Possession changed hands, and the Knicks went on offense.
Chen Xi brought the ball across half court and was trapped at the top of the key again. As usual, he passed it out to Grant on the wing.
Grant caught the ball and swung it to Eason in the corner.
Tari Eason caught the ball and took an open three.
The shot went down cleanly.
What was the most important thing about the Knicks' wing lineup, compared with other teams?
Maybe it wasn't their impressive size or athleticism, but the fact that every player could shoot threes at an acceptable level.
They weren't consistent, and their volume wasn't especially high, but whether it was Grant, Eason, or Toppin, they were very reliable when taking an open three like that.
And Chen just happened to have the ability to create those open looks for them!
The key wasn't that one player was a great shooter. It was that everyone could knock down a shot.
That was one reason this lineup could excel on both ends of the floor when Chen Xi was playing well.
At the other end, the Timberwolves launched another counterattack.
Odie brought the ball across half court, found Edwards at the top of the key for a pick-and-roll, then got the ball back.
Edwards faced up against Grant's defense.
After a simple feint, he suddenly drove, hoping to beat Grant with his speed.
But Grant was considerably bigger than him. He caught up in just two steps, then stretched out his long arm to smother him.
In that situation, Edwards clearly still lacked reliable ways to break down the defense. He hadn't developed a dependable mid-range finish yet, and he wasn't going to charge straight to the rim.
So he could only pick up his dribble, turn, and