Chapter 75

Just four minutes into the second quarter, Zhou Yi was sent back on the court, which clearly showed the severity of the crisis the Pistons were facing.
“Oh!” Zhou Yi nodded in response after hearing John Kuester’s instructions.
“Deron will probably still be resting on the bench for now. I want you to lead the fast breaks with the backups—take quick action whenever you get the chance, understand?” John Kuester instructed Zhou Yi.
The Jazz certainly weren’t a fast-break team, and Jerry Sloan would never let his players play recklessly. So if they lost their rhythm, they were almost doomed to lose, just like against the Warriors and Suns. There was logic to playing a fast-paced offense.
Soon after, with James Posey hitting a three-pointer and also drawing a defensive foul, the Pistons made a substitution. Zhou Yi replaced Ben Gordon and joined Will Bynum to form the Pistons’ backcourt duo.
James Posey took the free throw and made it, turning a 3+1 into a 4-point play.
At this point, Zhou Yi faced Ronnie Price. He had studied Price’s stats—same height as him—and considered him a player with great potential. His speed wasn’t fast, nor was his strength strong, but he shared one similarity with Zhou Yi: good game awareness.
His passing was powerful, showing some resemblance to Zhou Yi’s own skills, though his passing technique was clearly inferior. This was what Zhou Yi concluded after facing Ronnie Price.
Ronnie Price dribbled near the top of the key and quickly spotted Andrei Kirilenko in an open spot. But just as he was about to pass, Zhou Yi intercepted the ball instantly.
After stealing the ball, Zhou Yi reflexively launched a fast break. He dashed toward the Jazz’s half-court and made a bounce pass that landed in Will Bynum’s hands. Bynum easily scored with a layup.
After several missed scoring opportunities due to his desire to show off earlier, Will Bynum had become much more cautious on the court. His offense was no longer as erratic as before—it was much more deliberate.
On the Jazz side, Al Jefferson entered the game and received the ball from Ronnie Price, attempting a mid-range jump shot that missed. He rushed to grab the offensive rebound and try for a layup, but it also missed. Samuel Dalembert then secured the defensive rebound.

The ball came into Zhou Yi’s hands. He dribbled it forward, noticing that his teammates weren’t in ideal positions, so he decided to take the shot himself.
“What fast speed!”
That was Ronnie Price’s first impression of Zhou Yi. Just moments ago, Zhou Yi was near the free-throw line, but in the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Price. Yet Price showed no sign of panic.
Zhou Yi accelerated his breakthrough, passing by Ronnie Price like a gust of wind. Price was shocked and quickly turned to chase after him, but the more he pursued, the more disheartened he became—the figure of No. 37 grew smaller and smaller in his sight.
He had never believed anyone could dribble faster than he could run barefoot, yet here he was, experiencing such disappointment. He had given it his all, yet the result was so frustrating.
Watching Zhou Yi leap for a layup and score 2 points right in front of him, Ronnie Price couldn’t help but sigh.
The attack and defense switched, and it was the Jazz’s turn to attack.
Though Ronnie Price was impressed by Zhou Yi’s strength, that didn’t mean he would give up. So, facing Zhou Yi’s defense, his eyes held no fear—only excitement.
Ronnie Price dribbled forward, then passed behind him, delivering the ball to Al Jefferson. Al Jefferson charged at Greg Monroe and followed with a float shot that went in.
Zhou Yi organized the attack. When Greg Monroe created an opening in the paint, Zhou Yi already had the pass ready. Monroe was in great form that day—he dodged Paul Millsap’s big hands and scored a layup with the ball grazing the backboard.
At that moment, the Pistons called a timeout.
Chapter 246: Defeating the Jazz, 22 Consecutive Wins Tie the Rockets’ Record
“Three-point shot!” Zhou Yi broke through the defense again, drawing a double-team, then passed to the outside. Tyshawn Prince, who had just missed a three-point shot and was frustrated, immediately took the ball and shot another three-point attempt, which actually went in.
With that three-point shot, the Pistons made up for the 5 or 6 points they lost at the start of the second quarter, turning the game around with a 11-2 run against the Jazz. Thanks to this surge, the Pistons led the Jazz by 5 points, 41-36.
With skilled dribbling under his feet and a quick change of direction, Ronnie Price was easily outmaneuvered by Zhou Yi.

The home crowd, seeing Zhou Yi’s arrogance, gave him the loudest boos. Yet Zhou Yi wasn’t affected by this. From receiving the ball to launching an attack, the whole process took less than 4 seconds. In the blink of an eye, Zhou Yi was already near the free-throw line. The defender standing in his way was Al Jefferson. Upon seeing Al Jefferson, Zhou Yi came up with a plan. At the moment they were about to collide, his upper body dropped significantly during his rapid movement. Al Jefferson, who was positioned higher, felt a cool breeze under his armpit, followed by the crisp sound of a basket behind his ear. Then, the referee’s whistle blew. Al Jefferson committed a defensive foul, and Zhou Yi got a free throw. He made it. Now, Zhou Yi’s consecutive free-throw successes had reached 96—he was destined to make history. In just 6 seconds, Zhou Yi completed an attack, dodging two Jazz defenders the whole time, without any pause in his movements, delivering such a brilliant play under the gaze of the entire crowd. “Swish”—a blue figure flashed by. Ronnie Price’s attempt to drive and pass had already been seen through by Zhou Yi, who rushed out like lightning, touching the ball before Al Jefferson, raising his arm high as the ball flew swiftly down the middle line toward the Pistons’ half-court. McGrady rushed in. With the ball and player in position, he lightly tapped the floor with his right foot, quickly leaping into the air. “Thud”—a battle-axe dunk. McGrady’s dunk seemed to tell the home crowd that the once-invincible McGrady had returned. Al Jefferson made a brilliant inside pass, but the force seemed a bit too strong at the moment of release. When the ball reached Andre Kirilenko on the outside, he failed to catch it, and it fell to the floor. Zhou Yi quickly grabbed it, allowing the Pistons to score another fast break. In less than a minute, the Jazz made two costly mistakes. Jerry Sloan tried to suppress his anger, hoping his players could adjust their performance, but it seemed the Pistons weren’t willing to give their opponent any chance. Ronnie Price’s three-point shot missed, and the Pistons grabbed the rebound to launch a fast break. Zhou Yi took advantage to score a beautiful three-pointer from the right wing. Jerry Sloan reluctantly called a timeout. The Pistons’ relentless attack left even him a bit overwhelmed.

With their current lineup, the Jazz are not afraid of teams that rely on fast breaks, but the powerful offensive force displayed by the Pistons today was truly astonishing. Their relentless attacks and suffocating defense made Jerry Sloan, who had been sitting calmly on the coaching bench, realize the gap between the two teams. There’s a reason behind the Pistons’ impressive performance so far this season. In them, he saw the shadow of another team—the former Bulls dynasty. Perhaps it’s just the beginning of that dynasty yet, but they exhibit an indescribable dominance that overwhelms their opponents. However, Jerry Sloan is not someone who accepts failure easily. With his extensive coaching experience and calm, thoughtful mind, and without being eager for quick results, he has his own vision for the team’s future. He once dreamed of his team becoming strong overnight, but he knows the team’s true situation better—the Jazz currently lack the strength to dominate others. Without Carlos Boozer, their first priority is to recover as soon as possible. Left with no other choice, Jerry Sloan had to ask his players to control the pace of the game. They were clearly no match for the Pistons in fast breaks, and even in half-court battles, the Jazz didn’t have an advantage. Moreover, this team, having just gone through major changes, is still immature; in fast-paced games, they often make basic mistakes. Errors caused by their own mistakes, compared to their opponents’ fierce attacks, are the most demoralizing. Zhou Yi’s three consecutive assists, along with his 6 points, surprised many fans. After the timeout, the Jazz’s Deron Williams came in, while Al Jefferson had already committed three fouls and was replaced by Kyle Korver. On the Pistons’ side, McGrady was replaced by Ben Gordon, and Greg Monroe was replaced by Taylor Hansbrough. The game continued fiercely! With the Jazz’s last attack in the first half failing, the Pistons went into the second half leading 56–41. They led by 15 points, going from being 7 points behind at the start to now leading by 15. The Pistons’ players excitedly headed to the locker room. The Jazz players were prepared to be scolded, but Jerry Sloan was deep in thought and didn’t scold them; he simply returned to the locker room calmly.

In the Pistons’ locker room, John Kuester was earnestly explaining tactics to the players, as it depended on them to fight hard from now on.
“Don’t worry! As long as we play with determination, I believe we’ll definitely win!” Kuester shouted at the players after explaining the tactics, and the players in the locker room joined in shouting—full of confidence now!
Soon, the second half of the game began.
Zhou Yi drove forward, dribbled behind his back to create space from Deron Williams, while Andre Kirilenko covered him. Zhou Yi promptly passed the ball to Teyshawn Prince, who was in an open spot.
Teyshawn Prince caught the ball and shot!
With a swish, the basketball smoothly landed in the basket, causing the net to ripple.