After Carlisle prematurely subbed in Zhang Yang, the Grizzlies took advantage of the Bobcats' lineup change to go on a 6-0 run, expanding their lead to 9 points.
Even though the Bobcats managed to stabilize later, Zhang Yang and Okafor scored on consecutive isolations, sparking the team's offense. They outscored 16 to 11 in the latter part, finishing the half trailing the Grizzlies 56 to 60 by 4 points.
During halftime, after discussions among the Grizzlies' coaching staff and key players, they identified the current vulnerabilities of the Bobcats. The main lineup, consisting of Felton, Zhang Yang, and Okafor paired with Millsap as strategic support and shooting, posed a challenge they couldn't overcome. So, they planned to hold on during this phase and fight tooth and nail against them once the lineup rotated when one or two of those players got off the court.
