Chapter 9

Since the start of the second quarter, the biggest focus on the court has been the confrontation between Zhou Yi and Yi Jianlian. Although they play different positions, they often end up facing each other, especially during zone defense. Zhou Yi and Yi Jianlian lived up to everyone’s expectations, delivering an outstanding performance, particularly with those dunk attempts. Although Zhou Yi showed no emotions on his face, he was extremely excited inside, while Yi Jianlian was also very happy, seemingly full of energy and playing with great skill. In any case, these two players from China have already put on a remarkable performance in just seven minutes.

Chapter 63: Injuries Again
The timeout is over, and the game resumes. The Wizards bring in Wall again, with Serafin replaced by Blake; the Pistons have Daye replaced by Villanueva and Monroe replaced by Wilcox—nothing else changes. Yi Jianlian takes a free throw but misses. Wilcox grabs the defensive rebound and passes it to Zhou Yi, who then organizes the offense. Zhou Yi slows down because he knows Wall is only slightly faster than him, so he doesn’t try to confront his weakness against someone else’s strength. After reaching the front court, Zhou Yi doesn’t linger much and passes the ball to McGrady, while he moves around to look for an offensive opportunity. McGrady drives, feints a shot, and then passes to Villanueva, who attempts a jump shot from high but misses. Yi Jianlian grabs the defensive rebound. Wall moves like a whirlwind toward the Pistons’ interior, but fails to score due to Zhou Yi’s interference. Zhou Yi retrieves the rebound and passes it to McGrady. McGrady drives and passes again to Villanueva, who powers through Blake to score a dunk. Blake shakes his fist in frustration and passes the ball to Wall. Realizing that defending Zhou Yi is extremely tough, Wall stops dribbling as fast as before and instead moves slowly to the front court, passing the ball to Blake, who is in a good position inside. Blake catches the ball and immediately goes for a dunk.

Zhou Yi was dribbling at the top of the key when he suddenly saw Wilcox raise his finger as a signal. Zhou Yi understood immediately. He pretended to drive, then, as he approached the paint, gently threw the ball toward the basket. Wilcox was already prepared; upon seeing the ball being thrown, he quickly jumped and dunked it, completing this aerial pass. However, as Wilcox landed, his right foot stepped directly onBlache’s foot. Wilcox’s expression twisted instantly as he sat on the floor, clutching his right foot in pain. The referee immediately called a timeout upon seeing this.

Seeing this, Zhou Yi rushed over to Wilcox, crouched down, and asked how he was. But Wilcox gritted his teeth and could only say “it hurts” aside from that. Coester also quickly ran to Wilcox’s side and crouched down to check on him. Soon, Jessica and several team doctors arrived at the scene accompanied by a staff member. Jessica signaled everyone to back away, then crouched down, gently tapping Wilcox’s right foot before softly massaging his ankle. But as soon as she touched it, Wilcox broke into a sweat from the pain. Jessica frowned deeply, whispered a few words to the doctors beside her, and then two medical staff members carrying a stretcher came over. They carefully placed Wilcox on the stretcher, after which Jessica and the medical staff disappeared from sight.

Despite this unfortunate incident, the game had to continue. When the timeout ended, both teams returned to the court. With 3 minutes left in the first half, Zhou Yi was replaced by Starks, McGrady by Hamilton, Bynum by White, and McHale took Wilcox’s place on the court. The Wizards’ lineup also changed slightly, with their starters coming in.

The Wizards gained possession, and Wall took over to organize the offense. Without Zhou Yi’s defense, Wall performed exceptionally well. Although Starks also played well, he was completely unable to contain Wall. It could be said that these two point guards were in a head-to-head battle, with their defenses being virtually non-existent.

Earlier, the Pistons had widened the score gap under Zhou Yi and McGrady’s leadership. But as soon as they left the court, those advantages began to shrink. After Wall forced Starks into a foul beyond the three-point line and made all three free throws, the Wizards and Pistons were tied at 47:47.

With 33 seconds left in the first half, both teams had roughly one chance to score each. Currently, the Pistons held the ball, with Stakki organizing the team’s offense. After breaking into the paint, Stakki didn’t pass but tried to lay up directly, but McGee’s block was nothing to be ignored. McGee leaped up and swatted Stakki’s layup away. Stakki grabbed the offensive rebound and tried to lay up again; this time, McGee wasn’t quick enough, and Stakki’s shot finally went in.Volker glanced at the clock, then stepped forward with his right foot, suddenly taking a quick step-back jump shot. Stakki didn’t follow up to block it, andVolker’s shot hit the rim. At that point, the Wizards still had 2.3 seconds left against their opponent. After receiving a sideline pass from Villanueva, Stakki rushed forward and threw the ball as he approached the midcourt. Just as the ball was released, the buzzer sounded, ending the first half. Everyone stared at the basketball spinning in the air. Though they didn’t hold their breath so dramatically, they still appeared nervous. With a “swish,” cheers erupted throughout the arena. Although it wasn’t a game-winning shot, the fans were still very excited, their faces filled with smiles. Stakki looked at the ball that had gone through the hoop, a smile appearing on his face, then gave Zhou Yi a meaningful glance. Zhou Yi didn’t notice this gesture, but Kuster, sitting on the coaching bench, did. Thanks to Stakki’s last-second three-pointer in the first half, the Pistons led the Wizards by 3 points, with the score at 52:49. Zhou Yi returned to the locker room, sat down in his seat, and fell into deep thought. “This is the second injury I’ve seen. Why is this happening?” Zhou Yi murmured to himself. At that moment, a hand landed on Zhou Yi’s shoulder. He looked up and saw McGrady. “Things like this happen every day in the NBA. Don’t be too sad. It’s impossible to avoid. I’ve told you before—you need to get used to it,” McGrady said solemnly as he sat down next to Zhou Yi. “Mm, I know,” Zhou Yi nodded in response. “Whether in training or in games, you need to learn to protect yourself. Also, regular exercise can help a lot in protecting your body,” McGrady said, glancing outside the locker room before turning to Zhou Yi. “Hehe, thank you, Tracy!”

At that moment, a girl dressed as a reporter appeared in their line of sight—Xiang Yun. She entered the locker room, glanced around, then walked over to Zhou Yi and smiled at him. Maddie wisely made an excuse and headed out of the locker room.
“What’s the matter? Are you going to interview me again?” Zhou Yi joked with a smile.
Xiang Yun sat down where Maddie had been sitting earlier, carrying a camera on her shoulder and some other items needed for the interview. She smiled at Zhou Yi and said, “Today, you’d better cooperate with my work! As friends, you won’t refuse me, right?”
“Can I refuse?” Zhou Yi replied helplessly.
“No,” Xiang Yun said firmly.
Zhou Yi rolled his eyes and lazily said, “Okay, go ahead!”
…
After cooperating with Xiang Yun for the interview, the second half of the game was about to start soon. The two walked out of the locker room side by side, along with a few of Zhou Yi’s teammates. Everyone headed toward the court without prior agreement. Xiang Yun had a bright smile on her face, occasionally glancing at Zhou Yi, who was lost in his thoughts.
After saying goodbye to Xiang Yun, Zhou Yi quickly went to the bench. There were still about two minutes left before the second half began.
Soon, at the referee’s signal, players from both teams walked onto the court, signaling that the second half was about to start.
Chapter 64: My Name Is Zhou Yi
The second half of the game officially began when Starks received a pass from Monroe along the baseline and organized the Pistons’ offense. It should be noted that not all the players on the field were starters.
Pistons: Starks, Hamilton, Summers, Monroe, and McHale; Wizards: Wall, Sinrich, Martin, Yi Jianlian, and McGee.
Earlier, when Wilcox got injured, his right foot had stepped hard on Blatche’s right foot, causing Blatche some pain. So after the first half ended, Blatche returned to the visiting team’s locker room for treatment. He did not appear on the court in the second half and was now sitting on the bench watching his teammates play.
Hamilton went to the top of the key, received a pass from Starks, and tried to shoot, but missed. McGee grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball to Wall. Wall accelerated to the max and scored a dunk during a fast break.

Starky passed the ball to Hamilton for a breakthrough. After catching it, Hamilton shot again, but the basket refused to let it in. Monroe grabbed the offensive rebound and was about to dunk with both hands, but Yi Jian blocked it twice. Still, Monroe managed to secure the offensive rebound through sheer strength. This time, Monroe didn’t act recklessly but passed the ball to Starky on the outside to continue organizing the offense. Starky feinted pastVolker’s defense and took a jump shot near the free-throw line, but it was blocked by McGee, who came to help defend. Yi Jian secured the rebound and passed it toVolker.

Volker launched a quick counterattack, rushed into the Pistons’ paint, and saw Summers ahead. He passed the ball backward, and Yi Jian, who followed up, dunked with both hands.

Both teams had high shooting percentages, and the score kept changing. In no time, it was tied again at 65:65.

When about 5 minutes into the third quarter, the Pistons made substitutions: Zhou Yi replaced Starky, McGrady replaced Hamilton, and Bynum replaced Summers. The Wizards also changed a few players, but Chinese player Yi Jian remained on the court.

As soon as Zhou Yi entered the game, he delivered a stunning performance for the fans. After setting a screen for McGrady, he rushed back to the paint, caught McGrady’s high pass, and dunked with an airball, also drawing a defensive foul from Yi Jian. Zhou Yi made both free throws, turning it into a two-plus-one.

Volker also took advantage of his speed to score against Zhou Yi. After dribbling past half-court, he changed direction, broke through pastVolker, and took a jump shot, with the ball firmly going through the net.

“Not bad, kid!”Volker said coldly, with a fierce look in his eyes.

Zhou Yi ignored him and quickly ran back to defend.Volker faced Zhou Yi one-on-one, pushed him away with his body, and then made a turnaround shot. McGrady controlled the ball and passed it to Zhou Yi. After several dribbles under his arm, Zhou Yi suddenly broke through, but the ball hit his foot and he lost it.Volker quickly grabbed the ball, rushed to the opponent’s basket, and leaped up for a one-handed dunk.

After the dunk,Volker sneered at Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi remained calm, silently caught the pass from Bynum at the baseline, and calmly organized the offense.

Although Zhou Yi was only eighteen years old, his playing style was extremely steady. After half-time, Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady. McGrady drove with the ball, broke free from Martin’s defense, and drew another defender over to cover him. With quick eyesight, McGrady passed the ball to Bynum, who was in an open position. Bynum took a jump shot and scored, giving McGrady another assist.

Walton tried again to use his back-to-the-basket style to overpower Zhou Yi. While holding off Walton, Zhou Yi gave McGrady a subtle signal. McGrady understood immediately. When Zhou Yi was pushed away by Walton, he turned and attempted a layup. At that moment, McGrady rushed in from the side and swatted Walton’s layup back into Zhou Yi’s hands. After catching the ball, Zhou Yi quickly drove forward, flashing to the Wizards’ basket, threw the ball to the ground. It bounced high, and Monroe, who had followed up, jumped to catch it and immediately completed a 360-degree spin dunk.

Undoubtedly, this play once again sent the fans into cheers. Everyone praised Zhou Yi’s brilliant pass, highlighting his excellent game awareness and superb passing skills. Kuster, sitting on the coaching bench, had gleaming eyes and kept nodding, then turned to discuss something excitedly with the other assistant coaches.

Starky, sitting on the bench, also inwardly admired Zhou Yi’s strength, and his previous hostility toward him had diminished significantly. After all, in the NBA, it’s about proving oneself with skill. If you have talent, you’ll be respected; otherwise, you’ll be discriminated against.

Monroe and Zhou Yi were rookies from the same class. Since partnering with Zhou Yi, Monroe had often admired his organizational skills. With Zhou Yi coordinating the offense, he could receive smooth passes, making the attack much easier. Monroe ran over, high-fived Zhou Yi, then quickly returned to defend.

Seeing Zhou Yi being praised by everyone, Walton’s expression grew even darker.

“I should be the star of every game. This kid from China actually dares to steal the spotlight from me,” Walton muttered to himself.

Every time he heard the fans praising Zhou Yi, Walton’s anger intensified. He rushed to the paint, pushed Zhou Yi aside with his body, and scored a layup. As the ball went in, the referee blew the whistle—Zhou Yi had committed a defensive foul.

Walton gave Zhou Yi a cold look before making the free throw. Zhou Yi showed no expression on his face. Although he was emotionally stirred, Walton’s performance hadn’t disturbed him.

Zhou Yi coordinated the offense, passed the ball to McGrady, who drove down the court, dodged the defenders’ attempts to block him, and scored a layup.

Walton’s breakthrough was quite sharp, but he faced Zhou Yi. As the game progressed, Walton’s stamina began to fade—after all, he had to push his speed to the limit to get past Zhou Yi’s defense, which naturally drained a lot of energy. Now, unable to get past Zhou Yi, he passed the ball to Sinicich, who was waiting at the top of the key. It must be said that Sinicich was in exceptional form today; after receiving Walton’s pass, he didn’t hesitate at all and shot from just outside the three-point line. McGrady had done his part, but the ball still made it in.

Zhou Yi took control of the ball and moved outside the three-point line. Monroe came over to provide a screen, and Zhou Yi pulled to the other side before shooting from outside the line. With a swift motion, Zhou Yi responded with his own three-point shot.

Walton not only showed no sign of anger but also sneered at Zhou Yi, saying, “Kid, you’re pretty good at shooting! You must have prayed to God today! Kid, you’re now on my blacklist.”

Zhou Yi ignored Walton’s trash talk. But as he passed by Walton, he calmly said, “I’m not a kid. My name is Zhou Yi.”

Chapter 65: The Clever Zhou Yi

After Zhou Yi hit that three-point shot, the Wizards’ head coach called a long timeout. When the timeout ended, there were significant changes in both teams’ lineups. Zhou Yi was replaced by White, McGrady by Jerrebock, Monroe by Daye, and McHale by Villanueva; on the Wizards’ side, Yi Jianlian was replaced by Seraphin, Martin by Nick Young, and Walton by Elston.

Sinicich organized the Wizards’ offense. After half-court, he quickly passed the ball to Nick Young, who took a mid-range jump shot and made it. The Pistons were currently having Bynum play as the point guard, while White played as the shooting guard.

Bynum slowly controlled the pace, not holding onto the ball. After half-court, he passed it directly to Daye, who then passed it to Villanueva. Villanueva drove to the baseline and took a jump shot. The “Beardless Hero” finally stopped missing shots and sent the ball through the basket.

Both teams’ bench players performed well in offense and defense, and the score gradually changed back and forth. With 3 minutes left in the third quarter, the Beardless Hero took control of the game’s direction.

Right after Villanueva’s baseline jump shot went in, things got out of control for the opponent. After receiving a pass from a teammate, Villanueva hit two consecutive three-pointers, then blocked Nick Young’s jump shot. After grabbing the rebound, he passed the ball to teammate Daye, who immediately dunked it. Villanueva led the Pistons’ bench in a 10-0 run, widening the score by 10 points and giving the Pistons a significant advantage. After Villanueva hit another three-pointer, the third quarter came to an end, with the Pistons leading 78-66, a 12-point advantage thanks to that final three-pointer. Soon after, the fourth quarter began. The Pistons made more substitutions: Jerrebko was replaced by Hamilton, and White was replaced by Stakiewicz; for the Wizards, Booker replaced McGee, and Hudson replaced Soto.