Wang Yi knew that Arthur's comeback would unsettle some of his teammates and dampen the crowd's energy.
So as soon as he returned to the court, Wang Yi sank two three-pointers in a row.
Arthur scored two points on both of those possessions, so even after Wang Yi's pair of threes, the lead was only two.
But Wang Yi hitting two straight threes and King Arthur making two consecutive mid-range shots had completely different effects.
Two straight threes filled the players with confidence. With a leader like this, how could we possibly lose? They also lifted the fans' spirits. With an Unrivaled Superstar like this, how could we fail to win the championship?
Phil Jackson watched and marveled inwardly. Wang Yi was the best player at managing a game.
Being the best at managing a game didn't mean a player could score a certain number of points, dish out a certain number of assists, grab a certain number of rebounds, or lead the team to victory.
It meant knowing when to hold back and when to turn it on.
And ultimately, it meant leading the team to victory.
Wang Yi was exactly that kind of player.
When his teammates had the hot hand, he fed them the ball. But when they were struggling, or when the Lakers had caught up, he would suddenly knock down two threes in a row to steady his teammates and the game.
The Lakers paid closer attention to Wang Yi's three-point shooting after that, which let him drive to mid-range instead.
His mid-range game was just as unstoppable. Once he got there, he sank an easy jumper.
King Arthur answered with another three.
His three-point shot was even better than James's had been back in the day.
He didn't rely on threes as his main