Next, the coach took the starters out, leaving Zhang Jiacheng as the only starter on the court.
Wang Yi was the team's undisputed centerpiece, so he needed enough rest.
Pang Bo was so big that every step he took on the court cost him more energy than it would a guard. He needed to make sure he got enough rest, too.
Hachimura was getting on in years and needed plenty of rest as well.
As for Dauding, he was Water Boy level to begin with. It made no difference whether he played or not.
Now that the substitutes were on the floor, they started digging the team into a hole again.
The backup Shooting Guard, Gates, had always been a fan of carefree basketball.
Wang Yi had him come off the bench, and he wasn't happy about it. He felt there was no point in playing, so naturally, he didn't give it his all.
The backup Power Forward, Amir Khan, seemed to follow some kind of Indian religion. He believed everything was predestined and beyond human control, so he played with a very laid-back attitude.
He'd go for a rebound if it came right to him. If it was the kind with a fifty-fifty chance, he'd make a token effort, even though he was unlikely to get it.
The backup center, Kim Tae-hyun, was slow-footed, lacked explosiveness, and had rough technique.
On top of that, he was upset that Wang Yi had him coming off the bench, so he was only going through the motions.
The backup Small Forward, Frank, did respect Wang Yi and wanted to fight for the win, but he simply wasn't good enough.
Zhang Jiacheng couldn't carry the rest of the team by himself.
By the end of the first quarter, their five-point lead hadn't just