Chapter 51

In the second quarter, the Rockets replaced the underperforming Brooks with Kyle Lowry. The Pistons took the first offensive play, with Will Bynum controlling the ball and organizing the attack. Will Bynum moved around the perimeter looking for an opportunity, then suddenly rushed toward the basket from the baseline. Just as Kyle Lowry rushed over, Bynum suddenly flicked his wrist and passed the ball. It was caught by McGrady, who cut toward the basket from the middle. McGrady had only played a little over 5 minutes in the first quarter and was substituted, so he returned to the game at the start of the second quarter. After receiving the pass from Bynum, McGrady took a quick step forward and charged toward the basket. Facing Scottie Pippen’s defensive effort, McGrady executed a reverse layup—the ball went in, and he also drew a defensive foul from Pippen. McGrady excitedly punched his chest, thinking his outstanding performance would earn him cheers from the fans who used to be his home crowd. But he was disappointed; there were few cheers and many boos, especially when McGrady stood at the free-throw line. “Why is this happening?” he murmured softly. Chapter 203: McGrady Shines. McGrady smiled bitterly, then took his free throws—both missed, as he had expected. He didn’t understand why the fans at the Toyota Center were treating him this way. Although he had once let the team down, he had also brought them many unforgettable great moments. Had they all forgotten? The feud between McGrady and the Rockets had been heavily publicized before this game. Was there really animosity between them? It was obvious—after all, the Rockets had kept T-MAC on the bench for long periods. But times had changed, and McGrady had learned to stay calm. When talking about his former team before the game, he simply smiled and said, “I don’t hold grudges against the Rockets. I had many wonderful times here, like long winning streaks, which were the result of the whole team working together.” Yet the fans wouldn’t buy it. Despite McGrady’s calm words before the game and despite Yao Ming and Charlie Hayes repeatedly calling for respect for McGrady, when he stepped onto the court, he was met with deafening boos. Yes, it was indeed boos, filling the entire stadium. We could see McGrady’s expression change. Yes, who would want to be treated like this? But McGrady had matured. T-MAC had been glorious, successful, and down in the dumps. He had experienced so much and felt so much of the coldness and warmth of the world. What was there left that he couldn’t accept now?

So, McGrady just delivered such a performance: he cut from the middle, received a brilliant pass from Will Bynum, completed a reverse layup, and even drew a foul on Scara. Of course, the crowd was not pleased, and boos rang out once again.
Facing continuous boos like this, McGrady was also moved, which is why he missed the free throw just then.
Although his mindset was somewhat affected, McGrady didn’t lose himself. After a brief moment of confusion, he quickly retreated to defend. As he stepped back, a voice sounded in his ear:
“Tracy, don’t worry. Use your skills to make them cheer for you again. Give them a great performance in this familiar arena, in front of these familiar fans.”
McGrady turned around—it was Will Bynum!
McGrady gave Will Bynum a deep look and then nodded.
Learning from the first quarter, Yao Ming positioned himself further inside and became more aggressive in his attacks. In the Rockets’ first offensive wave at the start of the game, he dunked over the backup center Samuel Dalembert and drew a defensive foul.
Releasing the basket, Yao Ming let out a growl. Years of NBA experience had made his personality more outgoing, and he often made bold moves during games, which delighted the fans. In such a competitive NBA league, his originally gentle personality didn’t quite fit in and even affected his performance on the court.
Zhou Yi before was similar to Yao Ming, but his personality has changed a bit now, and he’s better adapted to the NBA environment.
Yao Ming’s free throws have always been the most accurate among the Rockets, exceeding 85% this season.
Seeing Yao Ming shine again, Zhou Yi, sitting on the bench, was happy for him. For this game, Zhou Yi’s ideal outcome was for himself, McGrady, and Yao Ming to all perform well, with the Pistons winning the game, of course.
McGrady drove with the ball, pulled back sharply, retreated beyond the three-point line, and then shot a three-pointer. The shot floated toward the basket, bounced three times around the rim, and then reluctantly fell through.
“Wow…” The entire arena was in awe.

Witnessing McGrady’s performance, the fans’ booing gradually faded. Indeed, they had once loved this man so much, and now that he was working so hard and performing so well on the court, how could they bear to boo him? Even though he was now their opponent.

Moreover, McGrady had become more composed on the court—no longer the young, impulsive kid he used to be. In his youth, McGrady was fierce; hearing boos would make him furious, and he would refuse to stop until those who booed him were embarrassed. But now, McGrady was more measured and calmer on the court. Calmness didn’t mean he lacked temper or power, as shown by that three-point shot just now.

The boos directed at McGrady were significantly less than before, while the cheers were much louder. Seeing this, McGrady finally felt somewhat satisfied.

The Rockets launched an attack. Kyle Lowry successfully made his way to the Pistons’ basket but missed his layup, and Tyler Hansbrough grabbed the defensive rebound.

Having been dunked on by Yao Ming earlier, Samuel Dalembert was naturally resentful. In the next attack, he attempted a behind-the-back hook shot at Yao Ming, but unfortunately, the ball touched Yao Ming’s fingertips after being released. It bounced twice on the rim but still didn’t go in.

Samuel Dalembert’s attack was very sudden. Tyler Hansbrough had already rushed out to support the outside players, and since he was blocked by Yao Ming, he could only watch helplessly as the rebound fell into Yao Ming’s hands.

The Rockets moved slowly. By the time Kyle Lowry brought the ball across half-court, the Pistons’ players had already set up their defense.

The ball was passed to Kevin Martin on the right wing, seemingly trying to repeat history with the same fake move. But it didn’t fool McGrady, who merely tapped his foot symbolically to try to trick Kevin Martin instead.

Kevin Martin, of course, wasn’t fooled either. Seeing that McGrady hadn’t fallen for it and realizing he had no chance to attack, he passed the ball to Brooks.

Brooks used his speed to get away from Will Bynum’s defense and shot a three-pointer from the side. Unfortunately, his form was poor, and the shot missed. Yao Ming grabbed the offensive rebound again and completed a putback dunk.

John Kuester watched all this with a frown. Thankfully, the Pistons were still ahead by 5 or 6 points; otherwise, he would have asked for another timeout to give his players another lesson.

McGrady took control of the ball and broke through at the baseline.

Suddenly, McGrady flicked his hand, and the ball flew straight to Taylor Hansbrough, who was running back toward the basket from the middle. After catching the ball, Taylor Hansbrough took a step to the side and dunked it with one hand.

Seeing McGrady’s drowsy eyes and the faint smile on his lips, Zhou Yi felt secretly pleased.

Rick Adelman had an impulse to push Shawn Battier into the shooting guard position to defend McGrady. He hadn’t expected that the player he had once kept on the bench, who could only play 7 or 8 minutes per game symbolically, would now be so formidable. But after thinking it over, Rick Adelman quickly dismissed the idea. Although Battier was about the same height as McGrady and could defend him, Tyreke Evans’ strength couldn’t be underestimated either. Should Kevin Martin defend Tyreke Evans? The result would be the same—only a temporary solution. It would be better to have Battier help defend McGrady.

After comparing the two options, Rick Adelman rationally abandoned his impulse.

He soon regretted not following his initial instinct. Kevin Martin fought hard to defend McGrady, and with Battier’s help, McGrady’s shooting form cooled down—he missed three attempts near the free-throw line in a row.

Samuel Dalembert easily grabbed an offensive rebound, and the ball was passed out again. Several missed attempts seemed to affect McGrady’s confidence. Although he had an opportunity, he didn’t shoot but passed the ball to Will Bynum at the baseline.

The Pistons’ main offensive focus was now on McGrady. But aside from his outstanding scoring ability, McGrady also had excellent playmaking skills—far beyond what one would expect from an average point guard.

When Will Bynum ran to the baseline, Kyle Lowry had already noticed. Will Bynum held his breath. When the ball reached McGrady, he sensed his chance coming. With McGrady’s excellent overall vision and selfless play on the court, it wasn’t hard for him to figure out where he was positioned.

Just as Will Bynum was about to touch the ball, a figure darted out from the crowd, creating a strong gust of wind that hit Will Bynum in the face. Will Bynum tensed up and quickly accelerated his movements.

“Finally, I can feel the ball’s temperature,” Will Bynum thought to himself. His heart swelled with excitement when his fingertips touched the ball.

But the moment his hand made contact with the ball, his fingers stung as someone quickly snatched it away.

The moment Kyle Lowry stole the ball, McGrady quickly reacted and rushed forward to defend him. However, his speed was slightly slower than Lowry’s, allowing Lowry to get ahead to the other side of the court. Yet McGrady didn’t give up! The three-point line and free-throw line flashed by in an instant. Glancing at Taylor Hansbrough, who was already in position to defend, Kyle Lowry roared and sped up, making a maneuver to slip past Hansbrough. Though he managed to get away from Hansbrough’s defense, it cost him some time. Kyle Lowry quickly rose up, ready to lay up. But just as he released the ball, it was firmly slammed into the backboard—a block! Kyle Lowry looked up and saw McGrady?! Yes, it was McGrady! Everyone gasped, including Kyle Lowry himself. Even though he hadn’t caught up to Lowry earlier, McGrady didn’t give up and kept chasing desperately. Fortunately, Taylor Hansbrough distracted Lowry for a moment, giving McGrady enough time to catch up and deliver that block. The cheers from the crowd grew louder, while the boos faded away. After blocking the shot, McGrady grabbed the defensive rebound, drove the ball, and quickly headed toward the Pistons’ half of the court. Applause rang out from the crowd—though not very loud—yet McGrady was satisfied. Chapter 204: Crushing Brooks Soon, over 5 minutes had passed in the second quarter. Under McGrady’s leadership, the Pistons played as one team, delivering an outstanding performance and widening the score gap to double digits. At this point, due to the need for a rotating lineup, John Kuester called a timeout. Now, the Pistons led the Rockets 41–30, by 11 points. It was fortunate to have Yao Ming on the team; without him, the Rockets would be behind by even more. After the timeout, the Pistons substituted Zhou Yi for Will Bynum, James Posey for McGrady, Teyshawn Prince for Charlie Villanueva, Greg Monroe for Taylor Hansbrough, while Samuel Dalembert remained in the game. It seems John Kuester reduced Dalembert’s playing time considering his age. On the Rockets’ side, Brooks replaced Kyle Lowry, while Yao Ming was replaced by Brad Miller.

Using Greg Monroe as a screen, Zhou Yi charged straight to the basket. He saw only Brad Miller in front of him, who was focusing on Samuel Dalembert beside him. So, when Zhou Yi reached the basket, he didn’t stop—instead, he pushed off hard with both feet, raised his right hand holding the ball high, and after flying a short distance, stretched his body fully and used all his upper body strength to slam the ball down, showcasing his agility and jumping ability.

“Great shot,” praised Teacher Sun in the live broadcast room across the ocean and Kenny Smith, the on-site commentator, in unison.

Among the fans at the Toyota Center, many also cheered for Zhou Yi’s shot.

After high-fiving Greg Monroe to celebrate, Zhou Yi immediately returned to defense.

Jordan Hill moved to the perimeter to set a screen, and surprisingly, Brad Miller also slipped out to the outside. With Samuel Dalembert not closely following Brad Miller and Jordan Hill providing cover, Brad Miller easily broke free from Dalembert’s pursuit and reached the other side of the three-point line.

“I don’t believe you’re going to shoot a three. If it goes in, I’ll accept it,” Samuel Dalembert said dismissively.

But the next moment, Dalembert was shocked, his eyes wide as saucers.

After Brad Miller reached the other side of the three-point line, Brooks, who was holding the ball, passed it to him. Without any hesitation, Brad Miller took a quick shot.

With a “swish,” the ball went through the net, leaving Dalembert staring in awe.

“Samuel, stay on him!” John Kuester shouted at the players on the court.

Samuel Dalembert nodded shamefully and then served from the baseline.

Zhou Yi organized the offense and made a clever pass to Taishan Prince, who drove to the basket for a score.

On the Rockets’ side, Brad Miller attempted a jump shot from deep, but due to interference from Samuel Dalembert, it missed, and Zhou Yi grabbed the rebound.

After grabbing the rebound, Zhou Yi rushed swiftly toward the opponent’s half, with Jordan Hill and Brooks closely following behind him, determined not to let him easily score on a fast break. But Zhou Yi was incredibly fast—no matter how hard Jordan Hill and Brooks tried, they could only watch as he moved further and further away from them.

The basketball bounced on the floor. Seeing the basket getting closer and closer, Zhou Yi took a big step forward to grab the ball, then stepped inward again, rising up to deliver a powerful dunk!
Zhou Yi jumped down from mid-air with bent legs, pounding his chest fiercely while letting out fierce roars.
“Amazing! This guy is absolutely incredible!” Kenny Smith exhaled in awe.
The five Rockets players looked at the domineering Zhou Yi, feeling admiration well up in their hearts.
With no other choice, the Rockets’ head coach called a timeout. Less than two minutes had passed since the Pistons’ previous timeout, and their morale had already been crushed.
Although the score at that point was 6:3 in favor of the Pistons—just a 3-point lead—the key was that 4 of those 6 points came from dunks, all scored by the same player. What was even more disheartening was that it was the opponent’s point guard doing this, dealing a huge blow to their team’s morale.
“Great job, guys! Keep playing like this—crush them!” John Kuester stood on the sidelines, high-fiving each of his players as they passed by. In his eyes, Zhou Yi’s individual fighting ability was simply perfect.
McGrady and James Posey clapped and laughed, saying, “Hey, dear head coach, it seems like only Zhou is the ‘young guy’ here. Are you only praising him?”
John Kuester was momentarily stunned before bursting into laughter. “Oh, no, no! In my eyes, you’re all kids—yes, all my kids!”
John Kuester was now 55 years old, while the oldest player on the team was Darbon, who was only 36—nineteen years younger than John Kuester. So his words weren’t impolite at all.
The Pistons players laughed together at this, creating a lively atmosphere on their side.
On the Rockets’ side, things weren’t so lively. Although Rick Adelman wasn’t angry, he had a stern expression as he spoke, creating a very oppressive atmosphere.
The whistle blew, and the game resumed.
The Rockets brought in Luis Scola again, with Kevin Martin replacing Courtney Lee.
The Pistons had Darbon replace Samuel Dalembert, with Austin Daye taking over from Teyshawn Prince.
Scola used his agile feet to get past Greg Monroe ahead of him, then moved to the three-point line to set up a pick-and-roll with Brooks. Brooks charged forward, followed by Scola coming down from the other end.

Greg Monroe stepped in again to block Brooks’ attack, leaving Skora unguarded. Brooks made a bounce pass, easily delivering the ball to Skora, who was open. Skora raised the ball above his head and shot.
“Another assist,” Brooks said, confident in Skora’s shooting.
“Swish!” As soon as Skora released the ball, it was blocked.
Skora turned to see Zhou Yi, and Brooks clearly saw it too. It turned out that Skora had been too focused on getting rid of Greg Monroe and hadn’t noticed Zhou Yi approaching from behind, resulting in the block.
Brooks grabbed the rebound, but just as he was about to shoot, Zhou Yi appeared in front of him. With no choice, Brooks passed the ball to Kevin Martin.
After catching the ball, Kevin Martin drove forward and then feinted. Austin Daye, lacking experience, was fooled after a few feints from Kevin Martin.
As Austin Daye committed a foul, Kevin Martin shot—something he always did. But to his disappointment, the shot didn’t go in.
“Good thing I got him to foul,” Kevin Martin said, relieved.
The crowd cheered excitedly without exception; watching such an intense game made the ticket worth every penny.
Kevin Martin’s free throws were extremely accurate, ranking among the best in the league. However, after making his first free throw, he missed the second.
Dabben grabbed the rebound and passed it to Zhou Yi. The five of them slowly moved to the backcourt. The opposing team had already returned to the backcourt and taken their positions, so the chances of a fast break were minimal.
Zhou Yi took control of the ball and moved to the frontcourt, then passed it to Austin Daye. Austin Daye dribbled a bit before passing it back to Zhou Yi.
Looking at Brooks on the other side, Zhou Yi made a faceless shooting fake. Brooks was immediately fooled. Zhou Yi sneered, dribbled to the other side, and without even glancing at Brooks, he rose up and shot a three-pointer.
“Swish!” The ball went in!
“Heh, Zhou’s offense is getting more and more like Tracy’s,” Clyde Drexler said to Kenny Smith beside him.
“Yeah, I can see T-MAC’s influence in his offense too. I guess T-MAC has taught Zhou a lot of offensive techniques these days,” Kenny Smith said.

Brooks looked at Zhou Yi, whose face remained expressionless, feeling frustrated. He silently cursed that Zhou Yi would have just as cold hands as him in the time to come—no, even colder. Brooks’ frustration didn’t end there; another thing made him even more upset happened. Scola served from the baseline, ready to pass the ball to Brooks. Although he had some complaints about Brooks’ performance, he was the team’s starting point guard—if not him, then who? Brooks was distracted, still thinking about cursing Zhou Yi for having even colder hands. When he saw the ball coming, he reflexively reached out to catch it, but before his hand could touch it, a blue figure reached out faster than him. “Damn it!” Brooks couldn’t hold back any longer and blurted out an insult. It was Zhou Yi again who had stolen the ball from him! Zhou Yi darted ahead and intercepted the ball before Brooks. With no one around, he raised both hands and shot again inside the paint. The basketball, with a whoosh as it cut through the air, hit the hoop precisely once more, like a guided missile. “Great steal, decisive shot!” Kenny Smith, forgetting his role as a commentator, shouted excitedly. McGrady also watched Zhou Yi with enthusiasm—Zhou Yi had given him so much surprise and hope. “Maybe I can really get that ring in the near future,” McGrady thought silently, looking at Zhou Yi’s tall figure. Brooks was completely crushed by Zhou Yi!!! Rick Adelman could no longer tolerate Brooks’ poor performance. With just over two minutes left in the first half, he called another timeout and replaced Brooks with Kyle Lowry. Brooks glanced at Zhou Yi, feeling helpless. His own speed wasn’t bad, but this compatriot of Yao’s had astonishing speed and strength. Even when Brooks drove the ball, he couldn’t keep up with him. No wonder Yao had praised him many times before the game—he really was very strong. Disappointed, Brooks walked toward the Rockets’ bench. Soon, the first half ended. The Pistons still led the Rockets by 12 points, 54–42, and they would take this 12-point advantage into the second half! Chapter 205: The Rockets’ Comeback During the halftime break, the big screen at the venue repeatedly showed Zhou Yi’s outstanding performances toward the end of the second quarter. The audience could clearly see his amazing judgment and incredible explosive power.

Watching Zhou Yi’s cold gaze and calm expression on the screen last week, everyone could sense his strong confidence. At the half-time break, CCTV5 aired last week’s top ten plays. Zhou Yi was included in one of them—a 2+1 he scored against the Magic by breaking into their paint and hitting shots over “The Beast” Howard. “At halftime, the score was 54:42 in favor of our team. Zhou Yi’s outstanding performance in the first half helped us build a 12-point lead. In contrast, the Rockets, who are roughly on par with the Pistons in strength, did not perform as well. Although Yao Ming did well despite being double-teamed by the Pistons’ two big men, the rest of the Rockets’ players underperformed, which is why they ended up in such a passive position,” explained Coach Zhang while looking at the materials in front of him. The camera quickly switched to the game site, where an ESPN reporter interviewed Zhou Yi during the halftime break to ask for his thoughts on the match. Wiping the sweat from his forehead and out of breath, Zhou Yi replied, “The Rockets are a great team and one of my favorite teams. If Yao is fully healthy this season, they have the capability to compete for this year’s championship. I’m glad our defense against Yao and Kevin was successful in the first half. In the rest of the game, we’ll continue to play to our own rhythm. Thank you!” After saying a few words quickly, Zhou Yi headed back to the locker room. Before the second half began, John Kuester repeatedly reminded his players to be cautious of the opponent’s counterattacks, especially Yao Ming and Kevin Martin, who had the ability to tie or even take the lead in a short time. The halftime break ended quickly, and the second half started! In the second half, the Rockets significantly increased their offensive intensity, with several outside shooters taking turns scoring effectively. After a dozen minutes of rest, the Pistons’ players seemed to lose their touch, missing several shots in a row; only McGrady managed to hit a three-pointer during that period. “Pay attention to defense! Watch out for their counterattacks,” John Kuester stood up and shouted at the players on the court. The five Pistons players heard his words and immediately remembered what he had said during halftime. They regretted not listening to their coach. In the rest of the game, the entire Pistons team stepped up their defense and quickly put out the Rockets’ counterattack attempts. However, their offensive problems remained unresolved, and even Zhou Yi’s form cooled down.

Zhou Yi received a pass from McGrady while moving without the ball and completed a reverse layup, finally breaking the Pistons’ scoring drought. On the Rockets’ side, Yao Ming received a pass from Battier and also scored powerfully under the basket. Zhou Yi controlled the ball and rushed quickly toward the opponent’s basket, then made a clever pass to Tashawn Prince, who scored with a dunk. Once again, it was Yao Ming who hit a 2-point shot with a turnaround hook shot. McGrady drove the ball to organize the Pistons’ offense; after drawing two defenders, he immediately passed the ball to Greg Monroe. But just as Greg Monroe was about to catch it, the ball was intercepted—by Battier! Battier quickly passed the ball to Kyle Lowry, who drove fast down the court to launch a fast break. Zhou Yi sped up, but still lagged half a body length behind Kyle Lowry. Kyle Lowry quickly reached the Pistons’ basket, but he didn’t act rashly, as Zhou Yi was not far behind him. If he tried to attack, he might get blocked by Zhou Yi. Scora had already been blocked by that kid before—what more could happen to him? So, Kyle Lowry came up with a good plan. After reaching the basket, he raised the ball with his right hand, seemingly ready to layup, but his toes never left the ground. Naturally, Zhou Yi had no idea what Kyle Lowry was planning. When he saw Kyle Lowry preparing to layup, he immediately accelerated and jumped hard to block the ball. Getting closer and closer to the ball, Zhou Yi was confident he could block it. But just as his hand was about to touch the ball, Kyle Lowry suddenly pulled it back to his chest. Only after avoiding Zhou Yi did he raise the ball again and shoot. Upon seeing Kyle Lowry pull the ball back, Zhou Yi understood his plan. Kyle Lowry sneered and shot from under the basket. But then, something incredible happened! The moment Kyle Lowry released the ball, it was blocked again. “Impossible! Who did that?” Kyle Lowry yelled in disbelief. He looked up, and his expression of astonishment grew even stronger. Was it him? Yes, it was Zhou Yi. After seeing Kyle Lowry’s move, Zhou Yi forced himself to land steadily on the ground, then immediately turned and jumped hard, blocking Kyle Lowry’s shot. “Impossible!” Kyle Lowry said angrily. “There’s no such thing as impossible,” Zhou Yi replied calmly.

Immediately afterward, Zhou Yi grabbed the rebound and passed the ball long to Greg Monroe, who was still under the Rockets’ basket. Zhou Yi’s pass was extremely precise, hitting Greg Monroe right on target. After catching the ball, Greg Monroe took a big step forward and dunked with both hands, scoring the point. In just the past two minutes, Zhou Yi had scored 2 points, provided 2 assists, grabbed 1 rebound, and recorded 1 block. Combined with his performance in the first half, this had won over some of the home crowd. Many home fans cheered for him, and quite a few Rockets fans took off their team jerseys to switch sides and support Zhou and the Pistons. “It feels great, doesn’t it?” McGrady said with a smile as he stood next to Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi shrugged and laughed, “It is great, but I want to do even better.” With that, he laughed and ran back to the backcourt. “Heh, what courage!” McGrady joked, “But I believe in you!” On the Rockets’ offense, Kyle Lowry controlled the ball until the halfway point before passing it to Kevin Martin. Kevin Martin drove forward and then stepped back beyond the three-point line to shoot another three-pointer. McGrady shrugged helplessly—he had done his best, but it only showed how hot Kevin Martin’s shooting form was. Seeing McGrady’s helpless expression, Zhou Yi smiled at him, signaling that it was fine as long as he tried his best! Zhou Yi took control of the ball, and the fans’ enthusiasm had fueled his desire to perform well. Looking at Kyle Lowry, who was watching him carefully, Zhou Yi thought about how to break through his defense. With a twist of his wrist, the basketball flew directly into Greg Monroe’s hands, who was positioned far away. Scora was blocked by Darbon, unable to follow up, so Greg Monroe was left unguarded. After catching the ball, Greg Monroe glanced around before taking a jump shot. “Clang”—it was a miss, and Yao Ming grabbed the defensive rebound. “Ugh, be more decisive in attacking,” Zhou Yi reminded Greg Monroe. “Got it,” Greg Monroe replied and rushed back to defend. The Rockets continued to play zone defense. After Yao Ming settled into position inside, Kyle Lowry passed the ball to him. Yao Ming faced Darbon alone, pretended to shoot, distracting him, then dunked successfully. Kyle Lowry and Brooks were basically no match for Zhou Yi, so he didn’t face much difficulty.

The ball happened to be in Zhou Yi’s hands at that moment. Zhou Yi looked at Kyle Lowry, suddenly accelerated to break through, then stopped abruptly to pass the ball to McGrady. McGrady took the ball and attempted a jump shot right away, but missed, and Scora grabbed the defensive rebound.
Yao Ming was in a difficult situation, surrounded by D’Antoni and Greg Monroe, making it hard for him to receive the ball. But since the Pistons used a double-team on Yao Ming, one player on the Rockets would inevitably be left unguarded.
Kevin Martin caught the ball at the top of the key and immediately shot an outrageous three-pointer.
It went in again!!!
Kevin Martin scored another three-pointer!!!
McGrady had a chance to defend Kevin Martin, but just as he approached him, Battier suddenly blocked him, allowing Kevin Martin to succeed and leading to the subsequent situation.
With Kevin Martin’s three-pointer, the Rockets took a 63-60 lead, only 3 points behind.
Seeing this, the Pistons’ head coach, John Kuester, could no longer sit still and quickly called a timeout.
“I’ve already told you guys before to be careful with Kevin Martin and Yao’s attacks, to be wary of their comebacks. I’ve said it more than once. After the second reminder, you performed pretty well. Why did you revert to your old habits once that period ended? I guess you didn’t take it seriously at all. Now, with a 12-point lead, we’re only 3 points ahead. It won’t take long before they catch up or even take a 12-point lead over us,” John Kuester said sternly.
“Coach, we’ll definitely play well from now on,” Zhou Yi said.
“Yes, coach. We’ve realized our shortcomings and will improve. Trust us; we’ll play well,” Tashawn Prince added.
After hearing Zhou Yi and Tashawn Prince’s words, John Kuester nodded. It was better to stop here; pushing them too hard could have the opposite effect.
“Alright, I believe in you,” John Kuester said.
The timeout ended, and the game resumed. Since Yao Ming had just recovered from an injury, he couldn’t play for too long. After this timeout, he was replaced by Brad Miller.
The game continued!!!
Chapter 206: Twin Stars Shine, Securing Victory
McGrady caught the ball at the top of the key and took a jump shot from beyond the three-point line—successful.
Many fans in the arena screamed and shouted McGrady’s nickname, “T-MAC.”

This three-pointer was already Tracy McGrady’s third three after the timeout, two of which were assisted by Zhou Yi. After the timeout, the Rockets struggled, facing problems both offensively and defensively.
Zhou Yi gave McGrady a thumbs up and said, “Great shot, Tracy. Keep playing like this and show those Houston fans your madness once again.”
Frustrated after being outplayed by McGrady time and again, even the usually calm Kevin Martin became angry. McGrady had scored three three-pointers in front of him, including one that resulted in a defensive foul for him, giving him a 3+1! It was something McGrady often did. Now, in the later stages of his career, he was humiliating him right in front of his face—how could Kevin Martin not be angry?
Kevin Martin tried to shoot immediately after receiving the ball, but unfortunately it missed the rim, and Big Ben grabbed the rebound.
Zhou Yi took a fast break with the ball, with McGrady and Tashawn Prince following. Battier couldn’t handle the triple-team, so Zhou Yi passed the ball to Tashawn Prince. As soon as Tashawn received the ball, he passed it to McGrady. As McGrady jumped, he passed the ball back to Zhou Yi, who scored by putting it in the basket.
The score was now 75:66, with the Pistons leading by 9 points.
Each team’s offense took at least 20 seconds, and although few points were scored, over eight minutes had already passed in the third quarter, leaving less than four minutes left.
Rick Adelman called a timeout, then substituted the underperforming Brad Miller out and brought Yao Ming back in, while Chase Budinger replaced Sean Battier. On the Pistons’ side, Tashawn Prince was replaced by Charlie Villanueva, and Greg Monroe was replaced by Chris Welker.
Zhou Yi and McGrady coordinated well, with McGrady getting assists from Zhou Yi twice as he cut to the basket. Fortunately, the newly inserted Chase Budinger showed his shooting skills, hitting a three-pointer after a pass from Kyle Lowry.
McGrady used his excellent game reading skills to break through Courtney Lee’s defense and get inside, forcing Yao Ming to come over to defend him head-on. McGrady narrowed his eyes and passed the ball to Big Ben behind Yao Ming, who easily scored by putting it in the basket.
Yao Ming pushed hard inward but only managed to push Big Ben back half a step. Naturally, Yao Ming wasn’t as strong as Big Ben, so he turned and shot a hook shot.
“Bang,” the ball hit the rim and bounced out, with Zhou Yi grabbing the defensive rebound.

Zhou Yi controlled the ball, and the remaining four players on the Fire Squad started moving. McGrady broke away from Courtney Lee, caught Parker’s pass, and then moved to the outside. Zhou Yi turned back and moved inside, then blocked Kyle Lowry from getting the ball. McGrady passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who held it, leaned back forcefully with his body, then suddenly turned and jumped backward. Kyle Lowry immediately jumped up to try to block it. But Zhou Yi had only feinted; after deceiving Kyle Lowry, he took two steps forward and shot a jump shot—the ball went in!

Yao Ming leaned back on his tall frame, then suddenly turned and took a jump shot backward—the ball also went in.

Zhou Yi held the ball at the top of the key and set up a pick-and-roll with McGrady. Zhou Yi rushed straight toward the Rockets’ basket, while McGrady quickly moved to beyond the three-point line. Zhou Yi pretended to drive to the basket but actually passed the ball to McGrady outside the line.

McGrady shot a three-pointer, but it was short and missed. However, the ball bounced back right into Zhou Yi’s hands. Zhou Yi passed the ball to McGrady again, and this time, McGrady seized the opportunity, raised his arm high, and calmly sank a three-pointer.

Rick Adelman’s expression darkened, while John Kuester smiled smugly.

The score widened again—86:71, with the Pistons leading by 15 points!

Courtney Lee used her youth to overpower McGrady and scored a jump shot backward.

“Tracy, you’re getting old,” Courtney Lee said to McGrady.

“Heh, let’s see.”

McGrady bent down, controlled the ball, and moved slowly. Then he stepped forward sharply with his right foot. Courtney Lee tilted to the left and hurried to follow. McGrady pulled the basketball backward, passed it to his left hand, and quickly drove past the baseline. Courtney Lee tried to block him by turning sideways.

McGrady yelled loudly, then suddenly stopped abruptly. Courtney Lee also stopped trying to block him. But McGrady accelerated again, using his strong skills and experience to dart past Courtney Lee in an instant. McGrady growled again. As he leaped over Courtney Lee, he held the ball tightly, stepped sideways, used his calves powerfully, and soared into the air like a big bird. His right hand held the basketball high in a windmill motion, and as he fell, he slammed the ball into the basket after spinning it once in the air.

At that moment, Courtney Lee could only watch helplessly as McGrady completed the dunk. By the time he reacted, McGrady was already in the air—there was no chance for him to block it.

That’s the difference! That’s mastery of when to attack! Courtney Lee felt both frustrated and excited—her future would surely be even better than this. Next, Courtney Lee received a pass from Yao Ming and drove to the baseline for a layup. Although McGrady couldn’t keep up with her speed, his advantage lay in skill and experience, so when she attempted a float shot, McGrady, who had caught up from behind, swatted the ball out of the air. Charlie Villanueva grabbed the ball and immediately passed it away. Zhou Yi launched a fast break with the ball, no one was under the basket, and the Pistons added two more points. Only 33 seconds remained before the end of the third quarter. Kyle Lowry received a pass from Courtney Lee, drove past defenders, then passed to Chase Budinger. Chase Budinger tried to shoot from the baseline, but Zhou Yi closed in, and without a chance, he passed the ball back to Courtney Lee. With less than 6 seconds left in the 24-second period, Courtney Lee shot from outside the three-point line in panic, but was disturbed by McGrady, resulting in a miss.Scorla blocked Chris Welker’s attempt to rebound and attacked under the basket, only to be blocked by Duncan; McGrady then secured the defensive rebound. The Pistons still had 11 seconds left to attack. McGrady steadied the pace and drove around the arc looking for an opportunity. Suddenly, McGrady moved—using a crossover to get past Courtney Lee, giving him a clear shot. But he didn’t shoot because he realized someone had a better chance than him. Zhou Yi took advantage of an off-ball screen set up by Chris Welker and rushed to the zero-degree angle outside the three-point line. As he reached there, McGrady passed the ball to him. Zhou Yi took a deep breath, jumped, and shot from three points. With a “swish,” the ball went through the net. Along with that sound, a “beep” echoed as the third quarter officially ended. The Pistons led the Rockets 92–73 by 19 points, entering the final quarter thanks to Zhou Yi’s last-second three-pointer. Rick Adelman was both angry and frustrated—the Rockets had played terribly in the final minutes of the third quarter, failing to score offensively or defensively. With a 19-point deficit, the chances of turning the game around were slim. Rick Adelman tapped his forehead and then, with a serious expression, explained the tactics for the fourth quarter and summarized the second half of the third quarter to the Rockets’ players.