Wang Yi seized the opportunity and spun around in midair.
He gave his right wrist a gentle flick.
Though he hadn't jumped very high this time,
Shan He didn't react in time,
and still failed to block the shot.
The ball floated smoothly into the basket.
On the next possession, Wang Yi was still camping out in the right corner.
This time, Shan He kept his eyes firmly fixed on Wang Yi,
leaving him no openings.
Just then, Aiton came straight to the right corner
and set a screen for Wang Yi,
helping him shake off Shan He.
Wang Yi moved into the mid-range in an instant.
Little Rivers tossed him the ball.
Once Wang Yi had it,
both opposing big men came over to help defend.
But Wang Yi put up an awkward-looking floater from mid-range.
Wang Yi was a master of the floater, after all.
The shot sailed right over the fingertips of both big men
and dropped easily through the net.
Thanks to those three consecutive plays by Wang Yi,
the Lakers cut the deficit to just two points.
Over the next few minutes,
Wang Yi went quiet again.
Little Rivers and Aiton continued running the Pick and Roll,
then passed the ball to Danny.
Danny hit a three.
Next, they got it to Dauding,
who made a two-pointer.
By the end of the first half,
the Lakers had taken a 56–55 lead.
The comeback had started
with Wang Yi's three consecutive plays.
Just as it looked like the gap was about to widen,
Wang Yi suddenly sprang into action,
leaving Shan He, who was guarding him, no time to react.
That had opened the door for the Lakers' comeback.
A first-half review:
Little Rivers had scored 27 points on his own,
making him the Lakers' leading