To prevent Wang Yi from throwing down a vicious dunk, Gordon and Jokic used a defensive strategy with one defender stepping up in front and the other covering from behind.
But at that moment, Wang Yi didn't shoot.
Instead, he passed the ball behind his back to James, who had just cut in from the left.
James was practically unguarded beneath the basket. After catching the ball, he gently banked it in.
That was the predicament other teams faced when they played the Kings.
Just guarding Wang Yi took two or even three players.
And James driving into the paint called for a two-man trap, too.
Then there was Paul on the perimeter.
And Danny's 45% three-point percentage was no joke, either.
There was simply no way to deal with them.
The teams traded baskets from there.
With three minutes left in the first quarter, James came off the floor having already scored 15 points in the quarter, 10 of them assisted by Wang Yi.
Paul and James were both resting now, leaving Wang Yi to play with a group of substitutes.
Wang Yi turned to Hield, who should have been checking into the game, and said, "Hey, could I ask you a favor? Would you let Bronny play for a bit?"
Hield was taken aback.
Honestly, he wasn't too happy about it. Beverley and Paul had already cut into his playing time.
He was getting only around ten minutes per game.
He wanted to make the most of every opportunity in those ten minutes. After all, this was a contract year for him.
If he didn't play well and earn a better deal, his next contract would definitely be much worse than this one.
Hield was competitive, too. He didn't immediately agree just because Wang Yi had asked.
But