With Wang Yi off the court, Danny's three-point shooting had allowed the Kings to extend their lead to 24 points.
That threw the Lakers' coach's plans into disarray.
He had hoped to close the gap while Wang Yi was out.
Instead of narrowing the deficit, his own stars had burned through a great deal of energy.
Fortunately, both of his stars were young, so their stamina wasn't an issue.
If necessary, they could play all 48 minutes.
In the second quarter, the Lakers continued to push the fast break, and the Kings couldn't stop them.
The Lakers, meanwhile, couldn't stop the Kings' attacks in the paint, so the gap between the teams held steady.
At halftime, the Kings led the Lakers 65–40, a 25-point margin.
No one had expected the score to be so lopsided.
And it all stemmed from Wang Yi's dominance in the paint.
The commentators at courtside, James and Wade, couldn't stop praising him.
James watched Wang Yi disappear into the Player Tunnel, his eyes filled with disbelief.
"I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. He only recently returned, and already he's playing at such a high level."
"He's put up 27 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists in just the first half. And the most outrageous part is that he's already blocked six shots."
"Even over a whole game, those numbers would be impressive."
Wade nodded. "It's such a shame. If Wang Yi had joined a team other than the Kings when he returned this year—say, the Spurs, Dallas, or the Grizzlies—then with performances like this, he'd have a real shot at winning the championship this year."
James asked, "Are you saying Wang Yi won't achieve his goal of winning the championship this year, the one he talked about before?"
Wade turned to James.