Bickerstaff, upon seeing his players initiate a battle of attrition, braced himself for an early score deficit.
He found the Rockets' defense this season to be stickier and more grinding than he had anticipated.
Especially at the beginning, when Yao Ming's energy was at its peak, he alone seemed to cover the entire three-second zone. The other four Rockets players executed their roles within Jeff Van Gundy's defensive system flawlessly. Besides Felton's step-back three-point shot at the start, the Bobcats hardly got any regular shooting opportunities.
Yet despite that, they were still in the lead!
Zhang Yang's eye for spotting opportunities and his ability to capitalize on them left Bickerstaff in awe.
However, reviewing Zhang Yang's four scores—a putback dunk, a step-back jumper over a defender, a fast-break layup, and a quick catch-and-shoot taking advantage of a moment—Bickerstaff realized none were scored with ease!
