The brief break ended, and the second quarter was about to begin.
Both teams sent out their bench units for the second quarter.
The Cleveland Cavaliers' reserves immediately started clawing back the deficit.
First, Damon Jones and Anderson Varejao ran a pick-and-roll.
Using the screen, Damon Jones drove into the Denver Nuggets' paint, drawing their defense. Then he tossed the ball toward the basket.
Anderson Varejao rolled off the screen and leaped high, catching the pass one-handed in midair. He gently tipped the ball toward the rim.
Swish.
Damon Jones assisted Anderson Varejao for the score.
Damon Jones was at it again moments later. This time, he drove and kicked the ball out to Donyell Marshall in the corner.
Donyell Marshall caught the ball and jumped without hesitation, hanging in the air before releasing a three-pointer.
The ball traced a beautiful arc through the air.
Swish.
It dropped neatly into the basket.
Three-pointer.
In just three and a half minutes of the second quarter, the Cleveland Cavaliers' reserves went on an 11–4 run, cutting the deficit to just two points.
"Timeout!"
The Denver Nuggets were forced to stop the game.
During the timeout, the Denver Nuggets immediately brought their starters back in.
Mike Brown made the same move, putting his starters back on the floor.
But Su Yi wasn't among them.
Su Yi looked at Mike Brown, confused.
As if he knew how disappointed Su Yi was, Mike Brown deliberately sat down beside him and explained:
"Su, you won't play more than 30 minutes in this game.
"The regular season is a long 82-game grind. It doesn't matter if we lose one game or even fall behind at halftime. Our goal is the playoffs!
"And you're the key to us going further in the playoffs. Do you understand?"
Ever