While Jackson held his meeting, Skiles and his coaching staff weren't idle after returning to their hotel. They also gathered to review the game. That was the nature of a head coach—every single game required a breakdown of strengths and weaknesses to plug any leaks. They did this not just for crucial playoff matchups, but even for key regular-season games. They didn't merely evaluate their own tactical execution, pinpointing who underperformed and how to improve. They also put themselves in their opponent's shoes, anticipating adjustments and devising countermeasures. This latter point dominated their current discussion.
The Phoenix Suns executed their game plan exceptionally well. They double-teamed Kobe decisively, and their switching and help defense arrived right on time. They didn't bleed too many points from blown coverages. The stats backed this up: they gave up only seventeen points on open looks resulting from double-teams. That was an entirely acceptable number.
