Because Wang Yi forced Haliburton into an eight-second violation, possession went back to the Raptors.
But before the Raptors could start their offense, Carlisle called a timeout.
Seeing Carlisle's face darken, Yang Yi couldn't help saying, "See that? That's the impact Wang Yi has on defense. When he puts his whole heart into it, it takes him just one and a half possessions to bring the Pacers to a halt."
Wang Meng chimed in, "Why has Wang Yi won Defensive Player of the Year only once in the past ten years? It isn't because he's bad on defense. It's because he has to devote more than half his energy to offense, so most of the time, his defense doesn't look like Defensive Player of the Year-caliber defense."
"But if he played every game like this, coming out with his defensive intensity maxed from the opening tip, no one could take Defensive Player of the Year away from him."
"It's not that he can't give his all on defense. It's just more efficient to put half his energy into offense."
Yang Yi said, "This reminds me of what Bruce 'The Bell' Pete said before. He claimed Wang Yi was nothing but a scorer. Today, Wang Yi is clearly showing him what else he can do besides score. Let's see how Carlisle responds to Wang Yi's defense."
At the Pacers' Resting Area,
Carlisle looked unhappy as he met the players coming off the court.
Calling a timeout less than a minute into the game, after just one and a half possessions, was certainly not what he'd intended.
But there was no choice.
Wang Yi's defensive pressure was overwhelming, and Haliburton looked rattled. Carlisle needed to talk to him.
When the players came off, Haliburton's brows were furrowed as he shook his head.