Chapter 16

In the second half of the third quarter, the Pistons continued their pursuit. Although Green and Westbrook’s inside and outside attacks showed the Thunder’s stability, the two young players, Bynum and Monroe, scored 7 points in a row, pushing the Pistons to only a 6-point deficit. Later, Durant hit another three-pointer, allowing the Thunder to widen the lead back to double digits. Prince then scored a three-pointer, giving the Pistons hope of catching up. At that moment, James Harden, who had come off the bench, became a game-changer for the Thunder—he scored 9 points alone, helping the Thunder take a 15-point lead. With 3 minutes and 53 seconds left in the third quarter, Pistons coach Coster called a 100-second timeout, with the Thunder still leading 93-81 by 12 points. Both teams played aggressively with little defense, and by 2 minutes and 53 seconds left in the quarter, the Thunder had already scored 93 points.

After the timeout, Zhou Yi volunteered to take over, and with Coster’s approval, he headed onto the court. McGrady also substituted out Prince, Duncan replaced Dalambert, and Villanueva replaced Hansbrough. The Thunder made adjustments to their lineup as well—Durant was taken off by DeQuan Cook for a rest, and Westbrook was replaced by Eric Meno.

At the start of the fourth quarter, the Pistons’ situation didn’t improve much; they were still under pressure from the Thunder. In a critical moment, rookie Greg Monroe played a vital role. He scored frequently in the paint, adding 9 points in less than two minutes, while the Thunder’s offensive firepower weakened during that time. Thanks to Monroe’s outstanding performance, the Pistons gradually turned the game around. By the end of the third quarter, the Pistons had narrowed the gap to 6 points, 94-100.

Entering the fourth quarter, the competition between the two teams intensified. The game became tied, with the score remaining close. The home-court Pistons were determined not to give up easily and launched a fierce counterattack in the final quarter. Bench players Zhou Yi and McGrady combined to score 8 points, helping the team quickly tie the score. Faced with the opponent’s fierce retaliation, the Thunder’s performance fluctuated—they struggled defensively and went 3 minutes and 11 seconds without scoring. The Pistons grew stronger as the game went on, with McGrady and Villanueva hitting three consecutive three-pointers, helping the team take control of the game.

Scott Brooks had to call a timeout and bring in Durant, Westbrook, and Jeff Green early, while the Pistons replaced Monroe with Austin Daye to take a break; Monroe’s outstanding performance during this time marked the start of the Pistons’ fierce comeback. At that point, 7 minutes and 46 seconds remained in the game.

When play resumed, the Thunder managed only two points in two minutes, while the Pistons’ substitute Austin Daye hit two threes, giving the Pistons a 109-107 lead. After adjustments at halftime, Zhou Yi’s form improved somewhat. Although he struggled against Westbrook in the first half, the game wasn’t over yet, and he had time to prove himself. With 5 minutes and 13 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Zhou Yi hit a hook shot and also drew a defensive foul from Westbrook, securing a free throw that gave the Pistons a 5-point lead.

Brooks stood anxiously on the sidelines, watching as the Thunder, who had led by over ten points in the third quarter, were now down by 5 points. He was about to call another timeout, but Kuster got there first. Realizing Zhou Yi’s energy was declining, Kuster immediately replaced him with Will Bynum. Prince also took Madison off the court to strengthen the defense, with Monroe returning to play alongside Drummond in the paint, while James Posey filled in at shooting guard.

After play resumed, the long-dormant Jeff Green scored 8 points in a row, helping the Thunder take a 1-point lead. The teams once again fell into a stalemate, but Westbrook scored 6 points in the next 2 minutes. With 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Thunder took a 5-point lead. However, the Pistons then stabilized the situation, with Prince and Monroe scoring 8 points in a row, giving the Pistons a 121-118 lead of 3 points. After Durant hit a jump shot, Monroe calmly scored twice with strong inside moves. Westbrook, who had performed excellently throughout the game, got two free throws after drawing fouls but made only one of them. Still, Ibaka grabbed an offensive rebound and passed it to teammate Durant, who not only scored a layup but also drew a foul from Prince.

Kuster quickly called a timeout, with only 1 minute and 57 seconds left in the game. After a short timeout, Kuster struggled for a while before deciding to replace Posey with Zhou Yi, who paired up with Bynum in the backcourt, while Madison did not return to the court.

Durant took a free throw and made the extra shot, giving the Pistons a 125-124 lead. Zhou Yi orchestrated the Pistons’ offense; at this point, Westbrook’s energy was significantly depleted, while Zhou Yi, having rested, was almost back to his best. Using Monroe’s pick-and-roll, Zhou Yi drove to near the paint line and, with Durham Porter’s screen, shot a jump shot—swish—the ball went through the net.

The Thunder certainly weren’t willing to give up the win easily. Durant hit an outrageous three-pointer from beyond the three-point line, showing the Detroit team it would be hard to take the victory from him!

The scores were tied again. Zhou Yi passed to Bynum, who drove to the opponent’s basket with the ball, faced off against defenders, and still managed to score.

The game entered its final seconds. Westbrook was drenched in sweat, but he paid it no mind. He drove and passed to Durant on the outside. Durant took a deep breath and shot another three-pointer—swish, another score.

The home crowd held their breath. This was the critical moment. Even the two commentators sitting on the sidelines fell silent, focusing intently on the game.

Kuster called another timeout. The Pistons were already down 3 points with only 53 seconds left in the game.

After the timeout, at this crucial moment, Monroe stepped up. He confidently scored two points, narrowing the gap to 1 point. Westbrook’s missed free throws at the critical moment gave the Pistons one last chance, but Prince missed a three-pointer with 5 seconds left. Yet, Monroe once again became the Pistons’ savior, finishing with a deadly layup, giving the Pistons a 1-point lead.

But the Thunder still had 1.8 seconds left. Brooks promptly called the final timeout of the game.

When the timeout ended, Green inbounded the ball at the sideline. Prince kept interfering, but the ball was still successfully passed. Durant received the ball, dribbled once, and immediately shot. As the ball rotated in the air, the final buzzer sounded. Everyone stared at the ball, holding their breath; the arena was eerily quiet.

With a thud, the Thunder team showed expressions of disappointment. In the end, the Pistons won by a narrow 1 point. In the first two games of this season, the Pistons also won by 1 point each time—undoubtedly, they were quite lucky.

And the biggest hero of this game was Greg Monroe!

Chapter 93: A Tough Back-to-Back

After the game against the Thunder, the Detroit team rushed to the United Center in Chicago, as a back-to-back away game awaited them. In the previous match, Monroe sealed the win for the league’s upstart Oklahoma Thunder with a last-second free throw. He also posted a double-double of 35 points and 16 rebounds, performing flawlessly throughout the game—describing him as an “MVP” would not be an exaggeration. His outstanding performance naturally caught the attention of countless fans and general managers across teams, generating even more buzz than Zhou Yi had previously. In the game against the Thunder, Zhou Yi did not perform well, at best merely average. He shot 3 out of 10 attempts and made 1 out of 2 free throws for 7 points, along with 9 assists. However, it cannot be ignored that he also committed 6 turnovers. Meanwhile, his opponent Westbrook scored 28 points and provided 11 assists, with only 2 turnovers. In this matchup, although Zhou Yi won the game, he lost to Westbrook, and this victory had little to do with his own performance. Overall, aside from his contributions in assists, Zhou Yi was almost asleep in other aspects, especially on defense. Of course, this was also related to his lack of energy. As a result, Kuster did not criticize Zhou Yi but told him to pay attention to rest. Zhou Yi was naturally very touched by Kuster’s understanding. In the game against the Bulls, Blake did not accompany the team but stayed at the company in Detroit to handle affairs. He also did not comment much on Zhou Yi’s poor performance, only advising him to rest and avoid overexertion. Zhou Yi simply smiled and nodded without saying anything. … … …

“Next are some updates from the NBA. On October 30th, Beijing time, that is, yesterday, after the Pistons defeated the Thunder, led by the league’s new scoring champion Durant, at home, they didn’t have time to rest and celebrate before embarking on a back-to-back series. In their first game of this series, they faced the Chicago Bulls, a top team in the Eastern Conference. This team is no easy opponent. Although the Bulls lost their last game to the Thunder, it’s undeniable that with stars like Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer, Roy Dunbar, and Joakim Noah, they are strong contenders for the championship this season. In the Pistons’ first two games, Chinese player Zhou Yi performed well, appearing as a substitute in both games and averaging 13 points and 10 assists per game! However, Zhou Yi still lacks NBA experience due to several flaws. He committed 11 turnovers and 7 fouls in those two games, which is cause for concern. Hopefully, he can overcome these shortcomings in future games and perform better. Now, here’s a summary of yesterday’s game. After a short break, we’ll return to the live broadcast!”
As for Zhou Yi, it’s unclear whether to praise or restrict him, as he wasn’t trained by the national team. He’s like Sun Wukong—appearing out of nowhere and showing great prowess. Even during the preseason, the higher-ups at the sports network began paying attention to his performance. Recently, they even broadcast one of his games at night, and viewership increased by 2 percentage points. It’s easy to understand ordinary people’s mindset—they admire players like Yao Ming, Yi Jianlian, and Sun Yue, who were trained by the country. Since most basketball fans are amateurs, they prefer to see ordinary heroes, and Zhou Yi is just such a hero. He’s never received any training, never played in any games, not even in the Chinese University Basketball League, and he’s virtually unknown in China. He seems like an ordinary kid, yet he suddenly made his way into the NBA and caused a stir. People are only interested in two types of players: powerhouse teams and underdogs! Zhou Yi belongs to the latter category.

But Zhou Yi didn’t know at that time that the five channels he used to sit in front of the TV to watch NBA games were broadcasting news about him. In the United States, he was someone who kept a low profile; aside from his teammates and the Blake family, the only person Zhou Yi interacted with was Xiang Yun, and only a few people knew his phone number.
“Next time I face Russell Westbrook, I’ll definitely be able to contain him!” Zhou Yi said confidently to Bynum next to him on the bus heading to Chicago. He had felt extremely frustrated in that game.
The main reason was actually Zhou Yi’s severe drop in stamina; otherwise, he would have at least been able to slow Westbrook down a bit and cause him some trouble.
But Westbrook was truly strong—he scored 28 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and delivered 6 assists in the game against the Bulls, leading his team to victory. In the following game against the Pistons, he scored another 28 points and added 11 assists, delivering an astonishing performance that even rivaled that of the Thunder’s leader, Durant. Now, Westbrook had clearly become the second most important player on the Thunder, even posing a threat to Durant’s position as leader.
Including their previous road win over the Nets, the Pistons had already achieved two consecutive victories. Their next opponent was the Bulls, and they surely wanted to extend their winning streak to three. But this wouldn’t be easy—indeed, it could be described as extremely difficult, especially since it was a back-to-back game and on the road. The Pistons players would have to sit on a bus for several hours, so their stamina was a major issue.
This year’s Bulls team had a very strong roster. Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer were both All-Star-level players, with Rose even on his way to becoming a superstar. Ron Artest ranked among the top 15 centers in the league. Joakim Noah was an excellent blue-collar player, a great rebounder with outstanding defense. Ty Gibson was a promising rookie who was highly efficient. Kyle Korver was an excellent shooter. Ronnie Brewer was a fierce defender. The other players on the Bulls team were also quite good, so for the Pistons, the Bulls were a tough opponent—an extremely tough one.

Although the Pistons have been performing very well recently, they still have significant problems. The team’s power forward, Wilcox, was injured in a preseason game against the Wizards. Although he should be fine after a week of rest, as a precaution, he cannot play in the next game and will be able to return at the earliest in the match against the Celtics. Thus, the Pistons are inferior to the Bulls on the interior and not stronger than their opponents on the exterior, making their situation concerning.

……

“It’s finally here,” Zhou Yi said, carrying his luggage as he stepped off the bus last. Looking at Chicago, the “City of Wind,” he always felt that it was filled with oppression!

Chapter 94: The Crazy Bulls

The United Center, which can seat over 20,000 people, was 100% filled today, with even some temporary seats set up in the aisles. These fans sat there filled with excitement because they were waiting to see Rose perform. Seeing the Bulls’ number 1 now reminded Chicagoans of number 23 from the past, reigniting their hopes for a championship. He was the future of the new Bulls dynasty, the leader of guards in the league. To watch every game of Rose, they bought team season tickets and arrived early at the United Center for every game, all for Rose. For these fans, watching a game of their favorite team after a day of hard work was an incredibly happy thing.

“Alright, guys, it’s time to get ready to play!” At that moment, John Kuester walked into the visiting team’s locker room with a smile. Several assistant coaches stood behind him, all dressed in formal attire.

Most of the Pistons’ players had regained their peak physical condition by now, with only a few still showing signs of fatigue—Zhou Yi was among them.

The lights on the court dimmed, and Zhou Yi knew it was time to enter the court. He had watched NBA broadcasts before and gained some experience from the preseason games and the first two regular-season games. There was always such a pre-game ceremony before matches.

As the DJ’s music played and the bright lights shone down, the Pistons’ starting lineup ran out from the tunnel, followed by the bench players, with Zhou Yi at the end of the bench.

After a short while, the home team’s players slowly made their way onto the court through the player tunnel. The moment they appeared, the crowd erupted in almost frantic cheers, especially when Derrick Rose stepped onto the court, with the applause reaching its peak.

At this point, players from both teams were warming up on the court, preparing for the upcoming match.

About ten minutes later, the starting lineups for both teams were displayed on the large screen. For the Bulls, the starting center was naturally Derrick Rose, the team leader; the second center was Keith Bogans, who was also the weakest player on the Bulls, allowing the Pistons to cause trouble in that position. The third center was Roy Dunleavy, the fourth center was Carlos Boozer, and the fifth center was Joakim Noah.

On the Pistons’ side, the point guard was Will Bynum, the shooting guard was Tracy McGrady—this marked McGrady’s first start of the season— the small forward was Tashawn Prince, the power forward was Greg Monroe, and the center was Ben Wallace. Monroe’s outstanding performance in the preseason and the first two regular-season games had secured his starting spot. Some might wonder why Zhou Yi, who performed just as well if not better than Monroe in the preseason and those first two games, didn’t get the starting role. The reason is that Monroe played in NCAA college games, while Zhou Yi had no experience in major competitions. Thus, Monroe could earn his starting spot through strong performance, whereas Zhou Yi couldn’t due to his lack of experience.

From every perspective, the Bulls’ lineup seemed stronger than the Pistons’, but the Pistons had a psychological advantage because they had just won a game, while the Bulls had just lost one.

…

“Fans, the game is about to start! The players from both teams have arrived at the center circle to prepare for the jump ball,” the commentator shouted excitedly to the crowd.

Noah won the jump ball from Big Ben and passed the ball to Rose, as the Bulls began organizing their offense, officially kicking off the game.

Boozer got into an excellent position at the low post and reached for the ball from Rose, who passed it to him without hesitation. Against Boozer’s aggressive play at the low post, it was clearly impossible for a rookie like Monroe to defend him. Fortunately, Kuster knew Boozer’s strength in one-on-one situations at the low post and had arranged for someone to help defend him before the game, so Big Ben abandoned Noah to assist Monroe in defense.

Bosh’s skills are delicate yet strong, his physique robust yet agile. He is best known for his four signature moves: first, the mid-range jump shot; second, the drive-and-kick; third, the layup; and fourth, his most powerful and iconic move—the post play. Bosh usually opts to play one-on-one at a 45-degree angle near the basket. After receiving the pass near the rim, he can face the defender directly to assess the situation. If encountering a defender with slow footwork, he bends down and uses the momentum to drive to the basket for a dunk or layup. He can also use his body to push against the defender, inching his way toward the basket, then turn and shoot a jump shot or layup with a slight backswing—his shooting percentage at the rim is a terrifying 65.8%.

Bosh easily bypassed Monroe, but when he saw Big Ben coming to help, he remained calm, passing the ball to Noah before cutting to the other side. The ball soon returned to Bosh’s hands, who used Noah’s screen to dunk for 2 points. Big Ben and Monroe only recovered after Bosh completed his attack, marveling at his agility.

Bynum organized the offense while McGrady went to the top of the key to receive the ball. Holding the ball in one hand and stepping forward with his right foot, McGrady instantly charged toward the opponent’s interior. Though no longer at his peak, his ability to read the game ranks among the top in the league, so he still managed to draw double teams. Seeing the double team coming, McGrady waved his hand, and the ball went to Prince at the 45-degree angle outside the three-point line on the right. Perhaps because it was the beginning of the game and his shooting form wasn’t fully warmed up, Prince’s three-point attempt missed completely, and Noah grabbed the ball at the basket.

Derrick Rose took control of the ball, instantly getting the crowd cheering. Moving slowly across the court, he faced Bynum’s defense and darted in from Bynum’s right side. By the time Bynum reacted, he collided with a dark figure—it was Bosh, who had set a screen. Using Bosh’s screen, Rose drove straight to the basket and scored.

Bynum dribbled past the half-court line and, once Monroe was in position, passed the ball to him—this was a tactic devised by Kuster to open up the game from the inside. Monroe tried to force his way past Busemer but instead of shooting, passed the ball to Big Ben on the other side. At that moment, Noah was trapped behind by Big Ben’s strong frame. So after receiving the ball, Big Ben pushed backward and attempted a layup, but the ball bounced out of the basket; Busemer grabbed the rebound.

Bynum watched罗斯 with a serious expression. No one could underestimate罗斯’s power—those who had dismissed him had already suffered the consequences. Although this was only罗斯’s third season, he had been selected for All-Star Game in his second season, which showed just how terrifying he was.

Bynum gave it his all to defend罗斯, but to his surprise, even though he could sense罗斯’s breakthrough route, he was still beaten by him. After breaking into the paint,罗斯 didn’t pass the ball despite Monroe’s attempt to cover him. Instead, after making physical contact with Monroe, he shot in a very unusual manner—neither a pull-up nor a regular shot. The ball went in as the buzzer sounded; Monroe committed a defensive foul, and罗斯 easily made the free throw, turning a two-on-one into a three-on-one advantage.

In the subsequent battles, the Bulls took complete control. Busemer and Noah succeeded repeatedly in attacking the paint, while罗斯 also made frequent breakthroughs from outside. Roley Dunston also hit several long-range shots. On the Pistons’ side, aside from Monroe and Prince each scoring two mid-range jump shots, Bynum making one layup, and McGrady hitting one three-pointer, the Pistons failed to score anything else offensively.