After Wang Yi landed, a crowd of Lakers fans came over to celebrate with him, bumping chests, slapping hands, and hugging him. Not a single one of them thought about getting back on defense.
Wang Yi didn't say anything to them, either.
It was just one defensive retreat. No big deal.
The sheer intimidation of that incredible midair dunk, switching hands between his legs to slam it over Wemby, was enough to make up for the loss from not getting back on defense—and then some.
In fact, the Spurs didn't take advantage of the opportunity to launch a fast break, because every one of them was still stunned by Wang Yi's dunk.
Only after a moment, when Wang Yi directed the Lakers Players to get back on defense, did the Spurs belatedly try to start a fast break. But it was too late. The Lakers were already back at midcourt, and there was no chance to run.
Maybe Wang Yi's explosive start and those two breathtaking dunks had taken a serious toll on the Spurs' confidence.
They looked dispirited for the rest of the first quarter, especially their star player, Wemby.
He played only five minutes in the first quarter, and accomplished nothing during that time. He moved sluggishly and couldn't even block a layup when someone drove to the basket.
He was just as ineffective on offense, drifting around beyond the three-point line and missing all three of his attempts from deep.
By contrast, Wang Yi's dunks had given the Lakers a huge morale boost.
The Lakers were all fired up, each one eager to outdo the others. They kept launching fast breaks, and the gap quickly widened.
By the end of the first quarter, Wang Yi had scored 16 points, including five dunks. For a 38-year-old veteran, that