid the defense.
The result was an airball, missing everything!
The crowd stirred.
Tang Tian's defensive pressure was truly terrifying!
Harden had been stopped on two straight possessions, with one of them being an airball, yet his expression barely changed.
Tang Tian had expended plenty of energy on both of those defensive plays.
D'Antoni watched Harden retreat on defense, seeming as though he wanted to speak but held back.
The Pelicans failed to score on their next possession, and Capela secured the defensive rebound.
Harden brought the ball up and continued calling for it.
A commotion rose from the sideline.
"Harden's getting a little heated!"
Breen sighed.
"No, he's playing smart. He's draining Tang's energy. Do you remember how the Pelicans lost to the Warriors?"
Miller said.
Breen nodded thoughtfully.
In the previous game, Tang Tian had carried the load on both ends, and his stamina had dropped sharply. But that wasn't really his fault—there weren't many players in