In the second quarter, the Bobcats didn't change their defensive plan just because of Bargnani's three-point outbreak. They continued to defend as they should. If Bargnani could shoot them to death with long shots after high contact, they accepted it.
Zhang Yang directed his teammates to stick to the established defensive plan during the interval. This choice was right. Although the Raptors, led by Bargnani's long shots, stirred up another wave at the start of the second quarter, as the other Raptors players' form further declined, the Bobcats improved their defense against Bargnani's long shots. With fewer open shots for Bargnani, the Raptors' lead began to shrink...
In the final moments of the second quarter, Zhang Yang's steal and counterattack ended in a missed follow-up three-pointer, but the trailing Okafor made a flying basket. At halftime, the Bobcats narrowed the score to 51-52, reducing the gap to one point, achieving a 28-24 quarter score.
