That situation did not change in the third quarter. Tang Tian's shooting touch remained poor, and the Pelicans still could not play at full strength.
Tang Tian had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 6 steals, and 2 blocks through three quarters.
After three quarters, the score was 75-75.
The Jazz had tied the game!
"The Pelicans rely too much on Tang's performance."
The commentator sighed at the end of the quarter.
Tang Tian being too strong was not necessarily a good thing. The team had been winning too easily in normal games, and Davis, Jokic, and the other secondary stars had become less resilient under pressure.
Down by 9 in one quarter, within 5 by halftime, and tied after three quarters.
The Jazz's performance against the Defending Champions tonight was admirable, and they had a real chance to pull off an inspirational victory.
At the start of the fourth quarter, they continued that momentum. Diop and Joe Ingles came off the bench as surprise weapons, leading the team on a 12-2 run to take a double-digit lead over the Pelicans!
Even two consecutive timeouts called by Stevens failed to stop the Jazz's momentum.
It seemed that tonight was destined not to belong to the Pelicans.
"This may not be our night, but we have to play better. We can't leave ourselves with regrets."
During the timeout, Davis unusually used words to encourage his teammates.
Tang Tian's shooting touch was poor, and he had not been able to step up. Those words were for his teammates, but even more so for himself.
He had grown under Tang Tian's protection for three years. He should have become braver.
Tang Tian felt a surge of relief when he heard that.
Davis's personality, skills, and performance had all improved considerably from last season.