Chapter Summaries

Tang Tian and Butler backed Walker against Jordan’s praise of Rozier, and Walker opened their matchup by shaking Rozier and scoring a floater through contact. The chapter ended with Walker converting the basket for a 2+1.

• Butler and Tang Tian criticized Jordan’s assessment of Rozier, and Walker agreed that he was the better player.
• Tang Tian and Butler promised Walker they would help teach Rozier a lesson, and Walker was moved by their support.
• The Pelicans and Hornets played before a sold-out crowd in Charlotte, with Davis out and Walker, Tang Tian, and Butler starting for New Orleans.
• Rozier missed a contested three-pointer on the Hornets’ first possession.
• Tang Tian cleared space for Walker to face Rozier one-on-one, and Walker shook him with a Sam Goode before scoring a floater through Kaminsky’s foul.

Butler and Walker dominated the opening minutes against the Hornets, targeting Rozier with a steal, a dunk, and a spectacular drive. Walker completed a second 2+1 and left the Hornets struggling to contain him as Jordan watched from the VIP suite.

• Walker made the Pelicans' first basket with a 2+1 after beating Rozier, and Butler challenged Rozier to come at him.
• Butler forced Rozier backward, stole the ball, and finished with a two-handed dunk to put the Pelicans ahead 5-0.
• Rozier drove at Butler for a difficult shot, but missed, and Dedmon collected the defensive rebound.
• Tang Tian cleared the floor for Walker, who dribbled through Rozier's legs and drove past him.
• Walker floated in a layup over Kaminsky while drawing a foul, completing another 2+1 as Jordan shook his head in the VIP suite.

Kemba Walker led the Pelicans to a commanding lead over the Hornets, while Terry Rozier recovered from a disastrous first quarter and brought the crowd back into the game. After Tang Tian challenged Rozier to score ten points, he stripped the ball from him as he drove past.

• Rozier missed his first four shots, and Walker scored 22 points in the first quarter as the Pelicans took a 33-11 lead.
• Brogdon led the Pelicans' reserves in extending the lead to nearly 30 points before Rozier returned and began scoring.
• Rozier hit a three, a pull-up jumper, and a 2+1, then made the free throw to score eight straight points and cut the deficit to 20.
• Tang Tian switched onto Rozier and calmly told him that he would lose if Rozier scored ten points.
• Rozier drove past Tang Tian after calling for Krygier's screen, but Tang Tian stripped the ball from him.

Tang Tian shut down Terry Rozier after a steal and a brutal block, while Kemba Walker led the Pelicans to a dominant win over the Hornets. Walker finished with 58 points as the Pelicans extended their winning streak to eight games.

• Tang Tian stole the ball from Rozier and finished a full-court drive with a Tomahawk Dunk.
• Tang Tian blocked Rozier’s jumper into his head, forcing a turnover and leaving Rozier shaken.
• Walker hit a three after Dedmon’s screen, and Tang Tian held Rozier scoreless for the rest of the quarter.
• The Pelicans built a lead of more than 30 points by halftime, and Jordan left the arena for Las Vegas.
• Walker scored 58 points in three quarters as the Pelicans defeated the Hornets 124-66 for their eighth straight win.
• Fans praised Walker’s scoring and Tang Tian and Butler’s supporting roles while criticizing Rozier’s performance.

The Pelicans extended their winning streak to 17 games as they prepared to face the equally undefeated Mavericks on Thanksgiving. After receiving a new endorsement payment, Tang Tian exchanged system points for Iverson’s Flowery Butterfly Steps and looked ahead to acquiring another powerful skill.

• At the postgame press conference, Stevens and Tang Tian deflected reporters’ attempts to stir up trouble over Jordan’s comments and Walker’s 58 points.
• The Pelicans reached a 17-0 record before Thanksgiving, outscoring opponents by an average of 28 points per game and attracting nearly all the league’s attention.
• The Mavericks also reached 17-0, setting up a highly anticipated Thanksgiving matchup to decide the league’s top team.
• Stevens led the Pelicans through intense training for the upcoming game, while Butler studied Mavericks footage and Tang Tian prepared alongside his teammates.
• Tang Tian received a $3 million Coca-Cola endorsement payment, raising his spending value to $51 million.
• Tang Tian opened the system and exchanged 30 million spending value for Iverson’s Flowery Butterfly Steps, which required his existing Low Dribble skill.

Tang Tian redeemed Flowery Butterfly Steps, raising his ball handling and layups and preparing to test his new skills against the Mavericks. As the Pelicans flew to Dallas, Embiid taunted them online and Butler steeled himself for the matchup.

• Tang Tian checked his Attribute Panel and saw that his ball handling and layups had reached 91 and 90 after redeeming Flowery Butterfly Steps.
• Embiid answered fans on Twitter by criticizing the Pelicans, predicting a Mavericks victory, praising Carlisle, and taking a jab at former teammate Butler.
• The Pelicans boarded a flight to Dallas the day before Thanksgiving as players passed the time online and Tang Tian noticed Butler reading Embiid's posts.
• Tang Tian reassured Butler that the Pelicans would win, and Walker joined in before he and Butler started wrestling on the plane.
• Tang Tian decided he could use Flowery Butterfly Steps to challenge Embiid head-on in the upcoming game.

The undefeated Pelicans and Mavericks met in a heavily hyped Thanksgiving showdown, with both teams fielding their strongest lineups despite absences. The Pelicans took an early lead, but the Mavericks responded, and the first quarter ended with the teams nearly even.

• Olson brought her and Tang Tian's two sons to Dallas for the Thanksgiving game, where the families and league president Xiao Hua drew attention before tipoff.
• Embiid opened the scoring for the Mavericks, and Butler answered with two free throws before adding a mid-range basket to give the Pelicans an early edge.
• Embiid dunked after a Jokic pass, but Tang Tian hit a pull-up three and the Pelicans forced a 24-second violation before Davis scored over Jokic to make it 9-4.
• Holiday shook Butler on a reverse cut and hit a three from Jokic's pass, showing the Mavericks could challenge the Pelicans.
• The first quarter ended with the Pelicans ahead 36-34, and Barkley judged the teams to be equally matched.

The Pelicans and Mavericks battled to a defensive stalemate until Stevens called for Tang Tian to run an isolation play. Tang Tian beat Holiday and Embiid with his new ball-handling moves and finished with a one-handed dunk, revealing a dangerous new weapon as the game continued.

• Walker scored a spinning floater, and Nowitzki answered with a mid-range jumper before Siakam and Holiday traded baskets.
• Stevens and Carlisle sent in defensive lineups, and both teams held the score at 41–38 for more than three minutes.
• Stevens called Walker and Tang Tian over and signaled for the Pelicans’ isolation play.
• Tang Tian used a crossover to get past Holiday, then beat Embiid with another change of pace and crossover.
• Tang Tian dunked one-handed, igniting the arena and the Pelicans’ bench.

Tang Tian’s improved ball-handling and scoring helped the Pelicans take control against the Mavericks, while Butler shut down Dallas on defense. Tang Tian capped a fast break by shaking Embiid to the floor and dunking, leaving the Pelicans’ bench and crowd celebrating.

• Butler intercepted Conley’s pass and helped the Pelicans seize control as the Mavericks struggled to find an answer for Tang Tian.
• Tang Tian used crossovers and a pull-up jumper against Holiday to score four straight points and extend the Pelicans’ lead to seven.
• Butler disrupted Embiid’s post-up, then blocked Conley’s layup attempt and won the jump ball.
• Walker secured the jump ball and started a fast break, which Tang Tian finished by using a Sam Goode to shake Embiid and score a Tomahawk Dunk.

Tang Tian’s improved ball handling and relentless drives helped the Pelicans overwhelm the Mavericks, who lost 109-89 after cutting the deficit only briefly. Tang finished with 37 points, and the chapter ended with Barkley’s comparison of his play to Allen Iverson becoming the name “Tang Iverson.”

• Butler made three consecutive defensive plays, and the Mavericks failed to score after Carlisle’s timeout.
• Tang Tian repeatedly beat Holiday and Embiid with drives to the right, widening the Pelicans’ lead.
• Tang Tian’s scoring pushed the Pelicans’ halftime lead to 23 points, leaving Xiao Hua despairing over his broken relationship with Tang Tian.
• The Mavericks briefly cut the deficit to within 15 points in the second half, but Stevens used Play 1 to restore the Pelicans’ control.
• Carlisle pulled the Mavericks’ starters with five minutes left, and the Pelicans won 109-89 as Tang Tian scored 37 points.
• Barkley, O’Neal, and Smith compared Tang Tian’s drives to Allen Iverson’s, and the broadcast called him “Tang Iverson.”

After the Pelicans crushed the Mavericks to claim their eighteenth straight win, Tang Tian praised Butler, mocked Embiid’s boast, and joked about Kyrie Irving at the press conference. NBA 2K’s first ratings update then raised several Pelicans’ ratings, while Tang Tian’s rating rose from 99 to 100.

• Tang Tian credited Butler’s defense as the key to the Pelicans’ win and said Embiid’s mouth was more impressive than the Mavericks’ strength.
• Tang Tian joked that Kyrie Irving’s dribbling resembled his own.
• The Pelicans defeated the Mavericks for their eighteenth consecutive win and remained undefeated.
• NBA 2K raised ratings across the Pelicans roster, including Siakam to 81, Brogdon to 83, and four starters to 90 or higher.
• Fans reacted to the Pelicans’ ratings, and Tang Tian’s rating increased from 99 to 100.

Tang Tian received a historic 100 rating in NBA 2K, and the Pelicans extended their winning streak to 32 games as anticipation built for their Christmas Day matchup with the Warriors. With the Warriors on a 15-game streak of their own, Green dismissed Tang’s improved driving as merely a breakthrough to the right.

• 2K president Brendan Donohoe explained that Tang Tian earned a 100 rating because he had no weaknesses.
• The Pelicans kept winning and reached a 32-game winning streak before Christmas.
• The Warriors won all twelve of their December games, extending their own winning streak to fifteen.
• As reporters asked how the Warriors would defend Tang Tian, Green claimed his improvement was just a breakthrough to the right.

Green used the media to provoke Tang Tian into attacking from the right before the Pelicans faced the Warriors in Oakland on Christmas Day. The game opened as a high-scoring shootout, with the Warriors leading 41-40 after the first quarter.

• Green told reporters he expected Tang Tian to drive right and claimed he would stop him, prompting widespread headlines and fan excitement.
• Tang Tian traveled to Oakland with Olson and their two sons, then prepared for the game while planning to use his newly mastered skill against Green.
• Before tipoff, the Pelicans and Warriors announced their four-star starting lineups, and Xiao Hua watched Tang Tian perform his usual magnesium-powder ritual.
• The Warriors opened the game with a Curry-Durant screen-and-roll, and Durant scored the first basket before Davis answered with a mid-range jumper.
• The Warriors repeatedly targeted Walker with Durant and Thompson, while both teams traded baskets and finished the first quarter with the Warriors ahead 41-40.

The Pelicans fell behind after a controversial offensive-foul call shifted momentum to the Warriors, but Tang Tian’s drives and Davis’s defense brought them back into the game. Tang Tian then beat Green off the dribble, leaving the Pelicans with the initiative as the matchup continued.

• A controversial offensive-foul call against Walker preceded Thompson’s three-pointer and a Warriors run that put them five points ahead.
• After the Warriors extended their lead to seven, Stevens called a timeout and sent Tang Tian in for Walker.
• Tang Tian drove past Thompson for a layup, and Davis blocked Durant before helping force a miss from Green.
• Tang Tian crossed past Thompson and Green to hit a mid-range shot, then later got past Green again in their one-on-one matchup.

Tang Tian repeatedly broke down Draymond Green and led the Pelicans to a 125–103 road win over the Warriors. The Pelicans tied the NBA record with their 33rd consecutive victory and headed into their next game against the Cavaliers one win from setting a new record.

• Tang Tian beat Green with a series of crossovers and scored two 2+1 plays, tying the game after a run of nine straight points.
• Tang Tian kept attacking from the right, while the Warriors lost their composure and fell nearly 20 points behind by the end of the third quarter.
• Cole pulled the Warriors' starters with five minutes left as the Pelicans maintained their 20-point lead.
• The Pelicans crushed the Warriors 125–103, and Tang Tian finished with 42 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists.
• The Pelicans extended their winning streak to 33 games, tying the Lakers' record, and their next opponent was the Cavaliers.

The Pelicans prepared for a road game against the surging Cavaliers, with Tang Tian rallying his team to see themselves as the league’s reigning Boss rather than challengers. He urged them to beat the Cavaliers, set a new NBA winning-streak record, and prove ESPN’s preseason ranking wrong.

• Tang Tian explained to Walker that winning teams were expected to win, so their losses drew more attention than losses by other strong teams.
• The Pelicans traveled to Cleveland to face a Cavaliers team led by James, with Whiteside’s provocative interview adding to the anticipation.
• Before tipoff, Tang Tian reminded his teammates of ESPN’s preseason ranking that placed the Pelicans third in the League.
• Bojan described the Cavaliers as the final boss, but Tang Tian called them the final challenger and framed the Pelicans as the Boss.
• Tang Tian urged the team to defeat the Cavaliers, set a new NBA Winning streak record, and crush their opponents’ hopes, prompting excited cheers from his teammates.

The Pelicans overwhelmed the Cavaliers from the opening tip, racing to a 39-19 lead by the end of the first quarter. Tang Tian’s magnesium-powder toss and the Pelicans’ dominant start left James and League President Xiao Hua furious as the game continued.

• Tang Tian threw magnesium powder before tip-off, drawing a huge reaction from the crowd and visibly upsetting James.
• Walker opened the game with a three-pointer, then scored on a fast break and a layup as the Pelicans took a 5-0 lead.
• Davis blocked Whiteside and Wade, while Butler and Tang Tian helped shut down the Cavaliers’ offense and extend the Pelicans’ advantage.
• The Pelicans maintained their dominance through the first quarter and finished it ahead 39-19.
• Barkley and O’Neal mocked ESPN’s preseason rankings, while Xiao Hua grew furious in the stands.

The Pelicans answered the Cavaliers’ offensive push with a towering defensive lineup, using Tang Tian as point guard to overwhelm them and build a commanding lead. The Cavaliers struggled to score as the Pelicans’ run continued.

• Wade rallied the discouraged Cavaliers, and Lue urged them to match the Pelicans offensively.
• James led the Cavaliers’ attack in the second quarter as they cut the deficit to 14 points.
• Stevens sent out a tall lineup with Tang Tian at point guard, and Tang Tian’s pass helped Davis score against the double team.
• Tang Tian beat Love off a screen and set up Dedmon for an alley-oop, while the Pelicans’ defense shut down the Cavaliers’ offense.
• Tang Tian and Butler completed a fast break to extend the Pelicans’ lead to 20 points, then Tang Tian found Butler for a two-handed dunk after Wade missed two free throws.

The Pelicans defeated the Cavaliers 131-106 to extend their winning streak to 34 games and break the NBA record. As the team headed home for a break, Tang Tian dismissed the social-media backlash and said the players could decide their futures when next year came.

• Lue called a timeout, but the Pelicans kept dominating the Cavaliers and led 69-41 at halftime.
• James, Wade, and George improved their scoring after halftime, but the Cavaliers remained more than 20 points behind and Lue pulled the starters late in the game.
• Tang Tian recorded 35 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists as seven Pelicans scored in double figures in the 131-106 victory.
• The Pelicans claimed their 34th straight win, breaking the Lakers' 33-game record, while burner accounts fueled backlash against the team online.
• On the flight back to New Orleans, Diop warned Tang Tian that the backlash could affect him, but Tang Tian said it would not.
• Diop asked Tang Tian about Walker and Butler's futures, and Tang Tian said they would deal with next season when it came.

Tang Tian heard that Kawhi Leonard had again lost contact with the Spurs after Pete Holt demanded that he return to San Antonio for treatment. Suspecting the dispute involved Methodist Healthcare’s reputation, Tang urged Popovich to choose between letting Leonard’s relationship with the Spurs collapse or finding a new owner.

• Popovich visited Tang Tian with beef and explained that Leonard had remained in New York after seeking medical care there.
• Popovich said Holt distrusted Leonard’s chosen doctors and insisted he return to San Antonio, reigniting their conflict.
• Tang considered trading Siakam for Leonard but rejected the idea because of the cost and his relationship with Popovich.
• Tang suggested Holt’s demand might be motivated by Methodist Healthcare’s interest in protecting its diagnostic reputation.
• Tang told Popovich to let the conflict continue or choose a new owner for the Spurs.