With Kobe continuing his offensive barrage, the Trail Blazers extended their lead to 17 points, forcing Popovich to call a timeout and bring back the starters early.
He knew that tonight's prospects were bleak; the Trail Blazers were not just a cut above other teams—they were on another level entirely.
Privately, league coaches had already begun discussing strategies on how to restrain the Trail Blazers' tactical system and how to control their sharp offense.
Popovich participated in the discussions; everyone offered advice and suggestions, but no solutions were found, and many aspects couldn't be changed mid-season.
Moreover, many coaches raised a fundamental issue: "The best way to restrain the Trail Blazers is to take down Ah Gan; without taking him out, nothing else matters."
Indeed, when the Trail Blazers used Jack Ramsey's strategy of two reductions and one increase, no one could beat them.
