Chapter 89

Section four of the game started quickly. The Pistons deployed a backcourt of two point guards, with Greg Monroe and James Posey forming the front line, and veteran Samuel Dalembert in the paint. On the Kings’ side, there were Tyreke Evans, Beno Udrih, Omari Cassby, Karl Landry, and Jason Thompson.

Will Bynum quickly drove the ball past half-court; his first pass was naturally aimed at Zhou Yi. However, since he entered the game, Beno Udrih had been closely following him. Among the Kings’ current players, aside from Tyreke Evans, he was the best defender and also skilled at drawing offensive fouls. At this critical moment, Paul Westphal naturally entrusted him with the defensive responsibility, with the other Kings players ready to assist in defense at any time.

Although Zhou Yi was positioned as a shooting guard and didn’t bear the main responsibility for team play, his impact on the game was evident—there were always at least two players from the Kings focusing on him. Additionally, Greg Monroe, who was performing well in the paint, also needed help defending, leaving the Kings’ zone defense strategy vulnerable.

Will Bynum quickly passed the ball to Samuel Dalembert. The Kings didn’t assign anyone specifically to defend Dalembert, and they hadn’t expected him to receive the ball on his first shot after Zhou Yi returned to the game. They could only watch as he made a mid-range shot.

Dalembert’s shot was crucial. Initially, after Zhou Yi entered the game, the Kings’ main defensive focus had been on him. But with his successful shot, the Kings had to pay more attention to other Pistons players, reducing the pressure on Zhou Yi.

Omari Cassby’s mid-range shot missed, and control of the ball returned to the Pistons. Will Bynum scored from beyond the three-point line, and the Pistons scored 5 points in just half a minute, widening the lead to 15 points.

The Kings’ head coach, Paul Westphal, immediately called a timeout. The Pistons’ sudden surge completely disrupted his tactical plans. Zhou Yi hadn’t even had a chance to shine yet, and the Pistons had already widened the lead by 5 points—this situation clearly worried him greatly.

After the timeout, Omari Cassby executed a simple screen with Tyreke Evans before hitting a three-point shot from the baseline.

Will Bynum drove past half-court without holding onto the ball too long and quickly passed it to Zhou Yi. At that moment, only Tyreke Evans was around Zhou Yi, though other Kings players were lurking not far away. Still, the situation was much better than the double-team earlier. With a step back, he increased the distance between the two. Zhou Yi threw up a high shot, and the ball quickly passed over Tyreke Evans’ head as Will Bynum turned and hit a jump shot. With 8 minutes and 31 seconds left in the game, after Tyreke Evans scored twice in a row with drives, the score stood at 89:77. Zhou Yi quickly drove past half-court and encountered Tyreke Evans again. After several feints, Tyreke Evans remained unfazed. Zhou Yi accurately passed the ball to Will Bynum, then stepped forward to block Tyreke Evans tightly on the right side. Taking advantage of the opportunity created by Zhou Yi, Will Bynum didn’t hesitate and quickly shot, but unfortunately, his force seemed too weak, and the ball bounced high in front of the basket. Greg Monroe spread his arms and pressed Omari Casby tightly behind him, easily scoring a rebound basket. On the Kings’ side, Tyreke Evans assisted Beno Udrih in driving to the basket for a score. With the referee’s whistle, Tyreke Evans got up from the floor; Zhou Yi had been fouled for an offensive foul after being tricked by him. Zhou Yi’s earlier drive had only lightly touched him, yet he fell that far. Such deception left Zhou Yi with a wry smile. The Pistons were in strong form, and such a move was a huge blow to their morale, especially with only 6.5 minutes left in the game and the Pistons leading by just 12 points. Karl Landry’s shot lacked force, hitting the front of the basket. Greg Monroe jumped up and easily grabbed the rebound, then passed it long, sending the ball quickly out of the paint toward the Kings’ half-court. Zhou Yi, who had been waiting in the half-court, saw the pass and quickly judged the situation before rushing toward the Kings’ basket. As he expected, Greg Monroe’s pass had enough force to reach the free-throw line, giving him enough time to get away from Tyreke Evans surrounding him.

Tyrick Evans was desperately racing toward his own half of the court. To his dismay, the two players who had been neck and neck just a few steps later showed signs of overtaking him—Zhou Yi could run that fast! Catching the ball lightly, Zhou Yi maintained a slight lead over Tyrick Evans and easily scored by layup. What frustrated Tyrick Evans even more was that he kept chasing Zhou Yi in an attempt to disrupt his shots. But when he reached the basket, he lost his balance and collided head-on with Zhou Yi. The referee didn’t hesitate and called a defensive foul. Tyrick Evans didn’t argue with the referee—after all, the collision was obvious, and the call was justified. He just felt a bit aggrieved, as he hadn’t intended to foul; it was simply due to his loss of control. If he had known the outcome, he would have tried to bring Zhou Yi down earlier, at least to prevent him from scoring a three-pointer so easily. Free throws were Zhou Yi’s most reliable scoring method. John Kuester watched Zhou Yi’s performance with satisfaction. After this period of training, Zhou Yi’s understanding of when to pass and when to score had become increasingly mature. The several scores he had just made would have been impossible for him before, but with his current game experience, he took advantage of Tyrick Evans’ psychological weaknesses and scored twice in ways Tyrick hadn’t anticipated. It wasn’t that Tyrick Evans couldn’t think of those moves; rather, achieving Zhou Yi’s level of scoring required extremely high standards from a player, and few in the league could do it. Moreover, Zhou Yi’s high shooting percentage under such pressure was truly remarkable, even though everything he did was just right. The Kings’ head coach, Paul Westphal, didn’t call a timeout. The Kings only had two timeouts left, which they naturally needed to use wisely. With 5 minutes and 20 seconds left in the game, the Pistons called a timeout, taking Will Bynum off the court and bringing Tracy McGrady in, while James Posey was replaced by Tashawn Prince. Beno Udrih’s dribbling had some flaws. For some players, even a brief moment was enough to execute many moves, and Zhou Yi, who was defending him, was one of the best at this. The moment Udrih showed a weakness, Zhou Yi swiftly stole the ball and passed it long.

The Kings’ players were clearly unprepared for this mistake. As Greg Monroe leaped high inside the three-second line, his arms raised high above his head, he slammed down with tremendous force at the peak of his jump. Such a powerful dunk seemed to shake the entire arena. The home crowd cheered loudly at this stunning score, and the Auburn Hills Palace was filled with joy. With a score of 97:84, Paul Westphal finally called a timeout. Since Zhou Yi entered the game, the Pistons had scored points in just a few minutes, and center Samuel Dalembert had done an excellent job defending, preventing the Kings from scoring key points twice. After the timeout, under Terry Crews’ guidance, the Kings scored a 7-2 run, with three of their players hitting shots. The Kings’ attack failed this time, and after Greg Monroe grabbed the defensive rebound, he quickly passed it to Zhou Yi. These successful attacks made Terry Crews a bit careless. Just as he regained his composure, the ball flew toward him. Instinctively, he dodged, and Zhou Yi easily caught the ball and quickly passed it to Samuel Dalembert, who had no Kings defenders in front of him. After receiving the ball, Samuel Dalembert dunked with both hands, causing the crowd to scream. The game continued for over two more minutes. With three minutes left in the game, Pistons head coach John Kuester called a timeout, which was also the Pistons’ second-to-last timeout. After the timeout, the final outcome was determined. Chapter 265: Catching the Thief and the King. With three minutes left in the game, the score was 104:93, with the Pistons still leading by 11 points. After the timeout, both teams made adjustments to their lineups. Zhou Yi was replaced by Will Bynum for the Pistons, Teyshawn Prince by James Posey, and Samuel Dalembert by Ben Wallace. For the Kings, Beno Udrih was replaced by Eugene Jeter, and Karl Landry by DeMarcus Cousins. The game continued, with the Pistons in possession.

McGrady organized the offense with the ball, while Will Bynum came up to provide support. McGrady passed the ball to Greg Monroe in the paint. Greg Monroe took on DeMarcus Cousins one-on-one and attempted a turnaround hook shot, but it missed; Jason Thompson secured the defensive rebound.

The Kings launched an attack, with Tyreke Evans throwing a pass into the paint from the top of the key, then catching a pass back from inside and hitting a mid-range jump shot. Will Bynum used his speed to break through Eugene Jeter’s defense and rushed into the Kings’ paint for a layup that missed, but he drew a foul on DeMarcus Cousins. Will Bynum took the free throws and made one of two.

Tyreke Evans slipped down the baseline, then received a clever pass from a teammate and hit another jump shot in the paint, scoring 4 points in just one minute. McGrady attempted a jump shot from beyond the three-point line; although it missed, Ben Wallace grabbed the offensive rebound, handing the ball back to McGrady. McGrady passed the ball to Will Bynum at the baseline, who then hit a three-pointer. Omari Cassby also scored by cutting to the basket with help from his teammates.

The score was now 110:101 in favor of the Pistons, who still led by 9 points, with exactly 2 minutes left in the game. The Pistons made substitutions—Zhou Yi replaced Will Bynum, and Teyshawn Prince replaced James Posey.

On the Pistons’ offense, DeMarcus Cousins enforced a three-second violation. In such critical moments, technical free throws naturally fell to Zhou Yi. He lived up to his teammates’ trust by accurately shooting the ball into the basket. Seeing the excited expressions on the Pistons’ faces, Tyreke Evans felt an unprecedented fighting spirit. He had remained relatively calm throughout the game, but now he was filled with determination—to get back up where he fell and make amends for his mistakes.

Paul Westphal looked anxious, completely devoid of his usual composure. As the game reached its most critical stage, every second was crucial. To prevent the Kings from regaining their rhythm, the Pistons played a coordinated and intense defense throughout the game.

Zhou Yi received the ball at the sideline from Teyshawn Prince and then took off on offense. He controlled the ball slowly, showing no urgency. With a 10-point lead, it was clearly their side that had control of the game; it was the Kings who needed to worry.

Slowly, as 24 seconds turned into just 6, Zhou Yi drove with the ball and passed it to Greg Monroe inside. Seeing no chance to attack, Greg Monroe passed the ball to Ben Wallace. Ben Wallace threw up a reverse layup, and the ball went through the hoop just as it hit the backboard.

As Tyreke Evans received the ball at the three-point line, Zhou Yi immediately appeared beside him, trying to force Tyreke Evans out of the paint. With a feint and a screen set up by his teammate, Tyreke Evans broke free from Zhou Yi’s defense. Zhou Yi felt anxious—what seemed like a simple move from him was executed with great determination by Tyreke Evans, who showed no signs of fatigue from the game, suggesting that his earlier mistake had hurt his pride.

Just after halftime, Zhou Yi didn’t give Tyreke Evans any time to recover and pressed him closely. Once Tyreke Evans got going, even Zhou Yi might not be able to stop him, especially since he was already running low on energy.

John Kuester sat calmly on the coaching bench, fairly confident about the Pistons’ overall defense. The Pistons had already switched to zone defense. Unlike other teams, the Kings’ five players all had strong scoring abilities, and none of them could be ignored.

Despite sweat dripping from his forehead onto the ground, Zhou Yi didn’t dare wipe it away. He seemed completely focused on defense, with the cheers from the Auburn Hills Palace not reaching his ears at all.

Tyreke Evans displayed lightning-fast speed, appearing right in front of Zhou Yi in the blink of an eye. As their bodies neared collision, Tyreke Evans’ movements remained unchanged—his speed stayed the same, but his hand movements shifted subtly. He caught the bouncing ball with his left hand and quickly shot it toward Zhou Yi’s left side. The ball was moving extremely fast. Zhou Yi’s mind tightened as he shifted his weight slightly backward, adapting to Tyreke Evans’ ever-changing moves.

At the moment the ball was released, Tyreke Evans made a surprising move. He quickly spun around in place, gave a slight shake with his right hand, and appeared on Zhou Yi’s right side. Realizing his mistake, Zhou Yi tried to react immediately, but in that instant, Omari Cassby nimbly moved to the outside and set up a simple screen with Tyreke Evans.

Just as Terick Evans was about to shoot inside the three-point line, Greg Monroe rushed out quickly. By the time Omi Kasibira reached the outside, Greg Monroe had already guessed his intention and followed closely, managing to block Terick Evans in time.

After Greg Monroe interrupted Terick Evans’ shot, the ball hit the floor to his right and quickly bounced into the hands of DeMarcus Cousins inside. By then, Greg Monroe had withdrawn from the paint, with Ben Wallace also blocked behind him. DeMarcus Cousins stepped forward, ready to dunk.

But the Pistons players didn’t give up. Several of them rushed toward the basket. With the game already decided, they were determined to make one last effort. DeMarcus Cousins jumped extremely high; at the peak of his jump, his waist bent slightly, his body like a taut bowstring, as if about to deliver a stunning dunk right before the eyes of all the fans.

Just as his raised right hand was about to slam down, the home crowd witnessed something truly surprising. At the moment Terick Evans passed the ball to the ground, a dark figure rushed straight into the paint from outside the three-point line. By the time DeMarcus Cousins leaped upward, that figure was already inside the free-throw line—there was no time to hesitate, and he quickly took off into the air.

Watching the ball in DeMarcus Cousins’ hands rise higher and higher, Zhou Yi’s determination grew even stronger. Yet his body wasn’t what it used to be. As he soared through the air, pain and fatigue rushed through his entire body; it seemed like he might fall straight down at any moment. But his perseverance kept him from letting go.

Without the energy to pay attention to anything else, his eyes seemed fixed only on the orange basketball. In the end, it was his unwavering determination that made him keep reaching out with his right hand.

“Ah!” A wave of pain snapped Zhou Yi out of his daze. He let his body fall straight down. By now, he had no regrets. He had touched the ball—though only with three fingers—and couldn’t swat it away neatly, but that final push was enough to disrupt its trajectory.

“Bang!” DeMarcus Cousins’ powerful dunk hit the back of the rim, sending the ball flying out of the court. Zhou Yi fell to the ground, and McGrady rushed over to pull him up.

“Great job, brother!” McGrady said excitedly, patting Zhou Yi’s shoulder.
“Hehe…” Zhou Yi smiled foolishly and scratched the back of his head.
The crowd erupted in applause, with fans at home shouting Zhou Yi’s name. In their hearts, Zhou Yi was their hero, the hero of this city.
The game continued, and after Zhou Yi pulled off that incredible block, the Pistons players became even more enthusiastic. Their aggressive defense thwarted the Kings’ attempts to comeback.
In the end, the Pistons defeated the Kings 112:105. By sweeping the Sacramento Kings this season, the Pistons extended their winning streak to 28 games.
Zhou Yi scored the highest points in the game—10 out of 18 attempts for 30 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The entire crowd was crazy about Zhou Yi’s performance, and he was naturally named the “MVP” of the game. Moreover, among all the games that day, he was also selected to the All-Star Team as a point guard.
Seven Pistons players scored in double figures. Aside from Zhou Yi’s 30 points, none of the other six reached 20 points. McGrady scored 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists; Tyreke Evans scored 16 points and 6 rebounds. To the surprise of the home fans, veteran Ben Wallace, who usually didn’t score much, managed 13 points—quite unexpected. Greg Monroe also scored 13 points along with 9 rebounds; James Posey scored 11 points; and Will Bynum scored 10 points.
On the Kings’ side, Tyreke Evans was the top scorer. Having just returned from injury, he played only 32 minutes, hitting 9 out of 21 attempts for 23 points and 8 assists. DeMarcus Cousins, the third overall pick, scored 13 points and 10 rebounds, achieving a double-double.
After the game, the Pistons players and home fans celebrated their victory in the arena.
Chapter 266: Sending Off the Kings, Meeting the Mavericks

The Mavericks have recently enjoyed an eight-game winning streak, securing second place in the West. They are just one and a half games behind the Lakers and could overtake them to take the top spot in the conference. The Mavericks have performed well on the road this season, winning 14 out of 18 away games so far, ranking second in the league in road record, just behind the Pistons led by Zhou Yi.

Currently, the Pistons sit at the top of the league with a record of 37 wins and 3 losses, three and a half games ahead of the second-ranked Lakers. With half of the season already behind them, the Pistons’ record is the best start in NBA history, even better than the 72-10 start the Chicago Bulls had that season. Many Detroit fans hope the Pistons can repeat the Bulls’ miracle and break the Lakers’ record of 33 consecutive wins.

At 7:30 p.m. on the 17th, the game between the Pistons and Mavericks will kick off on time!

By 7 o’clock, the Palace of Auburn Hills was already packed. Many fans feel lucky for having bought all their season tickets for the Pistons, while others are extremely disappointed. So far, all of the Pistons’ home tickets have been sold out, forcing the team’s management to add some seats in the aisles, which were also quickly sold out.

The Mavericks’ starting five for today are center Brandon Haywood, power forward Dirk Nowitzki, shooting forward Shawn Marion, point guard Jason Terry, and playmaker Jason Kidd.

The Pistons’ starting lineup is quite different from usual—Samuel Dalembert starts at center, with power forward Greg Monroe, shooting forward James Posey, point guard Tracy McGrady, and playmaker Zhou Yi.

The game will be commentary by NBA legend Reggie Miller and “The Glider” Draxler.

Greg Monroe secured the first possession for the Pistons, and Zhou Yi quickly drove the ball across half-court. Undoubtedly, the player guarding him was Jason Kidd. Against Kidd, Zhou Yi has a clear advantage. Jason Kidd is quite old and no longer at his peak. Against ordinary guards, Kidd still holds a significant edge, but against Zhou Yi, his current physical condition is not enough.

Zhou Yi moved around at the top of the key with the ball, while Jason Kidd was two steps ahead of him, ready to pounce, his slightly bent body like a drawn bowstring, his right hand constantly changing direction. Zhou Yi didn’t dare be careless—he understood that even a thin camel is bigger than a horse. His knees, also slightly bent, trembled nonstop; every change in direction was actually a preparation to move. The moment Jason Kidd subtly observed his teammates’ positions, Zhou Yi suddenly launched himself forward. His slender body touched Jason Kidd in an instant, and as his left arm swung backward, his elbow gently hit Jason Kidd’s ribs, causing brief pain that slowed down Jason Kidd’s follow-up defense. “Swish”—after passing Jason Kidd, Zhou Yi shot a mid-range jump shot without hesitation, and the ball smoothly landed in the Mavericks’ basket. Jason Kidd frowned slightly—Zhou Yi’s starting speed had been too fast; even without that quick move, he probably wouldn’t have had time to react. Instead of forcing a breakthrough, Jason Kidd did a simple pick-and-roll with Jason Terry and quickly found an opportunity to shoot from the right wing. Zhou Yi was briefly blocked by Jason Terry and quickly tried to cover him, but it was too late—Jason Kidd managed to shoot from an open position. Just before shooting, Jason Kidd suddenly lowered his wrist and flipped it quickly, causing the ball to slam into the floor and bounce easily into Jason Terry’s hands. At that moment, McGrady was focused on Jason Kidd and failed to defend Jason Terry, who easily scored from beyond the three-point line. After crossing half-court, Zhou Yi passed the ball to the ground, sending it past Jason Kidd’s feet and into Greg Monroe’s hands, helping him score a easy dunk. After crossing half-court, Jason Kidd made a clever pass to Sean Marion, assisting him in a alley-oop dunk. Before reaching half-court, Zhou Yi had already passed the ball to McGrady. The Pistons’ most celebrated feature was, of course, their golden duo. As the season progressed, McGrady gradually integrated into the team, with an average of 19.1 points per game serving as the best proof—he had become the team’s second-leading scorer, and with him around, Zhou Yi faced less pressure in offense.

Maddie’s performance has attracted increasing attention. Detroit’s media are optimistic that as long as he can maintain his current level, he has a good chance of being selected for the All-Star game again this season, and even more likely of making the All-NBA team after the season ends. Maddie’s consistent shooting is a nightmare for most teams. Against the Pistons, Zhou Yi was naturally the primary target of double-teaming. With focus on guarding Zhou Yi, they likely didn’t have the energy to fully defend Maddie. His 47.8% shooting accuracy is a new high for his career. Seeing Zhou Yi quickly move to the right wing baseline, Jason Kidd hesitated for a moment before quickly following him. He knew very well that Zhou Yi was the Pistons’ most threatening outside shooter, with a shooting accuracy of just under 55%, and nearly half of his shots coming from beyond the three-point line. Although he took fewer than 15 shots per game, he managed to score 22.3 points, and his shots usually came when the team was in a deadlock or to seal the game. In a recent match against the Eastern Conference powerhouse Bulls, he hit a shot at the last moment to help the Pistons secure the victory. Maddie found an open spot; the Mavericks’ players didn’t expect Jason Terry to help Jason Kidd defend Zhou Yi, and it was too late to react. Maddie hesitated slightly before quickly shooting. “Swish”—Maddie maintained his usual consistency this season. His best shots were from the top of the key, where he rarely missed shots when unguarded. However, the top of the key was still a key defensive area, as many breakthroughs started there and it was where the team’s defense was strongest, so such opportunities were rare in games. Jason Kidd lofted the ball into the paint, and Dirk Nowitzki caught it and scored with a backdoor jump shot. James Posey dribbled the ball twice before quickly passing it to Zhou Yi. The Mavericks now had high-quality defense; while maintaining an efficient offense, they also made great efforts in defense. Rick Carlisle was committed to turning the Mavericks into a strong team with both offensive and defensive capabilities. Zhou Yi drove and passed the ball; Jason Kidd was somewhat helpless. Zhou Yi’s pass was perfectly timed, going over his head into the paint. Although he tried hard to jump and intercept the ball in mid-air, unfortunately, his jumping ability wasn’t quite enough. Greg Monroe attempted a turnaround hook shot, but it missed, and Dirk Nowitzki secured the defensive rebound.

In terms of sheer strength, the Mavericks are definitely ahead of the Pistons, even though the Pistons have had an incredible record this season. There is still a clear gap in strength between the two teams, but the Pistons have much more luck than the Mavericks.

On the Mavericks’ offense, Jason Terry tried to shoot from beyond the three-point line but missed, with McGrady grabbing the defensive rebound. Greg Monroe attacked Dirk Nowitzki inside, but his backshot was blocked by Brandon Haywood behind him, and Dirk Nowitzki secured the defensive rebound. The Mavericks’ offense failed again, and the teams switched sides, with the Pistons taking over.

Zhou Yi passed the ball to the inside again, and this time Greg Monroe succeeded in his attack, even drawing a foul on “The German Tank.” Greg Monroe made the free throw. After that, Greg Monroe’s form improved, and Zhou Yi happily passed the ball to him. Greg Monroe handled most of the Pistons’ early shots, hitting 4 out of 6 attempts for 8 points, single-handedly helping the Pistons take a temporary 14-12 lead.

Jason Terry scored continuously from outside, giving the Mavericks more momentum in their offense. Whenever the Mavericks needed points, Jason Terry was always there to step up. With continuous attacks inside, Greg Monroe’s stamina was quickly depleted. But as a highly talented player, after sensing he was running low on energy, he cleverly passed the ball to the outside after drawing the defense’s attention, greatly benefiting the Pistons’ outside players.

Rick Carlisle had no choice but to call a timeout. Greg Monroe’s performance rendered his pre-game tactics useless, but since only half a quarter had passed, he still had enough time to adjust his strategy. John Kuester was very pleased; Greg Monroe’s outstanding performance meant the Pistons now had not only an excellent inside player but also a fundamental change in their tactics.

With Ben Wallace gradually aging, Greg Monroe can be considered the current backbone of the Pistons’ interior play. After the timeout, the Mavericks’ performance didn’t improve significantly. Greg Monroe’s outstanding play inside kept the Pistons in control of the game. Meanwhile, the Mavericks’ outside players failed to find their rhythm. Not only was their offense weak, but their defense also seemed to lag behind, resulting in the Pistons ending the first quarter with a 34-27 lead of 7 points.

Chapter 267: The Tough Mavericks

The first quarter was a back-and-forth battle. Although neither team had a high shooting percentage, there were many impressive goals. Zhou Yi and Jason Kidd each provided 5 assists in the first quarter, but the Pistons maintained a high shooting rate from beyond the arc. McGrady hit 3 out of 4 three-point attempts, exposing weaknesses in the Mavericks’ defense. Greg Monroe also scored frequently in the paint, helping the Pistons play in their strongest style. In contrast, the Mavericks were just as strong in the first half, but in the final minutes, Jason Terry lost his composure and kept charging inside. After being blocked by Greg Monroe, the entire team’s offense suffered a setback, allowing the Pistons to take a 7-point lead at 34:27. His rapid breathing showed how much energy Zhou Yi had expended in the first quarter. Jason Kidd’s defense made it extremely difficult for him, both offensively and defensively. He had to genuinely admire Kidd’s defensive skills—given his current physical condition, Kidd could still exert such pressure on him. One can only imagine how formidable his defense must have been during his peak years.