Noah figured that failing to handle these little details had put him in a difficult position.
Still, the Grizzlies were up by eight. Even if Wang Yi made both free throws, they would still lead by six.
As long as he watched his fouls when he returned in the fourth quarter, he could win the game with the hot hand he'd had on offense tonight.
Meanwhile, the spectators in the stands were buzzing.
A fan holding a tub of popcorn shoved some into his mouth and mumbled to his companion, "Isn't this game getting kind of ugly? How many fouls has Wang Yi drawn since coming in at the start of the fourth? I want the Raptors to win too, but all these fouls are making it hard to watch."
His companion held a cup of soda. He took a sip and shook his head. "How long is this game going to take if they keep calling fouls? I have work in the morning."
The other spectators felt much the same.
They wanted the Raptors to win, and the referees kept calling fouls on the Grizzlies, which obviously benefited Toronto. But they wanted the Raptors to win fair and square, decisively—not for the game to drag along like constipation, with progress coming in painful little spurts.
Besides, many of them had work or school the next day. They couldn't afford to stay up watching this forever.
The commentators weighed in as well.
"The referees have blown the whistle so much lately that the game's been chopped to pieces. They've called Noah for three fouls in just a few minutes."
"That forced the Grizzlies to take Noah out, which is going to make the game a lot less exciting."
The other commentator nodded in agreement, then added, "But even though the