At that moment, the Zen Master praised Wang Yi for a few moments, then said:
"Wang, your performance over that last minute has been incredibly impressive."
"But I have a question. Can you keep playing like this until the end of the game?"
Wang Yi nodded and replied:
"No problem at all."
That was exactly the answer Phil Jackson wanted.
If Wang Yi couldn't maintain this level until the end of the game, he would have to tell him to ease up for now and save his energy for the second half and the fourth quarter.
On the other hand, if Wang Yi could keep it up through the fourth quarter, then they needed to unleash him from the very start.
So Phil Jackson addressed the players:
"When you go back out there, play through Wang Yi and get him the ball as often as you can."
The players all nodded:
"Yes, Coach!"
Only King Arthur sat there in silence.
In fact, the strategy Phil Jackson had just laid out ran completely counter to the style they had grown accustomed to this season.
Their usual approach this season was to have Wang Yi camp out in the corner, occasionally take a three or make a cut, and let everyone else take the lead. Only when the others couldn't get anything going, or when the game reached its final, crucial moments, would they give the ball to Wang Yi.
But having Wang Yi play like this right from the start felt a little strange to everyone.
Still, since the coach had given the instructions, no one objected.
Once they were back on the court, Wemby dribbled outside the three-point line for the Spurs. Facing Aiton, he rose straight up and launched a pull-up fadeaway three-pointer.
A guy who was seven-foot-four used