Tang Tian and Westbrook were still resting on the bench during the between-quarter break between the third and fourth quarters.
In this Bench Connection Segment, the Pelicans struck first.
Stevens made an adjustment to the lineup. Instead of having Jokic lead the unit, he went with the better-performing Davis.
The Pelicans opened with Davis and Williams scoring in succession, extending the lead to 14 points.
Tang Tian and Westbrook's True and False Monkey King showdown had yet to reach a final conclusion, but it seemed they would not need to seek out Ksitigarbha or the Buddha, because the winner was about to be decided.
If the Pelicans won the game, the victor would be king.
But just then, the tide shifted dramatically on the court as Oladipo stepped up once again for the Thunder.
As the second overall pick in 2013, Oladipo's performances had never quite met the fans' expectations, especially after joining the Thunder.
With Westbrook averaging a Triple-Double and drawing more attention himself, Oladipo had been criticized more times than in all the previous years combined.
But tonight, he displayed absolute strength, driving and shooting his way to a personal 8-0 Run, cutting the deficit back to six and forcing the Pelicans to call another timeout.
The fans cheered wildly at his performance.
Their cheers were not just because of what he had done, but because the unresolved True and False Monkey King showdown could continue!
During the timeout, Stevens finished laying out the strategy.
"Brad, let me guard Russell."
Tang Tian volunteered once again.
Westbrook had shown extraordinary consistency tonight. If they did not contain him, the game would remain tight.
Stevens agreed as well.
He truly felt fortunate to be coaching Tang Tian. If it were another superstar, even if the coaching staff requested it, he