That brought the deficit down to just 13 points.
Once the Raptors put their full starting lineup on the floor, their defense seemed to be weaker than it had been in the first quarter.
That gave the Timberwolves a chance to catch their breath, and they cut the deficit to just eight points by the end of the second quarter.
At that point, Bales was feeling pretty pleased with himself:
"I told you, you can't judge a game by watching just one quarter. Sure, the Wolves are still down by eight, but they've got the Raptors firmly on the back foot now."
"I think the Timberwolves will capitalize on that momentum in the third quarter."
"And Wang Yi is getting old. The longer the game goes on, the more his stamina will run out."
"So in the end, the Timberwolves won't just come back and win—they'll have Edwards and Juan absolutely destroy Wang Yi!"
James also laughed and said, "Oh? Then do you dare make a bet?"
At that, Bales felt a jolt of alarm.
Bales had actually been among the more than a hundred celebrities who'd bet against Wang Yi.
That bet had cost him a house.
His house hadn't been worth as much as the ones owned by those other celebrities—only $700,000.
But at the time, losing that bet had been like losing three years' worth of his salary.
So now, just hearing the word "bet" made him nervous.
He could only shake his head. "LeBron, don't forget, we're commentators. Isn't it a little inappropriate for you to openly promote gambling?"
James laughed. "I'm just talking about it. Some people actually went and did it."
Bales shot James a sidelong glance.
He was speechless.
Meanwhile, the Raptors returned to their locker room.
Although their 20-point lead had shrunk