At this point, Xu Jingyu said with anticipation:
"A lot of people have said the Raptors' winning style with their Five-Defense lineup is too physically demanding and needs to change. From what we've seen today, the Raptors have already started making adjustments."
"They used the Five-Defense lineup in the first quarter to build a lead, then switched to a 2-3 Zone Defense in the second quarter to conserve energy."
"If their opponents aren't shooting threes well, the gap will stay just as wide. If they are shooting well in the second quarter, they'll still be stuck trying to catch up."
"As everyone knows, chasing a lead makes you feel more tired, both physically and mentally. Even Lakers fans are exhausted just watching."
"So in reality, the Lakers have spent a little more energy than the Raptors today."
"Then, when the third quarter starts and the Raptors' Five-Defense lineup turns up the pressure again, the gap will widen. Won't the Lakers start to crumble? They might get swept away by a huge run in the third quarter."
"If the Raptors win today, I believe they'll stick with this winning style."
Xu Jingyu might have come from humble beginnings, but you had to admit he was good at what he did. Sometimes, his analysis was right on the money.
That was right. This was the new winning strategy Wang Yi and the coaching staff had come up with.
They'd start the first quarter with the Five-Defense lineup to put pressure on the other team, using one fast break after another to build a lead of at least ten points if possible.
Then, in the second quarter, they'd switch to a zone defense and let the Five-Defense lineup get some rest.
Meanwhile, their opponents would be trying to catch up in the second