To be fair, the Lakers' bench players were a tough bunch.
Even though the Thunder's bench was one of the three best in the league, the Lakers' reserves could more than hold their own against them—in fact, they might have been even better.
In the end, during the four minutes the bench players were on the court, the Lakers outscored the Thunder by three points.
It wasn't a big lead, but the Thunder's reserves were among the three best bench units in the league.
The Lakers' bench had still managed to outscore them by three.
That showed just how strong the Lakers' reserves were.
Four minutes into the second quarter, both teams' starters returned to the court. The Thunder had the first possession, and Holmgren moved to the top of the three-point arc.
Holmgren had now developed a solid Main Attack Ability. His role at the top of the arc was much like Jokic's or Yang Hanson's when they stood in the same spot.
From there, he could attack on his own, either driving to the basket or shooting a three.
He could also run Support Play. As his teammates made cuts, he'd look for a chance to pass to them.
Holmgren took the ball and raised it high. Like any excellent center, he didn't bring it down; instead, he kept it high and attacked from there.
Then a Thunder player set a screen for Aleksandar, freeing him to take the ball.
Aleksandar gave a feint at the three-point line, shook off Danny, and moved into mid-range.
He rose straight up and knocked down an easy jumper.
Aleksandar wasn't even forty by the calendar, but in China, people already called him forty.
For a forty-year-old to still be playing at this level was impressive, no doubt about it.
To be