He turned back, a flicker of unease flashing through his eyes.
Although the previous games had helped him regain his courage against Tang Tian, for some reason, he still instinctively felt intimidated.
Tang Tian moved to the free-throw wing. He was playing small forward now.
He glanced at Durant and found that Durant was not looking at him at all.
Clang!
Durant took longer than usual to adjust, but his extra free throw unusually missed.
A scramble broke out under the basket. Diop finally used his big backside to shove Pachulia aside and secured the defensive rebound.
Williams dribbled into the frontcourt and then passed the ball to Tang Tian.
Tang Tian had come in specifically to solve the scoring drought.
The Warriors reacted quickly on the court. Aside from Thompson, who was guarding him directly, Durant immediately came over to help.
It was still the Bench Connection Segment. The Pelicans' other scorers were not as reliable as the starters, so double-teaming was the smartest choice.
The Warriors' decision was correct, and their reaction was fast.
But before Durant's double-team arrived, he felt a figure whoosh past him!
Tang Tian did not dribble after receiving the ball, nor did he even fake. With a one-step acceleration, he slammed into Thompson and drove inside!
The move was too sudden. Durant and Thompson could only chase from behind.
Pachulia rushed out to help defend.
Tang Tian saw it and fired a moving direct pass straight into Diop's hands beneath the basket.
Diop easily laid it in.
It was a combination between two former Spurs teammates.
The margin returned to seven points.
Cheers rang out from the crowd. Although Tang Tian had not scored those two points himself, they were just as desperately needed!
On the Warriors' possession, Durant ran into the frontcourt