Chapter 55

By the end of the third quarter, the Hornets had scored a 7-3 run, widening the lead to 13 points, though it wasn’t a huge gap. If the Pistons could play to their usual level, catching up was just a matter of time.

Zhou Yi drove the ball quickly toward the Hornets’ half-court. Chris Paul noticed him approaching and quickly closed in. Having already stolen three balls from Zhou Yi earlier, Chris Paul grew somewhat overconfident. Seeing a slight opening in Zhou Yi’s defense, he reached out to steal the ball.

But just as Chris Paul thought he was about to steal the ball again, Zhou Yi’s eyes flashed with determination as he pulled sharply to the left, leaving Chris Paul behind. Freeing himself from Chris Paul’s defense, Zhou Yi headed straight for the Hornets’ basket. There, Emeka Okafor was waiting. Okafor didn’t dare to chase after Zhou Yi right away because Samuel Dalembert was behind him.

Seeing Okafor not coming after him, Zhou Yi smirked, then without hesitation, rushed toward the Hornets’ basket and attempted a layup. Okafor panicked and rushed to block it, but as he leaped, Zhou Yi shook his wrist, sending the ball into Samuel Dalembert’s hands behind Okafor. After catching the ball, Dalembert yelled and scored with a dunk.

The Hornets regained possession. Chris Paul dribbled across half-court, still guarded by Zhou Yi. “What’s wrong with this guy? Something’s off,” Chris Paul thought to himself.

Chris Paul drove to the top of the key, used a screen from his teammate to get past Zhou Yi’s defense, then stopped abruptly near the free-throw line and shot a jump shot.

Just as Chris Paul released the ball, the flying basketball was somehow swatted away.

Who?

Chris Paul was shocked to find that it was the Chinese kid he had just outmaneuvered who had blocked his shot. How was that possible?

But it was true—there was no denying it.

Although he had his shot blocked, Chris Paul wasn’t upset. That was one of his strengths—his excellent mental toughness.

Greg Monroe grabbed the ball and passed it straight to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi dribbled past the half-court line and made a perfect pass to Samuel Dalumport under the basket. The latter tried to lay up, but was disturbed by Karl Landry. However, the referee immediately ruled it a foul, giving the Pistons 2 points.

Chris Paul orchestrated the Hornets’ offense, with Zhou Yi defending him. All the cameras were still focused on the two of them, just as before. But Chris Paul felt the atmosphere was different—this change came from Zhou Yi…

Chris Paul could clearly sense Zhou Yi’s transformation. Now, Zhou Yi’s gaze was icy, filled with intense fighting spirit, focused, without any trace of the nervousness he showed when facing him before. Under Zhou Yi’s constant stare, Chris Paul involuntarily felt as if he were being hunted by a beast, as if the slightest movement would lead to being devoured.

“What the hell is going on with this guy? Why such a sudden change? Damn it, I can’t let his aura intimidate me! I’m the king here!”

Chris Paul grew serious and slowly dribbled outside the three-point line, quietly looking for an opportunity to attack. But after searching for a long time, he couldn’t find any weakness in Zhou Yi—none of the weaknesses he had seen in the first half!

To Chris Paul, Zhou Yi now resembled an impregnable fortress, flawless and unbreakable!

Time passed by, and Chris Paul continued to pace outside the three-point line, showing no intention of passing or breaking through, leaving all the fans puzzled. Many impatient fans began to call out Chris Paul’s name, hoping he would launch an attack soon and teach this yellow-skinned rookie a harsh lesson again!

The crowd’s expectations and Zhou Yi’s intense gaze multiplied Chris Paul’s pressure. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, he suddenly moved, trying to break through Zhou Yi’s defense from the right. The result? Chris Paul managed to break through Zhou Yi’s defense, but the ball in his hands disappeared mysteriously!

When Chris Paul turned around, he saw only Zhou Yi carrying the ball across the half-court, heading toward the Hornets’ completely undefended paint!

How did the ball end up in his hands?!

Chris Paul was filled with shock and confusion, as he had no idea how his ball had been lost! Yet the reason for it was known to everyone present—while Chris Paul was breaking through, Zhou Yi swiftly moved his left hand and gently touched Paul’s basketball, causing it to escape his control. Before Paul could react, Zhou Yi used his free right hand to quickly grab the rolling ball and drove it toward the Hornets’ half-court!

After the steal, Zhou Yi unleashed his full speed, leaving behind all the other Hornets players and even his own Pistons teammates!

Entering the three-point line, Zhou Yi held the ball with both hands and took three big steps, his focus entirely on the basket.

At that moment, his heart pounded violently; every cell in his body was vibrating, his blood was boiling, and his brain was unleashing the potential inherent in all humans!

See this! This is the strength of us Chinese! This is the dream of us Chinese! Let everyone in the world see this!

One step!

Two steps!

Three steps!

Zhou Yi had just crossed the free-throw line, yet his body soared into the air like an eagle soaring through the sky. His figure resembled a sleek fighter jet ascending into the heavens! He was now as tall as the basket!

Zhou Yi was flying! Yes, he was flying!

Every fan’s heart was racing, their blood boiling, their brains filled with excitement!

Zhou Yi raised his hands holding the ball high as he slowly approached the basket! Everyone in the arena couldn’t help but stand up, knowing that a moment that would shock the world was about to happen!

Everyone held their breath and widened their eyes—no one wanted to miss this potentially breathtaking moment!

“Thud!” Zhou Yi slammed the ball into the basket with his powerful hands.

All the fans who witnessed this were stunned—they simply couldn’t believe what they were seeing. The same dunking technique used by the “half-man, half-god” Vince Carter in the dunk contest—jumping over the free-throw line and slamming the ball with both hands—had appeared in this game, and it was done by a Chinese player!

Zhou Yi landed and glanced at all the fans with a look of dominance, then slowly ran back toward his own half-court.

Zhou Yi’s actions were utterly ordinary. Yet, everyone could clearly sense the overwhelming dominance emanating from him!
The Hornets’ home crowd stared at Zhou Yi in silence; not a single person dared to make a sound.
Zhou Yi’s dunks were fierce and arrogant. Yet, they couldn’t muster even the slightest anger toward his behavior, because the image of his soaring figure had been deeply etched in their minds, making them remember his name forever!
“Yee~!” At that moment, the Pistons’ bench players let out excited cheers, and their voices inspired the fans at the arena and those watching on TV!
Fans of the Pistons around the world were in ecstasy! Everyone, every heart, was thrilled by this moment!
It was terrifying! He was simply too strong!
Zhou Yi’s jumping ability and explosive power reminded everyone of “Air Jordan”!
John Kuester was extremely excited. Although he had long known Zhou Yi was strong, seeing him execute such attacks against Chris Paul—how could he not be thrilled? This proved that Zhou Yi had the potential to become a top-tier point guard like Chris Paul.
He’s too strong! Zhou Yi is truly too strong!
“Queen Bee” Chris Paul stared at Zhou Yi blankly, filled with resentment and disappointment.
The Hornets’ head coach, Monty Williams, was forced to call a timeout. He knew that if he didn’t stabilize the team’s morale now, the outcome of the game might be decided! After all, Zhou Yi’s astonishing dunk had shocked everyone who saw it, including himself…
Chapter 213: Eleven Consecutive Wins
The Hornets led their opponents by 7 points at home. But at this point, the Pistons brought in their starters. Zhou Yi led his teammates to close the gap, especially with that stunning dunk that boosted the Pistons’ morale. In the NBA, a 7-point advantage isn’t really a big deal.
“Will, you’re in!” Seeing Zhou Yi out of breath, John Kuester was worried about his stamina, especially since this was a back-to-back game. So he decided to replace Zhou Yi with Will Bynum so he could get enough rest and perform better in the fourth quarter.
“Huh? But Zhou is doing so well right now, and thanks to him, our momentum has picked up,” Will Bynum asked in surprise.

“I know. Just follow the plan,” John Kuster said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
“Oh, got it.” Will Bynum stood up quickly from the bench and headed toward the court.
Zhou Yi saw Will Bynum reach the sideline and take off his jacket. Seeing John Kuster nod at him, Zhou Yi immediately realized he was about to be substituted out.
As Greg Monroe kicked the ball out of bounds, Will Bynum replaced Zhou Yi on the court.
“Get some rest!” Will Bynum said to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi nodded and walked back to the bench.
Will Bynum carefully guarded Chris Paul. When Chris Paul received the ball from Trevor Ariza at the baseline, Will Bynum immediately closed in, raising his right hand to block Chris Paul’s vision.
Chris Paul feinted several times before suddenly stepping back and shooting a jump shot. The ball traced a graceful arc through the air before swishing through the basket.
Will Bynum muttered an angry curse under his breath, then took the ball from Greg Monroe and advanced toward the Hornets’ half-court.
“Zhou, how are you feeling?” John Kuster walked over to Zhou Yi, sat down, and asked concerningly.
Zhou Yi took a sip of water, smiled slightly at John Kuster, and replied, “I’m fine, just a bit tired. It might be because of playing back-to-back games, plus Chris Paul is really tough, so it’s been difficult.”
Hearing Zhou Yi speak openly without reservation, John Kuster felt relieved. Over time, he had come to know that Zhou Yi was the kind of player who told the truth, didn’t lie, wasn’t eager to show off, respected others greatly, and knew what to say and do. John Kuster found himself liking this Chinese kid more and more.
“Heh, I substituted you out because I saw you were tired. Get some rest. It’s the fourth quarter where you can really show what you’ve got,” John Kuster said with a smile.
“Hmm, I understand,” Zhou Yi nodded in response.
John Kuster glanced at the game on the court and suddenly looked extremely worried, as the Pistons’ outside players were almost completely held in check by the Hornets. Only McGrady was performing reasonably well, while the newly substituted Will Bynum was no match for Chris Paul.

So, John Kuester didn’t hesitate to make a substitution, bringing in Taylor Hansbrough in place of Teyshawn Prince. At this point, the Pistons’ lineup looked somewhat unusual—Samuel Dalembert and Greg Monroe formed the frontcourt duo, while Taylor Hansbrough, who usually played power forward, was positioned at small forward. It seemed John Kuester was determined to compete with the Hornets on height. In fact, Kuester made this choice out of necessity; on one hand, his team’s outside players were not performing well, and on the other hand, the Hornets’ David West was out due to injury. Thus, playing inside was the best option for the Pistons at the moment. “This is so shameless!” the Hornets’ head coach, Monty Williams, watched angrily as the situation on the court changed. Chris Paul glanced at Will Bynum, a slight smile appearing on his lips, before suddenly breaking toward Bynum’s left with a crossover move. Bynum was slightly slower than Chris Paul but had excellent physical strength and, having played much street basketball before, was very agile. He shifted his weight to the left and blocked Chris Paul’s path. Chris Paul collided with Bynum, trying to force his way past, but how could the strong and robust Bynum be intimidated by such an attempt? He spread his arms wide, blocking Chris Paul’s shooting lane, his lower body as steady as a rock, preventing Chris Paul from advancing. In fact, this was also a moment of carelessness on Chris Paul’s part. If he had increased his speed, passing around Bynum wouldn’t have been difficult, but he insisted on using his explosive power to overpower Bynum. Was Bynum’s strength and explosive power really that easy to overcome? Seeing Bynum spread his arms to block him, Chris Paul was slightly surprised—how had Bynum suddenly become so strong? But would Chris Paul be stumped by this? The answer was no. Chris Paul pulled sharply to the left, then made a behind-the-back pass, delivering the ball to Trevor Ariza, who was lurking in the corner. Trevor Ariza glanced at the basket and shot a three-pointer. “Clang”—Trevor Ariza, jokingly dubbed “Iron Man” by Chinese fans, failed to make the shot, proudly continuing his streak of misses and creating opportunities for the Pistons to score. With Ariza’s missed shot, Taylor Hansbrough grabbed the defensive rebound.

Will Bynum used his strong physique to slowly make his way into the Hornets’ paint. Just as his defender, Chris Paul, thought Bynum was about to attack, Bynum passed the ball.
Maddie, at a 45-degree angle on the right wing, caught Bynum’s pass beyond the three-point line and scored right away.
On the Hornets’ side, Chris Paul took advantage of his teammates’ screens to hit a three-point shot as well.
Maddie and Tyler Hansbrough executed a pick-and-roll; after moving back, he caught a bounce pass from Hansbrough and scored with a layup.
Next, Chris Paul passed from afar to Emeka Okafor, who scored by hooking the ball off the backboard.
Under Chris Paul’s leadership, the Hornets unleashed their full firepower (except for Trevor Ariza), with Paul delivering a total of 6 assists in those seven minutes of the third quarter.
After guarding Bynum for three minutes, Chris Paul had to sit out, as playing the entire third quarter would have been too exhausting for him. He needed to save most of his energy for the fourth quarter’s matchup against Zhou Yi.
During the time Chris Paul was out, the Pistons gradually narrowed the score to single digits.
Without Chris Paul’s playmaking, the Hornets’ offense lost its fluidity. Continuous missed shots further disrupted their focus, while the Pistons seized the opportunity to score 14-6, closing the gap by 8 points.
Monty Williams called two timeouts during this period, but to no avail—missed shots remained missed, and shots that should have gone in also failed.
With Trevor Ariza’s last-second three-pointer missing, the third quarter came to an end.