The Pelicans flew to Dallas the next day.

As teams in the same division, this is their fourth and last meeting with the Mavericks this season.

After arriving in Dallas, the Pelicans arranged daily workouts.

Before the start of the training session, Williams announced in the locker room that Evans would be the team's starting center against the Trail Blazers.

Evans averaged 13 boards per game in three games and worked hard to earn himself a starting spot.

His teammates all stood up to congratulate Evans.

Evans' hard work on the pitch and the help he brought to the team was something that his teammates could really feel.

Whiteside sat there motionless at this time, with envy and unwillingness in his eyes.

The main thing in today's training was defense.

Borrego and his players were training, and Williams sat on the sidelines watching and studying the evening's game.

The Pelicans have had their ups and downs this time and are still in eighth place, compared to the ninth place against the Mavericks tonight.

With just over a little over the season remaining, this direct match-up battle is crucial.

So he had to be prepared.

"Yay!"

At that moment, he heard shouts of excitement coming from the audience.

It was sent by Whiteside.

He gave Gordon a big punch.

Defensive training is divided into full-court and half-time, the whole field is mainly tactical, and the half-court depends on the state of the players.

Now I practice half-time, and there are two parts in the half-court, one is an individual and the other is a team.

Personally, it is carried out in the order of the inside line against the outside line, the outside line against the outside line, and the inside line against the inside line.

If you succeed, you will continue to stay on the field, and if you fail, you will be replaced.

Whiteside defended Gordon, followed by Reeves Jr., who couldn't score, and Holiday who followed him was almost blocked.

It wasn't until Tang Tian shook that he was knocked down.

Whiteside looks a little bit better today.

The individual part ends, followed by a half-time five-on-five.

The players are divided into offensive and defensive groups.

Whiteside was placed in the defensive group.

He had another outstanding performance in this session, and although there were still fouls, it was clear that he was much better at control.

After giving Smith a big hat, he let out another roar.

He had reason to be excited.

Tang Tian's previous talk was enlightened, he took the tablet to study for two nights, and also found a friend to help, and finally came to his senses.

Coupled with Williams' announcement of Evans as the starter, it was even more exciting for him.

Tang Tian looked at Whiteside's performance, and he was still quite pleased.

If those words didn't bring Whiteside to his senses, it wasn't a bad brain, it was a real stupidity.

This is obviously good news for the Pelicans.

At this moment, an accident occurred on the court, and Smith was in a hurry to prove himself, and he sprained his wrist due to excessive force.

This situation was very sudden, and the team doctor hurriedly took him to the infirmary.

The news came quickly, Smith's injury was not serious, but tonight's game was definitely not playable.

After training, Williams also put Whiteside on the activation list.

Competition in the NBA is brutal, and a single injury can change a player's entire career.

Smith's status in the team has dropped again and again, and there is a high probability that he will fall out of the team's rotation this time.

Again, this is Whiteside's chance, and if he can take advantage of it, there is a good chance that he will stay.

Tang Tian took a shower and was about to go back to change clothes to prepare for the night's game, and Whiteside stayed at the end to chat with him.

"Thank you, Don."

Although Whiteside has a bad brain, he still knows how to be grateful.

"Playing well on the pitch is the best thanks."

Tang Tian opened his mouth and said, the current Whiteside is just getting another chance.

Whiteside smiled and nodded.

"God has given me a new chance."

What he said next referred to Smith's injury, this kind of thing he couldn't say in front of his teammates, but he could still say it in front of Tang Tian.

"Come on, luck is also part of strength."

Tang Tian continued.

It seems that Smith's injury gave Whiteside a chance, but if Whiteside didn't have the kind of hard work he did on the training floor, Williams would have chosen to replace Smith with another inside lineman, Jeff Vichy.

So Williams was unhappy with Whiteside's behavior, but it was true that he was not biased as Tang Tian said.

Whiteside nodded, he was now more confident than ever.

That night, the Mavericks and Pelicans game kicked off at the U.S. Route Center Coliseum.

The Pelicans' regular starting five on this side are Holiday plus Tang Tian on the outside, Aminuga Davis on the front, and Evans on the center.

On the Mavericks' side, Calderonga Monta Ellis on the outside, Marion Ganovitzki on the front, and Durham Porter on the center.

Carlisle is one of the two few players who can go head-to-head with Popovich, and he grabbed the Pelicans' most fatal weakness from the start of the game.

Evans' rebounding and defense are good, but his offensive ability and desire are too poor, and basically Tang Tian is in the bag every round.

Some of the balls he was able to use the space to dribble his own shots, but more passes to Evans failed to finish.

This is also Evans' biggest weakness, and the effect of being short and strong is his slow movement speed.

It's easy to say that he didn't target other teams, but Carlisle not only targeted, but he targeted it thoroughly.

After the bag, if Tang Tian passes to Evans, he will use a small one to change the defense.

The advantage in speed combined with Evans' ability to catch the attack was very effective.

The Mavericks also relied on this to accumulate advantages little by little.

Williams couldn't help it, turned around and called Whiteside up from the end of the bench.

Every coach's strategy for using players is different, and Williams's use is in the more flexible category.

Whoever performs better in training will be given priority to play.

Whiteside is coming to the rotation of the first bench inside line.

Of course, if he doesn't play well, this only chance will be gone.

Whiteside was a little excited, and in the first defensive round of the substitution, he sent a ...... One foul.

He was tricked by the opponent's aerial lever while blocking Ellis.

"Don't think about blocking every round, prioritize the defensive position on the inside."

Tang Tian walked over at this time and reminded him, which was also the one he had made to Whiteside.

Whiteside nodded, he remembered that, but defensive habits don't happen all at once.

Ellis hit both free throws to give the Mavericks a 14-6 lead.

On the Pelicans' offense, Tang Tian continued to encounter the bag, and he directly hung the ball to the inside.

Whiteside received the ball and went straight to the frame, and the biggest difference between him and Evans is that he has an attacking desire and is flexible as a big man.

Ellis switched in and didn't keep up.

"Bang!"

With a hint of vent, Whiteside jumped up and slammed the ball into the basket with both hands.

Violent abuse box!

And after pouring it, he bent his legs and arms on the basket and pulled down, pressing the basket down a few centimeters.

This buckle is full of domineering!