Next, after the Kings finished celebrating and the Pelicans finished their pep talk, both teams took the court again.
Once Michael Joe returned to the floor, he had recovered somewhat.
Caruso still didn't pass him the ball, though. Instead, he told him to wait a little longer and said he'd pass it to him once he was completely back to normal.
Michael Joe wasn't impatient.
The teams traded baskets after that. With Wang Yi on the floor, the Kings' offense was naturally nothing to worry about.
As for the Pelicans, their offense was exceptionally smooth.
Everyone had a great shooting touch. They could practically score whenever they put up a shot.
Caruso hit two three-pointers, while Ingram scored from both beyond the arc and inside it.
The Power Forward, Bob, and center Lauri all made their contributions, too.
When the first quarter ended, the score was 40–38, with the Kings trailing by two.
There was nothing they could do. Their opponents were shooting incredibly well tonight.
Michael Joe came up empty twice in the quarter, and both of his shots missed.
He finished the first quarter scoreless.
But after the coach's pep talk, he wasn't discouraged or depressed.
He took the floor as soon as the second quarter began.
Wang Yi had rested for two minutes late in the first quarter, and he also returned at the start of the second.
On the first possession, Michael Joe planned to take the shot himself.
So, facing Wang Yi, he dribbled and made several consecutive moves behind his back.
Then he kept rocking from side to side, trying to get past Wang Yi.
To his surprise, although Wang Yi was missing his right hand, his lateral speed was incredibly fast.
No matter how many times Michael Joe changed direction, he couldn't get