Zhang Yang didn't know that his appearance had planted a hidden bomb in the future plans of a mastermind.
On March 30, the Bobcats came to the Rutherford Town arena to challenge the Nets on their home court.
The most brutal schedule of eight consecutive games against tough opponents was finally down to the last one.
The Nets currently had a record of 45 wins and 26 losses, with 11 games left to play, securing a 50-win season easily.
After losing to the Miami Heat, the Bobcats' record had slipped to 36 wins and 35 losses, showing a noticeable gap with their opponents.
If they lost this game, the Bobcats would fall back to a .500 winning percentage, but this time, Zhang Yang didn't sense the same restlessness from his teammates as they had after playing back-to-back games against the Pistons and Wizards.
During the pre-game meeting in the morning, everyone was actively participating and speaking passionately under the lead of "Big Fatty," the team captain.