If they were still in a stalemate now, Garnett would opt to stick to regular defense. Zhang Yang handling the ball with a pick-and-roll offense, he and Kidd's defensive combination is confident in creating substantial shooting interference for Zhang Yang. Felton's most stable three-point spots are the top arc and the fixed angles on both corner sides; other positions are not as steady. If they insist on shooting, they can be left open to avoid showing obvious defensive weaknesses and being overwhelmed by the opponent.
But now, the Lakers' goal is to reduce the point difference to a relatively safe range of 1-2 balls in the third quarter. If possible, they want to equalize or even surpass the score. They've started to fight hard, undoubtedly wanting the best outcome... then they can only take a chance on defense!
When the Lakers received the ball, Garnett called the teammates together and gave some instructions.
