At the same time, Wang Jianhua stressed the importance of defense to the team.
But Wang Jianhua knew that this emphasis was almost pointless. The gap in physicality was right there for all to see, as was the gap in athleticism.
Take Antoine and Gobert, for example. If one played on the perimeter and the other in the paint, how were they supposed to defend them?
And when Antoine and Gobert both went after rebounds under the basket, who on China Team could hold their own against them?
Even Pang Bo, the one hailed as the Titan Beast, couldn't do it. He was simply far shorter and had a much smaller wingspan than either of them.
So Wang Jianhua told the players, "If you get a clear chance to fast-break, take it. If not, set up in the half court and use the full 24 seconds on every possession."
Wang Jianhua's intention was simple.
Using all 24 seconds on every possession would mean fewer possessions.
Fewer possessions meant fewer points for both sides.
And the fewer points both teams scored, the less likely the gap would widen.
If they could just hang on until Wang Yi got back on the court, he might be able to attack for a few possessions and cut the lead to single digits.
As for what would happen if Wang Yi ran out of gas in the fourth after attacking for a few possessions, Wang Jianhua figured they could only take things one step at a time.
For now, the most important thing was to cut the lead to single digits before the third quarter ended.
Otherwise, the fourth quarter would be even harder.
Meanwhile, Wang Yi sat on the sidelines with his arms draped over the backs of the chairs on either side, his