Chapter 62

The second quarter began, with the Pistons taking the first offensive play. Halfway through the quarter, Zhou Yi immediately passed the ball to James Posey, who was positioned at the 45-degree angle on the right wing outside the three-point line. After catching the ball, Posey held it to his right side, bending down in preparation to drive. Defending Posey was Ronnie Brewer, number 11, who often guarded the opponent’s best perimeter player. His excellent footwork, quick reflexes, and experience in anticipating his opponent’s next move made him a constant threat along the passing lanes. Posey then passed the ball to Zhou Yi, who was cutting inside, and Zhou Yi charged toward the basket. Faced with Ty Gibson coming over to help defend, Zhou Yi did not attempt to score but instead chose to pass. He cleverly fed the ball under Gibson’s arm. Taylor Hansbrough, who received the ball, tapped it lightly and dunked it forcefully into the basket. It seems that being tall has its advantages—at least it saves effort when dunking. With this exciting opening dunk, the Pistons scored 6 points in a row, giving their opponent a 6-0 run. Everything seemed to be going smoothly; the Pistons’ offense was quite fluid, at least for now. In the subsequent attacks, the Pistons made three consecutive shots, gradually closing the score gap. Meanwhile, the Bulls failed to score on several attempts, giving the Pistons a great opportunity. John Kuester, standing on the sidelines, felt much more relaxed. So far, the team’s offense was much better than in the first quarter. Aside from James Posey struggling somewhat against the strong defender Ronnie Brewer, resulting in a low shooting percentage, the rest of the players were in excellent form. Zhou Yi did a great job controlling the pace of the game; when facing CJ Watson’s defense, he could always use his drives to cause significant trouble for the Bulls. The Pistons’ first score of the second quarter came from a clever pass after one of his drives. Their two interior players, Samuel Dalembert and Taylor Hansbrough, also performed well, especially Samuel Dalembert, whose defense effectively limited the Bulls’ interior players. With 8 minutes and 43 seconds left in the second quarter, the game went into an official timeout, at which point the Pistons were only 6 points behind their opponent. John Kuester was very satisfied with his players’ performance and did not hesitate to praise them generously. Soon, the timeout ended and the game resumed.

Austin Daye shot a mid-range jump shot with no defender around, and the ball bounced high off the backboard. Several tall players near the basket jumped to grab the rebound, but at that moment, the referee blew the whistle—Carlos Boozer was called for fouling by pushing someone while trying to get the rebound.

Carlos Boozer argued angrily with the referee, but he couldn’t change the call from the unyielding official. Frustrated, Boozer walked away, muttering to himself. Seeing that Boozer was still complaining about the unfair call, the referee immediately issued him a technical foul to get him to calm down.

This development forced Tom Thibodeau to replace Carlos Boozer with Omer Asik, with Boozer leaving the court in anger. The Bulls, who originally had an advantage at the paint, now saw that advantage diminish significantly, as the Pistons took control in that area.

Zhou Yi faced no real pressure from CJ Watson’s defense. After receiving the ball, he used two quick changes of direction to get past Watson’s defense. First, he scored with a layup, then hit a three-pointer right in front of Watson. In less than a minute, he had scored 5 points. Another player who came in as a substitute, Austin Daye, was also hot, scoring two consecutive three-pointers that forced the Bulls to take an early timeout.

After the timeout, the Bulls brought back Derrick Rose, while Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah continued to rest on the bench. However, Ty Gibson was replaced by Brian Scalabrine, and Roley Dunleavy replaced Kyle Korver. On the Pistons’ side, Samuel Dalembert was replaced by Greg Monroe, and James Posey was replaced by DeJuan Summers.

The game continued with the Bulls in possession, with Derrick Rose handling the ball. Back in the game, Rose continued his dominant performance. Not only did he have a solid shooting touch from outside, but he also repeatedly penetrated the Pistons’ defense to score. In just two minutes, he scored 7 points through drives and shots, single-handedly helping his team hold off the Pistons’ counterattacks.

In just a few minutes, the situation on the court changed dramatically. The Pistons had once narrowed the score and were even close to taking the lead, but thanks to Derrick Rose’s continuous attacks, the score gap widened again.

Zhou Yi is the kind of person who becomes stronger when faced with a stronger opponent. Especially after sensing Derek Rose’s strength, his fighting spirit was quickly ignited. Driven by his competitive drive on the basketball court, he received a pass from Austin Daye and tried to break through. As soon as Derek Rose shifted his weight, Zhou Yi launched a jump shot that swished through the net—his fist clenched in triumph.

Derek Rose, of course, wasn’t about to back down. He turned around, using Brian Scalabrine as a screen, caught the ball, and shot again—this time the ball also passed through the hoop.

The ball ended up in James Posey’s hands. Before he could make another move, the annoying Ronnie Brewer closed in on him. His arms, seemingly forged of steel, kept swaying in front of James Posey, trying to snatch the ball from him. But James Posey’s years of experience hadn’t been in vain. He stepped forward, suddenly changed direction, and kept Ronnie Brewer behind him.

James Posey was very patient, thanks in part to his experience. After feinting, he tried to break through along the baseline. But Ronnie Brewer didn’t give up; he closely followed James Posey’s movements, preventing him from shooting. At that moment, Rolando Blackman came over to help defend, and James Posey seemed about to be trapped between two opponents. Patiently searching for his teammates, he suddenly saw a familiar figure near the corner and passed the ball without hesitation.

After circling Derek Rose twice, Zhou Yi finally reached the corner. By then, Derek Rose was being blocked by the big man Greg Monroe, leaving him unguarded. James Posey passed the ball just in time. Zhou Yi shot without any adjustment, and the net made a swishing sound—the sound of the ball brushing against the net was absolutely beautiful!

“James, great pass!” Zhou Yi gave James Posey a thumbs up, who responded with a victory gesture.

Zhou Yi scored another point. Now everyone on the court could see that he was competing fiercely with Derek Rose. Although John Kuester emphasized playing inside more, as the Bulls’ interior strength wasn’t great at the moment, the Pistons’ Greg Monroe and Taylor Hansbrough both had strong offensive skills and could deal significant damage to their opponents.

But John Kuster isn’t dissatisfied at all now; he trusts Zhou Yi greatly. Derek Rose attacked again with the ball, this time the shrewd Derek Rose simply feigned a shot before dashing to the basket as Zhou Yi jumped to block, slipping the ball inside through a pull-up layup to score. At that moment, Zhou Yi remained calm, his heart unshaken. After receiving the ball and facing Derek Rose, who was focused on defending him, Zhou Yi continuously feigned attempts to break through, but Derek Rose didn’t budge. Suddenly, Zhou Yi took a big step forward, exploding with unprecedented speed in an instant, then executed an exaggerated crossover to shake off Derek Rose’s defense. Though Derek Rose tried his best to chase, Zhou Yi had already rushed to the basket, leaving only his white silhouette behind. Zhou Yi jumped just inside the free-throw line, gliding through the air with the basketball firmly held in his right hand. At that moment, he resembled an eagle soaring in the sky, spreading its wings. Brian Scalabrine and Omir Asik tried to block Zhou Yi, but even as they jumped hard, they couldn’t reach the ball. Zhou Yi’s sudden burst of strength allowed him to jump so high that their blocks only reached his elbows. The basket groaned as Zhou Yi slammed the ball in forcefully. That soaring figure numbered 37 excited the fans at the O’Brien Center even more; their screams seemed ready to topple the entire arena. Derek Rose carried the ball across half-court and quickly passed it to Rolando Blackman, then started moving swiftly. The Bulls’ strategy was simple: create scoring opportunities through frequent movement and aggressive positioning. The departure of Noah and Carlos Boozer left a gaping hole in the team’s interior play. Since there were no players to fill those positions, they opted for a small-ball lineup, a style the Bulls excelled at, especially under Derek Rose’s leadership. With cuts and drives to the basket, Rolando Blackman passed the ball to Derek Rose in time, who easily scored a pull-up layup despite the opposing player’s help defense. The Bulls still held an advantage; their defense made it difficult for the Pistons to score. Now, the Pistons relied more on Zhou Yi’s individual efforts to keep up the score.

Just as Zhou Yi was fighting alone, James Posey stepped in. Facing Ronnie Brewer, James Posey remained calm and hit a mid-range shot near the free-throw line. He also used his experience to force a defensive foul from Ronnie Brewer. Then, James Posey made both of his free throws. His sudden surge greatly reduced the offensive pressure on Zhou Yi. With Omer Asik providing coverage, Derrick Rose easily drove to the paint and scored another 2 points with a step-back jump shot. On the Pistons’ side, Austin Daye caught the ball and quickly passed it back; with James Posey’s screen, Zhou Yi once again cut to the basket. However, instead of forcing a jump, Zhou Yi waited until Brian Scalabrine jumped, then leaped as he fell, throwing the ball decisively just as Scalabrine’s hand reached for it—unfortunately, the ball bounced off the rim. But he still got something out of it as the referee promptly called a foul on Brian Scalabrine. Zhou Yi took a deep breath and made both of his hard-earned free throws. Time passed by, and the score was now 43:38, with the Bulls still leading the Pistons by 5 points. With only 4 minutes and 58 seconds left in the first half, the teams’ key players started coming in one after another. Zhou Yi remained on the court—he was the player with the most playing time among the starters so far. John Kuester was somewhat worried about Zhou Yi’s stamina, but seeing that he didn’t show signs of fatigue, he decided not to replace him. So far in this matchup, Zhou Yi hadn’t been at a disadvantage in his battles against Derrick Rose, and John Kuester was very satisfied. He thought Zhou Yi’s improvement had been tremendous and rapid. After the timeout, the game resumed! At this point, the lineups were as follows: Pistons—Ben Wallace, Greg Monroe, Tashawn Prince, McGrady, and Zhou Yi; Bulls—Joakim Noah, Carlos Boozer, Rolando Blackman, Kyle Korver, and Derrick Rose. After receiving a pass from Derrick Rose, Carlos Boozer growled, slammed the ball hard into the ground, leaned back, and used his powerful frame like a bulldozer to push Greg Monroe behind him. Fortunately, Greg Monroe had exceptional physical skills; if it had been anyone else, they would have been pushed out of position by Carlos Boozer’s move, leading to a brutal dunk.

Although Greg Monroe struggled to hold his ground, he managed to stay in position. Seeing that his plan didn’t work, Carlos Boozer quickly changed tactics—using his strong elbow to pressure Greg Monroe from the side and then delivering a quick hook shot with his right hand to score. With a thud, after Tyshawn Prince’s mid-range jump shot missed, Joakim Noah grabbed the rebound and swiftly passed it to Derrick Rose. At this point, the Bulls focused on scoring inside thanks to their two powerful players, Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah. If they performed well, it would reduce the pressure on Derrick Rose, allowing him to conserve energy for a better performance in the second half. Carlos Boozer once again attacked Greg Monroe inside; although Ben Wallace and Tyshawn Prince tried to help defend, they were also under heavy pressure, so Carlos Boozer easily gave rookie Greg Monroe another lesson. On the Pistons’ side, McGrady served as the offensive leader. It was still difficult for Kyle Korver to defend McGrady, who scored 8 points in a short time using mid-range shots and two consecutive layups. In their last matchup against the Bulls, McGrady played smartly, repeatedly breaking into the paint to draw fouls, forcing the stubborn Carlos Boozer and Joakim Noah to leave the court and weakening the Bulls’ interior strength, giving the Pistons an advantage there. With that interior advantage combined with their already strong perimeter play, it wouldn’t be hard for the Pistons to win. In this encounter, McGrady certainly wouldn’t forget that tactic—John Kuester had discussed it with him and Zhou Yi before the game. With Greg Monroe setting a screen, McGrady easily drove into the paint. Surprisingly, he didn’t opt for a mid-range shot this time; there wasn’t a single opponent within his three-step range. Given his shooting speed, he could have easily taken a jump shot, especially since he had just completed two mid-range shots. But he didn’t—instead, he continued to drive quickly into the paint. Carlos Boozer was already on high alert. Having allowed McGrady to score twice by breaking into the paint earlier, he felt somewhat embarrassed. But after all, it was McGrady’s fast break, and he hadn’t been guarding the basket, so it was understandable. He never expected McGrady to underestimate him so much and try to single-handedly break through the interior defense formed by him and Joakim Noah. “If we take out Carlos Boozer, our chances of winning increase significantly.”

Maddie once again pondered his thoughts from their last encounter and couldn’t help but take another look at Carlos Boozer, a cold smirk appearing on his lips. At that moment, Maddie seemed to have reverted to that cold-blooded killer once more.

Chapter 224: Repeating the Tactic

Seeing Maddie’s sharp gaze, Carlos Boozer shuddered inwardly and said, “Is this guy trying to force me into a foul again like last time? Hmph, no way!”

It must be said that Carlos Boozer was very smart; he quickly figured out Maddie’s intentions.

Many people thought Maddie’s decision to maintain his speed while charging forward was reckless, especially since he had already had a good chance to score earlier but chose not to act instead rushing straight toward Boozer under the basket. Although Boozer wasn’t very good at defense, such an obvious offensive intent was a major mistake.

However, some fans began to grasp Maddie’s intentions. After all, many people had watched their last match against the Bulls. Moreover, the calm and composed Maddie of today would never do such a reckless thing. There must be a purpose behind his actions.

Pistons head coach John Kuester wasn’t surprised, as this tactic was exactly what he had taught Maddie and Zhou Yi before. During their last match against the Bulls, when Maddie acted in this way, John Kuester thought he was acting on impulse. But later, he understood Maddie’s intentions.

Upon learning of Maddie’s plans, John Kuester was deeply impressed by Maddie’s strong ability to read the game.

Just as he was about to enter the three-second zone, Maddie suddenly jumped up. This abrupt leap didn’t seem unnatural at all. With the momentum of his forward movement, Maddie gradually closed in on Carlos Boozer under the basket.

“This guy really wants to force me into a foul again! Damn it!” Carlos Boozer said angrily.

Now that he knew Maddie’s intentions, Carlos Boozer certainly wouldn’t sit idly by.

Carlos Boozer was able to become an All-Star-level player not only because of his skills but also because of his composure in critical moments.

Of course, Carlos Boozer also had his flaws—his excessive focus on money.

Interior players are the last line of defense for a team. Besides having excellent defensive skills, composure is also crucial.

Carlos Boozer already understood McGrady’s intentions, so he would never let himself fall for his tricks again. His upper body moved with McGrady’s constantly changing shapes in the air as he adjusted his defensive stance. His lower body, however, remained fixed as if rooted to the court—any movement would only work against him, risking a defensive foul. Defending under the basket was extremely difficult; even the best players couldn’t cover everything. But under any circumstances, an interior player needed to have presence, a dominant presence that exerted strong pressure on the offensive player.

Joakim Noah also adjusted his position, standing behind Carlos Boozer, ready to fill in any gaps that appeared in Boozer’s defense.

Carlos Boozer took a brief breath. He had completely blocked McGrady’s shooting angle—whenever McGrady tried to shoot, he would surely deliver a block he’d never forget. As an excellent interior player, he had absolute confidence, especially since McGrady jumped quite far. With such a long flight path, his shot wouldn’t be as effortless.

Still, he didn’t relax his guard, as he not only had to defend against the opponent’s attacks but also avoid committing fouls himself. So, Carlos Boozer wasn’t at all relaxed at that moment.

He couldn’t help but admire his opponent’s sophisticated defense and quick reflexes, which had almost sealed off his shooting routes. But McGrady wasn’t someone who gave up easily. If he could knock him down last time, he could do it again.

At the moment their bodies were about to collide, McGrady suddenly tightened his upper body and, by a narrow margin, slipped through Carlos Boozer’s arms.

Carlos Boozer had the chance to intercept McGrady, but he feared a defensive foul if he reached out, so he didn’t make a move until McGrady passed by him. After all, there was Joakim Noah right behind, he thought.

Although he dodged Carlos Boozer’s block, the danger hadn’t completely vanished. His strength was nearly exhausted, and behind him, Joakim Noah was ready to pounce.

Joakim Noah leaped high, his massive hand swinging toward McGrady’s right hand holding the ball.

McGrady used the strength of his core to lift his body slightly and quickly passed the ball to his left hand.

With a snap, as soon as the ball changed hands, his right hand was struck hard by Joakim Noah, causing him to lose his balance. Using his last bit of strength, he threw the ball high behind him. McGrady had great confidence in this shot, as he felt the perfect touch when releasing it.

“Whoosh!” Before he could land, an inspiring voice came from above, filling him with excitement.

“Ding!” The referee’s whistle blew—goal made, free throw.

However, the referee’s whistle was quickly drowned out by the fans’ cheers. McGrady’s amazing performance had already thrilled the entire crowd. His perfect aerial dodge, exceptional mid-air control, and especially the three-point shot at the last moment—McGrady had scored a magnificent goal.

“T-MAC, T-MAC, T-MAC…” The fans expressed their enthusiastic support through shouts and screams, pushing the atmosphere to its peak that night.

Seeing the fans’ passionate support, McGrady seemed to recall the enthusiasm he received during his peak years—a passion he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Amazing! That shot was truly inspiring. I’m sure the entire Pistons team will be fired up after seeing that goal. That incredible shot is astounding,” an announcer exclaimed excitedly.

Amid the crowd’s screams, McGrady easily made the free throw.

Although it resulted in a 2+1, McGrady still felt somewhat disappointed. His target wasn’t Joakim Noah but Carlos Boozer. That guy, Boozer, was too cunning. Knowing McGrady was trying to draw a foul, he didn’t intervene at the last moment but instead let Joakim Noah cover him. McGrady sighed helplessly, then positioned himself in his half, ready to defend.

Derrick Rose took control of the ball. After crossing half-court, he forced his way through Zhou Yi’s defense, drove to the basket, and attempted a pull-up shot. But due to Zhou Yi’s interference, Rose’s shot missed.

Ben Wallace grabbed the defensive rebound and immediately passed it to McGrady, who was already near the midcourt. After driving across half-court, McGrady waited for his teammates to cross over as well before passing the ball back to Zhou Yi.

Zhou Yi was well aware of McGrady’s previous offensive tactics. He had understood them the last time they faced the Bulls when McGrady used that strategy. So, this time, as soon as Zhou Yi saw McGrady’s move, he immediately understood what was going on. Moreover, before the game, John Kuester had deliberately reminded the two of them to push deeper into the opponent’s paint to draw fouls.

After assessing the situation on the court, Zhou Yi made up his mind. It was almost a replica of McGrady’s move, but Zhou Yi didn’t jump forcefully because he didn’t have McGrady’s exceptional physical flexibility. After luring Carlos Boozer into jumping, Zhou Yi then jumped as Boozer fell, and as soon as Boozer’s hand reached him, he threw the ball away decisively. Unfortunately, Zhou Yi’s attack this time didn’t have the same luck as McGrady’s last attempt. Yet, he still achieved his goal—the referee promptly called a defensive foul on Carlos Boozer.

So far in the game, the Bulls’ interior players had committed too many fouls. Carlos Boozer had only two fouls, while Joakim Noah, after committing that foul on Boozer, now had three in total. Among the Bulls’ backup interior players, Omer Asik also had two fouls, Kurt Thomas one, and Brian Scalabrine one as well. Most of these fouls weren’t caused by their opponents but rather by outside players like McGrady and Zhou Yi. This also showed that John Kuester’s tactics were very effective.

Zhou Yi took the free throws and made both. After hitting those two free throws, his consecutive free throw success count rose to 78, with a continued upward trend. After finishing his free throws, Zhou Yi was substituted out by Will Bynum. On the Bulls’ side, Derrick Rose was also replaced by CJ Watson, and Joakim Noah was substituted by Ty Gibson, the Bulls’ only interior player without any fouls yet.

In the last two minutes of the first half, with the Bulls’ interior strength weakened, the Pistons launched a fierce counterattack, targeting the opponent’s interior. Thanks to the combined efforts of Greg Monroe and Samuel Dalembert, the Pistons closed the first half with a score of 50:51, only one point behind the Bulls. However, just before the end of the first half, something unpleasant happened on the court.

Ty Gibson provoked Greg Monroe, sparking a fierce exchange of trash talk that nearly turned into a physical fight. Both Greg Monroe and Ty Gibson were penalized for technical fouls in this confrontation. Chapter 225: Good News for the Pistons. During halftime, McGrady was interviewed by an ESPN sports columnist. In the interview, the reporter asked several sensitive questions, such as how he got along so well with head coach John Kuester. It is well known that McGrady did not get along well with his previous coaches, especially Rick Adelman, the current head coach of the Houston Rockets. McGrady’s response to this question was quite clever and humble. “Coach John is an excellent coach. He treats players very calmly and knows exactly what each player needs, so he gets along very well with every one of us. Maybe I was a bit immature in the past, but that’s in the past, right? I’m lucky to play under Coach John. I believe the team will achieve great success under his leadership,” McGrady said. Then, the reporter asked another question. “Mr. Tracy, we all know and have seen your performance this season. To be honest, I really admire you. I believe you’ll be very sought after in the free market after this season. My question is, do you still want to stay in Detroit if the team offers you an unsatisfactory salary?” After hearing the reporter’s question, McGrady thought for a moment before answering, “I really like Detroit. Of course, I want to stay there. And sir, as you know, I’m not short of money right now. What I lack is the championship ring I’ve been striving for. I believe Detroit will help me achieve that goal.” “Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Tracy. I wish you better performance in the upcoming games,” the reporter said. “Well, thank you for your wishes,” McGrady replied. After the interview, McGrady returned to the locker room. Soon after, the door to the locker room was pushed open, and John Kuester walked in. “Gentlemen, the second half is about to start. Let’s go and send those guys back to Chicago, forcing them to leave the Palace of Auburn Hills in shame,” John Kuester said firmly. “Okay,” the entire Pistons team replied loudly.

After saying that, all the Pistons players headed toward the court under John Kuester’s leadership. Soon, the second half of the game began. Right from the start, Samuel Dalembert, who came in as a substitute, gave Jokic a tough challenge. After securing a favorable position, Zhou Yi dribbled the ball to him and handed it over immediately. Samuel Dalembert feinted to the left, quickly cut to the right, left Jokic behind, and jumped to slam the ball in with one hand. Not only did the shot go in, but it also resulted in a defensive foul on Jokic. Jokic was frustrated—having already been fouled by the opponent at the start of the second half, he now had four fouls in total, and it wouldn’t be long before head coach Tom Thibodeau substituted him out. However, Thibodeau didn’t replace Jokic, as the third quarter had just begun. Seeing that he hadn’t been substituted, Jokic was excited and vowed to prove himself to the coach and show the opponent that he wasn’t easy to deal with. In the subsequent attack, Jokic rushed to the basket, quickly took his position, and waited for Derrick Rose’s pass. Seeing Jokic in position and eager to act, Derrick Rose handed the ball to him without hesitation. After getting the ball, Jokic leaned on Greg Monroe and drove hard toward the basket with his right hand. Even though Greg Monroe was strong, he couldn’t withstand Jokic’s fierce determination and gradually backed away. The basket got closer and closer to Jokic, almost within his reach. Eager, Jokic was about to jump and slam the ball over Greg Monroe’s head, but just as he raised his hands, a large hand blocked the ball, sending it out of bounds. Jokic glared angrily behind him—unfortunately, it was once again Samuel Dalembert. Jokic was furious, on the verge of losing control. The Bulls gained possession; Carlos Boozer took a shot from the baseline, and Derrick Rose caught the ball. Derrick Rose glanced at the 24-second timer—only 10 seconds remained for the offense. So, he glanced at Zhou Yi and suddenly accelerated, charging toward Zhou Yi’s right side. This time, Derrick Rose didn’t plan to pass anymore. He was excited to face this rapidly improving rookie, Zhou Yi, head-on once again.

Derrick Rose accelerated toward the basket, his entire being like a fierce lightning bolt in the storm, utterly stunning. As soon as he stepped onto the free-throw line, he leaped with the ball in his right hand, soaring toward the hoop. Zhou Yi also jumped up after Derrick Rose took off, trying to block all of his attacking angles. He brought his right hand back to pass the ball to his left hand, used his waist strength, and with a pull from his left hand, managed to dodge Zhou Yi’s outstretched hand that was almost covering Derrick Rose’s head—despite being heavily tilted forward and nearly parallel to the ground—the ball traced a small arc before falling into the basket. As the ball went in, Derrick Rose fell to the floor after colliding with Zhou Yi. All the spectators were stunned by Derrick Rose’s amazing performance, even though he was the opponent, the enemy. Zhou Yi, who had landed, stared in disbelief at the ball still bouncing on the floor before finally coming to his senses. He walked over to Derrick Rose, reached out to help him up, and pulled him to his feet. “You’re very strong—stronger than last time we faced each other. I’m not your match now,” Zhou Yi said sincerely, without any pretense. Derrick Rose smiled slightly and replied, “Heh, actually, I’m surprised by your performance today too. You’ve improved a lot since our last encounter.” Zhou Yi smiled back, nodded at Derrick Rose, then stood near the basket, waiting for his teammates to pass the ball. Derrick Rose nodded at Zhou Yi as well before stepping back to defend. But as soon as he took his first step, pain appeared on his face. He immediately covered his waist with his right hand and crouched down. Tom Thibodeau, sitting on the Bulls’ bench, saw this and immediately called a timeout, then rushed onto the court toward Derrick Rose’s position. Zhou Yi also noticed something was wrong with Derrick Rose and rushed over, kneeling beside him and asking worriedly, “Derrick, what’s wrong?” “Nothing…” Derrick Rose couldn’t finish his sentence before being interrupted by waves of pain. At that moment, Tom Thibodeau rushed to Derrick Rose’s side. “Derrick, Derrick, what’s wrong? Where does it hurt?” Tom Thibodeau asked anxiously. “My waist…” Derrick Rose only said one word.

As soon as Derek Rose finished speaking, the Bulls’ medical staff rushed to his side. Seeing this, Zhou Yi immediately stepped aside to allow the medical staff to assess Derek Rose. After listening to his description of his discomfort, the medical staff massaged the area he indicated, then had several others lift Derek Rose onto a stretcher and carry him off the court. Zhou Yi watched in shock, unable to speak for a moment. “Derek, please don’t get hurt!” Although Derek Rose was his opponent, Zhou Yi felt quite fond of him, so he muttered those words unconsciously. With Derek Rose out of the game, play continued. Without him, the Bulls played in a disorganized manner, like a fly without a head. Derek Rose’s previous goal had inspired his teammates, but his departure caught them off guard. Joakim Noah was also quickly replaced by Omir Asik due to a foul trouble, leaving the Bulls relying only on Carlos Boozer and Roy Dunleavy. After Derek Rose left, the Pistons launched a fierce attack. Though Zhou Yi felt sympathy and concern for Derek Rose, he understood that basketball was a game and no emotions should get in the way. With a quick move, Zhou Yi outmaneuvered CJ Watson, cutting in from the right like a blade. Facing Roy Dunleavy, who came to help defend, he passed the ball behind him, sending it to an unguarded Teyshawn Prince. Without hesitation, Teyshawn Prince shot, and the ball swished through the net. On the Bulls’ offense, CJ Watson tried a jump shot against Zhou Yi’s defense. At the basket, Greg Monroe, Ty Gibson, Carlos Boozer, and Samuel Dalembert fought fiercely for position on the rebound. With a thud, the ball bounced off the rim and was grabbed by Carlos Boozer for an offensive rebound. He moved around a bit under the basket before attempting a second shot. But just as he shot, Samuel Dalembert seized the opportunity, stretching out his hand to block his shot. Immediately afterward, Greg Monroe, standing just inside the free-throw line, took a powerful step forward and jumped to secure the defensive rebound.

Samuel Dalembert’s outstanding block earned praise from John Kuester. So far, Samuel Dalembert has delivered three blocks; although he doesn’t score much, his defense provides stability for the Pistons.
After grabbing a defensive rebound, Greg Monroe quickly passed the ball to Zhou Yi.
Near the three-second line, Zhou Yi made a sudden change of direction, shedding CJ Watson, but didn’t get a good shooting opportunity. So he passed the ball to McGrady. McGrady stepped forward, pulled away from Kyle Korver, then stopped abruptly and shot—a successful shot.
The Bulls attacked, with CJ Watson’s drive splitting the Pistons’ defense. Kyle Korver at the perimeter received the pass from CJ Watson and hit a three-pointer.
On the Pistons’ side, Zhou Yi’s jump shot missed despite facing CJ Watson’s defense, but Samuel Dalembert grabbed an offensive rebound.
After getting the offensive rebound, Samuel Dalembert quickly passed the ball to McGrady at the perimeter. McGrady shot a three-pointer, but it also missed, and the Bulls secured a defensive rebound.
Carlos Boozer sought the ball under the basket, and CJ Watson passed it to him. Carlos Boozer made a quick spin and then took a backstep to shoot. Unfortunately, it missed too. Zhou Yi fought for the defensive rebound, and after grabbing it, he quickly passed the ball to McGrady.
McGrady carried the ball across half-court before passing it back to Zhou Yi.
Zhou Yi controlled the ball at the top of the key when he suddenly saw Teyshawn Prince heading toward the basket. He immediately threw the ball toward the top of the rim.
Teyshawn Prince rushed to the basket, jumped, caught Zhou Yi’s pass, and completed a layup—a successful shot.
Zhou Yi’s pass was a bit off, so Teyshawn Prince had no choice but to go for a layup.
The teams switched sides, and it was the Bulls’ turn to attack.
Once again, Carlos Boozer pushed hard under the basket, and this time his backstep jump shot went in.
McGrady orchestrated the Pistons’ offense, throwing the ball to Samuel Dalembert under the basket. The latter quickly spun around and was about to layup when the referee’s whistle blew.
Offensive foul!
Samuel Dalembert turned green when he learned he had been given an offensive foul. He had finally gotten a chance for a one-on-one attack, only for the referee to call an offensive foul on him.

Still, despite his frustration, as a veteran player, Samuel Dalembert maintained good self-control and didn’t rush to argue with the referee right away. Moreover, the large screen on site quickly showed a replay of Samuel Dalembert’s recent offensive move. From the replay, he understood why he had been called for an offensive foul. It turned out that during his attack, he suddenly turned and elbowed Omir Asik. Though it wasn’t intentional, the referee didn’t care about that. Not long after Derrick Rose left the court, the Pistons took the lead back. Taking advantage of the Bulls’ disorganization, the Pistons quickly widened the score gap. However, the difference remained in the double digits, and despite their best efforts, the Pistons couldn’t push it beyond that. After Samuel Dalembert’s offensive foul, head coach John Kuester called a timeout to adjust the lineup. Chapter 226: Exploiting Weaknesses. After the timeout, both teams made slight changes to their lineups. Pistons: Ben Wallace, Taylor Hansbrough, James Posey, Zhou Yi, and Will Bynum; Bulls: Carlos Boozer, Kurt Thomas, Rolando Blackman, James Johnson, CJ Watson. Rolando Blackman stood at the sideline to inbound the ball, with CJ Watson receiving it. Faced with Zhou Yi’s defense, CJ Watson didn’t dare be careless. In his eyes, Zhou Yi’s strength was comparable to Derrick Rose’s. Although slightly inferior, the difference was mainly in offensive ability, while Zhou Yi’s defensive skills were even stronger than Derrick Rose’s. CJ Watson signaled to James Johnson nearby, who quickly came over to set up a screen for him. Using this cover, CJ Watson rushed toward the basket. But just as he got past Zhou Yi’s defense, Will Bynum appeared in front of him. Seeing Will Bynum standing mere feet away, eyeing him intently, CJ Watson was in trouble. As CJ Watson was at a loss, Zhou Yi quickly rushed behind him and snatched the ball. The ball rolled right in front of Will Bynum, who swiftly grabbed it and dashed toward the Bulls’ half-court.

Will Bynum was overjoyed. “Haha, another steal! If we can execute this fast break, I can score 2 more points. Hehe, let’s go for a dunk—steal and dunk in one go. Hehe, Zhou, thanks to you first.” Will Bynum rushed swiftly toward the Bulls’ half-court, with no one from the Bulls chasing after him at that moment. Even more excited, he rushed to the basket and launched a one-handed dunk. With a loud thud, the ball was sent flying by Will Bynum. “Huh?” Will Bynum opened his mouth in frustration, then tried to rush over to grab the rebound and attempt another dunk to make amends. But by then, CJ Watson had returned, along with Zhou Yi. Zhou Yi was speechless—such a great fast break had been ruined by Will Bynum’s dunk. He jumped hard and snatched the rebound above CJ Watson and Will Bynum. Then, Zhou Yi rushed toward the basket, ready to lay it in. At that moment, CJ Watson immediately charged over. But just as CJ Watson lunged at Zhou Yi, Zhou Yi passed the ball under his body to Will Bynum behind him. “Don’t miss this time,” Zhou Yi said frustratedly. After receiving Zhou Yi’s clever pass, Will Bynum took a big step forward and dunked the ball with both hands. After the shot, instead of being excited, he looked at Zhou Yi sheepishly and said, “Uh, that last shot…” “It’s okay. Be more careful next time, don’t get too excited,” Zhou Yi said, waving his hand. Although he was older and more experienced than this Chinese kid, Will Bynum wasn’t upset by Zhou Yi’s words. “Uh, got it,” Will Bynum scratched his head before retreating with Zhou Yi to defend. CJ Watson tried a few more fake moves and changes of direction, but still couldn’t break through Zhou Yi’s defense. Reluctantly, CJ Watson brought the ball out of the three-second zone. He looked up at his teammates and saw Carlos Boozer rushing out of the paint to set a screen for Rolando Blackman. But just as CJ Watson was about to pass, the referee’s whistle blew. Carlos Boozer was called for a foul for the screen.

Upon hearing the call, Carlos Boozer quickly walked over to the referee and spoke with him for a few words, but the referee only shook his head. Boozer then shrugged helplessly and retreated to his own half of the court to prepare for defense.

Will Bynum took control of the ball and, after moving past half-court, tried to break through. But CJ Watson kept sticking closely to him. Bynum turned his head and was surprised to see Zhou Yi using James Posey and Rolando Blackman as a screen to help him get free from James Johnson, who was guarding him, and rush into the paint.

Without delay, Bynum pulled back sharply, creating a half-meter gap between himself and CJ Watson, then threw the ball high into the air. As soon as Zhou Yi saw Bynum pull back, he knew his chance had come. He crouched slightly, then jumped sideways toward the basket with all his strength. In mid-air, he caught the ball thrown by Bynum, turned it with his right hand, and drove like a glider toward the hoop before slamming it home.

“Nice!” The two commentators sitting in the booth couldn’t help but praise the coordination between Zhou Yi and Will Bynum.

The entire crowd let out loud screams upon seeing Zhou Yi’s alley-oop dunk, as if trying to tear the entire arena apart. Seeing the enthusiastic support from the fans, Zhou Yi felt a sense of satisfaction. However, he knew he still didn’t deserve to be proud.

CJ Watson passed the ball to Kurt Thomas. With his back to Ben Wallace, Thomas sensed Wallace’s position, then lowered his waist and used his tall frame and strength to push past Wallace, slowly moving toward the basket. Although Wallace was stronger than Thomas, facing a similarly muscular veteran like Thomas, who was taller and stronger like a war machine, his strength proved insufficient—he could only slightly slow Thomas down, not stop him. Eventually, Thomas reached the basket, stopped dribbling, and held the ball tightly in his hands.

Wallace pressed hard against Thomas’s waist, but struggled to make a difference. At that moment, Tyler Hansbrough rushed to Thomas’s side and joined Wallace in surrounding him, preventing him from dunking. Seeing Hansbrough also coming to defend him, Thomas showed no expression at all.

Suddenly, he raised the ball high, didn’t even look behind him, and gently passed it backward to Carlos Boozer behind him. With no defender around, Carlos Boozer leaped lightly, aiming to finish the attack with a dunk. Yet just as he was about to dunk, a large yellow-skinned hand suddenly changed the ball’s direction. Zhou Yi threw all his strength into it and finally swatted the ball out of Carlos Boozer’s hands; it hit the backboard straight away. “Yee~!” With this brilliant block by Zhou Yi, the fans in the arena erupted in excited cheers once again. Zhou Yi jumped up again with all his might, but as he did, someone pressed him down. Immediately afterward, the referee’s whistle blew again. Rebound foul, Carlos Boozer! Carlos Boozer was almost frustrated to death—such a subtle move had still been detected by the referee. Only then did Zhou Yi realize that it was Carlos Boozer who had committed the rebound foul. At this point, the Bulls’ head coach, Tom Thibodeau, called a timeout. After this timeout, it was widely believed by the fans that Carlos Boozer would be substituted out, as he had already accumulated four fouls in total. If he were to be ejected for a sixth foul, the Bulls would surely lose. Sure enough, after the timeout, Carlos Boozer was taken off the court, replaced by Joakim Noah. However, Joakim Noah also had four fouls at that point, so he would likely be cautious in the rest of the game. The Pistons’ lineup also changed—Zhou Yi was replaced by McGrady, Ben Wallace by Samuel Dalembert, and Taylor Hansbrough by Charlie Villanueva. The game continued, with only 3 minutes and 56 seconds left until the end of the third quarter. Will Bynum drove across half-court and immediately passed the ball to Charlie Villanueva. After catching it, ignoring James Johnson right in front of him, Villanueva suddenly jumped back within one step of the three-point line and shot. James Johnson, unprepared for Villanueva’s sudden move, could only helplessly watch the ball soar toward the hoop, praying in his heart that it wouldn’t go in. But it seemed God was on the side of the Pistons that day, as the shot went through cleanly.

CJ—Watson took control of the ball and quickly passed it to Kurt Thomas after halftime. Kurt Thomas dribbled with his right hand, focusing his strength on his left shoulder, constantly pushing against Charlie Villanueva behind him as he moved closer to the basket. Faced with Kurt Thomas’ aggressive attack, Charlie Villanueva, who had barely gotten a chance to play, fought tenaciously to defend the area under the basket.
Kurt Thomas quickly turned and stepped forward before attempting a layup, but it missed, and Charlie Villanueva grabbed the defensive rebound.
Maddie broke through to the inside again, drawing double coverage from the opponent, before passing the ball to the outside. Will Bynum, who had just scored a three-pointer thanks to Maddie’s clever pass, was now full of confidence. As soon as he received the ball, he shot a three-pointer that actually went in—it seemed this guy was growing more confident with each play.
With that three-pointer, the Pistons gave the Bulls a 13-4 run, pushing the score to 78-67 in favor of the Pistons, a 11-point lead.
Only 14 seconds remained in the third quarter, and the Bulls made one last attempt.
With James Johnson’s long shot missing, the third quarter came to an end, and the Pistons entered the final quarter leading 78-67, by 11 points.
The Pistons were able to take the lead in the third quarter and even extend it to 11 points thanks entirely to Derrick Rose’s injury. From the moment Derrick Rose left the court until the end of the third quarter, he did not reappear on the court.
The entire Bulls team felt helpless about this, while the Pistons were overjoyed—except for Zhou Yi.
Chapter 227: Ron Dun’s Outrage
Before long, the fourth quarter began.
Derrick Rose still did not appear on the court, but at the start of the fourth quarter, he was seen in the Bulls’ bench, watching the game.
From the helpless expressions on his face and that of Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau, it was clear that Derrick Rose would not be able to play in this final quarter either.
Zhou Yi was also sitting on the bench. When Derrick Rose returned to the court, their eyes met. They nodded at each other before focusing back on the game.