Best fourth-quarter scoring margin in the conference, and a closer shooting 47% on contested pull-ups after the eight-minute mark.
The medical staff will re-evaluate in two weeks, but the timeline matters less than the structure around it. Minutes restrictions, back-to-back management and a deep rotation give the training staff room to be conservative.
What the box score will not show is how the defensive assignments flipped after halftime. Switching every screen took away the rhythm three-pointers that had kept the visitors afloat, and the open looks simply dried up.
The advanced numbers tell the same story from a different angle. Since the calendar turned, the lineup’s net rating has climbed into the league’s top five, driven almost entirely by transition defense and a sharp cut in turnovers.
