The Nets players headed off the court one after another to regroup.
On the Knicks' side, however...
Chen Xi turned and strode over to the stands, then excitedly began interacting with the fans.
"Hahahahaha! Keep showing those Brooklyn 'hicks' what's what!! Chris! You've got this!"
"Durant will never be a match for you! Not in this lifetime!! Not ever! Chris! Destroy him! Go kick his ass!"
"This proves it! They never knew how to use PG! The Nets' problems lie with them, not PG!! Show them how we use our 'Pippen'!!"
Caught up in the excitement, the fans shouted whatever came to mind.
Chen did not particularly mind hearing those remarks, but to the Brooklyn players standing nearby, they were undoubtedly heavy blows loaded with provocation.
Every player who heard the Knicks fans' taunts could not help frowning, anger brewing inside him.
Those unpleasant emotions might push them to play with even greater intensity.
Whether that would affect the final outcome remained unclear.
But the Knicks still needed to prepare for it in advance.
Soon, the timeout ended, and play resumed.
The players from both sides returned to the court.
The Nets chose to stick with their original lineup.
The Knicks, meanwhile, made the first substitution, replacing Hart with Strus to improve their spacing and add variety to their perimeter offense.
After all, they had a deeper roster and a longer rotation. There was no reason not to exploit that advantage.
The Nets had possession on the first play after the timeout.
Shorter dribbled across half court and passed from the top of the key to Harden on the wing.
With Strus guarding him, Harden squared up and began an isolation.
After a Between-the-Legs Crossover, he accelerated straight into the paint.
On the move, he pounded the ball, swept it