Chapter 78

At the end of the first quarter, the Pistons led their opponents 31–23, by 8 points. McGrady scored 13 points, the highest of his game so far, hitting 3 of 5 three-point attempts.

In the second quarter, John Kuester brought Zhou Yi back into the game. McGrady’s outstanding performance caught the opposing team’s attention; toward the end of the first quarter, the 76ers started using a double-team strategy against him, which proved very effective. Will Bynum’s weaknesses in offense became apparent as he missed both shots he took after the double-team left gaps, wasting such good opportunities—something that left John Kuester worried.

Having stayed on the bench for so long, Zhou Yi wasn’t idle; he kept closely observing the game. Watching from the bench was very different from playing on the court, and with John Kuester’s explanations, he understood even more. This is evident in his actions from then on.

He adjusted the speed of his dribbling, sometimes quick and sometimes slow. Several times, he passed the ball from halfway across the court, thanks to his innate sense of basketball that allowed him to make precise passes.

Under the 76ers’ double teams, McGrady had few chances to get the ball and thus few shooting opportunities. However, his mental adjustment made him smarter in the game. During the team’s attacks, he either created space for Zhou Yi with screens or moved around widely, drawing at least two defenders away and giving his teammates a 4-vs-3 advantage. Zhou Yi’s skillful passing often delivered the ball exactly where it was needed most.

After Jrue Holiday returned to the game, his ability to contain Zhou Yi was greatly reduced. Zhou Yi didn’t deliberately face him head-on, and even in the few times they did meet up, he chose sensible strategies.

The Pistons’ dominance from beyond the arc kept the 76ers’ defense on edge. Even Elton Brand had to step in frequently to fill the gaps left by his teammates, reducing pressure on Greg Monroe in the paint, who then hit two consecutive jump shots from deep.

In the third quarter, the Pistons used their outside play to widen the score gap, winning the quarter 30–18. Zhou Yi played a crucial role in this offensive surge, providing 5 assists in that quarter alone.

In the final quarter, the 76ers’ counterattack plan was completely shattered by two consecutive fast breaks by the Pistons. The first came from a combination between McGrady and Greg Monroe; Monroe’s pass allowed McGrady to score another three-pointer, bringing his total to seven such shots in the game. The second fast break was initiated by Zhou Yi, who successfully stole the ball in the middle of the court. Elton Brand’s screen created an opportunity for Joe Hordichuk to score, and Jody Meeks passed the ball in a timely manner. But just as Hordichuk was about to jump, he suddenly felt something light in his hands—the ball was gone. A lightning-fast figure flashed past him. Among the 76ers’ players, the one closest to Zhou Yi was Elton Brand. But since he had blocked McGrady earlier, he reaped the consequences; McGrady cleverly intercepted him. Without McGrady, even with Zhou Yi’s speed, it would have been impossible for him to catch up. Dominating on his home court, Zhou Yi once again showcased his speed and skillful ball-handling, along with his astonishing velocity. It seemed as though everyone saw a slightly larger version of Allen Iverson. In the entire league, only Allen Iverson could deliver such a visually stunning performance, leaving the 76ers players in awe. It was an absolutely classic fast break, though the only disappointment was that Zhou Yi ended it with a layup. Just over two and a half minutes into the fourth quarter, John Kuester substituted out the starting players one after another. The bench players played well and quickly widened the score gap to 30 points. Seeing this, Eddie Jordan also substituted out his starting players. Chapter 255: Another Attack on Chicago In the end, the Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 112–89, extending their winning streak to 24 games. In this match, Zhou Yi played for only 25 minutes, scoring 13 points and providing 6 assists. Charlie Villanueva scored the most points for the Pistons with 27 points and 8 rebounds. Will Bynum also scored 21 points and had 5 assists. The other member of the “Golden Duo,” McGrady, hit 6 out of 13 shots, scoring 16 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. On the 76ers’ side, Elton Brand scored the highest amount of points in the game with 30 points, along with 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.

After their game against the 76ers, the Pistons will take a day off before heading to Chicago the day after to face the Bulls once again. The two teams have already met twice this season, ending in a 1:1 tie. This match is sure to be even more intense.

……

At 8 p.m. on January 10th, the game between the Pistons and Bulls will officially kick off!

The Pistons’ starting power forward, Greg Monroe, is out due to the flu, and Taylor Hansbrough will take his place in the starting lineup. The Pistons’ starting lineup consists of center Ben Wallace, power forward Taylor Hansbrough, shooting forward Teyshawn Prince, point guard Tracy McGrady, and guard Zhou Yi.

On the Bulls’ side: center Joakim Noah, power forward Carlos Boozer, forward Roy Dunleavy, center Keith Bogans, and forward Derrick Rose.

At the start of the game, Joakim Noah and Taylor Hansbrough had a jump ball, and the Bulls won possession of the ball.

The ball was quickly passed to Derrick Rose, who rushed toward the Pistons’ half. Derrick Rose’s speed is among the top five in the league. In their previous two encounters, Zhou Yi struggled greatly against him. In terms of speed, Zhou Yi considers himself on par with him, but after years of experience in college and the league, Derrick Rose has a clear advantage in experience.

Derrick Rose has a relatively high shooting percentage among league guards, though his three-point shooting is weak.

Before the game, John Kuester emphasized the need to defend the Bulls’ Derrick Rose and Roy Dunleavy. Carlos Boozer is naturally the Bulls’ interior pillar, but his performance has been relatively consistent, averaging around 18 points and 10 rebounds per game, though he rarely delivers outstanding performances.

For the Bulls to win the game, the combination of Derrick Rose and Roy Dunleavy often plays a decisive role. Derrick Rose’s speed and breakthrough ability intimidate any team in the league, and his nearly 50% shooting percentage makes him a reliable scoring option. Roy Dunleavy is a renowned wing player in the league; once he gets going, his powerful impact troubles any center, and his unusual shooting style, with some seemingly random moves, often manages to get the ball into the basket.

Derek Rose quickly drove the ball past the half-court line, with Zhou Yi already waiting at the three-point line. Among the team members, only Zhou Yi could keep up with his speed. Derek Rose didn’t hold onto the ball for long; right after crossing half-court, he passed it to Rolando Blackman. Upon receiving the ball, Blackman immediately shot, and the ball traced a beautiful arc through the air before swishing through the net.

McGrady’s recent performance has increasingly satisfied the coaching staff. Not only has he gained more shooting opportunities, but his contributions in organizing attacks and defense have also been highly satisfactory. Zhou Yi and Derek Rose were assigned to defend each other. Facing a player renowned for his speed in the league, Zhou Yi was naturally on high alert, slowly driving the ball past half-court.

As the two approached each other, Derek Rose’s expression grew more serious. In their last matchup, they had been evenly matched—Zhou Yi’s sharp breakthroughs had left a deep impression on him. Moreover, during pre-game strategy sessions, Tom Thibodeau had emphasized that although McGrady was in excellent form, he had just recovered from an injury and might not have an advantage when facing Rolando Blackman.

Now, the biggest threat to the team was Zhou Yi. After over two months of competition, he had become a focal point for teams trying to contain him. And to deal with Zhou Yi, Derek Rose was naturally the first choice.

Zhou Yi’s continuous changes of direction and feints failed to deceive Derek Rose. After several failed attempts at breaking through, he showed no sign of frustration, instead revealing a faint smirk.

While Derek Rose was trying to read his expression, Zhou Yi suddenly shrugged his right shoulder backward, turning 180 degrees along with the ball, while slightly shifting his center of gravity backward, pressing his body tightly against Derek Rose’s.

Derek Rose reacted quickly. After figuring out Zhou Yi’s intention, he swiftly darted away, but his reaction was still a bit slow. By the time he tried to pull back, Zhou Yi had already moved to his right, using his right hand holding the ball to push slightly backward, his elbow hitting Derek Rose’s waist to block his movement. The action was so fast that not only could the referee not detect it, but even Derek Rose doubted it was intentional.

Over this period, McGrady had taught Zhou Yi many such offensive techniques. With his natural talent, Zhou Yi quickly mastered them and used them successfully in previous matches.

It seemed complicated at first, but it was done in the blink of an eye. The Bulls players didn’t even have time to react and watch helplessly as Zhou Yi made his jump shot. Being overwhelmed like this by Zhou Yi, Derrick Rose naturally felt uneasy, but it didn’t affect his judgment of the game. After halftime, he quickly passed the ball to Raul Deng on the right wing. The Pistons player closest to Raul Deng was Tracy McGrady, but instead of shooting a jump shot, Raul Deng drove full speed, flashing past McGrady like lightning and charging toward the Pistons’ interior players. This outstanding wing player in the league was also very skilled at attacking the paint. Tyler Hansbrough had already been drawn away by Carlos Boozer, leaving only the veteran Ben Wallace in the interior. Ben Wallace’s expressionless face made many players who faced him feel uneasy. But Raul Deng clearly didn’t care about that. Even Ben Wallace at his peak, let alone the current version, wouldn’t deter him from charging in. Raul Deng used momentum to soar upward, ignoring Ben Wallace under the basket. All he could see now was the hoop. In the air, he resembled an eagle soaring high, freely displaying his prowess. Ben Wallace’s eyes shone intensely as he shifted his weight slightly, focusing entirely on Raul Deng. Since the opponent was ignoring his defense so much, it was time to give him a proper welcome. A fierce collision was about to unfold at the United Center. Under these circumstances, Raul Deng was at a disadvantage in a direct confrontation. Ben Wallace, who was ready under the basket, was physically superior to him. Even if Ben Wallace was already in the later stages of his career, Joakim Noah wouldn’t be able to guarantee Raul Deng could gain an advantage in a one-on-one fight. At the moment their bodies were about to collide, Raul Deng suddenly twisted his body like a pretzel, turning his back to Ben Wallace. His move was so sudden that Ben Wallace was clearly unprepared. But it wasn’t surprising—turning in mid-air under such conditions wasn’t something an ordinary player could do.

Ben Wallace’s right hand slammed hard into Raul Dun’s left shoulder. The latter’s body trembled violently, but before he could be pushed to the floor by Ben Wallace, a hand stretched out from between them, and the basketball miraculously appeared in that hand. With a gentle flick, it landed steadily in the hoop.
“Swish.” There was no greater blow to Ben Wallace than this—despite his best efforts to block, the ball still went in, and he even gave the opponent a chance for a three-point shot.
John Kuester could only shake his head in frustration. Ben Wallace’s defense had been excellent just moments earlier. Yet Raul Dun’s bizarre scoring move rendered all his efforts useless.
Within the Bulls team, Raul Dun’s performance wasn’t very consistent, but he always managed to score incredible goals at critical moments. His unusual playing style always gave his defenders a hard time. Although Derrick Rose was the leader of Chicago, Raul Dun certainly held significant weight there as well.
Zhou Yi drove with the ball, passed it skillfully to Taylor Hansbrough, who dunked with powerful force. His strong dunk even deeply impressed Carlos Boozer.
Carlos Boozer forced his way to the basket, pushed aside Taylor Hansbrough, and scored.
Zhou Yi drove to the baseline, received a pass from the inside, and hit a three-point jump shot.
Raul Dun’s layup caused Taylor Hansbrough to foul, earning two free throws, one of which was made.
In the first quarter, the Bulls abandoned their usual steady playstyle and engaged in a back-and-forth battle with the Pistons.
The Bulls were one of the few teams in the league capable of adapting to two different styles of play. In close games, their defense was on par with any team, especially with defensive stalwarts Joakim Noah and Ronnie Brewer on the court, who could effectively contain the opponent’s top scorer.
As the league’s top scorer, Kobe Bryant had also suffered losses against Ronnie Brewer.
When it came to fast breaks, the Bulls had their own tactics. Their interior players weren’t as skilled at moving around as the Suns’ previous interior duo, but when it came to the league’s best backcourt combination, no team matched the Bulls’ speed.
Derrick Rose, needless to say, was among the top five fastest players in the league. Raul Dun’s speed was also among the best among small forwards.