Chapter 18

The first quarter ended with a missed three-pointer by Posey, and the players on the court headed toward the bench to rest before returning to battle. The large screen at United Center displayed the score at the end of the first quarter: 33–18, with the home team, the Bulls, leading by 13 points. Of the Bulls’ 31 points, Rose scored 16 and added 5 assists, delivering an outstanding performance. In contrast, the two Pistons point guards, Zhou Yi and Bynum, combined for only 2 points (Zhou Yi scored none) and 5 assists, the same as Rose, highlighting just how formidable Rose’s skills are. The Pistons lost 15 points in the first quarter, which was highly ironic for them. Coupled with the loud boos from the home crowd, everyone on the Pistons’ team looked extremely frustrated. Although they had anticipated this game wouldn’t be easy, they didn’t expect to be so outmatched. Seeing the Pistons players looking disheartened, the home crowd intensified their boos. Xiang Yun appeared very different from usual on the court; she seemed extremely excited today, gripping her small white paws tightly as she shouted at Zhou Yi, “Zhou Yi, go for it!” Amidst the noise, Xiang Yun’s voice was loud enough for Zhou Yi to hear immediately. Zhou Yi nodded slightly in her direction before lowering his head and focusing on strategies to counter Rose. “Zhou Yi, Bynum, when organizing attacks next, we need to use more sideline tactics. Try to keep the ball moving along the sidelines to create space in the middle, facilitating breakthroughs and controlling the pace of fast breaks. We should execute efficient attacks from the baseline and sidelines. Starting the second quarter, Rose will surely rest on the bench, so we need to use this time for fast breaks to catch up in the score.” “Tayshawn, Charlie, Taylor, Greg, seize the opportunities. If there’s space, go for a cut. If I see anyone’s feet staying in one place for more than 3 seconds, I’ll replace them!” Koost explained the tactics enthusiastically to the players. After Koost laid out the strategies, the Pistons players rested on the bench for a while before returning to the court, while the Bulls players also came back. For the Bulls, Rose left the court and was replaced by CJ Watson, while the Pistons made changes as well, with the previously outstanding Villanueva being substituted out by Austin Daye.