Coach Dako had steadied himself by then and said, "Okay, the next few minutes will be the most important stretch of the game. We've lost our starting center, but if we can hold on through these few minutes and keep the game close until the final minutes, our chances of winning will increase significantly."
"They know we're without our starting center, so they're bound to attack the paint relentlessly from here on."
"That puts even more pressure on our perimeter defenders and help defenders."
"First, the guys on the front line need to make sure they hold their defensive positions and don't let the other team blow by them easily. Even if they do get past you, make sure you disrupt them enough to slow them down and throw off their rhythm."
"Then the wing players providing help defense need to be ready to rotate at all times."
"Bigs, don't panic when you see them driving inside. Hold your ground. When they come straight at you, try not to jump. Stay upright and extend both arms."
"If they come at you from the side, do your best to block the shot. Don't be afraid to foul. If you've decided to foul, make it a hard one and bring them down. Don't give them a chance to complete a three-point play."
After spending the past year learning from Wang Yi, Coach Dako could now lay out the tactics and plays clearly from the sidelines in many situations.
That took a lot of pressure off Wang Yi.
After all, as a player, he had to keep his attention on the court at all times.
Sometimes he also had to switch into a coach's mindset to assess the situation, but he couldn't do that too often.
If he switched back and forth between