Chapter 44

A long time had passed in the fourth quarter, with only 3 minutes left until the end of the game. Key players like Zhou Yi were taken off the court after playing for 4 minutes at the start of the fourth quarter to rest for a while. Four minutes later, they returned to the court determined to win the game outright.

At this point, the Pistons still led by 13 points, but that didn’t mean they had already won—the opponent could launch a fierce comeback at any moment, and a single mistake could lead to a stunning reversal.

Watching Zhou Yi already carrying the ball past the midcourt, John Wall didn’t wait for Gilbert Arenas, who was closest to him, but instead accelerated straight toward Zhou Yi, keeping a close eye on him. From this day on, John Wall regarded Zhou Yi as his rival for the rest of his career.

John Wall carefully monitored Zhou Yi, staying tightly close to him. He had an advantage in height and reach over Zhou Yi, as well as in speed. However, Zhou Yi excelled in agility and basketball intelligence.

John Wall’s defense was now very tight, and Zhou Yi, seeing his defense, had to be extremely cautious, not daring to shoot recklessly, as the risk of being blocked was high. Especially John Wall’s gaze, which resembled that of a predator, made him feel extremely uncomfortable.

Zhou Yi looked at John Wall ahead and suddenly accelerated, breaking toward John Wall’s right side. In terms of the speed of his first step, Zhou Yi was confident he could be faster than John Wall. After all, John Wall was a defender, and he would already be half a step slower during an opponent’s attack—his first step couldn’t possibly be faster than Zhou Yi’s. He could only try to block Zhou Yi, slow him down, and then control the pace by matching his steps.

However, John Wall still lacked experience—he was still a rookie. Although he had played many regular games in the NCAA, this was the NBA, not the NCAA. So he couldn’t fully predict Zhou Yi’s moves. Moreover, Zhou Yi’s attacks were very unpredictable, at least in John Wall’s eyes. Thus, he could only rely on brute-force tactics, using a fixed defense strategy to counter Zhou Yi’s breakthroughs. Such defense really frustrated John Wall; he had never felt this trapped before.

But at this moment, Zhou Yi didn’t really need to rush. Since they were ahead, there was no need to worry about running out of time. Zhou Yi flicked the ball straight into the paint. After catching Zhou Yi’s pass, Greg Monroe made a gorgeous spin, shaking off Trevor Booker who was behind him, and scored, gaining 2 points while also forcing a foul on Trevor Booker.

Watching Greg Monroe successfully make the free throw and widen the score gap to 16 points, John Wall took the pass from Yi Jianlian at the baseline with a gloomy expression and quickly moved toward the Pistons’ half-court.

By the time John Wall reached the front court, Zhou Yi was already ready.

“This shot must go in—only then can we boost the team’s morale. Otherwise, we’re doomed to lose this game!” John Wall thought to himself.

John Wall pushed his speed to the limit and finally pulled away from Zhou Yi, who was struggling to keep up due to fatigue. But he didn’t rush to shoot; he wanted to be sure. After successfully drawing two defenders to cover him, John Wall was delighted and passed the ball to Gilbert Arenas, who was waiting in an open spot just outside the three-point line in the corner. After catching the ball, Arenas made a slight adjustment before shooting a high arc three-pointer.

“It has to go in!” John Wall prayed, staring at the ball spinning in the air.

The Wizards’ players and fans shared the same mindset—except for the Pistons’ players and supporters. The entire arena fell silent as everyone watched to see if the shot would succeed, as it was too important.

“Swish!” The ball went in!

The Wizards’ players and fans erupted in excitement, while the Pistons were disappointed they couldn’t block the shot. But they weren’t too worried—after all, they still led by 13 points, and with less than 3 minutes left in the game, the Pistons still had a good chance of winning.

The Wizards’ three-pointer added more suspense to the game, and tension rose among most people in the arena.

Zhou Yi dribbled the ball, keeping an eye on John Wall ahead of him while also monitoring his own teammates’ positions, and quickly moved toward the front court. When Zhou Yi approached the three-point line in the Wizards’ half-court, John Wall suddenly closed in. After this period of competition, John Wall would no longer underestimate Zhou Yi, so he gave it his all when facing him.

He feinted twice, but John Wall was extremely cautious; Zhou Yi had no chance of getting rid of him in a short time, and he began to feel anxious. Using his right hand to control the ball, he turned slightly and pushed backward with his hips, hoping to create a gap so he could pass through smoothly. But at that moment, the referee’s whistle blew: Zhou Yi had committed a foul by driving into an opponent. Zhou Yi looked at the referee beside him and John Wall lying on the ground in surprise, feeling at a loss. The referee took the ball from Zhou Yi’s hands, and he could only blink helplessly and walk back. Meanwhile, Zhou Yi watched the big screen in the arena. He wasn’t sure what had just happened; all he saw was a replay of his drive into John Wall, showing his hip push causing John Wall to fall and slide several meters across the ground. Zhou Yi was puzzled—he hadn’t used much force at all. John Wall smiled, took his teammate’s hand, and jumped up, showing he was fine. Seeing John Wall’s reaction, Zhou Yi realized he had fallen for his trick—just a slight turn from him had been enough to send John Wall flying that far. It was clear John Wall was playing smarter and with better acting skills. “It’s all because of you,” John Wall said coldly to Zhou Yi. Chapter 177: Crushing the Genius to Win the Derby (Part 3) The Wizards were overjoyed to see John Wall force Zhou Yi into a foul, sensing an opportunity for themselves. Although only 2 minutes and 32 seconds remained and they were 13 points behind, it didn’t mean they would lose—their chances of closing the gap were still there. The three-point shot they had just made and John Wall’s foul had given them momentum and hope of winning.

Zhou Yi clung tightly to John Wall, following him as they moved toward his own half of the court. Zhou Yi was well aware of the importance of this play. Seeing Zhou Yi ready to take action, John Wall wasn’t in a hurry—he already knew Zhou Yi’s capabilities. Though he was surprised, as Zhou Yi had performed much worse against him last time, which had also surprised him at the time since he had played much better than Zhou Yi back then. But now, not only had Zhou Yi improved his defense, but his offense had also become much more aggressive.

John Wall kept trying to break through against Zhou Yi, but Zhou Yi managed to block his way firmly. Unlike other players who liked to take risks and steal the ball, Zhou Yi preferred a steady, methodical approach to both offense and defense, just as he was doing now.

“Only 10 seconds left—focus on the offense!” Philip Sanders, watching from the sidelines, shouted loudly with a grim expression at John Wall on the court.

It was only after hearing Philip Sanders’ shout that John Wall realized what was happening. He had held the ball for 14 seconds already; if he didn’t attack soon, he would have to pass it immediately.

But at that moment of hesitation, Zhou Yi saw his chance. He swung his right hand hard at the basketball. Although his strength wasn’t as great as John Wall’s, he had the advantage of speed and precision. The ball was instantly knocked away, and Zhou Yi seized the opportunity to grab it and dash toward the opposing team’s half.

“Foul!” John Wall called out irritably at the referee beside him, but the referee didn’t blow the whistle.

At that point, Zhou Yi knew the team’s victory was in his hands. If he could score, and do so in a bold manner, their chances of winning would increase dramatically, as the Wizards’ morale would surely be dampened.

Zhou Yi rushed quickly toward the half-court, with McGrady and Prince following closely behind. It was another fast break—last time, it had benefited McGrady, with that alley-oop being a stunning goal that earned him countless praises from the fans.

Suddenly, Zhou Yi spotted an opening. After moving forward, he passed the ball straight ahead to his right. John Wall, who had already retreated to defend, tried to jump up immediately to stop the ball’s progress. But he didn’t even touch it; the ball flew straight past him.

By this point, Taixian Prince, who had already moved to an open spot, easily caught the basketball passed by Zhou Yi. In front of him was only Yi Jianlian, who had just returned from defending. Such a long run had left Yi Jianlian a bit out of breath. Taixian Prince paid no attention to Yi Jianlian at all; after dribbling the ball once, he headed straight toward Yi Jianlian’s back to break through. Yi Jianlian’s speed was clearly not on par with Taixian Prince’s, but it was obvious he was trying to block Prince’s shot. With Yi Jianlian guarding him, Prince’s chances of dunking were slim—likely a hook shot or a direct layup, which would give Yi Jianlian a much better chance to block it. Although Taixian Prince was fearless, being blocked was still embarrassing, so he had to give up the idea of attacking the basket directly and opted for a more difficult crossover layup. Without any defenders, a crossover layup was a good move, but with defenders present, it wasn’t wise. Just as Taixian Prince was about to attempt the crossover layup, Zhou Yi, who was running behind him, suddenly noticed something wrong with Javier McKee not far away—McKee was charging toward Taixian Prince. In mid-air, Taixian Prince barely managed to dodge Yi Jianlian’s outstretched hand, unaware of the saying “the mantis hunts the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind.” With a sharp crack, Javier McKee slammed Taixian Prince’s layup hard into the backboard, sending it bouncing back. The person closest to the ball at that moment was Zhou Yi. After seeing McKee’s move, Zhou Yi predicted that Taixian Prince would be blocked, so he prepared in advance to grab the rebound. He spotted the basketball ahead, snatched it up, and looked around—there was plenty of space, the perfect opportunity for a second attack. With the ball in his hands and the basket ahead, time didn’t allow him to overthink. If he scored, the outcome of the game would be largely decided. If he missed, he didn’t bother to consider alternatives, as he had no time to think. Zhou Yi took a deep breath, jumped high. John Wall, who was the closest and tried to defend him, was too far away to reach in time; by the time he arrived, Zhou Yi had already jumped.

With a gentle flick of his right hand, the ball was shot out. The smooth feel told Zhou Yi that the chances of this shot hitting were very high. And when he saw the ball’s trajectory in the air, he knew it would succeed! The ball slowly glided through the air before finally hitting the basket with a reluctant thud. Just as everyone thought it would fall out, the ball stayed stuck in the basket—Zhou Yi had used very little force and not much spin, which naturally led to this result. Yi Jianlian and the others below the basket had already started competing for a favorable position, but they were doomed to waste their effort. It seemed as though the basketball was teasing them; after spinning half a circle around the rim, it steadily dropped inside, accompanied by a clear swish sound.

Zhou Yi also raised his right hand high—this shot had gone in! This shot had gone in!

“Zhou, Zhou, Zhou, Zhou…” Most of the fans in the arena stood up, cheering for their hero, Zhou Yi! As Zhou Yi walked back to his half of the court with his right hand raised high, those on the bench also jumped up, especially Bynum, who kept waving his towel. Although it wasn’t him who scored this shot and although he wasn’t the hero on the court, he was still extremely happy and excited. They knew how important this shot was—truly very important. And since Zhou Yi had completed this attack, it meant the Pistons were on the verge of victory!

Chapter 178: Crushing the Wizards to Win the Derby (End)

“Time out!” Philip Sanders had to call a timeout as the score gap widened to 15 points again, so he could reorganize the tactics and use this pause to gradually wear down the Pistons’ momentum.

“Hehe, Zhou Yi is really amazing today—already with 19 points and 8 assists. His shooting percentage is also good, 7 out of 13 attempts, over 50%. And these were all crucial shots, like that one just now. That’s quite an impressive performance for a guard. There’s about 2 minutes left in the game, and the Pistons still lead by 15 points. The Wizards’ chances of turning the game around are slim! As for Yi Jianlian, his performance today can only be described as average, even a bit disappointing—only 7 points and 5 rebounds. Today’s Chinese Derby wasn’t very satisfying! Hehe, John Wall did stand out quite a bit today, but Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance was also a highlight.” Inside the Court Five Live broadcast room, Teacher Sun discussed these points based on the data he had recorded.

“Hehe, how much chance do the Wizards have of winning on the road? Teacher Sun, do you think they’ll just give up or come up with a strategy to keep fighting?” Teacher Yu asked with a smile, looking at Teacher Sun. The Wizards still had a chance, though it was slim—not zero at all.
“They won’t give up. In fact, they might rely on three-point shots. I think they’ll keep one big player on the court and send all their shooters out. If they’re in good form, the Wizards do have a chance to win. So I believe they’ll focus on three-pointers in the next two minutes,” Teacher Sun said, smiling at the camera while looking at the analysis sheet he had in his hands.
Then, Teacher Yu began explaining how to participate in the game interactions and win prizes.
The camera returned to the Auburn Hills Palace, where the Wizards players were listening intently to Philip Sanders’ plans.
“They’re likely to go for three-pointers! So everyone must be careful against them,” John Kuester said quietly, glancing in the direction of the Wizards.
The timeout was short, and once it ended, both teams returned to the court.
Neither Teacher Sun nor Pistons head coach John Kuester was wrong—the Wizards indeed focused on three-pointers. Looking at their current lineup: John Wall, Gilbert Arenas, Nick Young, Kirk Hinrich, and Xavier McKey.
John Wall handled the ball and passed it to Gilbert Arenas after crossing half-court. That was Philip Sanders’ plan, as veterans had more experience in such situations.
Gilbert Arenas carefully controlled the ball, keeping an eye on the game situation. The Wizards’ shooters kept moving or setting screens to create opportunities for their teammates.
Suddenly, Gilbert Arenas spotted an opportunity and passed the ball without hesitation to Kirk Hinrich on the left wing. Maddie, who was defending Kirk Hinrich, was occupied by Nick Young, leaving him completely open.
“Oh no,” Zhou Yi exclaimed, rushing toward Kirk Hinrich.
But it was too late. By the time he reached Kirk Hinrich, the shot had already been taken. Kirk Hinrich was confident it would go in, as his shooting form was excellent.
Everyone watched the shot intently, holding their breath—the silence in the arena was terrifying.

The basketball fell toward the basket, and the Wizards were instantly excited. But the next moment, their faces showed surprise and disappointment. The ball did go through the hoop, but it bounced back and forth inside before popping out. Darben grabbed the defensive rebound and passed the ball to Zhou Yi. The Wizards players stood frozen, still in shock. Zhou Yi was also initially surprised, but Darben reminded him, so he quickly recovered and rushed forward with the ball. With a “thud,” Zhou Yi stunned everyone again with a dunk. The home crowd immediately gave him their enthusiastic support. “It seems the Wizards really lost,” Kenny Smith said sincerely. “Hehe, yes, the Wizards lost because their confidence has been shattered—shattered by Zhou,” Charles Barkley said, laughing as he watched Zhou Yi pound his chest after scoring the dunk. … “Ladies and gentlemen, this match is now over. The Detroit Pistons have defeated the Washington Wizards 112:98 at home,” Teacher Yu explained with a smile. “Yes, in this Chinese derby, whether it’s individuals or teams, the ultimate winner is Zhou Yi!” Teacher Sun said with a laugh. “Hehe, indeed. It’s time to select the lucky audience members for the fourth quarter. Teacher Sun will do that now,” Teacher Yu said. Teacher Sun nodded smilingly, glanced at the phone numbers scrolling on the big screen, then said, “Stop.” “Hehe, the lucky winners are the friend from Jiangsu with the phone number ending in 1341… The lucky audience members will receive Kobe’s basketball shoes and a magazine from Channel 5. Thank you all for watching this match, and thanks to Teacher Sun for his commentary. See you at the next game!” Teacher Yu and Teacher Sun waved goodbye to the audience with smiles, followed by highlights of the match on TV, with Zhou Yi appearing most often in those clips. At the Palace of Auburn Hills in Detroit, across the ocean, the Pistons players and fans were celebrating their victory. “Zhou Yi, congratulations!” Yi Jianlian walked up to Zhou Yi, extended his right hand, and smiled. Zhou Yi smiled back, also extending his right hand to shake Yi Jianlian’s, saying, “Thank you!” “If we get the chance, we should meet up properly. Let’s bring Yao Ming along too!” Yi Jianlian suggested with a smile.

“Sure, that’s exactly what I had in mind!” Zhou Yi nodded in response.
“Well, then I’ll be going first. If anything comes up, call me. Goodbye!” Yi Jianlian said with a smile.
“Goodbye!” Zhou Yi nodded.
When they first faced each other, the two exchanged contact information, so Zhou Yi and Yi Jianlian would occasionally stay in touch from time to time.
Everyone on the Wizards’ team left the court and returned to their locker room, while the Pistons remained on the court, celebrating their victory.
Since it was a nationwide broadcast, there were naturally many reporters for interviews. So after the game, the Wizards’ head coach, Philip Sanders, and the Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, both gave interviews to the reporters. Now, Zhou Yi and his teammates were also being interviewed by the reporters.
After the interviews, they returned to the locker room.
Chapter 179: The Rapid-Paced Pistons
At the press conferences following the game, for both the Pistons and the Wizards…
The Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, highly praised Zhou Yi, saying that it was truly admirable for a rookie who had never even participated in the draft to score 21 points, provide 9 assists, and steal 3 balls in a matchup against the best rookie of the year, John Wall, and to step up at critical moments to lead his team to victory. He also gave high praise to John Wall, who scored 19 points and 11 assists, calling him one of the most outstanding rookies in the league.
After the press conference, the entire Wizards’ team took a private flight back to Washington from Detroit. Meanwhile, the Pistons players went home to rest, preparing for their away game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.
Soon, the away game against the Mavericks took place.
Although it was an away game, the Pistons easily won 106–89. Dirk Nowitzki scored the highest score in the game with 32 points, but his shooting percentage was terrible—7 out of 29 attempts—most of his points coming from free throws. On the Pistons’ side, Tracy McGrady scored the most points for the team with 23 points, while Zhou Yi scored 21 points and 12 assists, along with 3 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks—making him the most valuable player of the game.
After the game against the Dallas Mavericks, the Pistons boarded a plane again and flew overnight to Memphis to face the Grizzlies in a back-to-back away game.

Although the Grizzlies were far weaker than the Mavericks, thanks to playing at home and facing the Pistons in back-to-back away games, the Pistons had to give it their all to narrowly win 97–95 and secure a three-game winning streak. In this match, Zhou Yi may have performed poorly due to fatigue, delivering only a mediocre effort with 10 points and 5 assists. McGrady, who had performed well in the previous game, and Will Bynum, who came in as a substitute, both had outstanding performances, scoring 25 and 21 points respectively and becoming the key contributors to the Pistons’ victory. However, there were also positive aspects to Zhou Yi’s performance. Through this period of adaptation and with the help of players like McGrady, he has fully adjusted to the NBA environment, overcoming the mistakes and fouls that previously troubled him and head coach John Kuester. Now, he can generally avoid such issues, allowing him to perform so well overall. The team’s three-game winning streak and their impressive record, which once again put them at the top of the East, delighted Pistons general manager Joe Dumars. He kept calling Blake during this time to praise his keen eye for talent. Blake was obviously very happy, which boosted his status within the team’s leadership, and his decision to sign Zhou Yi earned him support from other executives in meetings. In addition to praising Blake’s judgment, Joe Dumars called him regarding Zhou Yi’s contract extension. However, Blake did not respond much, suggesting it would be fine to discuss it after the season ended. After receiving Blake’s response, Joe Dumars realized he had been too hasty and stopped pressing him. During this time, Joe Dumars appeared extremely proud in front of the media, acting arrogantly and annoying other team executives who were jealous of his ability to sign Zhou Yi and wished the Pistons would lose all their remaining games. But these curses could not stop the Pistons’ winning streak.

On November 26 local time in the United States, the Pistons utterly humiliated the Milwaukee Bucks at home, winning the game 121–77 to extend their winning streak to four games. The 44-point margin was also the largest since the start of the new season. The Milwaukee Bucks were completely defeated by the Detroit team and returned to Milwaukee in shame without giving any interviews.

The most affected player for Milwaukee was Brandon Jennings, as the Pistons’ rookie Zhou Yi scored 28 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds—almost a triple-double—in less than 30 minutes against him, while Jennings himself only scored 6 points and had 6 assists, highlighting his poor performance. Thus, if there was a player to be named the most disappointed in this game, it would be Brandon Jennings.

Next, the Detroit Pistons won two more games, defeating two of their toughest rivals this season: the New York Knicks led by Amare Stoudemire and the Orlando Magic led by Dwight Howard.

In the game against the Knicks, the Pistons played comfortably and established their dominance by mid-fourth quarter. They ultimately won 91–79.

The best performer in this game wasn’t one of the starting players from either team but the Pistons’ veteran reserve James Posey. Posey hit 6 out of 7 three-point attempts and scored 24 points. Amare Stoudemire, the Knicks’ star player who joined the team this season, may not have been fully integrated yet, performing poorly with only 12 points and 8 rebounds.

Zhou Yi also had a solid performance, nearly matching the Knicks’ starting point guard Raymond Felton. Zhou Yi scored 14 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds, while Felton scored 16 points and 7 assists. The Pistons’ Tracy McGrady continued his strong form, scoring 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists.

In the game against the Magic, the Pistons faced a tough challenge. Not only was it a road game, but Dwight Howard also dominated inside the paint, forcing rookie Greg Monroe to leave the court with 6 fouls, while Ben Gordon had 4 fouls as well. Fortunately, the Pistons excelled from beyond the arc, allowing them to win narrowly 108–103.

In this game, Dwight Howard racked up 37 points and 19 rebounds, almost overwhelming the Pistons’ entire front line. However, the Magic’s perimeter players performed poorly, which was the main reason for their loss.

The Magic’s point guard, Jamir Nelson, played like a mere supporting player throughout the game, getting thoroughly outplayed by the Pistons’ point guard, Zhou Yi. In the end, Jamir Nelson shot 11 times and made only 1 shot, scoring 4 points and providing 3 assists, while his opponent, Zhou Yi, scored 17 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, and delivered 10 assists.

Another key player in the Pistons’ victory was Tracy McGrady. He played 36 minutes and 11 seconds, scoring 29 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists—clearly the MVP of the game.

One player from the Magic who deserves mention is Vince Carter, a former superstar and winner of the 2000 All-Star Slam Dunk Contest, as well as McGrady’s cousin. However, his performance wasn’t good—he shot 4 times in 13 attempts, scoring 11 points and grabbing 4 rebounds.

Apart from the first few games of the new season, McGrady has been performing exceptionally well. Thanks to his outstanding play, he has firmly established himself as the starting point guard. With no physical issues, he is also playing more minutes, which boosts his confidence. Of course, his good chemistry with Zhou Yi is also one of the reasons for his strong performance.

Chapter 180: We’re in Miami!

After the preseason and the early stages of the regular season, the chemistry within the Pistons’ roster has left team management overjoyed—of course, it has also sparked jealousy among managers of other teams.

Now, in the Pistons’ roster, Zhou Yi is undoubtedly the core player. Although he hasn’t yet become a leader, he is steadily moving in that direction.

As the team’s core, Zhou Yi is respected by everyone. Since the start of the new season, he has averaged 19.9 points, 9.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.3 steals—stats that are truly impressive. Of course, what’s even more admirable isn’t just these numbers but the progress the Pistons have made since Zhou Yi joined the team.

Besides Zhou Yi as the main core, there’s another key player: McGrady, who has been performing exceptionally well recently.

In the first eighteen regular-season games, McGrady averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1.1 steals per game—solid numbers indeed. It’s important to note that McGrady didn’t play much time in the early games of the new season due to injury, so achieving such stats was no easy feat. And when people look at his performance in the last ten games, setting aside the first eight, they’re stunned.

19.1 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.8 blocks—these are McGrady’s numbers. Such stats are truly astonishing. Is this the same player who just recovered from injury? Is this the same player who was worried in the summer about whether he could still play in the NBA? Is this the same player who was limited to only 7 minutes per game by his coach? Is this the same once-famous star who was mocked by many?

Yes, it’s him—Tracy McGrady, the once-invincible T-MAC—he’s back!

McGrady’s performance has once again impressed many people and brought joy and pride to his fans who still support him, because they knew they had the right man by their side.

Of course, McGrady’s performance has also impressed Detroit’s management, making them extremely proud of their decision from the summer. As a result, they consider McGrady to be one of the key players in the team’s rise. Although McGrady is older, they believe his experience and skills will help the other core player, Zhou Yi. What delights them even more is that the relationship between these two cores is good, so they don’t have to worry about conflicts over who should be the ultimate core. This is one of the main reasons behind the team’s management’s decision.

Thus, McGrady and Zhou Yi form Detroit’s new golden duo—a duo that scares the entire league!

……

With six consecutive wins, the Pistons have once again achieved six straight victories, and this streak is far more significant than their previous seven-game winning run.

With 15 wins and 3 losses in the first eighteen games, the Detroit Pistons and the Western Conference’s Los Angeles Lakers dominate the league. The media is clamoring that the era of competition between the East and West’s top teams has returned. The league has once again seen a rivalry between the former Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers.

However, the former Boston Celtics have become the current Detroit Pistons.

“Hehe, the team is now truly on the right track. I never expected us to achieve such good results in the new season. I think we’re going to make a huge profit this season, especially in the Chinese market—we’ve fully opened up that market now,” Bill Davidson said with a smile, sitting in the boss’s chair and speaking to Joe Dumars.

“Hehe, yes! That’s also thanks to Blake. If it weren’t for him bringing Zhou here, we probably wouldn’t have achieved these results,” Joe Dumars remembered to acknowledge Blake’s contribution.

Bill Davidson nodded and smiled. “You’re right. Well, since the end of the year is approaching, give Blake a larger share of the dividends. Also, allocate another 0.5% of the team’s shares to him as a reward! And you should take 0.5% for yourself too—your contributions are significant as well. Hehe…”

“Boss, isn’t this reward a bit too much?” Joe Dumars asked, eyes wide in disbelief.

It’s no wonder Joe Dumars was surprised. Dividends aren’t particularly shocking, but team shares are truly enviable. Although Joe Dumars and Blake, along with other high-ranking team members, did own some shares, the amount was minimal. Most of the shares were in the hands of boss Bill Davidson. So, getting a share of the team would be incredibly exciting.

“It is a bit much, but your efforts deserve it. By the way, I’m very optimistic about Zhou too. Train him well—I hope the team can win the championship soon. If we achieve that goal early, you know there will be a reward, right?” Bill Davidson asked with a chuckle.

“Boss, I understand,” Joe Dumars replied firmly.

……

With averages of 18.25 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals per game over the past four weeks, along with the Pistons’ perfect 4-0 record, Zhou Yi once again outshone everyone to win Last Week’s Eastern Rookie of the Week award.

Another Pistons player, Tracy McGrady, also achieved something significant. With averages of 24.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 4.7 assists per game over the same period, along with the team’s perfect record, he surpassed other outstanding players to win Last Week’s Eastern Player of the Week award. This was McGrady’s first time receiving the award in over two years, since he won it in March 2008. How could such an achievement not move McGrady?

So, after the game against the Orlando Magic, at the press conference, McGrady and Zhou Yi, who performed outstandingly, were the main focus of numerous media interviews. Among their interviews, McGrady attracted the most media attention. It was because McGrady cried at the press conference—tears of a man. He sincerely told the media that he cried to express his gratitude to the Pistons for giving him this precious opportunity, to the fans who had always supported him, to those fans who had mocked him to spur him on, and of course, to Zhou Yi as well. As he spoke these words, McGrady cried even more, especially when he learned that he had been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week. All of this was witnessed by Zhou Yi, who once again strengthened his resolve, with a changed goal: not only to help McGrady win the O’Brien Trophy faster but also to make him better, at least bringing him closer to his peak form. After the game against the Orlando Magic, the Pistons rushed back to Miami without pause to face their strongest opponent so far and one of their most desired opponents back-to-back—Zhou Yi was the one with the strongest desire for this. The Miami Heat, the team with the “New Three Giants,” had a giant who once said to him, “Kid, you’re not good enough! Go home and nurse!” Zhou Yi would never forget those words, nor the look on that person’s face when he said them—never in his life! On December 1, 2010, the game between the Detroit Pistons and the Miami Heat was about to begin. This match once again attracted countless fans and was broadcast nationwide. Pistons vs. Heat: “The New Golden Duo” vs. “The New Three Giants.” Here comes the ultimate showdown. Chapter 181: The Fierce Battle Begins. “It’s so fun! Today is really exciting. There are so many beautiful girls in Miami. To be honest, the away game I most want to play is against the Miami Heat—besides their nice locker room, it’s the beautiful girls here.” Watching the Miami Heat cheerleaders, Will Bynum shamelessly drooled. “We’re here to play a game. Don’t forget that our opponents are those guys,” Zhou Yi said, patting Bynum’s shoulder before pointing at LeBron James and the others across the field.

“Yes, Zhou is right. This game is bound to be a tough one. The slightest carelessness could cost us the match. Don’t get too hasty and affect the overall situation!” Maddie also warned.
After hearing what Zhou Yi and Maddie said, Bynum realized the seriousness of the game. He put aside his earlier casual attitude and smiled, saying, “I was just joking. I know this game is important. Don’t worry, I’ll give it my all.”
“Hey, LeBron, isn’t that guy Zhou Yi?” Chris Bosh asked LeBron James, pointing at Zhou Yi.
“I know him. I didn’t expect him to grow so fast. The media has covered him a lot lately, so don’t take it lightly during the game,” replied LeBron James, looking serious.
“Oh? If even you pay attention to him, I definitely need to too. Otherwise, it would be a huge embarrassment to lose in front of him.” Chris Bosh also looked serious. After all, if even LeBron James valued him, how could he not?
It’s undeniable that LeBron James is one of the greatest players in the NBA today. If he could add a championship ring to his collection, he would become even greater.
Watching the domineering LeBron James, Zhou Yi clenched his fists secretly, staring at him intently.
“Hey, Tracy,” LeBron James said with a smile as he saw Maddie walking over.
“Hehe, LeBron, now that I’m in your territory, you’ve got to treat me well after the game!” Maddie said, hugging LeBron James.
“Of course. After the game, I’ll treat you to a great meal!” LeBron James replied with a smile.
“Then I won’t hold back!” Maddie laughed.
“Tracy, you’ve been really popular lately!” Chris Bosh walked over with a smile and hugged Maddie.
“Hehe, Chris, you always tease me. It’s not that exaggerated,” Maddie joked.
“Exaggerated? You’ve already won Last Week’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. Do you plan to admit you’re popular only after winning MVP?” Chris Bosh teased.
Maddie gave Chris Bosh a glance and laughed, “Alright, enough bickering. The game’s about to start. I’ll give it my all, and so should you!”

“Of course!” LeBron James and Chris Bosh replied in unison.
After hugging Dwyane Wade, who had walked over, McGrady headed straight toward the Pistons. But after just two steps, someone behind him called out to him.
“Mike,” McGrady said happily, looking at the white man in front of him with surprise.
“Heh, Tracy, long time no see! It’s so great to see you again!” Mike Miller gave McGrady a firm bear hug, patting his back while smiling.
“Yes, it’s really nice to see you, my good friend,” McGrady replied cheerfully.
The friendship between McGrady and Mike Miller was deep—something LeBron James and the others couldn’t compare to. Their bond was like that between McGrady, Kobe, Zhou Yi, and Bynum—a brotherly relationship. The two stood side by side, talking about their fond memories from the past, and it took a while before they reluctantly parted to return to their respective teams.
…
The game was about to start. The starting players from both teams had already entered the court, and the large screen displayed the starting lineups.
Pistons (on the road): Point guard Zhou Yi, shooting guard McGrady, small forward Tashawn Prince, power forward Greg Monroe, and center Ben Wallace.
Heat (at home): Point guard Carlos Arroyo, shooting guard Dwyane Wade, small forward LeBron James, power forward Chris Bosh, and center Joel Anthony.
“Ding!”
The whistle blew, and this highly anticipated match officially began.
The result of the jump ball was clear—Ben Wallace used his experience to outmaneuver Joel Anthony and passed the ball to Greg Monroe. Greg Monroe used his broad frame to firmly control the ball before passing it to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi controlled the ball and slowly moved toward the Heat’s half-court. He broke through from the left wing, struggling to get past Carlos Arroyo. Seeing Carlos Arroyo easily shed his defender, Chris Bosh shook his head and rushed in the direction of Zhou Yi’s breakthrough to help Carlos Arroyo temporarily stop him.
“Greg!” Zhou Yi shouted.
“Damn it,” Chris Bosh growled, turning around hastily and running toward Greg Monroe.
But the expected pass never came. Chris Bosh frowned, and even Greg Monroe became puzzled.

However, after seeing Zhou Yi’s next move, the confusion on Greg Monroe’s face disappeared, replaced by admiration. Meanwhile, Chris Bosh’s expression darkened upon seeing Zhou Yi’s action, muttering that the guy was too cunning. After calling out to Greg Monroe, Zhou Yi intended to pass the ball to him. But unexpectedly, Chris Bosh reacted quickly and went back to defend Greg Monroe. With a wry smile, Zhou Yi realized he was now in an open position and acted without hesitation. The ball swished through the net, scoring 2 points. Zhou Yi swung his arm and rushed toward the Pistons’ half-court. “Chris, I have to say you’re really lucky to have LeBron and Dwyane on your side. But with your IQ, it’ll take a long time before you can win a championship ring,” Greg Monroe said. Unlike Zhou Yi’s good temper, he had played in the NCAA and, influenced by the playing environment here, had learned plenty of harsh words to undermine his opponents’ confidence. So when he saw Chris Bosh being played around, he started showing off his sarcasm. “You… are great. Let’s see!” Chris Bosh replied angrily. “Let’s see, haha. Sure, don’t worry—we’ll crush your balls. We’re not afraid of some ‘Big Three,’ huh…” Greg Monroe laughed. “Wow wow, we’ll be scared. We didn’t know you guys had violent tendencies. Well, we’ll be waiting,” Chris Bosh retorted. Chapter 182: Just Luck. It was Dwyane Wade who controlled the ball for the Heat. After breaking through, he passed the ball to Chris Bosh inside. “Softie, shoot! I’m giving you a chance,” Greg Monroe said, pushing against Chris Bosh’s body in a provocative manner. “Of course I’ll shoot. Ha, I’ve never met such an arrogant rookie like you. Today, I’m going to teach your coach a lesson,” Chris Bosh replied, pressing back against Greg Monroe. “Great, I’m waiting for you!”

Although Greg Monroe said so, he was clearly at a disadvantage in the battle for position inside, with Chris Bosh blocking his path. Chris Bosh quickly turned, using his supporting foot as an axis, gave a slight shake, then swiftly pulled back his moving foot to start moving again. By then, Greg Monroe’s balance had already been disrupted, leaving him unable to stop Chris Bosh’s progress. Chris Bosh then easily scored with a layup, giving the Heat 2 points first. Cheers filled American Airlines Center. Zhou Yi drove the ball beyond the opponent’s three-point line, not holding the ball for even a second before quickly passing it to McGrady. Faced with Wade’s defense, McGrady immediately took a jump shot; the ball hit the backboard and bounced out. Ben Wallace grabbed the offensive rebound and attempted a follow-up shot, but it also missed, as Chris Bosh secured the defensive rebound. After receiving a pass from Chris Bosh, Carlos Arroyo quickly drove the ball across half-court. Seeing LeBron James looking at him, Carlos Arroyo honestly passed the ball, and when LeBron James caught it, loud cheers erupted in American Airlines Center. Hearing these cheers, the Heat players’ morale soared even more. With the ball in hand, LeBron James said to Teyon Prince in front of him, “Teyon, you’re no match for me. You couldn’t stop me before, you can’t now, and you definitely won’t be able to in the future.” “Hmph, don’t talk too big, or you might hurt your tongue. Even if I lose in a one-on-one matchup, we will definitely win against you today,” Teyon Prince said, staring at LeBron James, emphasizing each word. “Dreaming of beating us?” LeBron James remained as arrogant as ever. After saying that, he used a crab-like crossover move to shake off Teyon Prince and directly entered the Pistons’ paint, leaping high for a powerful battle-tyrant dunk. Dominant—absolutely dominant! “See, Teyon, you can’t stop me,” LeBron James said, shrugging and walking away. Teyon Prince watched LeBron James pass by on purpose, bumping into him, and his fighting spirit flared intensely. Next to Teyon Prince stood another person whose fighting spirit was no less fierce—perhaps even stronger—than his own. That person was Zhou Yi! Thinking back to his last encounter with LeBron James and seeing his arrogant behavior just now, Zhou Yi’s fighting spirit was stronger than ever before against any opponent he had faced.

Zhou Yi glanced at Teyshawn Prince and nodded at him.
The Pistons attacked; Greg Monroe grabbed the ball inside and turned to drive. But Chris Bosh blocked his path tightly, cutting off his offensive route.
“Little brat, didn’t you say you’d crush our balls? Come on!” Chris Bosh shouted insults as he pressed hard on Greg Monroe.
“Softie King, take your time—I’ll do it!” Greg Monroe retorted fiercely.
As soon as Greg Monroe finished speaking, the ball was passed, and Zhou Yi had already cut into the paint. With both man and ball in position, Zhou Yi caught the ball and tried to dunk, aiming to match LeBron James’ previous dunk and intimidate the Heat.
“Don’t even think about it.” Carlos Arroyo, who had chased up from behind, jumped to block the shot.
Zhou Yi ignored him, accelerated to the max, pushed off the ground, and leaped high. At that moment, Carlos Arroyo also jumped. Zhou Yi had intended to dunk with one hand, but with Arroyo’s interference, it was difficult to complete the dunk. Fortunately, Zhou Yi grabbed the ball with both hands and slammed it hard into the basket.
The ball went in, and the dunk resulted in a defensive foul on Carlos Arroyo, earning a free throw!
Though the dunk was spectacular, there was only sparse applause in AmericanAirlines Arena. But the visiting players didn’t care—after all, this was their opponent’s home court.
Zhou Yi hit the free throw, and the two-point play stood!
LeBron James glared at Carlos Arroyo, took control of the ball, and advanced toward the Pistons’ half-court. Teyshawn Prince was still in his way.
This time, neither of them spoke, but the tension between them was palpable. LeBron James drove with the ball and passed it to Chris Bosh at the top of the key.
Chris Bosh shot a mid-range jump shot, but it missed, and he grabbed the offensive rebound. Just as he tried to attack again, the ball was snatched away.
Chris Bosh looked closely and saw that a player in jersey number 37, with black hair and yellow skin, had stolen the ball. Fuming, he rushed back to defend.
“Softie King, lucky you had Zhou steal your ball!” Greg Monroe said jokingly behind Chris Bosh.
Chris Bosh snorted, ignored him, and sped back toward his own half-court.

After Zhou Yi intercepted the ball, he swiftly drove with it to attack the opponent’s half. Just past the midcourt line, he saw McGrady already charging toward the opponent’s basket, making a upward gesture at him. Zhou Yi understood immediately. Without even glancing at LeBron James rushing toward him, he threw the ball straight toward the basket. LeBron James had already noticed the “communication” between McGrady and Zhou Yi, so when he rushed up to Zhou Yi, he didn’t pause but headed straight for McGrady, trying to stop the alley-oop. Yet, LeBron James was still a step too late. Not only did he fail to stop the alley-oop, but he also became the backdrop for this stunning play. As the basketball neared the basket, McGrady leaped up, caught the ball, and dunked with both hands in a powerful and seamless motion, without any hesitation. “Wow…” The American Airlines Center was in awe. No one expected LeBron James to become the backdrop for such a beautiful score, nor did anyone expect McGrady, who was on the verge of retiring, to return to such a high level. “Hey, Tracy, you’ve recovered well,” LeBron James said, raising his hand arrogantly after watching McGrady complete the alley-oop. “Heh, just luck,” McGrady replied, slowly backing away toward his own half. Chapter 183: The Golden Duo Shines in Attack and Defense “LeBron, give him one back,” Dwyane Wade stepped forward and said. LeBron James smiled but said nothing. He took the ball from Dwyane Wade and advanced toward the Pistons’ half. Holding the ball, he glanced at the situation on the court before passing it to Dwyane Wade. Having just arrived in Miami, he hadn’t fully taken over as the leader yet, so he couldn’t dominate the ball too much. He still needed to give Dwyane Wade some respect—after all, he was the real leader here. As for Chris Bosh? Hmph, he didn’t deserve to compete with him for the title of Miami’s leader. “Tracy, that dunk just now was amazing!” Dwyane Wade said, smiling as he drove with the ball and watched McGrady’s defensive stance. “Thanks!” McGrady replied expressionlessly. Seeing that McGrady was completely focused and ignoring his words, Dwyane Wade grew annoyed and said, “You better be careful. I’ll break you.” “Come on then!” McGrady replied, unfazed as ever. “Then I’m coming.”

After saying that, Dwyane Wade changed direction and tried to break through to the left. Seeing that Tracy McGrady moved leftward, he quickly pulled the ball and jumped to shoot. The entire sequence of movements was extremely smooth and graceful, causing the fans in the arena to scream in excitement.

However, the moment the ball was released, a dark figure soared into the air and slammed down on the basketball, sending it over the baseline—a stunning block.

Who was it?
Who was it?
Who was it?

Chaos reigned in the American Airlines Center.

A slightly thin boy with black hair and yellow skin, wearing a Pistons away jersey numbered 37, stood there.

Who was number 37?

At that moment, the Pistons players, including those on the bench, along with head coach John Kuester sitting beside them, all raised their hands and stood up cheering as the ball was blocked.

“That’s amazing! Absolutely amazing! It’s so incredible!” Will Bynum was extremely excited.

“Haha, Zhou actually managed to pull off such a great block on Dwyane Wade, haha…” Taylor Hansbrough also laughed heartily.

“Zhou, that’s fucking awesome.” Even the usually polite head coach John Kuester couldn’t help but use a curse word, causing the players on the bench to burst into laughter.

Zhou Yi himself stood there, stunned. He thought to himself, “I blocked Dwyane Wade. I blocked Dwyane Wade.”

It wasn’t surprising that Zhou Yi was so shocked. In the past, he had only blocked lesser players; he had rarely blocked stars, let alone superstars. Now that he had blocked Dwyane Wade, a superstar, how could he not be amazed?

“Great job, Zhou! You did an absolutely fantastic job,” Greg Monroe said excitedly as he rushed toward Zhou Yi.

“Hey, man, you’re going to become even more famous. Seriously, every TV station and website will cover this block tomorrow,” TaShawn Prince said excitedly.

“Wow, wow, you’re amazing, Zhou. You actually managed to block Dwyane Wade, and it was such a powerful block. But you need to be careful—Dwyane is known to be petty. He’ll definitely get back at you, I mean, in basketball terms,” McGrady said, also very excited. But as an experienced veteran who had faced Dwyane Wade many times and knew him well, he felt it necessary to warn Zhou Yi.

“Heh, kid, not bad. You’re really good!” Ben Wallace said with a somewhat forced smile as he patted Zhou Yi’s shoulder.

At that moment, Dwyane Wade stepped up to Zhou Yi.
“Kid, you can talk.”
“What? Dwyane, can’t you take a loss?” McGrady shielded Zhou Yi behind him and said to Dwyane Wade.
“Don’t worry, Tracy. You know me—I only resolve issues on the court,” Dwyane Wade replied, giving McGrady a glance with an expressionless face.
With that, Dwyane Wade turned and left.
Chris Bosh served from the baseline as the Heat continued their attack, though little time remained.
LeBron James held the ball and pushed through Taishan Prince, using his physical advantage to squeeze past him and force a shot.
But Taishan Prince’s long arms were no joke; despite his attempts to disrupt him, the ball missed and went into the backboard.
At the basket, Joel Anthony and Ben Wallace, along with Chris Bosh and Greg Monroe, were all positioning themselves to compete for rebounds. Several big men were ready to fight for the ball.
Meanwhile, Dwyane Wade, who had been tangled up with McGrady on the perimeter, suddenly broke free, accelerated into the paint, leaped high, caught the ball with one hand, and slammed it hard into the basket.
Instead of the expected dunk, there was a loud thud—as Dwyane Wade’s excessive force sent the ball flying. Surprisingly, Zhou Yi, standing at the free-throw line, managed to grab the rebound.
The entire crowd erupted in laughter at this ridiculous scene.
“Damn it!” Dwyane Wade cursed.
Although the shot didn’t go in, everyone had to admire Dwyane Wade’s extraordinary jumping ability and explosive power.
“Damn, Wade jumped really high just now,” Zhou Yi thought to himself as he dribbled the ball.
The offense and defense switched.
After driving past half-court, Zhou Yi broke through from the right wing and saw an opportunity for McGrady, so he quickly passed the ball to him. McGrady caught it and immediately shot—a swish—as the ball went through the net.
After the shot, McGrady gave Dwyane Wade a casual glance.
LeBron James saw this and chuckled, saying to Dwyane Wade, “Dwyane, that old guy Tracy is really fired up today. We need to show some strength—otherwise, we might lose this game, and that would be a huge embarrassment.”
“No problem. I’ll give it my all from now on,” Dwyane Wade replied with a nod.
The Heat launched another attack.

Dwyane Wade drove past the Pistons’ three-point line, signaling Chris Bosh to come out for a pick-and-roll. Seeing this, Chris Bosh rushed out to act as a human shield. Dwyane Wade bypassed Chris Bosh, while Tracy McGrady was blocked by him. LeBron James also slipped past Chris Bosh and headed toward the basket. Dwyane Wade passed the ball forward; LeBron James caught it and stepped over the free-throw line, ready to lay it in. At that moment, Greg Monroe let go of Chris Bosh, who rushed back in, while Ben Wallace took his position, ready to block LeBron James. But LeBron James flipped his wrist and passed the ball. It was caught by Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh, who had just completed the pick-and-roll, had already run back to the basket and was unguarded; after receiving the pass from LeBron James, he immediately dunked. The coordination among the three stars was flawless. “Heh, what do you say, Tracy? Isn’t it easy for us to score?” LeBron James said to McGrady. “Dude, the game has just started—nothing’s decided yet!” McGrady retorted fiercely. “Heh, trying to take the win from us? Hah, dream on,” Dwyane Wade said arrogantly before turning away. Zhou Yi drove past Carlos Arroyo, drawing Dwyane Wade’s attention, then passed the ball to McGrady, who was cutting toward the basket from the middle. After catching the ball, McGrady immediately dunked with one hand. Joel Anthony, standing under the basket, could only serve as a backdrop to Zhou Yi and McGrady’s perfect teamwork. “Heh, it seems the new backcourt duo of Zhou and Tracy is truly a golden duo. All 11 points the team has scored so far came from them—Zhou with 5 points and Tracy with 6. And all of Tracy’s 6 points came from Zhou’s assists. It seems Tracy scores quite easily, showing just how well they work together!” said an assistant coach on the Pistons’ bench with a laugh. “Yes! Heh, a golden duo!” John Kuester nodded with a smile as he watched McGrady and Zhou Yi. Chapter 184: Golden Duo vs. The Three Stars (Part 1) “Ding,” Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra called a timeout in frustration. 11:6—the Pistons were leading the Heat by 5 points, shocking everyone in the arena.

More than 6 minutes had passed in the first quarter, and the Heat had only scored 6 points—this was utterly unbelievable. After all, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and even Chris Bosh are all excellent scorers; how could anyone not be surprised at just 6 points in 6 minutes?

Although frustrated by the Heat’s poor performance so far, Eric Spoelstra couldn’t get angry at LeBron James and the others, so he could only patiently explain tactical issues to them.

The timeout ended, and play resumed with the Heat’s offense. Carlos Arroyo was replaced by Mario Chalmers, who now held the ball. The Heat’s center, Joel Anthony, was also substituted out by veteran “Big Z” Zydrunas Ilgauskas.

After half a minute, Mario Chalmers passed the ball to LeBron James. James grabbed the ball with one hand, staring intently at Tyshawn Prince—his previous offensive attempt had been blocked by Prince, so James had to be cautious. Otherwise, he might end up looking as embarrassed as Dwyane Wade had just done.

James took big steps and suddenly rushed toward Prince’s left side. Prince used his left hand to press on James’s waist while raising his right hand high. James pulled back sharply, raised the ball high with both hands, and jumped. Prince quickly tried to cover him, but James didn’t shoot—instead, he threw the ball high to Big Z. After catching it, Big Z turned and delivered a beautiful hook shot, scoring the point.

The fans in the arena roared excitedly, shouting “MVP” for James, who seemed to enjoy it all, walking back to his half of the court satisfiedly.

Zhou Yi glanced at the complacent LeBron James and drove the ball into the Heat’s half. Tyshawn Prince ran to an open spot, and Zhou Yi quickly passed the ball to him. After catching it, Prince threw the ball up—“clang”—it was a miss, and Dwyane Wade grabbed the defensive rebound.

After grabbing the rebound, Dwyane Wade didn’t pass it either; instead, he drove the ball quickly toward the Pistons’ half. Big Z was in position, ready to grab a rebound if his teammate missed. Unexpectedly, when Dwyane Wade saw Big Z in position, he passed the ball to him—something even Big Z himself hadn’t expected.

Big Z faced Ben Wallace and went one-on-one with him at the low post. Sensing Ben Wallace’s strong physique and solid defense, Big Z didn’t try to take too much credit. Instead, he distracted Ben Wallace and passed the ball to Chris Bosh.

Chris Bosh caught the ball and spun around, about to lay it in, but Greg Monroe was right there guarding him. Seeing Monroe’s youthful enthusiasm, Bosh grew angry; he flipped his wrist and passed the ball horizontally. Dwyane Wade, lurking just outside the three-point line in the corner, caught the ball with no one around him as the other players had already moved to other positions.

Wade adjusted slightly after catching the ball and then shot, hitting it. “Kid, did you see my pass? That’s what real skill looks like,” Bosh said, naturally not missing the chance to trash-talk. “Oh? Is that your skill?” Monroe retorted dismissively, then shook his head and said nothing more, heading straight toward the Heat’s half-court.

Bosh was furious, but as a top-tier interior player, he had excellent mental strength and quickly suppressed his anger to return to defense. Afterwards, Wade retreated without expression, but was actually very excited—finally getting his revenge.

The Pistons took over offense. The ball went to McGrady, who was watched closely by Wade. McGrady wasn’t in a hurry; at his age, especially after a series of setbacks, his mental resilience was now very strong, and he wasn’t impulsive anymore. He slowly controlled the ball, then suddenly accelerated, changed direction, stepped forward, and spun around in one smooth motion. By the time he turned back, the ball was gone—flying straight toward Zhou Yi at the top of the key.

Mario Chalmers was blocked by Greg Monroe, so he couldn’t keep up with Zhou Yi, meaning Zhou Yi was completely open. Zhou Yi jumped, flicked the ball with his right hand, and it shot straight toward the basket. “Clang, clang, clang”—the basketball bounced inside the rim before finally falling in reluctantly. It was a three-pointer. Zhou Yi bumped into McGrady and then both retreated to defend.

In this back-and-forth battle, both teams showed strong fighting spirit. Although it was only the first quarter, the tension was high. With 3.5 minutes left in the first quarter, both teams started substituting players. Among the Heat’s players, aside from LeBron James, Mario Chalmers, and Big Z who had just entered the game, everyone else was taken off the court, replaced by Mike Miller and “Uncle Ho” Jwan Howard.

The Pistons replaced everyone except Prince and McGrady; Samuel Dalembert, James Posey, and Will Bynum came in as substitutes. As soon as James Posey entered the game, he used his extensive experience to shoot a three-pointer over Mike Miller. “That’s accurate,” Zhou Yi said with a smile to Greg Monroe after taking a sip of his drink. “Yeah, James will be a huge help to us with his experience,” Greg Monroe replied, also grabbing a drink, saying something to Zhou Yi before drinking it in large gulps. The Heat failed to score on their attacks, and James Posey grabbed a defensive rebound and passed it to Will Bynum. Will Bynum then used rotational defense to shoot a three-pointer over Mario Chalmers. “Wow, Will is pretty accurate too, haha…” Zhou Yi laughed loudly after seeing Will Bynum score a three-pointer as well. Greg Monroe also laughed, squinting as he watched the game unfold. The Heat once again failed to score, with McGrady grabbing a defensive rebound and converting it into a fast break layup. The Heat played very poorly today, not only offensively but also defensively. Otherwise, how could they let the Pistons score two three-pointers so easily? Eric Spolstra shook his head while watching the game. LeBron James once again took on Tyshawn Prince alone, drove to the basket, changed hands, and scored a layup, also drawing a foul from McGrady. Seeing McGrady’s foul and considering he had already played nearly ten minutes, John Kuester decisively substituted McGrady out for Charlie Villanueva to rest. LeBron James made his free throw. On the Pistons’ side, Tyshawn Prince scored 2 points with a mid-range shot after using a pick-and-roll to get into an open position, responding to LeBron James. Later, Mario Chalmers’ three-pointer missed, and Chris Bosh grabbed an offensive rebound, passing it to the perimeter where LeBron James shot again and finally made a three-pointer. Will Bynum drove and hit a backdoor jump shot in front of Mario Chalmers. In the last three and a half minutes, both teams’ mostly substitute lineups played well, though the Pistons stood out more. With the whistle blowing, the first quarter ended. The score was 26:18, with the Pistons leading by 8 points temporarily. The Pistons’ players sitting on the bench excitedly greeted their teammates walking toward them, while the Heat side was somewhat quiet, even subdued.

“Let’s fight from now on—no more defensive mistakes,” LeBron James said to his teammates, trying to suppress his anger. Though he kept his anger in check, his words still carried a strong hint of frustration.
“LeBron’s right. We need to show intensity and definitely not lose to them,” added Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra.
On the Pistons’ side, the atmosphere was very positive. Head coach John Kuester smiled as he explained tactics to his players.
Since the game attracted a lot of attention and was broadcast nationwide, general manager Joe Dumars also came to Miami with the players to watch the first quarter. He didn’t hesitate to praise the Pistons’ players, and their enthusiasm grew even more after receiving his compliments.
Chapter 185: The Golden Duo vs. The Big Three (Part 2)
“Hey, guys, you’re doing great. Keep playing like this—the Heat aren’t that great. If we keep it up like in the first quarter, we’ll definitely win,” Joe Dumars said, standing up and smiling at everyone.
“Mr. Joe is right. Let’s keep playing this way—team basketball. Even though they have superstars like LeBron and Dwyane, as long as we play as a team, we’ll win,” added John Kuester.
“Understood,” the Pistons replied in unison.
John Kuester then outlined the tactics for the second quarter, with all the players listening attentively, including Joe Dumars.
“Alright, let’s go, guys,” John Kuester said when it was almost time to start.
“Go, go, go!” the Pistons encouraged each other.
With the referee’s whistle, the second quarter began, and the Heat gained possession.
LeBron James played the entire first quarter and was now replaced by James Jones, while Chris Bosh took to the court with a group of backups.
The Pistons also made some adjustments to their lineup: point guard Will Bynum, shooting guard James Posey, small forward Austin Daye, power forward Taylor Hansbrough, and center Samuel Dalembert.

Taylor Hansbrough has averaged 6.7 points and 5.6 rebounds per game so far this season, and that’s despite playing only about 14 minutes per game as a substitute. His performance has greatly satisfied the Pistons’ management, who believe this trade was a huge success.

Mario Chalmers drove to the basket, attempted a quick stop-and-shoot, but missed; Chris Bosh secured the offensive rebound. Taylor Hansbrough raised his right hand, pushing against Chris Bosh.

Chris Bosh suddenly launched a reverse layup, catching Taylor Hansbrough off guard. The ball went in, and Chris Bosh stepped back triumphantly.

On the Pistons’ side, James Posey assisted Will Bynum, who scored a layup. The teams continued to trade blows, and with 4:31 left in the quarter, the Pistons called a timeout to bring in their starting lineup. By this point in the second quarter, the Heat, led by Chris Bosh, had narrowed the gap to 34–30, only 4 points behind the Pistons.

The 20-second timeout ended quickly. The Pistons replaced James Posey with Zhou Yi, Austin Daye with Charlie Villanueva, and Samuel Dalembert with Greg Monroe. At first glance, the Pistons’ lineup seemed odd, with three big men who could play power forward (Greg Monroe, Taylor Hansbrough, and Charlie Villanueva) on the court at the same time, while two point guards (Zhou Yi and Will Bynum) handled the backcourt.

The Heat, of course, also brought in their starting lineup.

LeBron James drove into the Pistons’ half, with Charlie Villanueva closely following. Seeing the 6’11”, 7’1” Charlie Villanueva, LeBron James sneered and darted past him from the left.

Charlie Villanueva shifted his weight in that direction as well. But the moment he moved, LeBron pulled the ball back and shot a jump shot. With a swish, the ball went in, reducing the Heat’s deficit to 2 points.

Without even looking at Charlie Villanueva, LeBron turned and ran back to his own half.

Will Bynum controlled the ball, defended by Dwyane Wade. After crossing half-court, Will Bynum passed the ball to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi faced Carlos Arroyo and used a crossover to get past him. But Dwyane Wade quickly closed in, while Carlos Arroyo shifted to defend Bynum.

Zhou Yi dribbled the ball and suddenly accelerated, breaking toward Dwyane Wade’s right side. Dwyane Wade wasn’t careless—his earlier encounter with Zhou Yi had already made him take him seriously. He quickly stepped back, shifting his weight to the right. But Zhou Yi suddenly performed a crossover and broke in the opposite direction, causing Dwyane Wade to stumble.

However, just as Zhou Yi rushed toward the basket, he lost control of the ball. It turned out that Dwyane Wade, realizing he had fallen for Zhou Yi’s feint and not having time to shift his weight, simply lay down on the ground, stretched out his long arms, and reached forward as the ball was still in motion. Zhou Yi’s ball slipped from his control, and Dwyane Wade was also knocked off balance by Zhou Yi. Though he was knocked down, it was intentional, and by blocking Zhou Yi’s attack, he effectively forced Zhou Yi to make a mistake, so Dwyane Wade wasn’t angry.

Everything seemed slow, but it actually happened in an instant. The ball retrieved by Dwyane Wade was picked up by the Heat’s Carlos Arroyo, who then scored on a fast break, also drawing a defensive foul on Will Bynum.

Looking at the kid who had almost knocked him down, Dwyane Wade felt a chill. This rookie from the Pistons had first played a trick on him and then almost knocked him down again. If he continued to develop properly, he would surely become a formidable opponent.

Now, Dwyane Wade no longer viewed Zhou Yi with the same disdain he once had. After all, he realized that Zhou Yi was strong, quite strong even. Considering the news about Zhou Yi in the league lately, Dwyane Wade paid even more attention to him.

Zhou Yi was frustrated. He had managed to make Dwyane Wade stumble and create an opportunity for himself to attack, but unexpectedly, the ball was lost when Dwyane Wade lay down. With his hands on his hips, he stood in the middle of the court, frustrated, watching Carlos Arroyo take free throws.

“Heh, you’re not bad, kid,” Dwyane Wade said with a smile as he walked over to Zhou Yi and complimented him.

“Thank you!” As the saying goes, don’t hit someone who’s smiling. Seeing Dwyane Wade’s smiling face, Zhou Yi replied politely.

Dwyane Wade nodded and said nothing more, watching his teammate Carlos Arroyo take the free throws.

Carlos Arroyo took a free throw, but it missed. Fortunately, it didn’t go in, otherwise the Heat would have taken a 1-point lead.
The Pistons attacked, and Will Bynum, perhaps provoked by Arroyo’s earlier taunt, threw a three-pointer almost right at Arroyo’s face—37:34.
Watching Arroyo’s frustrated expression, Bynum was extremely pleased.
Dwyane Wade asked LeBron James for a screen, found space, and shot without hesitation. The ball went in—37:36!
John Kuester shook his head as he saw Bynum unable to contain Dwyane Wade, quickly substituting Bynum with Tracy McGrady and Charlie Villanueva with Tashawn Prince.
Chapter 186: The Golden Duo vs. The Big Three (3)
Zhou Yi accelerated, using nothing but speed to overtake Carlos Arroyo in one step. After passing Arroyo, he felt no joy, as Dwyane Wade was already in front of him.
Zhou Yi pretended to drive but actually passed the ball to McGrady behind Wade. After catching it, McGrady rushed to the basket, pushing Joel Anthony aside to score, and also drew a foul on Anthony.
McGrady’s quick coordination with Zhou Yi earned many cheers from fans, including those who previously supported the Heat’s Big Three.
“Hehe, Zhou still works best with Tracy!” said one of John Kuester’s assistant coaches.
“Yeah, their teamwork is getting better and better. It seems they really have a chance to become the Pistons’ golden backcourt duo,” said Kuester, smiling as he watched Zhou Yi and McGrady celebrate.
The assistant coach nodded in agreement.
While McGrady was taking his free throws, Pistons head coach John Kuester quickly substituted Taylor Hansbrough for Samuel Dalembert. Hansbrough had scored 4 points, grabbed 3 rebounds, and blocked 1 shot in his nearly 7 minutes on the court, fulfilling his role well.
On the Heat’s side, they also substituted Joel Anthony during McGrady’s free throws, bringing in Dwyane Wade.
McGrady took his free throws and made both attempts.
The Heat attacked.

Chris Bosh took a jump shot near the free-throw line after receiving a pass from LeBron James, but missed. McGrady outmuscleled the big men inside and secured the rebound. Just as McGrady was about to get the rebound, Zhou Yi rushed frantically toward the Heat’s half-court.

McGrady dribbled the ball a couple of times and, seeing that Zhou Yi had already entered the Heat’s half-court, threw the ball forcefully forward. However, the throw was too strong and too high, likely to hit the backboard directly. Given Zhou Yi’s speed, it seemed impossible for him to catch the ball, but he might still grab an offensive rebound.

McGrady realized he had thrown too hard and quickly rushed toward the Heat’s half-court to make up for his mistake.

Just as everyone thought McGrady’s pass was a mistake, something incredible happened.

Zhou Yi also noticed the deviation in McGrady’s pass, but instead of giving up, he accelerated even more, moving faster than before. When he was just a step inside the free-throw line, he jumped sharply. Thanks to his long arms, Zhou Yi managed to touch the ball with his right hand. With a gentle flick of his fingers, he changed the ball’s direction, causing it to fall toward the basket instead of hitting the backboard.

After doing all that, Zhou Yi fell to the ground. Fortunately, he managed to adjust his angle enough to avoid injury and slid a short distance across the court.

“Swish!” The ball went in!

Everyone stared in disbelief at what had just happened—everyone, including the fans, staff, all the Pistons players, the opposing team’s players, the referee on the court, and Zhou Yi himself.

They were all stunned. Zhou Yi had actually caught the ball in mid-air and scored! What should have been a mistake was saved by Zhou Yi, turning McGrady’s error into an assist.

The Pistons’ morale soared instantly, while the Heat’s morale, though not low, was clearly lower than the Pistons’.

“That shot is unbelievable! That’s definitely one of the top five shots of the day—maybe even number one!” said an excited Pistons fan.

“Yeah, that’s definitely going into today’s top five shots. It was so amazing!” added another fan wearing a Heat jersey.

“Uh, weren’t you a Heat fan, a LeBron fan?” asked the first fan curiously.

“That’s a different matter. Does supporting one player mean you can’t support others? Besides, I’m just expressing my opinion from the perspective of admiring that shot. It was really beautiful, wasn’t it?” replied the Heat fan wearing jersey number 6.
“Hehe, of course!”
The crowd erupted in excitement. Zhou Yi got up from the ground with a wry smile. After bouncing a few times to ensure he was fine, he headed toward the Pistons’ half-court.
As Zhou Yi ran back, he saw head coach John Kuester giving him a questioning look. He quickly smiled to signal that he was okay.
Although everyone was still immersed in that shot, even the referee, the game had to go on. Heat’s Chris Bosh ran back to set up a baseline pass, and play resumed.
“Zhou, I’m sorry about that shot just now. It was my mistake that caused you to fall,” Maddie said apologetically to Zhou Yi.
“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. The opponent is coming over—stay focused on defense! Hehe…” Zhou Yi replied with a smile.
Seeing that Zhou Yi wasn’t upset or injured, Maddie felt relieved and focused on defense.
LeBron James drove with the ball and passed it to Carlos Arroyo, who tried to drive to the basket but missed. Zhou Yi, who was following him, grabbed the defensive rebound.
Tayshaun Prince’s mid-range shot from the free-throw line missed. Greg Monroe jumped high and dunked the ball back in, also drawing a foul on Chris Bosh.
Chris Bosh angrily rushed at the referee, trying to argue that Greg Monroe had pushed him while grabbing the rebound, but the referee ignored him. Then, Chris Bosh went at Greg Monroe, exchanging some harsh words.
Greg Monroe took a free throw, but it missed. Chris Bosh grabbed the defensive rebound.
Carlos Arroyo drove with the ball and passed it to Dwyane Wade in the corner. Wade stepped back beyond the three-point line and shot a three-pointer, which actually went in.
The Heat crowd cheered, and the fans in the stands applauded enthusiastically in support.
On the Pistons’ end, Maddie and Greg Monroe set up a pick-and-roll, then passed to Greg Monroe, who ran back toward the basket.
After catching the ball, Greg Monroe jumped up, aiming for a powerful dunk. But Chris Bosh reached out and pulled him down, causing Greg Monroe to lose his balance and fall to the ground.
The whistle blew—Chris Bosh was fouled.

“Damn it, do you want to fight?” Greg Monroe, who had been knocked to the ground, quickly got up and rushed at Chris Bosh, shouting angrily.
“Then come at me! I’m ready,” Chris Bosh retorted, refusing to back down.
“If you want to die, I’ll make it happen for you,” Greg Monroe, being young and hot-tempered, became furious upon hearing Chris Bosh’s words and pushed him hard.
“Hey, what are you doing? Damn it, if you want to fight, I’m ready!” LeBron James, seeing his teammate being bullied, immediately stepped forward and pushed Greg Monroe, causing him to stagger.
At that moment, Zhou Yi rushed over, pushed LeBron James aside, and stood alongside Greg Monroe.
Players from both teams and the referee quickly rushed to the scene. The referee and the players separated Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Greg Monroe, and Zhou Yi.
After reviewing the footage, the referees decided to award each of Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Greg Monroe, and Zhou Yi a technical foul. Additionally, Chris Bosh’s earlier foul was also classified as a level-one malicious foul.
The enthusiasm of the crowd was ignited by the recent confrontation, with everyone loudly supporting their favorite team or player—of course, with many cheers for the Heat.
Judging from the earlier clash, the tension between the two teams was extremely high, evident from the start of the first quarter.
Chapter 187: The Golden Duo vs. The Big Three (4)
“Hey, man, thanks for helping me just now!” Greg Monroe said, patting Zhou Yi’s shoulder.
“Heh, it’s nothing, Greg. We’re teammates, friends, brothers who fight together. So don’t thank me in the future,” Zhou Yi replied calmly with a smile.
“Uh, I’m sorry for getting you a technical foul too,” Greg Monroe said apologetically.
“It’s okay. It seems we’re about to take free throws. Get ready,” Zhou Yi said, patting Greg Monroe’s back.
Since both teams had technical fouls, the Heat took their free throws first.
Dwyane Wade was the Heat’s shooter, and he made both free throws easily.
Next, it was the Pistons’ turn to take free throws, earning four opportunities. Zhou Yi took two free throws for the technical foul and also made both. Then, Greg Monroe took the two free throws for the malicious foul committed earlier by Chris Bosh.

Greg Monroe also performed well, making both of his free throws. After the free throws, Greg Monroe and Zhou Yi, who were involved in the altercation with the Pistons, were replaced by Taylor Hansbrough and Will Bynum, respectively. For the Heat, LeBron James was substituted out by veteran Eddie House, while Chris Bosh was replaced by Eric Dampier, who had just joined the Heat and was once known as the “second-best center in the West” behind Shaquille O’Neal. With nearly two and a half minutes left in the first half, the game became more orderly after the earlier altercation, but tension still lingered. The Heat’s Dwyane Wade and Carlos Arroyo played alongside three bench players, while the Pistons’ Tracy McGrady and Tashawn Prince also played with three bench players. The two and a half minutes passed quickly, and during that time, McGrady and Wade seemed to be competing fiercely, both performing exceptionally well, almost giving it their all. In that short period, McGrady scored 6 points, 1 assist, and 1 block, while Wade scored 8 points and 2 blocks. At the end of the first half, the score was 55-48, with the Pistons still leading by 7 points. LeBron James scored 15 points, the highest for his team in the first half, along with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, but he also made 2 mistakes. Dwyane Wade scored 14 points, though his shooting percentage was low, hitting 4 out of 11 attempts. The third member of the Heat’s “Big Three,” Chris Bosh, scored 10 points and added 7 rebounds. The Heat’s “Big Three” combined for 39 points, accounting for most of the team’s total score, while the other players scored only 9 points. On the Pistons’ side, McGrady was the top scorer with 17 points, along with 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Zhou Yi scored 12 points and 5 assists. Besides McGrady and Zhou Yi, another Pistons player scored in double figures—James Posey, who hit three three-pointers and one two-point shot in the first half, scoring 11 points. During the halftime break, many media reporters interviewed both teams. The main focus of the interviews was naturally the violent altercation in the second quarter, with the second focus being the confrontation between the “new golden duo” and the “new Big Three.”

Regarding the term “new golden duo” mentioned by the media reporters, the “big three” naturally held it in great disdain. When the reporters mentioned it, they even pretended to be surprised and asked who the “new golden duo” was. As for the media reporters referring to himself and McGrady as the “new golden duo,” Zhou Yi humbly said he wasn’t at that level yet, and McGrady agreed with him. Near the end of the interview, to Zhou Yi’s surprise, Xiang Yun also came to interview him. Realizing Xiang Yun was also a team reporter for the Pistons, Zhou Yi understood. “Mr. Zhou, what’s your opinion on the Pistons’ performance in the first half?” Xiang Yun, no longer as playful as before when alone with Zhou Yi, asked professionally. Zhou Yi gave a wry smile, then thought of his words before answering with a smile, “I think we played well—strategically and purposefully. Both offense and defense were good. As long as we can keep playing like this, victory will be ours.” “So, what do you think of your own performance?” Xiang Yun continued. Zhou Yi shrugged, still with his sunny smile, and replied, “Overall, I think my performance was okay. But in terms of individual offense, I might still have some issues—maybe I wasn’t decisive enough!” “Well, thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Zhou. I wish you and your team even better performance in the upcoming games,” Xiang Yun said. “Thank you!” Zhou Yi smiled. “I won’t disturb you any longer. Goodbye!” Xiang Yun smiled. “Hmm, goodbye,” Zhou Yi replied. After saying that, Zhou Yi winked at Xiang Yun and headed toward the locker room. “Zhou Yi, wait a moment,” Xiang Yun called. “Hm? Isn’t the interview over yet?” Zhou Yi turned around and looked at Xiang Yun approaching, curious. “Uh, the interview is over, but can’t I talk to you privately?” Xiang Yun said, slightly annoyed. Zhou Yi scratched his head, gave a wry smile, and said, “I didn’t say I couldn’t. What’s the matter? Is there something?” “Can’t you talk to me just because there’s nothing? True enough. Now that you’re a famous star, you must be very busy. Where would you find time to see someone like me, an idle person?” Xiang Yun said, pretending to be helpless. Hearing this, Zhou Yi’s forehead furrowed, and he said with a wry smile, “That’s not what I meant!” Seeing Zhou Yi’s pained expression, Xiang Yun burst into laughter and said playfully, “I was just joking with you! By the way, do you have time after the game?”

“It’s almost 10 o’clock after the game, there should be time!” Zhou Yi calculated the time and replied.
“Okay, then after the game, you’ll treat me to dinner. Last time you said you’d treat me, but it took days before I got that meal from you. Now I’m punishing you—after all, you’re going to be rich soon, so from now on you’ll be my regular diner.” Xiang Yunyu hung her arm around Zhou Yi’s shoulder and said in a somewhat flirtatious tone.
Seeing Xiang Yun’s affectionate behavior, Zhou Yi looked a bit awkward and smiled, saying, “Okay. I’ll head back to the locker room to rest first. I’m exhausted from the first half.”
With that, Zhou Yi turned and ran toward the players’ tunnel. To get away from Xiang Yun’s flirtatious advances quickly, he had no choice but to agree to her request.
Watching Zhou Yi leave, Xiang Yun sighed and headed straight to her own area.
“Zhou, you’re quite popular with the media, aren’t you? I think David Stern should give you the award for the most media-favored player this season.” As soon as Zhou Yi entered the locker room, Will Bynum opened his mouth wide and teased him unabashedly.
Hearing Bynum’s words, Zhou Yi threw the towel in his hand at him angrily, shouting, “Go to hell!”
The people in the locker room burst into laughter at this. Then, head coach John Kuester came in.
“Guys, you did great. Both Mr. Joe Dumars and I are very satisfied with your performance in the first half. In the second half, we need to keep playing like this and secure the victory that belongs to us at American Airlines Center,” John Kuester said earnestly.
“Yes!” Zhou Yi and the others replied.
After that, John Kuester mentioned some things to pay attention to during the game and also explained the tactics for the second half to his players.
Only after finishing all this did John Kuester leave the locker room, while Zhou Yi and the others stayed there to rest, waiting for the second half to begin.
Chapter 188: The Golden Duo vs. The Big Three (5)
…
Soon, the second half of the game arrived. Both teams’ lineups were the same as at the start of the first quarter, with no changes.
With a “ding” sound, the third quarter began. The Heat took control of the ball and started their first offensive wave of the quarter.
Carlos Arroyo held the ball, drove halfway across the court, and passed it to Dwyane Wade. After receiving the ball, Dwyane Wade took a tentative step forward before suddenly accelerating and breaking toward McGrady’s left side. McGrady stayed close to Dwyane Wade, blocking his path.

Dwyane Wade pushed Maddie hard, then took a sudden step back for a jump shot, which scored. Maddie frowned, clearly finding it difficult to defend Dwyane Wade.

Zhou Yi controlled the ball and steadily advanced to the front court before passing it to Greg Monroe in the paint. The defender of Greg Monroe was naturally the former “Dragon King” Chris Bosh.

When Greg Monroe and Chris Bosh faced each other, they naturally started exchanging trash talk. However, since both had already been warned by the referee, their insults remained relatively mild.

Greg Monroe sneered, leaned against Chris Bosh, pushed hard backward, then suddenly turned and pretended to take a backboard jump shot. But just as Chris Bosh closed in, he flipped his wrist and passed the ball.

Zhou Yi caught the ball and cut toward the basket from the middle. Chris Bosh was tricked into jumping by Greg Monroe, while Joel Anthony was distracted by Ben Wallace. So, for Zhou Yi, the basket was almost empty. But Carlos Arroyo was right behind him, making it not easy for him to attack the basket either.

After reaching the basket, Zhou Yi didn’t do what people expected—no dunk or slam dunk, not even a shot. Meanwhile, Carlos Arroyo chased after him, keeping a close eye on Zhou Yi to prevent him from attacking inside.

At that moment, Greg Monroe, who had tricked Chris Bosh into jumping, rushed ahead of him, and Zhou Yi naturally passed the ball to him.

“Damn…” Chris Bosh muttered upon seeing this, then turned and rushed toward Greg Monroe.

But Greg Monroe didn’t hesitate at all and immediately jumped for a one-handed dunk. Chris Bosh and Carlos Arroyo were completely left in the background.

Though this whole sequence took some time to unfold, it happened in an instant. All the fans in the arena were deeply shocked by this shot, and people couldn’t help but praise Zhou Yi’s ability to control the game.

If Zhou Yi had attacked on his own earlier, his chances of success would have been high, but so would the risk of failure due to Carlos Arroyo’s interference. By connecting with Greg Monroe and having him break through Chris Bosh’s defense to attack, Zhou Yi greatly increased the chances of success. His calmness and strategic thinking were truly amazing.

Chris Bosh snarled at Greg Monroe, then glared at Zhou Yi, the culprit, before going to shoot a baseline shot.
“Chris, don’t take it to heart. We’ll get it back,” LeBron James said, glancing at the angry Chris Bosh.
“Mm,” Chris Bosh replied.
LeBron James drove across half-court without passing, choosing to attack on his own. He signaled Chris Bosh to set up a pick-and-roll, then suddenly surged forward, leaving Tyshawn Prince behind like a tiger breaking free, heading straight for the basket.
Seeing Tyshawn Prince get left behind by LeBron James, Greg Monroe quickly freed Chris Bosh and had Ben Wallace help defend against him, while he rushed forward to cover LeBron James.
Faced with LeBron James’ attack, Greg Monroe showed no sign of backing down.
LeBron James smirked at Greg Monroe’s defensive stance, leaped into the air like an eagle spreading its wings, holding the ball in one hand. With an air of a king who could crush any obstacle in his path, he seemed ready to slam the ball through the basket as if riding on Greg Monroe.
After completing this fierce dunk, LeBron James landed and raised his arms, listening to the cheers from the crowd.
This dunk further ignited the atmosphere at American Airlines Center; the noise from the fans was almost enough to blow off the roof of the arena.
Greg Monroe, who had been dunked on by LeBron James, looked at the scene in confusion, his face filled with frustration, devoid of the arrogance he had shown earlier against Chris Bosh.
“Greg, don’t worry. Everyone in the NBA faces setbacks. If you give up now, you’ll live in those shadows forever. Stay strong!” McGrady said, patting Greg Monroe to comfort him.
“Yes, Tracy’s right. Greg, don’t take it to heart,” Zhou Yi added, patting Greg Monroe’s shoulder.
“I understand, Tracy, Zhou. How could I be knocked down so easily? We still need to compete for the O’Brien Cup together. I’m not going to back out now,” Greg Monroe said, the frustration fading from his face replaced by a determined smile.

Watching his beloved player being humiliated by LeBron James, John Kuest sat motionless on the coaching bench, knowing this was something rookies like Greg Monroe had to go through.
With the ball changing hands, it was the Pistons’ turn to attack.
Madison took on Dwyane Wade alone and passed to Greg Monroe, who was near the free-throw line. Monroe caught the ball and shot, scoring right off the backboard. Seeing Greg Monroe score without being affected by what had just happened, John Kuest smiled in relief.
As time passed, 6 minutes had already elapsed in the third quarter, yet the score remained close—69 to 67, with the Pistons still leading by 2 points.
However, despite holding a 2-point advantage, the Pistons showed no signs of complacency. Perhaps LeBron James’ dunk earlier had boosted the Heat’s morale, as in just a few minutes, the Pistons reduced their 7-point lead to 2 points. Thus, the battle between the two teams remained fiercely close.
Carlos Arroyo drove to the basket, and Zhou Yi suddenly found an opening to steal the ball. Unfortunately, although he managed to steal it, the ball hit Arroyo’s hand, and the referee immediately called a foul on Zhou Yi for handball.
John Kuest checked the time—there were still over 4 minutes left in the third quarter. It was time to bring in the reserves for a rest. So, he took the opportunity to switch to the bench players.
Seeing the Pistons bring in their substitutes, the Heat also replaced their starters to prepare for the crucial fourth quarter.
Now, everyone knew this would be a tough, intense game, with the fourth quarter being the most critical part of it.
Chapter 189: Conflict Resurfaces, the “Dragon King”’s Tragedy
In the last 4 minutes of the third quarter, the battle between the substitutes was equally fierce, signaling that the final quarter would be even more intense and brutal.